Chapter 231: No Extra Charge, but a Discount

"More money? No, adding more money would hurt our friendship too much."

The total price of the five acres of land at the intersection of West 42nd Street and Broadway Avenue in Manhattan is $1 million, which is already a very high price.

You can count on your fingers the number of people in New York who can spend $1 million in cash to buy land.

After all, having a millionaire and being able to get $1 million in cash are two different things.

This is just the price of the land. Including the New York City government's deed tax, the actual cost to acquire this land is more than 1 million US dollars.

Liang Yao does not intend to add money to buy Backhouse's piece of land in the Manhattan business district.

"There is no friendship between us, only business," Backhouse emphasized.

Liang Yao stretched out his hand towards Kony, and Kony handed over the map he had prepared with a wink.

Liang Yao spread out the map on the table. The five acres of land he wanted had already been drawn on the map.

Backhouse looked at the map carefully. The lands that Liang Yao wanted to buy were not for sale by the Astor family and did not touch Backhouse's bottom line. As long as Liang Yao's bid was high enough to impress him, these lands would also It’s not that it can’t be sold.

"You can't say that." Liang Yao said with his hands behind his back.

"As far as I know, you have 28 acres of land in Manhattan, and what I purchased is only 5 acres of it. I plan to build a Manhattan business district in New York. As long as this business district is built, the future land price of this business district will be "

Having said this, Liang Yao paused and looked directly into Backhouse's erratic eyes with firm eyes.

"You are the largest real estate developer in New York, and you are the biggest beneficiary of the increase in land prices. In my opinion, you should not increase the price to exclude me, a high-quality collaborator, but should lower the price to deepen our cooperation. Friendship, isn’t it?”

"You have such a powerful mouth. If only my children and grandchildren were half as smart as you. Now I finally know why John fell into your hands."

Backhouse couldn't help but sigh.

To be fair, he hated Liang Yao who caused huge losses to the Astor family, but he also admired Liang Yao's abilities.

Not to mention that John would fall into Liang Yao's hands when he arrived in California. Maybe if he went to California himself, the result would not be much better.

"Why should I believe what you say? Whether land prices in New York can rise is up to the market, not you. Besides, an increase of $1 is an increase, and an increase of $100,000 is also an increase. These words of yours moved me Not me."

It goes without saying that the potential of land value in Manhattan, New York, is huge. Starting from this year, the United States has gradually emerged from the last round of economic crisis.

The next four years were the golden years of economic development in the United States before the Civil War. The economic recovery of the United States in the 19th century was inevitably accompanied by the rise of land in metropolitan areas.

Especially in the United States during the second industrial revolution, land prices in the United States experienced the strongest growth.

Land in New York can still be sold by the acre now, but 20 years later, land in the core areas of New York will be sold by the square foot.

"We can sign a gambling agreement. You will sell me these 5 acres of land for US$150,000 per acre." Liang Yao said with his hands on the table. "Four years from now, if the business district fails to boost land prices in Manhattan and land prices in Manhattan rise to less than $240,000 per acre, then I will pay an additional $90,000 per acre for the land I purchased."

"What if the land price in Manhattan really reaches $240,000 per acre in four years?" Backhouse asked, rubbing his chin, "What do you want?"

"Then you will give me 2 acres of land in Manhattan. You will still be the biggest beneficiary of the rising land prices in Manhattan. You won't even be willing to part with these two acres of land, right?" Liang Yao said with a smile.

Backhouse fell into deep thought. If the land price in Manhattan can really rise to US$240,000 per acre in four years, he will indeed be the biggest winner.

You know, the price his father paid to buy these lands was only $60,000 per acre.

Reluctant to give up the land but unable to get US dollars, after thinking for a long time, Backhouse gritted his teeth and said: "I am willing to take a gamble with you."

After leaving Backhouse's mansion, Van Daze was very surprised. He couldn't believe that Liang Yao actually persuaded Backhouse to sell the land to Liang Yao at a discount.

"It's incredible that you convinced Backhouse," Vandaze said.

Kony thought that Liang Yao was too bold and aggressive: "Sir, from 1845 to now, the unit price of land in Manhattan, New York, has increased by no more than 20,000 US dollars per acre, and the increase has exceeded 40,000 US dollars in 4 years. Is your judgment correct? Too optimistic?"

Of course Liang Yao was aware of the past increases in land prices in the New York area. uu Reading The six years from 1845 to 1851 were the six most depressed years for the American economy in the first half of the 19th century.

Not only the United States, but also the major capitalist countries in the world were in economic recession during this period.

The sluggish land prices in New York are largely due to the impact of the economic crisis. As long as the American economy improves, New York's land prices are bound to rise again.

In addition, the governments of the eastern states of the United States have a considerable amount of land, and the state governments have the conditions to implement land finance. Of course, many state governments have done so.

Ten years ago, the Chicago government of Yinzhou went bankrupt by playing with land finance, and also bankrupted several major banks in Yinzhou.

There are states that play with land finance badly, and naturally there are states that play with land finance well. New York State is the state that plays with land finance the worst.

The founding elites of New York State and the elites from all over the world are much smarter than those rough people in Yinzhou.

Of course, the ability of New York State to play with land finance is also related to the fact that New York City is the largest city in the United States, gathering the most wealth in the United States, and New York's huge development potential.

The population potential of New York City is not just 700,000.

Historically, from 1850 to 1862 before the promulgation of the Homestead Act, it was the craziest 12 years for New York's land finance, without a doubt.

After the promulgation of the Homestead Act, the federal government controlled less than one-third of the land in the United States, and the state governments controlled less than 10% of the land. At one point, privately owned land exceeded 60%. Governments at all levels in the United States completely lost the conditions for implementing land finance.

“No, I think my judgment is still too conservative,” Liang Yao said.