Is First Land for First Time Buyers?
by Pixeleen Mistral on 12/12/06 at 12:36 am
by Seola Sassoon
In recent weeks, first land has been extremely scarce and I wanted to find out why so many new residents couldn’t get first land. I spent 3 weeks, daily, searching for first land, to no avail.
My first encounter was what drummed me to this issue. I saw a single parcel for sale. I TP in to Guy Linden standing there, having just opened the land, along with 30 ‘newb’ avatars and the land gone within seconds, deeded to a group that shall remain nameless, and priced to 4299L, at which point it sold to another baron style group who marked it 6kL and put up horrid signs everywhere, from ground to about 60m up. This particular hovel was in the middle of several very nice homes
At this point, Guy said he’d open some more land in another sim, to which I instantly tp’ed to, to be standing in the middle of another 30 avs. From roughly 15 parcels that opened up, only 2 I was able to verify were bought up by actual people putting up a home. The other parcels were quickly filled with for sale signs within 3 minutes, along with a few ‘land stores’, deeded to land groups, and price tags were ranging from 4300L up to 7kL, the 7kL price tag seemed to be reserved for the biggest spammer signs that extended. My guess is people pay that price just to not have to look at that ugly thing anymore.
I wondered how often does this happen? How many new residents actually get land? Well, the honest answer… hardly any. For every 15 FL’s put up for sale, it turns out to be only 1-3 avatars that actually are using it as first land. The rest are resold at profit, but not before hundreds of signs are put up. Over 3 weeks time, and witnessing approximately 150 FL’s put up for sale, I decided to crunch numbers on how this actually becomes profitable.
For the cost of a single premium membership, you get the rights to first land. We’ll use a 270 exchange rate for this model.
Cost of premium: 2698L
Cost of first land: 512L
Total: 3210L spent.
Premium receives a minimum stipend of 300L weekly: 1200L
Average price of a sample of 100 512m parcels: 4718L
Total gained: 5918L
Profit: 2708L or roughly 10USD.
Doesn’t sound like much at first, unless you think about this happening at least 10 times weekly.
About 20 minutes worth of work, nets you 100USD. One company, at the end of these 3 weeks, had done this approximately 70 times. In 3 weeks time, they earned 700USD for about 2 hours worth of work (each land was either sold to another baron to be marked up and spammed, or sold at full price).
It’s absolutely profitable to do this repeatedly, and currently, I suggested a proposal, seemingly met well with FL wanters, but disagreeable to a few others, including some known land barons. While my proposal isn’t perfect, it certainly eliminates profit with little implementation.
With so many resi’s begging for FL, Torley finally posted in the knowledge base:
Why can’t I find First Land?
First Land is available on a first-come, first-served basis. It’s not guaranteed to be available if you have a Premium Account, but it is nice to have as a starter parcel, because 512 m2 for L$512 is a great price.
Currently, First Land is created almost daily in limited supply, and tends to be bought extremely quickly. You can check for it from the Search – Land Sales tab and change the “All Types” dropdown menu to ” First Land”. If it says “None found.”, please try again soon.
The scarcity of First Land is understandably confusing and frustrating. In response to scaling with increased growth and demand, there are going to be some significant changes coming to First Land.
Please keep checking the Official Linden Blog for updates from our Land Team!
Almost daily, huh Torley? If this is true, for daily as opposed to large chunks at a time, then why say: It comes up in batches at regular intervals — not prescheduled but whenever our Land Team can arrange for it, which is usually weeks — so there *will* be more First Land.
Does it take weeks or almost daily?
Now, before I’m lambasted with people saying, “LL is trying to fix the bugs, who cares about FL?” Not everyone fixes bugs. There are currently many, many positions that have nothing to do with Dev, and that includes opening first land, which has been reclaimed by Governor Linden. My biggest question is, is it possible that the Lindens may be losing out on thousands more dollars by people who are waiting to go premium until they can get first land.
Sure thousands sounds piddly when they take in more than 3.6 million dollars a month from premium accounts alone (Source: Adam Reuters story noting 365,000 users at a 10 dollar a month premium, one does wonder how many are tossable land baron accounts, but they get the money either way.
Adding even 800 premium accounts is an extra 8,000USD a month. Certainly could pay a few more Dev’s salaries.
With island delivery dates varying, let’s hope this small amount isn’t the future. I’ll be checking in after the first of the year, watching first land again.
Seola Sassoon a.k.a Random Writer
Dec 13th, 2006
I will concede on one point that Prok made based on the Lindens, but it certainly raises new questions. (At least I admit when I’m wrong unlike others.)
The amount of premium account holders. I was merely going off what a reporter said was a quoted figure. If it is indeed true that that’s basically people who paid a 9.95 fee for something, and there’s less than 100,000 active premium accounts… what the hell are these other 200,000 charges? That many alts were created for premium when one can create for free? There’s really not a lot of 9.95 charges out there, so someone’s lying.
I suspect it’s more Zee Linden. Why? Because he has a reason to show lower numbers. In many forums, blogs and ezines, the number Adam reported was taken apart wondering how LL could possibly be getting 3 million alone in money from accounts (tier excluded) and not be able to put the platform in a decent order. Zee Linden’s numbers are what he posted, it’s not generated, it’s not checked, it’s his word. His interest in downplaying the active accounts would make it seem like they ‘aren’t’ getting the lion’s share of money and looks like they are trying to make do with only a few hundred thousand dollars.
Just because Adam is new doesn’t mean what he reported isn’t truth or what he can be held accountable for. It’s not an excuse to write the facts wrong and not make a correction or a clarification.
Seola Sassoon a.k.a Random Writer
Dec 13th, 2006
I’m not gonna post out a 5 page debate again on the comments from Prok.. Frankly, it’s pointless, the words again had nothing to do with the original argument, so it’s a lot of fluff.
As for this part though, “”"”"Um, I was talking to Seola? And this was a hypothetical? Actually, the hilarious thing about this discussion is that Seola is my tenant in good standing ROFL. I forget the details but I think she has a 4096 — and for a lot less than what she’d pay the Lindens. Oh well, I guess as a newbie, she wasn’t warned away from evil Prok *shrugs*.”"”"
I am NOT your tenant. I WAS your tenant 8 months ago, in a 4096 for 2 months. I dropped the place because after stipends and tier, I would be paying less. I currently only hold a 512, which works for my store and my one room for my TV and couch, I don’t need any more than that.
Seems your fact checking on YOUR OWN properties is wrong. If you can’t get your own facts right, how are we to expect you can get others.
Artemis Fate
Dec 13th, 2006
“Your participation in the highly-feted IRC channel is all it takes to FIC-i-fy yourself, as you know.”
I really don’t understand what’s so “highly feted” about the IRC channel, it’s not like it’s limited access, anyone is allowed to join as long as they don’t act like a total jackass and start insulting people like i’m sure you would, but we have newbies who come in every once and a while, and other people who aren’t on your “They’re out to get me” list, even a few people from the Teen grid. There’s lindens too sure but they don’t talk much and like I said, anyone can join. I’m sure even if you could stay away from the personal attacks in angry debate, that you could join too Prokofy. So if that’s Feted, then the whole grid is feted.
“Your possession of the eternally-tier-free 4096m2 in fact is your card-carrying membership in the FIC.”
Actually, I have only 1024m2 free land, since I was on a pay every 3 months account (They gave increasingly higher free land based on how large you paid in one increment), that’s unfortunately only one above the lowest amount, which was 512m2 free land if you paid monthly. I’m still kicking myself for not buying a lifetime account (i’ve spent well over 225 dollars on SL since) but I didn’t have the money then and didn’t know if SL would sink or swim so it’s understandable.
“I have to laught that I’d be charged with screwing up this board and making it all italics. How on earth could I be doing that???”
Dunno but it started with one of your posts.
kumi kuhr
Dec 13th, 2006
Mabb: great idea about limiiting comment size
Prok: pls get RSI soon, and remember Kendra’s phrase STFUYUPOS
Prokofy Neva
Dec 13th, 2006
Seola, you came to my new island, along with some guy renting the house, and you said, oh, hi, remember me, your tenant, and I’m Random Writer. Oh, so shoot me, because I thought you were with the guy. Geez, that’s lame. You didn’t say, “Oh, I was your tenant, but I’m not now, and I am with this guy here, just because, he’s renting, not me, blah blah”. Who has the time for this?
Also, I can’t make sense out of your post here. Adam *did* correct his article. The Linden statistics at first were messed up, and Zee’s post corrects them. The Lindens that are generated as resident income sources are:
o basic accounts with $50
o $250 for each new alt account, one-time only, for $9.95
o $9.95 for a premium with 300 Lindens only today
o old $400 and 500 stipend accounts for $9.95
o the old instructor payments — now gone this month
Not sure what else there could be?
Now let me take you up on this strange comment:
“I WAS your tenant 8 months ago, in a 4096 for 2 months. I dropped the place because after stipends and tier, I would be paying less.”
If you paid for a $25 tier account, plus the $9.95 fee per month, and you got $500 stipends, your payment to LL would be:
$34.95 per month
Your recouping of the $2000 in stipends (let’s assume $500 a week) at the current rate of $3.50/1000 (let’s say) then is a total of $7.00
Total cost for holding a 4096 plus the free 512 (4608) land in Second Life for one month paying the Lindens: $27.45
Total cost if you rent a 4096 m2 from me: $18.90 US
$1500 L a week; 4 weeks with 10 percent discount – $5400.
I also have extra prims, $250/100 and the house is included free as is 25 prims of free vending.
So…how did you conclude that paying the Lindens for $4608 is more expensive than renting the 4096 from me? Even if you rented 4608 m2 for an exact equivalent, that would still only be $21.47 US, not the $27.45 you’d get from the Lab, assuming your Lindens sold well. With me, you could refund any time; with Lindens, you get billed per month regardless.
Honestly, I wonder why I go on bothering doing this sometimes, as people don’t appreciate it.
Now, if you kept your premium to get the Lindens, a, that is stupid. Buy them on the LindEx. That would cost you $7.00 per month for those 2000, instead of $9.95. If you went to the $21.95 or $72 accounts, of course, you might save, but it’s a bit risky all the way around and requires laying out that amount up front.
And you could also put in the 512 tier to my group and get $250 discount.
Sorry for this infomercial, but I think it’s good to study this fallacy many have, that buying land, like RL, is cheaper than renting land. It almost never is in SL.
Prokofy Neva
Dec 13th, 2006
>That many alts were created for premium when one can create for free? There’s really not a lot of 9.95 charges out there, so someone’s lying.
You’re forgetting that some companies, like IBM or whatever, are coming in and ordering up 100 alts of one account, each for $9.95 a piece. There are bunches and bunches of these people with the same last names.
Cristiano Midnight
Dec 13th, 2006
Prokofy,
Lifetime accounts do not include 4096+512 -where did you get that from? It includes 4096m, period.
Seola Sassoon a.k.a Random Writer
Dec 14th, 2006
P.S. At the time I rented from you, I was paying 2500L a week.
Secondly, I’m premium now because I went to own a shop with a friend of mine and we split the costs, I paid annual.
The membership comes out to free after my stipends plus more. So don’t assume (another assumption) that everyone who is premium HAS to own tons of land, and MUST pay 9.95 a month.
72 dollars a year is about 19440L. I currently get 26000L back in stipends for that year, or an extra 6560L (roughly 24USD), plus I get my 512 of land for free instead of renting it.
Not to mention if I ever do go back to paying tier, I have my own land rights as opposed to having a landlord with covenants and rules, I can do what I want on my land at any time I want. Sometimes those freedoms can’t have a price tag put on them.
Seola Sassoon a.k.a Random Writer
Dec 14th, 2006
FYI, somethings borking up the comments on this thing, it just inserted a second comment above the first.
Seola Sassoon a.k.a Random Writer
Dec 14th, 2006
“”"”Seola, you came to my new island, along with some guy renting the house, and you said, oh, hi, remember me, your tenant, and I’m Random Writer. Oh, so shoot me, because I thought you were with the guy. Geez, that’s lame. You didn’t say, “Oh, I was your tenant, but I’m not now, and I am with this guy here, just because, he’s renting, not me, blah blah”. Who has the time for this?”"”"
Well don’t make points on wrong assumptions. He was showing me his new house he got and you were in there terraforming. I introduced myself. How in the hell does that imply that we are together? In that conversation, I DID say I rented from you ‘forever ago’, so I guess you only paid attention to what you wanted to.
Silly assumptions make facts to you? Interesting to find that out. Too funny.
Skate Foss
Dec 19th, 2006
I remember looking for my “First Land”, finding a nice parcel and while preparing to purchase it, being violently ejected by another avatar who swooped in and bought it as I stood there. After I bought my “First Land” I didnt realize that when I clicked for sale and listed a price that was way too low, how foolish I was. The land sold within a few seconds.
I since bought a 1024 parcel and have seen 512 parcels sky rocket from $6500 to $9999.
-And not even nice locations. The land problem is real and must be addressed. It is true that land barons are buying up all parcels and marking up horrible inflated prices. Either we join them or we become slaves to their business practices.
mark firestone
Jan 4th, 2007
I’ve never had that pleasure. I’ve only had the pleasure of seening “none found”, for weeks.
Then again, I live in the UK, and have no clue when this aledged land is “freed up”… if ever. You can call whatever you want “socialism”, a nice RL term, however, if you buy something, that says it comes with certain benefits (discounted land… really server space) and it is impossible to get it, then you are being ripped off… whatever others who are profiting (and therefore have reason to oppose any sort of discount that would cut into what they are selling) call it.
Put simply… this is good old fashioned bait and switch.
mark firestone
Jan 4th, 2007
I’ve never had that pleasure. I’ve only had the pleasure of seening “none found”, for weeks.
Then again, I live in the UK, and have no clue when this aledged land is “freed up”… if ever. You can call whatever you want “socialism”, a nice RL term, however, if you buy something, that says it comes with certain benefits (discounted land… really server space) and it is impossible to get it, then you are being ripped off… whatever others who are profiting (and therefore have reason to oppose any sort of discount that would cut into what they are selling) call it.
Put simply… this is good old fashioned bait and switch.