Swampland in Florida facts for kids
The saying Swampland in Florida is used to talk about dishonest deals where someone tries to sell land that is actually a swamp and can't be built on. These kinds of land tricks became well-known in the United States in the 1900s.
Today, the phrase is often used to describe any trick where what's being sold isn't what it seems. If someone says, "If you believe that, then I have swampland in Florida to sell you," it means they think you are easy to trick and would fall for an obvious scam. Other similar sayings include "selling" the Brooklyn Bridge or made-up "oceanfront property in Arizona".
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Where the Saying Came From
This saying started from land selling tricks in the 1920s. Back then, there was a huge excitement about buying land in Florida before the Great Depression started. One of the first people known for selling swampland was Charles Ponzi, who was famous for his tricky money schemes.
Similar sayings came from the early 1900s. Tricky people would try to sell famous places like the Brooklyn Bridge to new immigrants in the United States. Of course, these tricksters didn't own these places! A saying about how easy someone was to trick went, "if you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you." In the 1960s and 1970s, these sayings changed to include the dishonest sales of almost useless swampland in Florida.
Even though the saying started in the United States, people in other English-speaking countries understand and use it too.
Some experts say that selling land you don't own or that isn't what it seems is a very old trick. For example, Erik the Red supposedly sold land for people to settle in Greenland around the year 982.
Is Swampland Really Worthless?
When people use the term "swampland," they usually mean the land is useless. And for building houses or businesses, swampland is often not valuable unless it's changed a lot.
However, there have been times when swampland was bought and turned into very valuable property. A great example is when Walt Disney World was built in Florida. Much of that land was once swampy! Also, many other developed areas in Florida were once swamps.
On the other hand, some people argue that swamps are very valuable just as they are. They are important for their beautiful scenery and the wildlife that lives there. Sometimes, businesses even buy and protect some Florida swampland to meet rules for building on other land.
Tricky Land Sales
Florida Swampland Tricks
In the 1960s and 1970s, tricksters used ads all over the country to get people to buy Florida land without ever seeing it first. A company called Gulf American Land Corp. did this in places like Cape Coral and Golden Gate Estates, Florida. They were later found to have tricked people by the Florida Land Sales Board.
The new owners often found out their land was underwater in a swamp or impossible to build on. As these tricks became widely known, lawmakers in California and New York made rules in 1963 to stop these dishonest ads. Florida also passed a law that year to help fix its reputation.
Swampland tricks still happen in Florida today. The internet has made it easier for these tricks to come back, especially through online sales of Florida land. Tricksters can get around business rules by selling land one-on-one. From far away, some buyers can be convinced to pay before checking if the claims are true. These tricks usually involve selling swampy land that can't be built on, but pretending it can, to make the price much higher.
Swampland in Arizona
A similar saying replaces Florida with Arizona. This is used for the same reasons. Arizona is known for its very dry weather, so most people assume there are no wetlands there. The saying suggests that the person being tricked is not only easy to fool but also doesn't know much about geography. Another version of the saying is "oceanfront property in Arizona." This is impossible because Arizona is a state that doesn't touch the ocean. Country singer George Strait even named an album Ocean Front Property after this saying.
Desert Land Tricks
More recently, some land sale tricks involve selling desert land in Arizona and west Texas that is hard to reach. These lots are sold online. The desert properties often have no access to water, no sewer service, and sometimes, no roads to get to them.
