Searching for Land-what to look for.

[Kathy]

Share your tips and experiences when searching for your land.
What questions should be included in any search?
Have you had any experience with Owner Financed land.

[dlangland]

I don't buy raw land. More like properties in need of improvement, yet location has always been the key for me. How far out out of town, quality of roads, location in terms of eventual re-sale value. I enjoy living remote but not as far out as my last farm. This place is prime...8 miles from a town of 14,000 people..12 miles from a real nice college town, 39 miles from a large city, and several other towns within 20 some miles. When the snow flew at my last farm, some winters moving snow, not just each time the snow fell, but everytime the wind blew in the flatland I came from became almost like a full-time job. I learned the hard way that driveway direction, length, location and terrain along with existing trees as windbreaks makes a huge difference in the winter, especially for a woman who doesn't have a man to help move the snow. I loved it there, but it just started to not make any sense anymore. That's the main reason I picked my latest place, much as I still detest this work-in-progress house, but it will get their with time and energy. I tend to fall in love with the land no matter what the condition of the structures, and if I can visualize it, I will buy it.

The last 16 yrs. I have always paid cash for my properties. Right now, I am in the final stages of the paperwork for the 2nd contract-for-deed (owner-financing) on places I own. I have had one contract out for almost 4 1/2 yrs. now. Deb

[bergere]

OH Goodness could write a book.

Try to look at the land in the winter right after a good rain.
This way you can see it at its worse and to wither or not it does or can flood.

Don't buy next to a river especially in the Pacific NW...because it "Will" flood almost every year. There are no 100 year flooding any more.

Don't buy on a Hill with the house close to a drop off.
In the Pacific NW the house could very well slide to the bottom one winter.
(Just hope our hill stays)

Check out the neighbors,, even if it is just looking at how they keep their house and land.
Drive by a few times...say after 6pm when people get home from work and on the weekends. This will give you an idea what the noise levels will be like.

Check for Easements and Right aways. You will most likely have to go to the County to check it out.
Last thing you need is a right away right through the middle of your land.

Make sure it is Zoned for Livestock.
Check to see if there is a limit on how many animals you can have.

We did not have enough money to pay cash.. not anywhere in this quarter of the state.
Being pre Qualified will help your buying power tremendously!

Don't buy near a McMansion!

What is important to you...
Being more close to town or as far out as possible.

We ended up starting to look for raw land because we couldn't even afford a 1973 swTrailer and 2 acres.
Oregon is no longer cheap.
For raw land,, check to see how far away the utilities are for the future.
Always get a Perk done even if you don't plan on putting the septic in any time soon.

We bought this place,, well, should say really lucked into it as we could not afford anything even this far away from Hubby's work.
It is a combo of Hay fields and Woods. Three sides is a tree farm.
Only neighbor we can see and only if we walk out of the house is across the road. They are snow birds and only around in the summer. So far they have been very quiet,, which I just love.
This area is just older Farmers and I hope it stays that way.
For me peace and quiet was one of the major things I was looking for.

Well,, that is just a start....am quite sure I have forgotten a few things.

[bbird]

We bought our land with owner financing. We wouldn't have, but the owner had a business of doing this, and had this land in his possession for 15 years. Previously it was forestry land, and the owner held onto it until he was able to get it planned for building. He had a septic and a well put on the property, and then put it up for sale.

If looking for raw land, make sure that you can get a septic put on it. I have heard horror stories of people buying land, and then finding out that they can't get a septic put on it, or have to go with the above ground septics that most people can not afford.

A good well, is worth everything! We have no iron problems, no shortages and feel very lucky.

If around water, make sure that it's impossible to have flooding problems. We do have flooding problems, but to our driveway only. Our house will stay safe and dry.

It was important to us that we had no visible neighbors. If you can pee anywhere on your property without someone seeing you...this is a good thing! lol

I think a big thing is safety. We all know of problems in rural area's with meth and ol' boys causing troubles. I think looking in the paper to find police records from the past to see if it is a problem area is important.

There is a lot of work buying land, especially if you have to put the basics in first, and then a home. But, the rewards are so nice, and you can feel very proud of your accomplishments.

Oh, electric! Find out before hand what it is going to cost to put electric in. We were shocked on how much it cost, and you can't always hook up to your neighbors poles. We had to go underground, and over a creek to get ours which cost a pretty penny.

[starfire]

This is really interesting. I would have never thought about some of these things.

[thrillbilly]

ALWAYS check to see IF and HOW MUCH it will cost to get electric etc run to the property if you intend to use it. I have seen good land and was on the verge of buying only to find out I was going to have to spend several thousand just to get electric to it.

I have sold land and financed it in the past. When done correctly it is beneficial to everyone. I made almost 70 grand in interest on four spots of land. At the time I was financing for ten years and at 1 percent lower than the going bank rates. I made a much nicer profit and they were glad to have the land. All but one paid off early and on time with payments. Another finally left and I got it back and sold it again. He opted five years financing and paid off in three.

I sold one track of five acres with a small pond a 50x56 post and beam barn with steel truss,perc tested surveyed etc on a paved road for 20 thousand that same place resold latley for twice that. he made about ten after the intial 20 plus interst was paid off.

[Deleted]

Yeah, TB, that's the truth! Find out how much the power will cost. Rich and I looked at a really nice piece of land near John Day, Oregon (near, but not right on, the river) that was beautiful, and far away from any neighbors, but the cost to run electricity to the property was $100,000.00!! That was three times what the land cost, not to mention the cost of the house, the well, the septic, the FENCING, and all the other little things no one thinks about. We decided we couldn't afford to live in Oregon anymore, so we left.

We found this little spot of heaven in the middle of nowhere, and it had a house, although small, a HUGE completely finished shop with a gigantic woodstove in it, a triple garage, a barn, and the original homestead cabin and chicken house, all on 15 acres with nice shelterbelts and for under $100,000.00. Couldn't touch this place in Oregon for less than half a million, and I think I'm being conservative when I say that. The owner is financing it (because we all knew it would never pass inpection for a regular mortgage - the house is just too old). But it's basically sound, and they had just remodeled the inside, so it's quite cozy and livable. AND the best part is it will be completely paid off in another 10 years! We only had to have a 12 year contract. Take THAT, you bloodsucking mortgage companies! LOL!

~Lannie

[bergere]

To True about Oregon Lannie,, to true.
Oregon not a cheap place any more.
You are very lucky Lannie!!

[thrillbilly]

mljjranch said:

It was important to us that we had no visible neighbors. If you can pee anywhere on your property without someone seeing you...this is a good thing! .

Well i see Im not the only one with that requirement. Its a good way of judging how much privacy youll have.

Also something I ran into kinda related to the McMansion issue.

I bought some pasture land on the cheap. I ran a nice six strand barb wire fence around it. the next property was sold to folks with small kids. I pulled up one day and saw three kids under ten running around in the pasture with a 2000 lb charolais bull and several heifers. The bull had gotten pushy with me a few times and when I saw it my blood ran cold. I yelled at them to get out of the pasture and i started calling the cattle to the barn. i was tryng to figure out how to approach these idiots without starting a fight. Then I was just thinking maybe the kids slipped off.

Then in through the barn door comes mr and mrs yuppie. Birkenstock Brats came over to give me the cussing of a life for scaring their kids like that yelling at them.

When they were through I explained what a full grown four year old ornery charolais could do to a small child or large adult for that matter.

Their response? "Just what the hell are you doing trying to raise cows ina residentail area anyways?"

I had fifty two acres the guy on the other side of them had about forty and the one behind them was about 25. they had about 1/2 acre her daddy gave them.

After several trips and catching the kids in the pasture I moved the cows to the back and crossfenced hoping the kids wouldnt wander that far back. I worried about it alot. then I heard the other guy on the other side had the same problem. he put up an electric fence hoping to discourage the parents from letting little kids wonder. One got zapped and the yuppies call the law.

I moved the cattle and a year later sold the land to a guy who put in three gigantic poultry houses. I bet they miss my cows now. Especially in july when fresh chicken poop by the ton is smoldering next door.

[auntieemu]

thrillbilly said:

I moved the cattle and a year later sold the land to a guy who put in three gigantic poultry houses. I bet they miss my cows now. Especially in july when fresh chicken poop by the ton is smoldering next door.

Some people have this Walt Disney mentality that animals are sweet, cuddley and would never harm a human. We give farm tours during National Emu Week and while most people are very nice and obey the rules (no one enters a pen without an invitation and I have to be in the pen first), we do occassionally run into someone that thinks it is ok to tell their child to go ahead without us. I actually removed a child from a pen one day and told the parent to leave. I don't know which shocked him more, my grabbing the kid and dragging him out of the pen by his collar or my yelling at him (the adult) for putting him in harms way..... not sure by I might have cussed at him.

[thrillbilly]

Yep and these are the same brainiacs that will sue you whe lil Johnny gets eviscerated by one of your birds too. Of course youll win in court but only after you bankrupt yourself with a lawyer.

[bergere]

Seems like most people now a days have no idea about what animals really are. Like Auntie said,, sure they are cute but they are anything "but" Disney animals.
People are so far from nature and where their food comes from it's scary.
Is getting harder and harder to find true farm land.
All those city slickers are moving out to the country,, buying Farm land not farming it,,,and telling Farmers they don't like the smell of livestock, etc..etc... Of course the same food they buy in the stores but before being in those nice neat little plastic covers.

So anyway,, get back on topic....
Also do not buy any where near a crop up suburb. They are just accidents waiting to happen. Some kids Trespass and you get sued. All because they can't read signs and they don't have the most simple manners to stay off other people property.