Looking At Land For Sale? 4 Things To Check

Buying a plot of empty land and building your own abode is like a dream come true for many. However, that dream can quickly become a nightmare if you learn something unpleasant about the land after the purchase. It's best to be proactive and learn as much as you can before you sign a sale contract. Here are four specific things to check for.

1. Get your own survey done.

Often when you buy a plot of land, the seller will have a survey that was done years ago. This can give you a basic idea of where the property lines are and of what natural elements (like streams) belong with the land. However, you should definitely pay to have your own survey done in addition to looking at this existing one. When you have the survey done by a surveyor who you hire, you can be more confident in its accuracy. You also ensure you're informed of any changes that may have been made since the last survey was done. 

2. Meet the neighbors.

When there's no home on the land, it's easy to overlook the importance of meeting the neighbors, especially if the plot you're looking at is large. However, you don't want to start building a home and then realize the people next door are really unpleasant or uncooperative. Introduce yourself to the neighbors, get a general sense of how they like living in the area, and see what they think of the idea of you building next to them.

3. Have an attorney check the deed for liens.

Even though there is no home on the land, there could still be liens against it. Someone could have failed to pay taxes on the land many years ago, for example, and if you were to buy the land, you would become responsible for paying those taxes. An attorney can draw your attention to any liens on the deed. If liens are found, they can help you negotiate with the seller to get the liens paid off affordably.

4. Check whether the land is in a flood zone.

This is especially important to do if you are looking for land during a dry season. You would not want to find out the following spring that the land floods and is impossible to build on without intense drainage work. You can typically call the local building inspector's office or municipality, and they'll tell you whether the property is designated as wetlands or a flood zone.

By checking for these four things before you buy land, you can prevent issues later on.

To learn more about land for sale, contact a real estate agent.

About Me

Making Smart Choices By Following Real Estate Trends

If you like to keep up with the latest news in real estate, you'll learn about current trends when you read this blog. We aren't in the real estate business, but we do like to know what's going on in the world of real estate. We study updated newsletters and reports to find out the information we want to know. Typical articles on this site include information about the current housing market, mortgage rates and commercial sales. We believe the information on this site can help people who are interested in buying or selling property. By following the trends, they can make smart choices about matters concerning real estate.

Search

Categories

Latest Posts

24 January 2024
Single-family homes offer unique benefits that appeal to many homeowners. These types of homes provide greater privacy, control over the property, and

15 December 2023
Whether you're looking to buy or sell a property, working alongside a real estate appraiser can be a wise investment. Their expertise can provide insi

23 October 2023
Are you tired of working for someone else at a salon? Do you want to have more control over your schedule, your pricing, and the overall atmosphere of