Advice for buying southern land.

[TCJatko]

I have a 100+ acre lot in southern Missouri bought years ago that borders on Bull Shoals Lake. Taxes are less than $50 annually.

 

[mbohuntr]

I would make you a nice offer, but I'm sceered 'o those tornadoes.

One summer, When my kids were playing softball at the community park, the noon fire whistle went off. It does this each day around here.
A mom who had recently moved from Missouri started screaming at all the parents to grab the kids and get inside the building. After we calmed her down, and had a chuckle, It dawned on me that that is how you live every day there.... No thanks.......

Oh , I have to go start the red beastie with the 5' blower on the back and clean up the foot of snow we got yesterday and overnight. It's about 20 degrees with a wind chill of about -10. I love the seat time, but I'd rather wear a t-shirt than full Carharts and a ski mask.... 14 years and counting....

 

[sam5570]

just wanted to pass this on to you because it has become a problem for me. i own land on the coast in north carolinia i was advised that the laws have changed there if someone as much as sets up a tent on the property and it stays there for 7 years they can own that property i think it is 20 years in other states.now i got to pay someonee to go walk around and make sure no one has set up house keeping there it's all wooded land with acess road.one other thing if you buy in citie limits most time they require you to mow or bushhog it 2 times per year i have that problem on some other property. just some things to watch for.

 

[gilbertmsg]

We live in south central VA, Sussex County. Taxes are cheeeeep here $1400.00 on a $280,000 piece of property, 10 acres, house and barn. We still pay personal property taxes, about $4.00 per $100.00 in value. We have well and are happy as can be. I'm retiring from military in about 16 months and hope to stay here in gods country as long as the lord will let us. About 15 miles to the nearest city, Petersburg, VA.

I would invest now if you can, never know what will happen in 15 years.

Eddie

 

[mbohuntr]

We live in south central VA, Sussex County. Taxes are cheeeeep here $1400.00 on a $280,000 piece of property, 10 acres, house and barn. We still pay personal property taxes, about $4.00 per $100.00 in value. We have well and are happy as can be. I'm retiring from military in about 16 months and hope to stay here in gods country as long as the lord will let us. About 15 miles to the nearest city, Petersburg, VA.

I would invest now if you can, never know what will happen in 15 years.

Eddie

What is included in the description of personal property? We both drive newer 4wd (got to have up here) a newer travel trailer, and an 08 mahindra 2615.

 

[thatguy]

What is included in the description of personal property? We both drive newer 4wd (got to have up here) a newer travel trailer, and an 08 mahindra 2615.

Personal property (at least here in Bedford County VA) are vehicles and licenced trailers/campers.. The local Comm of Revenue gets details from the DMV of what vehicles are registered in the county and then send you a invoice for the PP tax...

IF you are a business you may have to pay PP tax on your equipment (office/tools/etc) - but that varies county by county

Brian

 

[dmccarty]

When you starting looking for land be concerned with perc sites and the cost of a septic system. In my area of NC the good land with good perc sites are pretty much gone in prime locations. When we were looking for land last century a conventional perc site was hard to find. Some of the soil on our land would require a spray septic system. Back in 2000 a spray system was $30K in our area.

TBNers in Texas were paying $5,000 or less for a system that would cost at 4-6 times that amount in my area.

I think my area was being ripped off. I looked at systems and figured they really did not cost that much more to build. An engineer had to do the design but one just had to follow their instructions. I could not see why the systems cost that much.

Once you start looking for land pay attention to perc, systems, and perc rules.

Later,
Dan

 

[mbohuntr]

Thanks everyone, It's starting to look more and more like central/eastern Tenn., I found several listings that made me drool, and checked out the hunting regs. Sounds like heaven to me since we were at -1 deg. F. this morning, and then the power went out for several hours... Thank god for a generator and a back-up plan....

 

[MotorSeven]

When you starting looking for land be concerned with perc sites and the cost of a septic system. In my area of NC the good land with good perc sites are pretty much gone in prime locations. When we were looking for land last century a conventional perc site was hard to find. Some of the soil on our land would require a spray septic system. Back in 2000 a spray system was $30K in our area.

TBNers in Texas were paying $5,000 or less for a system that would cost at 4-6 times that amount in my area.

I think my area was being ripped off. I looked at systems and figured they really did not cost that much more to build. An engineer had to do the design but one just had to follow their instructions. I could not see why the systems cost that much.

Once you start looking for land pay attention to perc, systems, and perc rules.

Later,
Dan

Good lord, a 3 br 2 bath septic system installed here cost about $3500. State permit is $500 which includes the soil/site perk test and. Rarely does a site not perk unless it is rock or had been filled in...they will not approve a system in "fill".

 

[sixdogs]

When I left NY state 40 years ago it was the best thing I ever did tax-wise. Moved to rural Maine, had a low tax rate--back then--and had a lot of fun. We had a fair amount of land and watched a lot of people "from away" buy an idyllic piece of land only to later be disappointed. That lovely summer's day of one year became 25 below later on, had power failures, black flies and Larry, Darryl and Darryl on road repair. That fine Maine experience, based on what they saw, was available for only six or so weeks a year.

When we buy land--or anything--away, we do so based on our experience and expectations of our current situation which will absolutely not be the same in another location. Sure, no tornadoes but other things go wrong that are not expected because they are not problems where you are and you do not figure on them elsewhere. We recall the good from where we are and expect it to be where we are going. Same thinking on the bad, we expect to get rid of it and avoid in the new location. In decades of doing this, I have found most places net-net out pretty equal when the goods and bads are factored it. You may find desirable things in one place over another but there will be obstacles to overlook or factor in.
Now retired, we have flat ground in a warmer climate and it's fine. I surely miss the local flavor or rural Maine but I don't miss the cold, snow or some other things. Here it's warm and no rocks to plow but we have other issies. It's a trade off. If we live long enough, keeping warmer will move up on the list and we'll check ou maybe NC or nearby but we have our eyes open and wit until we are ready to move before we commit.
Just my two cents here.