Land Buying Do's & Don'ts...

[ThrowinDirt]

Hey Fella's,

I know this is a tractor forum but I would really like your input on buying land. I'm about to purchase my first real piece of property. It will be a small hobby farm, with 10 acres of tillable land, 20 acres of timber, & a 2 acre orchard. Along with a 2 acre homesite area. I'm sure alot of you have gone through the same thing & have had tons of experience with the process. I'd like to know the do's & don'ts when it comes to the process of purchasing land. I'm new to the forum so if there has been a thread like this in the past please point me to it.

Thanks alot guys, JY.

 

[Thomas]

What region..N,S,E,W.
Purchasing land during winter months can be tricky,more so if snow hangs around for months..soggy/water run off.

 

[F1520]

I had the same questions a few years ago when we bought our place. Not having anyone experienced to ask, I ended up reading this:

Amazon.com: Finding & Buying Your Place in Country (Finding and Buying Your Place in the Country) (9780793141098): Les?/url]

It's covers just about everything including things to look for in different parts of the country. Water and water rights, for example, are very different in the west vs. the east.

Happy hunting!

 

[MarkV]

Welcome to the forum. Thomas is right, regional differences will change the answers. More detail would help.

Right off I know I don't buy low ground. Water issues are hard to correct. Accessibility is an issue for me. Are roads private or county maintained. Is snow an issue where you live?

MarkV

 

[drgill]

Try to walk the property as much as you can. Look at the property during different conditions: wet, dry etc. If you can see the property over the course of a season or two that would be even better. I am sure you will get a lot of good advice on the legal aspects of buying land.

Cheers,

 

[MarkV]

Another thought. It is helpful if you can get an idea of the local area and populations history. Rural settings can be like micro climates with some being exceptional and some being very bad. Knowing some local history on adjacent land owners can be helpful.

Knowing of any restrictions on the property is important. Are there any easements on the property and what restrictions do they carry? What are local building rules. Some areas you don't need a building permit for any farm structure on 10 acres or more. Other areas require environmental studies to be able to build.

MarkV

 

[Travelover]

I'm not sure how to find this out, but locals may have a long standing practice of hunting, fishing or riding on your land, which gets unpleasant when you show up and declare it not open for their continued use. Ditto with free ranging animals.

 

[sweettractors]

Try to buy at auction or private sale. You can sometime save 20% on the gross. As others have said watch for water problems. Check for any easements that may be on the property. Sometime on a private sale, you can get the tractor and equipment thrown in for free. Check for availability to all utilities. Ken Sweet

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Like others have said, each area is different. Here are some things to consider.

Get it surveyed!!! Make sure the fences and other border markings line up with the surveyor's marks. If not, insist that border disputes are resolved BEFORE the sale is final.

Water rights are huge in my area (rural Idaho). Not only do you need water rights to water anything, but you need old water rights. Half the years we don't get enough water for the newest water rights to get any water.

In today's world you may want to at least walk the place looking for "environmental hazards". If this is an old farm site there may be place where oil has leaked for decades, pesticides were poured out on the ground, or other practices have left heavy metals, etc. in the ground. If you own the place you own the problems. Such problems can severely limit your options if you decide to re-sell or further develop the land at some future point.

Check all water and sewer conditions. Many old wells are outlawed nowadays. Make sure you have a cased, culinary well for the house. Make sure the septic system is in good shape. If there are problems with either of these be sure to budget for replacement.

As others have mentioned, be sure to check on any covenants or standing restrictions on the land. Easements, mineral rights, conservation easements. Also double check that a portion of the land is not part of some set aside program. Your forest may be pretty, but it may be part of a subsidy program that prevents you from harvesting any of the lumber, etc. The same goes for the rest of the land.

A good realtor is worth everything s/he is paid. Consider interviewing a few and get someone who is familiar with the pitfalls of small land deals like this.

 

[Pops15]

Make sure you have access to the property! Sound like a no brainer but when we were shopping for land in southern IL we found MANY properties didn't have access from the road and needed to have an easement from a neighbor for access.
SURVEY, SURVEY, SURVEY!!!!! The buyer usually pays for the survey but you might be able to negotiate and get the seller to pay for part or all of the survey. In addition to having the corners marked, have the surveyor mark points on line (POL) every few hundred feet. Also, make sure the survey shows where the easements are.
Make sure the zoning matches your intended use. Check with the appropriate zoning board to see if the property or any other property in the area is being considered for rezoning.
Check to see if the seller has granted any easements to the neighbors.
The best time to walk the property is after a heavy rain. That way you'll see if there are any drainage problems.

Sounds like a nice property. Hope it works out for ya.