13 Questions to Ask When Buying Land
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Published 2020-03-28
In this video, I highlight and review 13 very important questions everyone should ask when buying land anywhere in the U.S.
No matter if you're buying land in California, buying land in Colorado, buying land in Texas, buying land in Florida, or any other state.
Buying land is nothing like buying a house and you'll need to understand the important differences between the two or you'll end up making a huge financial mistake.
Helpful Resources:
Environmental hazards search: enviro.epa.gov/ - also check your state’s environmental website.
Easement search: check your local assessor’s office website to start
Google earth or google maps: use this to get a wide overhead view of the land you’re considering to buy to spot features, characteristics, or issues faster than on foot.
Realtors: Find a local realtor that focuses on buying and selling land. A realtor who mainly focuses on buying and selling houses will likely not be very helpful.
Shameless Plug:
If you're thinking about starting a business, I run a software company called Projection Genie that helps aspiring entrepreneurs simulate and predict the financial success of new business ideas before launching them. Check it out here:
www.projectiongenie.com/
Attribution:
Easement Photo: Pagelast76 / CC BY-SA (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
All Comments (21)
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1. What do you want to use land for? 2. How is it zoned? 3. Are there any easements on the property? 4. How is access to the property achieved? 5. Has the land been professionally surveyed? 6. Will all the rights and interests convey with the sale of the property? 7. Are there any water features on the land? 8. Are there any known environmental defects or issues with the property? 9. Are there any public utilities around? 10. What is the current owner using the land for? 11. What are neighbors using the property for? 12. Are there any trails or roads on the property? 13. Are there any potential government actions against the property?
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As a long-time practicing attorney who has had to deal with real property issues, I found your video to be a great starting point for the non-lawyers out there contemplating any real property purchase. It's the exact same advice that I would give as an initial matter.
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All info. No fluff. This is exactly how these kinds of videos should be edited. Thanks so much!
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thank you for cutting the bs and just dropping the knowledge, much love!
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Thanks for producing this video. These are certainly good questions. As an individual that has researched and purchased land over the last 15 years, I offer a few more questions: 1. Is there a POA (Property Owners Association) related to the land? Much like a HOA (Home Owners Association), the POA will likely have annual dues and restrictions placed on the subject parcels. 2. Are there water rights attached to the land AND / OR can you purchase and append water rights to the land? In Eastern Washington, we have a desert-like climate. Growers require irrigation, either from canals or wells. In the case of canals, the land owner needs to have water rights (measured in acres) in terms of the quantity of water that can be lifted from a canal for irrigation purposes. 3. Has any easement on the land been improved by a neighbor with the intention of claiming Adverse Possession? I emerged from a legal battle with a neighbor that had built into an easement that was beneficial to me and a burden to him. 4. Does the land have geographic features that will be a challenge? Example: low areas may experience seasonal water flow. This could result in the necessity for bridges, culverts and / or a high-clearance vehicle. 5. What are the anticipated future property taxes? Although the taxes may be low now, if there are plans to increase the size of local government (thinking of government schools), the property taxes may rise astronomically. Case in point -- one of my parcels experienced a 40% tax increase in a single year as a means to pay for one additional line item related to government schools.
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This might be one of the best videos on YOUTUBE...Danny you were straight to the point and you gave great explanations and examples that were easy to understand.
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Cool, thank you for the sage advice. Thoroughly informative, and gets me thinking of ALL possible questions that might arise. Thanks again🙏.
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Super helpful tips! Thank you so much!
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Like the way you cut to the chase and provide - and explain - a lot of valuable info in a short period of time!!
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Very well done. Your video was brief and succinct with verbiage that was actually written out. You set the standard for other real estate videos.
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For resources and links to help you get answers to some of these questions, check out the description section of this video. A good land focused realtor should be able to help you find answers to these questions too, so don't hire just any realtor, get one who focuses on the buying and selling of land.
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Thanks for this very informative and professional video presentation. Just the info I need, it's brief yet packed with important questions to ask.
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Thank you so much for this cut and dry knowledge! This was just what I was needing.
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Great questions to ask! My husband and I have just gotten started with looking to buy land.
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Great tips. Thanks for making this video
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Another good question "is the land being leased for any activities or other purposes such as grazing, hunting, etc?"
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Thanks for the information very helpful.
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Perfect. Thank you.
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Very professional, factual,I needed this information thanks so much 👍😁
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Great information, definitely subscribing. Love how you just get to the point.
