Tips for Buying Vacation Land

I dream of building a cabin some day where my family and I can go to relax AND where I can send friends who need a break. Everyone needs to get away from time to time and I think there is a great healing and balancing that happens when we spend time in nature. How great would it be to just throw someone who is stressed the keys to a nice remote cabin and say, "Hey, get out of here this weekend and go enjoy the cabin. Get some time in nature and just relax." Being 'away from it all', closer to nature is definitely a healing thing for me and so I nurture this little long dream goal I have of having a place like that to share someday.

Since I come in contact with Real Estate people on a regular basis, I have slowly been trying to learn what I can so when the day comes, I'll have an idea of what kind of questions to ask. I still believe owning property is a good investment because as they say "they're not making any more of it". However it can be an overwhelming task to buy property if you are not familiar with the lingo and some of the basics. For anyone like me, who is hoping to own property a little further out in a less populated area, here are a couple of tidbits I've picked up that might be of help:

1) Always be sure that the land is surveyed by a licensed surveyor. Going with the cheapest is not always the best way because you want to be sure it's done correctly.  Find out how the property lines are going to be marked. Ideally you want the lines to be brushed/marked and not just have the corners tagged. This can be especially important on larger pieces of land. Additionally, make sure that you know how they are going to mark the the corners so you can find them yourself later on down the road. 

2) If you are buying a remote country lot, make sure your land has a perc test performed so you know what type of septic system you can install. The costs for septic systems can vary dramatically depending on the results of your perc test, so you will want to think about having this done before investing in a piece of land. 

3) Proximity to telephone and electric?

4) Land topography - is the property on high ground to reduce risk of flooding? Is it wooded land or is there barren rock? Land with a lot of rock can increase costs.  Likewise, barren rock and a high water table can affect whether you can build a basement. 

5)  Depending on the use you have intended for your land, you will also want to be aware of any zoning restrictions.

6) Proximity to vacation and other attractions.  If your land is so remote that there is nothing to attract others to the area, it may not be a good investment. You'll want to find property that are located within a reasonable distance of places that attract people (unless you don't care about the investment value of your land). 

7) Depending on where you plan to put your driveway, you may need a special permit from the county or state which can take a month or two.

These are just some of the things I have learned over the years and there are many more questions you'll want to ask. There are lots of great resources for learning more about land buying like this article: Buying Land and Home Building. There are also land and home buying forums that you can join to get answers to your questions.  

Developing a relationship with a real estate professional that you know you can trust can be really important too.  Since I know we will be looking to build in Wisconsin since it is midway between my parents and our home, I have been talking to real estate people in Wisconsin for the last few years.  One site I check from time to time is landwatch. For those like us who are interested in the North Woods area, here is another great resource for Crivitz, Wi Real Estate. No matter where you are planning to buy and build, start early.  Good, trustworthy relationships with real estate professionals take time to build and since it is such a big purchase, you will want to know you are working with someone that has a good track record and who you have taken time to get to know yourself.  The additional benefit is that you have a few more sets of eyes that might spot property for you. So ask questions, build relationship and plan ahead for that dream property. It will be worth it.