buying land

[PhillyB]

Its ok to admit the fear of zombies....

Good internet in Ecuador? Feliz Navidad

fact: wifi is more readily available in ecuador (and most foreign countries, third-world ones even, i've found) than it is in most places i've been to in the united states. yesterday a bolt of lightning blew up the transformer five fuging feet outside my window and the power was down for a couple of hours and that's the longest we've been without the internetz.

i kind of wish it would go back out, i'm drunk and tired but posting poo about PFFL has proved far too entertaining

[Guest Tom Cat]

Study this and learn how to read it - it is probably the most valuable asset anyone can use when looking for a tract of land. it can tell you a multitude of things that soil conditions will allow or make economically unfeasible - back up what you read on your maps by walking the land and what you see on the ground - old aerial photos are also available via your county soil conservation service - they can tell you how the land has been used in the past.

http://soils.usda.go.../NC081/text.pdf

edited- this link apparently does not contain the actual aerial maps- if I cant find a link online for you get a hard copy from your county soil conservation office - often these aerial maps will clearly show property lines which will help you establish what you are buying or thinking of buying prior to hiring an expensive survey.

[Guest]

lol i get asked this all the time.

the main difference i tell people is that cults are by nature insulated and isolated from outside influence and thought, whereas the fundamental underpinning of this group would be that it is a deliberate attempt to bring in open dialogue, competing discourse, the free and constant exchange of ideas. not to institutionalize, but to ask questions and seek answers and to constantly approach new methods of thought and new information.

and it's not like it's the dharma project or something weird where i'm "recruiting" people to come in based on various traits or abilities. in all honesty it'd be more like me and a bunch of friends i already know living in various locations on the same property drinking scotch and discussing philosophy like a bunch of elitist snobs in my huge library/study with low light and a frescoed dome and art collections.

Philly, if/when you are serious, you should hire a firm to conduct a Phase I ESA on your potential property. If you are going to obtain any type of lending your bank will require one, and even if you are independently wealthy and are paying cash you should still have one conducted. In addition to old aerial photographs like Tom Cat mentioned, a Phase I will also research regulatory records, previous ownership, and property use to identify any potential liabilities associated with the property.

Not a big deal if the hordes are on the way, but if in the future you will it to your kids or sell it, you want to know beforehand about this kind of stuff.

[Darth Biscuit]

Here's another good place to start looking too Philly...

http://gcgis.co.guilford.nc.us/guilford_new/

All the counties in NC have pretty decent GIS websites now... they have all of the parcel info, acreages, etc. online for anyone to review.

[Panthro]

and here I thought just building an addition and a back deck was a big project

[Guest Tom Cat]

Here's another good place to start looking too Philly...

http://gcgis.co.guil...s/guilford_new/

All the counties in NC have pretty decent GIS websites now... they have all of the parcel info, acreages, etc. online for anyone to review.

Great find - took a quick look and it had future on ramps etc for roads and highways - important things to know before you make an offer to purchase property.

[thefuzz]

The days of real estate being an investment are over for the forseeable future. Maybe 20 years from now you can buy someting and hope it appreciates significantly. Rule #1: only buy it if you have a purpose for it.

Mortagages on land are relatively easy to get, but most land comes with a 15-year payment schedule. There is no "market value" anymore. The "market value" of any real estate coming out of this recession is only what someone wants to pay. Rule #2: realize that asking price is probably 20-30% more than what you believe it to be worth.

Quite possibly the most ridiculous piece of "advice" I have heard in a long time.

Where do you think this growing population is going to live?

Do you think that metropolitan areas are going to expand with rising fuel costs?

And let's don't even talk about money for a minute. Do you have to have an increase in price for it to be a good investment? Honestly, think about it. If you buy for 200K, and sell for 200K, after 5 years, taking out insurance costs, taxes, and upkeep, while adding back tax write offs, you probably lost around 10K after every

Well you just lived in a home for 5 years and lost $10,000 or $2,000 per year, or $166 per month.

How much was rent during that time?

[mmmbeans]

prices drop significantly in rockingham county just north of here, but i don't really want to be that far out in the sticks. i'm trying to find a healthy balance between being close enough to civilization to do stuff there daily, but also not over-pay for the distance. keeping in mind, of course, that this property is a long-term deal and the city limits will continue to spread across currently-empty areas over the decades.

i want the property for a number of reasons. i want to build an airstrip on it, i want to build what is essentially a mansion that serves as a foster care home and i want to design the property as a commune with the goal of bringing in open-minded individuals with varying skills and backgrounds, enabling, through the strength of the whole, the individual to achieve what he/she may or may not otherwise be able to do in life.

it's developmental. realistically it'll be four years down the road before i can do anything with the property itself (or even buy it, really), and the concept surrounding it, will take a lifetime of work.

[The_Light_Brigade]

Whatever you buy make sure you get atleast 10 acres of cultavated land or 20 acres of forest land and put the land in the Present Use Value program with the County's Tax office. Saves a nice little chunk on your taxes.

[Anybodyhome]

"Quite possibly the most ridiculous piece of "advice" I have heard in a long time"

Obviously have not been involved in any property negotiations in some time and therefore have a rather dated outlook.

"Where do you think this growing population is going to live?"

Depending on where you live, for every 7 houses you can see from your front door, at least 1 is in the midst of or has been foreclosed. The wise prospective home-buyer is jumping on those. The difficulty in obtaining mortgages for others is also increasing the number of renters.

"Do you think that metropolitan areas are going to expand with rising fuel costs?"

Not sure where you live, but if you're using North Carolina as a comparison it is not accurate simply because NC has the second highest gasoline tax in the country and is not indicative of the rest of the country. I live in Virginia and fueld prices here have been dropping for some time. And fuel costs have never been a major factor in determining where people live. Schools, hospitals and neighborhoods are the primary considerations of home buyers.

"Do you have to have an increase in price for it to be a good investment?"

By definition, yes. Otherwise, it's not a good investment.

in·vest·ment

/ɪnˈvɛst mənt/ Show Spelled [in-vest-muh nt]

noun

1.

the investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.

[mmmbeans]

"Quite possibly the most ridiculous piece of "advice" I have heard in a long time"

Obviously have not been involved in any property negotiations in some time and therefore have a rather dated outlook.

"Where do you think this growing population is going to live?"

Depending on where you live, for every 7 houses you can see from your front door, at least 1 is in the midst of or has been foreclosed. The wise prospective home-buyer is jumping on those. The difficulty in obtaining mortgages for others is also increasing the number of renters.

"Do you think that metropolitan areas are going to expand with rising fuel costs?"

Not sure where you live, but if you're using North Carolina as a comparison it is not accurate simply because NC has the second highest gasoline tax in the country and is not indicative of the rest of the country. I live in Virginia and fueld prices here have been dropping for some time. And fuel costs have never been a major factor in determining where people live. Schools, hospitals and neighborhoods are the primary considerations of home buyers.

"Do you have to have an increase in price for it to be a good investment?"

By definition, yes. Otherwise, it's not a good investment.

in·vest·ment

/ɪnˈvɛst mənt/ investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.

i believe the fuzz engages in property negotiations as his primary source of income.

[Anybodyhome]

"i believe the fuzz engages in property negotiations as his primary source of income."

So...., not really an unbiased, objective opinion considering his income is dependent upon a commission, correct?

I am simply expressing my opinion that buying a piece of property (land or home) and expecting to double your money in 5 years, or even 10, is pretty much a thing of the past.

I might even subscribe to the notion that unless one is going to live in the same place for more than 5 years that renting may be the better option. Buying a home for $200k, putting $20k in bath reno, another $30k in a new kitchen and then putting it on the market 4-5 years down the road and wanting to get $250 for it is unrealistic.... right now.

[mmmbeans]

"i believe the fuzz engages in property negotiations as his primary source of income."

So...., not really an unbiased, objective opinion considering his income is dependent upon a commission, correct?

as far as I can see, you're the only one in here with an axe to grind.

[Anybodyhome]

No, not really, just expressing an opinion.