5 Red Flags to Look Out For When Buying Land
When shopping for real estate for sale, your priorities and criteria will depend on what you plan to do with the property. If you'd like to build a custom house or cabin, you'll need a piece of land that's not developed yet, but can be developed relatively easily. Many different factors, such as wildlife, utilities, and waterways, can affect the suitability of specific lots or acreage.
Here are some red flags to keep an eye out for when you're looking for land to buy.
1. No utilities
If you ever want to put a home or even a cabin on the land, you'll need to be able to provide the necessary amenities. If electrical lines aren't at the property already, you may have to pay to get them extended to the property, driving expenses way up. And if the land needs a well and septic system put in, that will raise your expenses even more. Of course, this doesn't have to be a deal-breaker if the land is in the location you want or has an amazing view.
2. Lack of access
If the property can't be reached by road, you might want to arrange your own private access after buying. This will help keep your home or land secluded and secure.
But you'll also want to keep an eye out for similar access issues such as easements. If the property can only be accessed via an existing easement, that's not always a bad thing, but it's definitely something to look into. You'll have to check that the easement is all in good order legally so you never have any issues with accessing your property.
3. Surface water or nearby waterways
Water on the property can indicate that the property is in fact wetland. Wetland properties can be difficult or impossible to develop in some cases since they're protected and regulated by the EPA. In addition, even if the area itself isn't a wetland, a nearby creek or river could put the property into a flood zone which could mean it's not suitable for building. Ask the EPA about building on the land to see if you can make your project work within their guidelines.
4. Endangered plants or animals
Wildlife sightings can be fun, but you don't want to find out that you have endangered or otherwise protected species on your property. If the land has endangered animals that you can't legally relocate or disturb, building on the land could get a lot trickier.
5. Nearby sources of noise or smells
If an industrial area is nearby, the property could be subjected to loud sounds on a regular basis. The same goes for a railroad or airport. And if you're looking for land in an agricultural area, you'll want to make sure the place isn't downwind of a pig farm, chicken farm, or other potential sources of unpleasant smells.
These are some of the red flags that can be raised when you're shopping for a property for sale. If you detect any red flags, talk to your real estate agent about what you should do.
