rScotty
Super Member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2001
- Messages
- 9,549
- Location
- Rural mountains - Colorado
- Tractor
- Kubota M59, JD530, JD310SG. Restoring Yanmar YM165D
We just found that a new FEMA mapping has made changes to our FEMA flood plain listing. It came as an unpleasant surprise. Not that we really care, we enjoy our creekside house. However, it will affect resale.Closer to family. Close to a church we love. More acreage to support a small farm in my retirement. My now 8 acres won’t support all of that. I think my current 48hp tractor will be sized well for it too.
After a long lifetime of land purchases there are a few things other than the FEMA flood status that I have found to be worth checking. It amazes me how few of these are actually checked by buyers. A friend who has a large and successful land agency says people rarely do any of these things:
1. An old survey is OK for negotiating, but make sure that a condition of the sale is a formal survey done or re-confirmed by a licensed surveyor who will set permanent corners.
It should be a "land survey" rather than a "builder's survey". There is quite a difference.
2. Consider having an actual title search done. Today it is weirdly popular at closing to bypass that step and simply buy a title insurance policy. However, title insurance just insures certain things, and coverage varies.
An real formal title search is surprisingly inexpensive, and gives you a complete chain of title plus any legal actions for and against the property - including easements, access, and liens. You have to be comfortable with the existing easements, access, and liens - all of these can be difficult to impossible to change later.
4. Check with the County for septic permit requirements and with the State for well drilling permits. Basically just find out what is needed to do those things.
There are other things, but those are the basics. The realtor should have some or all of those available.
rScotty