Real estate General topic

[paulsharvey]

So, been two or three recent threads about specific real estate topics; poor quality online pictures, poor descriptions, I started one about aerial layout maps, ect; so I figured I'd just start a generic real estate thread, focused on rural properties.

So, I'll go first; me and wife are doing a viewing tomorrow, 13ish acres, 5/2 double wide, dirt road, about 15 minutes from 2 stop light Town. We saw it, look at it on ad, Google, basemap, and property appraiser, and then do a drive by, just to check the area. It's a Ssstretch financially, but we qualify for the loan. Wife initially said, yeah, we can afford that payment; but with 48 hrs of time to think, she starts second guessing the fiance of it. We talk, and we will do showing; but in my estimation; and talk with her;
property: if it didn't have the house, and was anything above $150k, I wouldn't even look at it
home: if it was anything above $200k I wouldn't even look at it
the package is $420k. We already have the viewing scheduled, and we will go, but wife basically said, if we Love it, tell them the truth, $150 for the land, $200 for the home, that's max of $350k; and not whiling to go above that.

Couple notes; it was late on Thursday, and I decided to enter info in a popular online mortage originator; they actually called at almost 9pm. Next day, holy crap, the random phone calls and text messages, from them, their 'preferred realtor', other competitive company's. It was probably 15 calls, and 20 texts on friday...


I was honest with real estate lady; told her it was at or right above our max; and that it would have to be perfect to put in a real offer, and I didn't want to waste her time. She was OK with that, and set up viewing anyways.

 

[dodge man]

My opinion would be if it’s at the max you can afford it’s probably too much. I retired a month before I turned 58, my wife was 55. Think long term.

 

[paulsharvey]

My opinion would be if it’s at the max you can afford it’s probably too much. I retired a month before I turned 58, my wife was 55. Think long term.

Agree. I hate the whole shopping process for big purchases. It wouldn't be so bad if we could realistically move out of current house for 3 months, fix/clean/stage/sell and then throw that money at a down-payment. We did get pre-approved non-contingent on the sale of current home.

Not sure I 100% like the idea, because if you sign for say $350k and then throw $100-150 at it 6 months later, your monthly doesn't go down unless you refinance; with the associated costs of that. But, current home would be worth a fair bit more with a few grand in repairs, and that's a Pain when you have 5 people in a 1400 sq ft place.

 

[paulsharvey]

How would yall feel about the a back property having an access easement kinda right down the center of your property? Obviously not ideal, and would affect placement of permanent outbuildings. Would it bother you much, or just work around it?

 

[Jstpssng]

How would yall feel about the a back property having an access easement kinda right down the center of your property? Obviously not ideal, and would affect placement of permanent outbuildings. Would it bother you much, or just work around it?

It depends on how big the property is, price, and how the easememt was written. I would want to be able to treat it as 2 separate tracts, and that easement was a public road through my property. If there isn't enough land to completely get away from it, or if the current owners of the back property are ****heads, I would pass on it. Is there any chance of getting it moved to one side of the property? That would require negotiating with that abutter.

 

[plowhog]

How would yall feel about the a back property having an access easement kinda right down the center of your property?

I have a property with an access easement. It is a constant headache, I wish it was not there. I would never purchase a property with that sort of easement.

 

[dodge man]

I’m a retired land surveyor. Access easements for an adjoining property can work out but some of the worst, most expensive court battles I saw were because of them.

 

[etpm]

My wife and I looked at a piece of land that had an easement going through it. The price was right which is why I even considered it. We decided to pass on the land. I am now so so glad we didn't buy the land. That easement would have been a constant headache with the traffic going through it. And the easement was only to one other parcel. In the years since we passed on the purchase I have heard nothing but bad about the people living on the 5 acres that the easement serves. Noise mostly, at all times of the day and night. But trash too, littered along the easement.
I also, and this is just my own personal preference, would not consider any type of mobile home. They just aren't built to the same standards as a stick built home.
Eric

 

[paulsharvey]

It depends on how big the property is, price, and how the easememt was written. I would want to be able to treat it as 2 separate tracts, and that easement was a public road through my property. If there isn't enough land to completely get away from it, or if the current owners of the back property are ****heads, I would pass on it. Is there any chance of getting it moved to one side of the property? That would require negotiating with that abutter.

Looking at it all; it Looks like it was part of a 40 acre piece, and was separated into 4 pieces; a 26, a 10, a 3.25 , and a 0.7; and the property behind is 200 acres of timber.

The 10 and 3.26 are what's for sale, and both cross the 26, and then there is a weird 0.7 piece in the middle, with completely separate ownership. So, the 26, the 3.25, and 0.7 have access across the 10; and the 10, 3.25, and 0.7 have access across the 26. Not 100% sure if the 200 acre timber is part of the easement or not. Annoying part, the one easement is pretty much centered in the 10; maybe for an intended 5/5 split?

 

[paulsharvey]

Here is a quick dirty, NTS, drawing kd what I mean. I'm looking at parcel D (with home) and E. Parcel C is owned by someone in Philly, so probably will never deal with or see them; but that easement would prevent any structures or anything down the center of D. The easement on side of E isn't such a big deal.

 

[paulsharvey]

Here is perhaps a better image. I really like how tucked back in and private the property is. Maybe I'm trying to find faults now, but at the same time; not box myself into a problem.

 

[Jstpssng]

So the tract which you are looking at also has an easement for access?

This is looking less and less desireable.

 

[paulsharvey]

So the tract which you are looking at also has an easement for access?

This is looking less and less desireable.

Yes, this property has an easement across the front, but its right down the property line.

 

[paulsharvey]

BTW, we have looked at and scouted several properties over the last 3 or 4 years, and they all had some real issues to over come. Seems all the quality properties, people aren't selling, or have already broke up into 2 acre pieces.

 

[ning]

There's an easement to one house going down the side of my property - right at the edge - and even that I find undesireable. My wife is always remarking about how neighbor lady tears down the driveway... we lost a cat 20 years ago on that driveway - got hit - there's now a cat-proof fence + radio fence keeping our cats in so I'm not so concerned about that so much. The lady does drive what seems fast, but it's probably really only 25, it just looks fast on a single-lane road.

Maintenance of the lane isn't my concern because I rarely use the road - part of it leads to the road to my barn, but I didn't care when the driveway was rutted like crazy when we first moved here because I drive to the barn at most once every couple of weeks with my tractor (I can get to the barn more easily without that road from the rest of the land). Previous owner to the current neighbors paved the bad part; I declined to help pay because - his driveway, his maintenance, ruts don't faze my 4wd truck (didn't have the tractor then). Current owner didn't like that I was putting a fence along the road (easement) despite the fact that the fence was on the edge of the easement and any reasonable person wouldn't have a problem driving by it - his wife was made nervous by the t-posts I'd put up to hold a mason's line to mark it originally. I informed him that the hill drop-off where the fence was was unstable and he couldn't drive within two feet of that fenceline already - it was just a visual thing - and his easement didn't cover that spot, so tough. I did remove a couple trees on the other side of the road to make them more comfortable, though not all of the ones he wanted cut. She obviously got used to the real fence though given her speed though; no complaints since the fence went up.

I'd rather not have someone drive by my house at all (this easement gets within 145' of my front door and it's more than close enough!), and positively would not buy a property with an easement through usable land. I put in a fence around my place, and I'd have to fence along both sides of the easement - and open two gates to get from one side to the other? $%#!@ that.

mayyyyyybe if I had 640 acres, but still a no if it goes through the nicest part of the land.

My assumption is that at best you're going to end up disliking anyone who uses that easement regularly, and possibly hating them if they make a fuss or a mess out of the easement - and if you actually care about the condition of the road, good luck getting them to do their part of upkeep.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^ That's my sentiments also. If it wasn't near the house it might be different.

 

[paulsharvey]

If it's only an easement to my own back 3.3, and a foreign owned 0.7; that would probably be a non-issue; what kinda worries me, if that 200 acres of forestry Also has access easement, and their haul road is 50 ft from the house, that Would be an issue. Will justify additional research on who/what properties have the access.

Another issue would be, if that forestry property does hunting leases, which most do, if that access is transferable to all their club members.

 

[Jstpssng]

BTW, we have looked at and scouted several properties over the last 3 or 4 years, and they all had some real issues to over come. Seems all the quality properties, people aren't selling, or have already broke up into 2 acre pieces.

I know that, and it must be getting frustrating. Yet thinking of how long you plan to live there might put things in a different perspective. I am fortunate enough not to have neighbors within 1/2 mile... the abutters on all 4 sides don't live in the land and have no desire to sell.

 

[ning]

If it's only an easement to my own back 3.3, and a foreign owned 0.7; that would probably be a non-issue; what kinda worries me, if that 200 acres of forestry Also has access easement, and their haul road is 50 ft from the house, that Would be an issue. Will justify additional research on who/what properties have the access.

Another issue would be, if that forestry property does hunting leases, which most do, if that access is transferable to all their club members.

foreign owned: right now. tomorrow? someone in a third-hand yurt.

 

[LouNY]

The undesirability of an access to me would depend entirely how it was written and recorded. Some easements are worded very strictly as too what who and how they can be accessed and if gates can or can't be put up. Also the width is usually listed sometimes not.
A 50 foot easement for property owners and access for them and authorized people is one thing and a 100 foot wide easement for public access are completely different.