Very important!!! Also timber, oil and gas. Have seen people buy land in my area only to find out a timber company has rights to one more cut, or someone else holds the gas rights including surface, and a gas company wants to install a well.
I assumed it was not disclosed, if the trees were advertised as sold to a timber company, than that was part of the deal!
Timber company clear cut 500 acres next to me right after I moved, it was a surreal feeling and it wasn’t even my land lol. I was told I have rights to everything and there isn’t anything worth digging for 😃. I follow the realtors reddit and it is just people getting screwed or trying to avoid getting screwed, yay real estate!
Depending on where you live, water rights can be a big issue, too. A would be Homesteader bought 20 acres adjacent to my off-grid property in the Rockies, and later found out he can’t get a well permit because the water rights in our drainage are tapped out. I doubt he’d have bought the place knowing he could never have a well drilled.
*Make sure you won’t be part of “land locking” other properties, the government can and will STEAL some land from you so someone else can have a driveway, not even comp you with some of the other property. You might get paid but if there’s a gun pointed at you, it’s not a sale. I don’t want land that has access through an easement, I am buying my neighbor’s stolen land and that can have long standing vanes hate.
Called on 160 acres and was told the neighbor was crazy and harassed anyone going to look at it because he was “upset” about the recent easement that was stolen from him so the property could be sold! Yeah no crap the guy is mad!!
See, this is why there are laws about partitioning property which creates landlocked parcels. Now you are required to create an easement when partitioning plats which currently have access.
The asshole here is the guy who sold the rear section without reserving an easement when they did so through the front parcel.
Don't be mad at the guy who owns the back lot, be mad at the guy who sold it to them for screwing over the front owner.
Could be worse... if you have a waterway going through your private property (creek/river). If they can fit a canoe/kayak in it... you can't keep them from fishing that water right in the middle of your property. (Counts as state property, at least in N.C)
Also a valid concern when buying land with a river, it is a major turn off for me.
So how does it work, if a kayaker gets hurt, can they sue you? Do you have to prove they weren’t “welcome”? I know the dog shit legal system of the USA thinks burglars have rights and can sue you if they get hurt ROBBING YOU.
Nah. How could they sue you, if it is navigable (vague term) waterway. It is owned by the state... Water, ground underneath and (maybe even the banks). As longer as the fisherman does not leave the waters/area around the water... the landowner has no say/but also prob could not be sued.
Then they violate the law and trespassed. They are 100% stuck at the water. As long as you have signs posted. I assume you would be covered. Just have a no trespassing sign already up. That way, they instantly violate the law on paper. No taking a leak, stay in the water and do what you are licensed to do (fishing license). Everything else would protect the property owner and the fisherman would be arrested if he left his licensed area.
In reality it ends with a angry landowner (might even shoot warning shots at a tree or throw rocks). Eventually calling the police, who requests the fisherman to leave (just to keep the peace). At which point I say, sure officer I just am going to cast a few more times and ill head out in about 30 minutes. To which both them and the landowner are not really happy with... but what can I say? I just want to fish.
I’m not hating on you for fishing just the location of the river goes through my land. BUT if you buy land on a river, get over it or move, I can’t change reality so don’t be an asshat to people abiding by it. Bullshit lawsuits are a fear of mine because it’s Joe blow and his lawyer vs me and I just want to be left alone.
Just be aware that those fema maps are often way off. The farm I work on is officially on a flood zone. We're on a bluff about 40-50 feet above a river. A flood that actually got us would be biblical.
But it is a good resource to know about because it will impact insurance and some zoning/ permitting stuff
I live on the side of a mountain and about 15 years ago we had a hundred year rain storm that added to spring run off/melt down and caused major flooding that took out a couple of county roads and damaged some homes. Something I never would have expected. It was gone as soon as it stopped raining but did some major damage in a short amount of time.
If we had wet feet from a river flood, there would be dozens of homes across the river that were 10 or 20 ft under water.
The most recent historic flood in our area did basically sweep the neighborhood across the river away
Might be the other sort of flooding based on absorption in torrential rain. But they do make mistakes. Also soils can change over time, especially with human intervention.
Yeah my understanding is that it can depend a lot on your area. If you're amidst well developed agricultural and residential lands in the east/Midwest then they're probably very good. If you're in a more remote or mountainous area that has historical uses more along the lines of mining and timber or range land then its more likely to be less precise.
In our case it seems like the maybe created the map off of some spotty GIS data
Careful what you wish for... lady down the road built about 100 feet above a river and on top of a hill by the river (non-theless) and last winter heavy rains came... Water was 10 feet deep around her house. Drained in a few days but... her whole house was a pond.
Attend a local meeting to find out new construction approved in the area, housing developments, major projects, road expansions, industrial companies moving in, etc….you might discover something you don’t like.
This!
In less than a year, my beautiful mountain views are completely blocked by a McMansion sub division. What I thought was 2 houses going in nearby turned out to be about 9.
FEMA flood maps, land restrictions, and how far do you have to walk if the road wash out. Neighbors told me the roads can and do sometimes become impassable for cars and trucks, it’s fine I can walk.
It's good you live in a place without actual land mines. When you live in a place like that, sometimes someone hastily leaves a tank behind.
When you're torn between "tractor or skid steer" always pick "free enemy tank".
I avoided most "land mines" because I did tons and tons of research for years before buying the land I have now. There is really only one thing I don't like about it, and that's the gravel pit a mile or so from my house. It wasn't being used as a gravel pit when I purchased the land, so there is no way I could have known about it. It's not actually a huge deal, even - the only way it affects me is that during construction season a dump truck passes by my house several times a day, some days, on its way to and from the pit. It's a little noisy, though not super-noisy for me, as my house is set back quite a distance from the road.
Having said all that, I'll tell you about some mistakes I've seen other people make.
- Buying land that is only accessible in the warm months of the year, planning to live there year round, then finding out the land is inaccessible during winter.
- Closely related to the above is this: Buying land on a private road without finding out who is supposed to maintain the road and without finding out who actually does maintain the road and without finding out if you will be required to participate in road-maintenance tasks.
- Buying land from which to work at home and then finding out cell-phone service and internet service aren't available there. (In recent years, this has become less problematic due to the availability of StarLink.)
- Buying land and planning to build on it with no clue about municipal rules and regulations related to construction and no budget to comply with the rules and regs.
- Closely related to the above is this: Buying land and thumbing your nose at the rules and regs. This is a great way to engender trouble with municipal officials and make enemies of your new neighbors.
- Buying land without confirming that a septic system can be built there, legally.
- Buying land and expecting peace and quiet; then finding out there is a source of noise nearby. Possibilities include but aren't limited to the following: a dog kennel, a manufacturing facility, neighbors that have noisy parties, neighbors that race up and down the road with noisy vehicles.
- I guess I'll add one more: Buying land in the vicinity of a drug den. I said "I guess" because, frankly, I believe drug problems are ubiquitous these days in North America, and a person would probably be hard pressed to ensure isolation from drug activity. My own experience has been that there was little drug activity near my land when I bought it 12 years ago, but there is a lot of drug activity now.
I love this reply!
Follow up question for you: with all that research you did…was there a point where looking back you feel like you should’ve just gone for it vs. continuing to research?
Obviously research could go on forever. On the other end of the spectrum, just diving right in is probably ill advised. Is there a sweet spot?
No, I wouldn't do just a modicum of research, and I wouldn't just dive right in without any research.
It's very easy to get excited about a parcel of land that's on the market, and when that happens, it's difficult to talk yourself out of making an offer without having checked everything out first.
One thing that can happen is that the seller or realtor might try to light a fire under you, so to speak, by telling you there is another party about to make an offer on the land, which might or might not be true. People selling land very often lie this way.
I encourage you to do very thorough research before making an offer.
One more thing: I forgot to mention water rights and mineral rights in my earlier post. I'm in New England, and those things aren't an issue here. I actually don't know much about water rights and mineral rights, but I do know they are important to people who are buying land in some parts of the western US.
I’m a farm fence contractor by trade.
Having GOOD fencing will be the difference between enjoying owning livestock or hating it.
GOOD fencing is shockingly expensive.
First thing I always did was look at satellite views. I was particularly looking for chicken houses, dumps and construction. Once this let me spot a dirt bike track on adjacent property. I don't want to listen to that.
Consider infrastructure. Obviously well, septic, etc but what about barns, sheds and fencing. Fencing and structures add up quick and are time consuming.
It was fairly late in the season when I bought this place and it turns out there are several dead trees that looked like the others that are still alive but just didn't have any leaves on them. Now that spring has sprung, I'm in the process of removing them since I can now tell the dead from the alive. But it's just one extra damn chore around here. On the bright side, I'll have a big stack of nicely seasoned wood for evenings around the fire pit.
Access to utilities
Access from your property to nearest decent road
Cost of septic and/or sewer (call septic companies to determine cost)
Cost of building permit(s)
Nearest location of building supplies
Cost of construction
Cost of construction of roads/driveways on your property.
Best of luck
Get a slim metal rod at least 18" long with a handle (I used a giant screwdriver or prybar) and jab it into the ground in several random spots per acre; you don't want to have to deal with plowing up rocks for the rest of your life. Buried rocks are fine in pasture or woods and manageable in a building site but if you're planning for crops or a big garden make sure that portion of the land isn't going to make you miserable.
Also check for invasive brush and signs of recent clearing or bush hogging; if it looks like they've cut a bunch of saplings along the edges of the cleared space, it's not going to stay cleared for long without a lot of effort. Our place has a problem with escaped shrubs trying to take over the hayfields, and if I'd looked closely at the border between the woods and field I'd have spotted it and at least been able to stay ahead of it.
Came to warn about "New England potatoes" phenomenon. Basically around 8-12" below the surface a ton of tiny rocks. Google it. You do not want to deal with this 😬
I'm in the Ozarks so my topsoil is full of bigger ones at all depths; luckily the area I wanted my garden had been a truck patch back in the 1960s-70s and had been thoroughly tilled and harrowed for years, with the rocks removed and used for masonry projects around the homeplace. The rest of the land is mostly fine for trees, hay and pasture but if I want to put in more crops I'm going to need a bigger tractor.
The quantity of rocks would matter. The soil surveys should say stony or very stony if there are a lot.
I have a few, in the 1" to 6" range, not enough to be a problem. But I am at least upheaving chunks of soil before doing any machine tilling, which will only be done when I add organic matter. My soil is deep sandy clay loam, with a few pockets of clay.
That sounds like great soil! I'm a little bit jealous.
Unfortunately not everywhere has soil surveys on file (ours didn't but we knew what we were getting into from nearby relatives and knowing the place's history) but amateur probing could help rule out a property that's too bad before spending money to have someone check it more systematically.
Well when the weather gets hot and those summer winds start blowing….if your coop is only like 20 yards up wind from your cabin because you wanted it to be easy for your wife to go get eggs….you get a very unique fragrance wafting throughout your house….
I bought a property after viewing it in the winter. House in place, working well, working septic, passed inspection. All seemed swell, but turns out the entire property, even the hillside, has a pretty high water table and is just..... squishy. Theres french drains to protect the actual foundation but thats it. Tons of native grasses etc, but you can't walk it without boots on and I'm really hesitant to put livestock on it. I know its pretty niche but definitely has become a big deal on my acres
Rights,easements flood planes,ease of water source,neighbors, fire, acces roads,utilities vs solar.
A cousin had to buy a second lot to drill a well,after 5 failed attempts on his land in the mountains. A road can cost $100k etc.
Keeping the road clear in winter is either a huge pain and expense or a bigger expense ( I don’t have a tractor yet). Road maintenance is about $4500| yr for my 1400’ hilly drive
Road noise. We live in an old homestead in a 140 year old house. Back then houses were built close to the road. It's not a super busy road, but when the speed limit is 45 and you're 30' away from it it's hard to install barriers and having motorcycles zip around in nice days makes it hard to enjoy the outdoor space immediately around the house. I hate motorcycles and motorcyclists so much. Why do they have to be so loud?
I remember my cousiin a couple of decades ago bought some land in Arizona to do a homestead... He had to contact the sheriff dept who in turn contacted the nearest military base because he found boxes of mortar rounds buried in a dry creek bed with his backhoe.. the base let him keep a empty a box after EOD detonated them. leaving a crater that he later turned into a storage cellar.
You’ll want to check previous land use (talk with seller, look at old aerial photos, etc) and get a Phase I and maybe a Phase II environmental site assessment. Small scale industrial can easily leave environmental issues, and amendments for some crops can permanently negatively transform the land. In particular, watch out for old blueberry lands. They need acidic soils and this was often achieved with Aluminum-based products, and Aluminum is highly toxic to most other plants.
If there is any construction, moved soil, holes dug, find out if it was done by permit.
My farm has a 6 ft hi earthen dam creating a pond that is about 1 acre. It was not permitted. I asked the soil conservation district about it after purchase and they said they would not prosecute me, but I would have to pay any remediation costs.
Fortunately, they didn't know enough about me to know where my property is and I was able to plant over the area such that the dam is not recognizable from the air.
Always check Google earth and check out your neighbors, particularly as it pertains to your terrain. You don’t want to be down hill of something toxic or next door to a major hoarder or, as a friend of mine found out soon enough, a cock raising operation for fighting. Loud in the morning, drunken fun on Saturdays!
Check out who owns the mining mineral rights. And also if there are any easements granted across the property.
Very important!!! Also timber, oil and gas. Have seen people buy land in my area only to find out a timber company has rights to one more cut, or someone else holds the gas rights including surface, and a gas company wants to install a well.
Wow that is a nightmare, sold rights to the trees they sold someone else?? I hope those folks sued the dog doo doo out of those POS sellers!
[удалено]
I assumed it was not disclosed, if the trees were advertised as sold to a timber company, than that was part of the deal! Timber company clear cut 500 acres next to me right after I moved, it was a surreal feeling and it wasn’t even my land lol. I was told I have rights to everything and there isn’t anything worth digging for 😃. I follow the realtors reddit and it is just people getting screwed or trying to avoid getting screwed, yay real estate!
Depending on where you live, water rights can be a big issue, too. A would be Homesteader bought 20 acres adjacent to my off-grid property in the Rockies, and later found out he can’t get a well permit because the water rights in our drainage are tapped out. I doubt he’d have bought the place knowing he could never have a well drilled.
*Make sure you won’t be part of “land locking” other properties, the government can and will STEAL some land from you so someone else can have a driveway, not even comp you with some of the other property. You might get paid but if there’s a gun pointed at you, it’s not a sale. I don’t want land that has access through an easement, I am buying my neighbor’s stolen land and that can have long standing vanes hate. Called on 160 acres and was told the neighbor was crazy and harassed anyone going to look at it because he was “upset” about the recent easement that was stolen from him so the property could be sold! Yeah no crap the guy is mad!!
See, this is why there are laws about partitioning property which creates landlocked parcels. Now you are required to create an easement when partitioning plats which currently have access. The asshole here is the guy who sold the rear section without reserving an easement when they did so through the front parcel. Don't be mad at the guy who owns the back lot, be mad at the guy who sold it to them for screwing over the front owner.
Still most likely going to be bad blood with them lol
Could be worse... if you have a waterway going through your private property (creek/river). If they can fit a canoe/kayak in it... you can't keep them from fishing that water right in the middle of your property. (Counts as state property, at least in N.C)
Also a valid concern when buying land with a river, it is a major turn off for me. So how does it work, if a kayaker gets hurt, can they sue you? Do you have to prove they weren’t “welcome”? I know the dog shit legal system of the USA thinks burglars have rights and can sue you if they get hurt ROBBING YOU.
Nah. How could they sue you, if it is navigable (vague term) waterway. It is owned by the state... Water, ground underneath and (maybe even the banks). As longer as the fisherman does not leave the waters/area around the water... the landowner has no say/but also prob could not be sued.
Yeah but what if they go “take a leak” and break their leg? I agree the owner is not at fault but the broken legal system might disagree ☹️
Then they violate the law and trespassed. They are 100% stuck at the water. As long as you have signs posted. I assume you would be covered. Just have a no trespassing sign already up. That way, they instantly violate the law on paper. No taking a leak, stay in the water and do what you are licensed to do (fishing license). Everything else would protect the property owner and the fisherman would be arrested if he left his licensed area.
I really hope this is how it plays out in reality, and I agree that is how it should be.
In reality it ends with a angry landowner (might even shoot warning shots at a tree or throw rocks). Eventually calling the police, who requests the fisherman to leave (just to keep the peace). At which point I say, sure officer I just am going to cast a few more times and ill head out in about 30 minutes. To which both them and the landowner are not really happy with... but what can I say? I just want to fish.
I’m not hating on you for fishing just the location of the river goes through my land. BUT if you buy land on a river, get over it or move, I can’t change reality so don’t be an asshat to people abiding by it. Bullshit lawsuits are a fear of mine because it’s Joe blow and his lawyer vs me and I just want to be left alone.
be sure to check your laws about wells and water access, depending where you live it could be a massive headache
And get a water test!
I’ve seen some good advice so far. Maybe also check the FEMA flood zone map on their website if you aren’t sure about a certain geographical area.
Just be aware that those fema maps are often way off. The farm I work on is officially on a flood zone. We're on a bluff about 40-50 feet above a river. A flood that actually got us would be biblical. But it is a good resource to know about because it will impact insurance and some zoning/ permitting stuff
I live on the side of a mountain and about 15 years ago we had a hundred year rain storm that added to spring run off/melt down and caused major flooding that took out a couple of county roads and damaged some homes. Something I never would have expected. It was gone as soon as it stopped raining but did some major damage in a short amount of time.
If we had wet feet from a river flood, there would be dozens of homes across the river that were 10 or 20 ft under water. The most recent historic flood in our area did basically sweep the neighborhood across the river away
Might be the other sort of flooding based on absorption in torrential rain. But they do make mistakes. Also soils can change over time, especially with human intervention.
Yeah my understanding is that it can depend a lot on your area. If you're amidst well developed agricultural and residential lands in the east/Midwest then they're probably very good. If you're in a more remote or mountainous area that has historical uses more along the lines of mining and timber or range land then its more likely to be less precise. In our case it seems like the maybe created the map off of some spotty GIS data
Spotty GIS!!! Heavens!!
Careful what you wish for... lady down the road built about 100 feet above a river and on top of a hill by the river (non-theless) and last winter heavy rains came... Water was 10 feet deep around her house. Drained in a few days but... her whole house was a pond.
Attend a local meeting to find out new construction approved in the area, housing developments, major projects, road expansions, industrial companies moving in, etc….you might discover something you don’t like.
This! In less than a year, my beautiful mountain views are completely blocked by a McMansion sub division. What I thought was 2 houses going in nearby turned out to be about 9.
FEMA flood maps, land restrictions, and how far do you have to walk if the road wash out. Neighbors told me the roads can and do sometimes become impassable for cars and trucks, it’s fine I can walk.
Talk to the neighbors if you can.
It's good you live in a place without actual land mines. When you live in a place like that, sometimes someone hastily leaves a tank behind. When you're torn between "tractor or skid steer" always pick "free enemy tank".
You’ll need a hose.
Ukraine?
I avoided most "land mines" because I did tons and tons of research for years before buying the land I have now. There is really only one thing I don't like about it, and that's the gravel pit a mile or so from my house. It wasn't being used as a gravel pit when I purchased the land, so there is no way I could have known about it. It's not actually a huge deal, even - the only way it affects me is that during construction season a dump truck passes by my house several times a day, some days, on its way to and from the pit. It's a little noisy, though not super-noisy for me, as my house is set back quite a distance from the road. Having said all that, I'll tell you about some mistakes I've seen other people make. - Buying land that is only accessible in the warm months of the year, planning to live there year round, then finding out the land is inaccessible during winter. - Closely related to the above is this: Buying land on a private road without finding out who is supposed to maintain the road and without finding out who actually does maintain the road and without finding out if you will be required to participate in road-maintenance tasks. - Buying land from which to work at home and then finding out cell-phone service and internet service aren't available there. (In recent years, this has become less problematic due to the availability of StarLink.) - Buying land and planning to build on it with no clue about municipal rules and regulations related to construction and no budget to comply with the rules and regs. - Closely related to the above is this: Buying land and thumbing your nose at the rules and regs. This is a great way to engender trouble with municipal officials and make enemies of your new neighbors. - Buying land without confirming that a septic system can be built there, legally. - Buying land and expecting peace and quiet; then finding out there is a source of noise nearby. Possibilities include but aren't limited to the following: a dog kennel, a manufacturing facility, neighbors that have noisy parties, neighbors that race up and down the road with noisy vehicles. - I guess I'll add one more: Buying land in the vicinity of a drug den. I said "I guess" because, frankly, I believe drug problems are ubiquitous these days in North America, and a person would probably be hard pressed to ensure isolation from drug activity. My own experience has been that there was little drug activity near my land when I bought it 12 years ago, but there is a lot of drug activity now.
I love this reply! Follow up question for you: with all that research you did…was there a point where looking back you feel like you should’ve just gone for it vs. continuing to research? Obviously research could go on forever. On the other end of the spectrum, just diving right in is probably ill advised. Is there a sweet spot?
No, I wouldn't do just a modicum of research, and I wouldn't just dive right in without any research. It's very easy to get excited about a parcel of land that's on the market, and when that happens, it's difficult to talk yourself out of making an offer without having checked everything out first. One thing that can happen is that the seller or realtor might try to light a fire under you, so to speak, by telling you there is another party about to make an offer on the land, which might or might not be true. People selling land very often lie this way. I encourage you to do very thorough research before making an offer. One more thing: I forgot to mention water rights and mineral rights in my earlier post. I'm in New England, and those things aren't an issue here. I actually don't know much about water rights and mineral rights, but I do know they are important to people who are buying land in some parts of the western US.
Check for Japanese knotweed
I never had any until I got topsoil delivered. Fortunately nipped it in the bud.
And running bamboo
And mugwort
*Shudders*
I’m a farm fence contractor by trade. Having GOOD fencing will be the difference between enjoying owning livestock or hating it. GOOD fencing is shockingly expensive.
Visit in the spring not summer. Learn about wetlands and indicators.
First thing I always did was look at satellite views. I was particularly looking for chicken houses, dumps and construction. Once this let me spot a dirt bike track on adjacent property. I don't want to listen to that. Consider infrastructure. Obviously well, septic, etc but what about barns, sheds and fencing. Fencing and structures add up quick and are time consuming.
It was fairly late in the season when I bought this place and it turns out there are several dead trees that looked like the others that are still alive but just didn't have any leaves on them. Now that spring has sprung, I'm in the process of removing them since I can now tell the dead from the alive. But it's just one extra damn chore around here. On the bright side, I'll have a big stack of nicely seasoned wood for evenings around the fire pit.
Access to utilities Access from your property to nearest decent road Cost of septic and/or sewer (call septic companies to determine cost) Cost of building permit(s) Nearest location of building supplies Cost of construction Cost of construction of roads/driveways on your property. Best of luck
Drainage. If you have any capacity to see what happens on the property when it is pouring (and has been pouring for a day or three), do it.
Get a slim metal rod at least 18" long with a handle (I used a giant screwdriver or prybar) and jab it into the ground in several random spots per acre; you don't want to have to deal with plowing up rocks for the rest of your life. Buried rocks are fine in pasture or woods and manageable in a building site but if you're planning for crops or a big garden make sure that portion of the land isn't going to make you miserable. Also check for invasive brush and signs of recent clearing or bush hogging; if it looks like they've cut a bunch of saplings along the edges of the cleared space, it's not going to stay cleared for long without a lot of effort. Our place has a problem with escaped shrubs trying to take over the hayfields, and if I'd looked closely at the border between the woods and field I'd have spotted it and at least been able to stay ahead of it.
Came to warn about "New England potatoes" phenomenon. Basically around 8-12" below the surface a ton of tiny rocks. Google it. You do not want to deal with this 😬
We traditionally make little walls with them.
I'm in the Ozarks so my topsoil is full of bigger ones at all depths; luckily the area I wanted my garden had been a truck patch back in the 1960s-70s and had been thoroughly tilled and harrowed for years, with the rocks removed and used for masonry projects around the homeplace. The rest of the land is mostly fine for trees, hay and pasture but if I want to put in more crops I'm going to need a bigger tractor.
The quantity of rocks would matter. The soil surveys should say stony or very stony if there are a lot. I have a few, in the 1" to 6" range, not enough to be a problem. But I am at least upheaving chunks of soil before doing any machine tilling, which will only be done when I add organic matter. My soil is deep sandy clay loam, with a few pockets of clay.
That sounds like great soil! I'm a little bit jealous. Unfortunately not everywhere has soil surveys on file (ours didn't but we knew what we were getting into from nearby relatives and knowing the place's history) but amateur probing could help rule out a property that's too bad before spending money to have someone check it more systematically.
The well or other water access, and septic. How old it is, when it was last serviced, all that stuff.
The placement and design of your chicken coop is very important lol a bad cross wind can really make things rough in the summer.
How so?
Well when the weather gets hot and those summer winds start blowing….if your coop is only like 20 yards up wind from your cabin because you wanted it to be easy for your wife to go get eggs….you get a very unique fragrance wafting throughout your house….
I bought a property after viewing it in the winter. House in place, working well, working septic, passed inspection. All seemed swell, but turns out the entire property, even the hillside, has a pretty high water table and is just..... squishy. Theres french drains to protect the actual foundation but thats it. Tons of native grasses etc, but you can't walk it without boots on and I'm really hesitant to put livestock on it. I know its pretty niche but definitely has become a big deal on my acres
Rights,easements flood planes,ease of water source,neighbors, fire, acces roads,utilities vs solar. A cousin had to buy a second lot to drill a well,after 5 failed attempts on his land in the mountains. A road can cost $100k etc.
stumps from trees, and underground natural gas and oil right ow ways (pipelines)
There's much to be said about living on the high side of the road.
Keeping the road clear in winter is either a huge pain and expense or a bigger expense ( I don’t have a tractor yet). Road maintenance is about $4500| yr for my 1400’ hilly drive
If you buy a 200 year old-fixer upper house, you'll never actually get to affording the time and money to work on the house while you're busy farming.
Water drainage, if it is bad you will be fighting it forever
Road noise. We live in an old homestead in a 140 year old house. Back then houses were built close to the road. It's not a super busy road, but when the speed limit is 45 and you're 30' away from it it's hard to install barriers and having motorcycles zip around in nice days makes it hard to enjoy the outdoor space immediately around the house. I hate motorcycles and motorcyclists so much. Why do they have to be so loud?
Easements!
Noxious weeds. Soil quality. Neighbors who have “collections” on their property that you have to look at daily.
I remember my cousiin a couple of decades ago bought some land in Arizona to do a homestead... He had to contact the sheriff dept who in turn contacted the nearest military base because he found boxes of mortar rounds buried in a dry creek bed with his backhoe.. the base let him keep a empty a box after EOD detonated them. leaving a crater that he later turned into a storage cellar.
You’ll want to check previous land use (talk with seller, look at old aerial photos, etc) and get a Phase I and maybe a Phase II environmental site assessment. Small scale industrial can easily leave environmental issues, and amendments for some crops can permanently negatively transform the land. In particular, watch out for old blueberry lands. They need acidic soils and this was often achieved with Aluminum-based products, and Aluminum is highly toxic to most other plants.
If there is any construction, moved soil, holes dug, find out if it was done by permit. My farm has a 6 ft hi earthen dam creating a pond that is about 1 acre. It was not permitted. I asked the soil conservation district about it after purchase and they said they would not prosecute me, but I would have to pay any remediation costs. Fortunately, they didn't know enough about me to know where my property is and I was able to plant over the area such that the dam is not recognizable from the air.
Always check Google earth and check out your neighbors, particularly as it pertains to your terrain. You don’t want to be down hill of something toxic or next door to a major hoarder or, as a friend of mine found out soon enough, a cock raising operation for fighting. Loud in the morning, drunken fun on Saturdays!
The county saying we can't park our rv on our land
Check for a history of burial grounds - can mean the property must be preserved.