Buying land because they do not make it anymore was celebrity advice. There are as many reasons as uses for owning vacant land. You may want buy now and build later when you retire. You might want some livestock or raise a popular crop. Land can be purchased in staggering quantity or a small neighborhood lot.

A real estate professional or a book on your kindle reader will both provide information. Both will describe the differences between using a Realtor with full MLS (Multiple Listing Service) access to assist you. Another option is to respond to advertisements in print and on your computer.

There are many ways to craft an offer. For instance, the ‘reality check’ is the a check in the amount a seller would accept right now. Normally you would offer to pay all closing costs so you just want to know what amount that check has to say at closing. The ‘reality check’ is a great tool.

Make sure you use your favorite title company for closing. If you are considering a transaction outside of your local MLS you still need to use a competent title company. Title insurance and others services protect both you and seller. I was introduced to a terrific title officer by a friend when we were shopping for toddler baby bedding.

The title company will provide a preliminary title report. They will report encumbrances, title liens, vested ownership and other details that help you. A messy title report cannot be cleaned up with a handful of baby bath towels and may leave you wanting a different property.

Make sure you can use the land for the purpose you have in mind. No goats and cattle in your backyard on Main street is probably a given. What about buying 20 acres of land thinking you can split it into four 5 acre parcels. Then you discover that the zoning is for 20 acre minimum size.

Once you know the land can be used the way you want, check out utilities. Start with sewer systems. There may be a public or private system with fees to hookup. You may need a septic which means tests will have to be performed to determine what type of system is approved.

At the end of the day you want to close on a transaction that is done properly. You want to be confident in your data collection, identifying applicable rules and regulations, and knowledge gathering. Visiting with all your friends and contacts in the real estate industry makes sense. The third rock from sun is even better when you are listed as one of the owners, right?