As mentioned in my chapter 2 blog post this week, my goal for this edition of But Seriously: how to find your dream property, is to help someone else avoid some of the headaches we put ourselves through. I did some research and came up with the following list of helpful resources. I hope you find it useful or know someone who might.
Working with a realtor or just looking at what’s available on sites like Zillow, Craigslist, Facebook, Landandfarm.com or other real estate marketplace platform might suit some just fine. However, there are other options out there that offer additional benefits. I am not affiliated with any of these companies and can’t personally endorse them. I definitely wish I had known about them before this whirlwind adventure began. Happy hunting!
1. Land Elevated
Check out this cool Colorado company at landelevated.com. They have taken a lot of the headache and red tape out of purchasing land. By taking out the middlemen including the realtors, closing companies, etc., the process is streamlined. Once on the site, you can click to see a list of all of their properties across the country. They don’t appear to be everywhere yet, (definitely not in Virginia), but they have properties in many states. When you select a property, you can view all kinds of helpful information about it. Some of the available info includes photos, purchasing information, zoning info, GPS coordinates, driving directions, and maps. (which I would highly recommend printing out ahead of time!).
How does it work?
If you find a property you like, you can reserve it for 48 hours for $20 while you think about it. You can get approved for financing through them, or you can purchase the property outright online! It’s a “no-haggle” type system, but you do get a discount if you choose the pay in full option. You pay them a $149 processing fee on top of the purchase price to complete the transaction. Sounds super simple!
The downside might be that you don’t have a realtor to help you out in person. However, as learned from my story, having a realtor doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to be there in person! The folks at landelevated.com appear to be very willing to help you with any questions or issues you run into. I actually emailed them a few questions of my own and received a very friendly, and timely response. Also, you are limited to the properties they own, but you might find property there that you wouldn’t see elsewhere.
I wasn’t able to find any negative reviews or BBB complaints. In fact, most feedback that I was able to find was positive. This seems like a great way to go if they own a property in an area you’re looking at.
2. Face to Face
While I have not tried this, I have heard people talk about finding good deals by contacting the owner. Sounds simple right? Well, as long as you already know who owns the land. If not, and there’s a plot of land that is of interest, go to the GIS or Geographic Information Systems page for that county. This will allow you to look up the property, either by address (should there be one), by parcel number (if you know it), or by locating it on a map and clicking on it. You might also find this by going to the main county page and then searching for the GIS mapping info in their search bar if you are unable to find it otherwise.
The information you are likely to find here might include ownership, tax, and zoning info, legal description, etc. The ownership info probably won’t have a phone number or anything that helpful but should get you a name and address. You might have to do a search of the white pages to locate a phone number. Of course, you can always contact them via the good ole fashioned postal service and start a conversation about your desire to purchase the land for farming (or what have you).
This could be a great option if you have a specific piece of land in mind that isn’t listed for sale. Often people own land that they have inherited, which they don’t use or even think about. They might be happy to get rid of it if presented with an offer. Of course, you should have an idea of what the property might be worth and what you’d be willing to pay for it before starting the conversation.
3. USDA
A helpful site that I wish I’d known about before getting started is the USDA, New Farmers page. https://newfarmers.usda.gov/farmers-seeking-land This site is full of useful information for fledgling farmers. It discusses everything from acquiring established farmland to financing, grant, loan opportunities, coop or networking, planning, and much more. One of the interesting concepts/resources discussed here is entering into a contract with an established farmer who is nearing retirement. This is a fantastic way for both the existing farmer to ensure his/her land remains farmland and for the new farmer to step into an established enterprise, potentially complete with a mentor! Wow, I wish I had known about that sooner!
I hope that you have found this information helpful or at least interesting! Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences if you have tried any of these or if you have found other resources that might help someone out. Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to follow me or subscribe below!