Monday, June 28, 2010

Time for a 2nd look

We've been thinking a lot about the lot we looked at last week. We both really like it, and want to get all the information we can about it.

I've put forth some effort to do that, including asking the listing agent for the perc documents. I have a feeling that there really has not been a perc test done on the lot that's for sale. The owner at one time owned the abutting lot and built a house on it. I think THAT lot perced and he's just assuming that this one will too. But the comments of "Oh don't worry, it's perced" just aren't going to do it for me. I want to see the documentation. I told the listing agent today what my concerns were and my doubt that testing has actually been done. So we'll see what he comes back with. But, given my suspicions, I have also contacted a local soil engineer and picked his brain about what I will need to do to get a perc test done. If they cannot prove that a perc test has been done, I'll have one done before even considering making an offer. It sounds like I could have that done for about $1,000.

Next, I called the the Board of Health in the town to find out how long perc tests are valid for. I was told that if the perc test was done after April 1995, then it's valid indefinitely, as long as their have not been changes to the land since then. I know that the other house was built in 2000, so as long as all the percs were done at the same time, we should be ok.

Also, I have obtained the plot plan from the town, which shows all the boundary markers and measurements. I bought a 200' appraiser's tape measure, so the next time we go up there we can get a better feel for where the property lines are.

I think we're going to head up the Saturday of July 4th weekend to spend some time getting a better feel of things. Hopefully by then we'll know about the perc situation.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Time to start looking again

We have started looking for land again. We took a break over the winter, since here in the North East, people don't typically list land for sale during the winter. We felt we had already looked at everything that interested us.



So now there are new lots coming onto the market, and we're taking road trips on the weekends to check them out. I think we are at the point where we can tell from a listing if it's worth driving to see in person. We have also learned a few things about looking for land and what we really want along the way. We really did need to look at a bunch of lots for get a feel for what we want and what we think we could work with.



The unfortunate truth is that we have a limited budget. We have not sold the house yet, and have actually had to drop the price a few times, so the money that we have to work with is slowly decreasing. Many of the lots that we looked at over the winter that we felt were in our price range had so many "problems" that once you added in the cost of overcoming those, the lots were no longer affordable.



What I have found amazing is how limited the information is that sellers are willing to share. I guess that's the first clue that there is a problem with a piece of land. The ones that it was really hard to get information on ended up having the biggest obstacles to overcome. I guess a seller doesn't really want to advertise the flaws of a lot, but they also should not expect to double their money over a short period of time on a lots that's riddled with problems.



The problems that we have come across primary involve the location of where the lot perc'd and the inaccessibility of putting in a septic system.



I'm trying to not get too excited, but we do have a lot in mind right now. It has actually been on the market for over a year, but we had not seen it until recently, when we expanded our search area. This land is in a town within our search area, but one that I had excluded when looking at listings online. It was excluded because it's technically classified as a "city", not a "town" and since one of our requirements is that the location is rural, we hadn't considered the city. But, we found this lot in the only remote part of the city. It's on the highest point in the city and on the lot, when you look around, you could be mistaken and think that you are on the northern Maine / Canadian border. You can't see a single other structure. It overlooks a valley and all you can see it trees. There is one neighboring house that's about 500 feet away, but the ways the trees are situated, you can't see it.



So, it's our favorite lot so far and we are asking the realtor for an official viewing. All of the lots we have looked at so far has only involved us going there and walking around (yes, trespassing) on our own. Then we ask the realtor questions. But this was a complex layout and we want an official tour. Plus we are getting serious and it, and need to have a personal conversation with the realtor and ask tougher questions.

I can understand why this lot has not sold yet. It would take a hearty soul to build and live there. Here's what some may consider problems with it:

  1. The road to get to the lot is very steep and poorly maintained. An AWD vehicle would be necessary. But, living in New England, AWD is practically a necessity anyway.
  2. The driveway will need to be about 700' long - too long (expensive) to pave. We have planned to have a pickup truck and a plow. We know that to get the rural feel and privacy that we are looking for, we'll need to have a long driveway.
  3. There is an easement on the land for the neighbor to access their land. Because all this land was owned by one person at one point and then the lots were subdivided, that's how it ended up. It's weird that that is how the lots are set up, but having seen it, it's not a bad situation. The easement is a dirt road that would become the first 1/3 of the driveway we'd need to put in. And it rests upon the outer edge of the property.
  4. The septic system will have to be located at the back of the property and will cost more than average because of how it will need to be designed and all the sand that will have to be brought in. We plan on doing a lot of this work ourselves, so we'll be able to cut down on the cost that way. The land is perfectly situated for a gravity fed system, and at least we won't need to pump it. And we don't have any streams to contend with to get the area.
  5. There is power at the street, but no power has been brought into the land. Since the house will sit about 700' feet off the road, power lines will need to be installed. That's a substantial cost. Well, the neighbors are living "off the grid" by running generators and using propane . That's a little too radical for me. I'm all for renewable energy sources, but I want to be able to rely on the power company. So, the power lines will go up. And if the neighbors want to tap into that as well, we can share the cost.
  6. Even though it's remote, it's still in the city. And cities have crime issues. Because the street is isolated, we hear that have been a few break-ins and that it's a common road for doing drug deals. We'll definately have to address the security issue. The neighbors have been dealing with it (sucessfully) in their own way, and we may need to take a page from their playbook.
  7. Because the lot is located at the top of a hill, the winter winds are very strong. To me, this is great to know, so maybe it's the ideal location for a residential wind farm. Also, it maybe important information to have when it comes time for construction.

So, of all the problems we have identified so far, we don't feel that any of them are deal breakers. We'll see how this goes.