There is more to buying raw land than meets the eye and more than a few individuals have wished they’d had a second chance upon finding themselves duped, conned, misled, ill-advised, uninformed, oversold, undereducated and often unprepared. They realize, often too late, that a raw land purchase should be properly investigated, evaluated and negotiated using a logical and rational plan.

Let me start by saying I’m not a geologist, soil analyst, surveyor, engineer or land consultant. I’m a passionate real estate investor, licensed agent, appraisal assistant and landlord who purchased various raw lots, as large as a 15-acre parcel, for investment and building projects. In addition, I have consulted with numerous individuals proficient in real estate, who have contributed to my general awareness of the conditions and merits of raw land. We, as small investors, can further use this information to our advantage in wisely choosing land and utilizing it to it’s highest and best use regarding fulfillment of our needs, wants and desires.

This chapter is not a technical sleeper and as such, it will not go so far as to tell you how much lime to add to your soil to adjust PH levels (7.0 is neutral) but it does try to get you thinking about some of the more general considerations that can lead you to further investigate your options using this material as your starting point.

With that said, the first question I’ll ask you is what exactly do you intend to do with this land once you have it? Why are you buying it? What purpose do you have in mind for land? Are you going to build a home, purchase a lot for retirement or investment? Will you acquire considerable acreage for farming or subdivision? Do you want commercial, residential, recreational or agricultural? Will it be in the north, south, east or west?

So your first question should be, what am I, or we, buying this land for? Will it satisfy my, or our, requirements? To get answers to these questions you would best be served by talking to those who will be most intimately involved with the land, such as your spouse, partner, family members, associated owners, etc. Once you have a clear understanding of what the land is supposed to satisfy, then your search can begin. So often people waste their time and effort because the significant partners have such a wide gap in what each person truly wants from the purchase that they never settle on anything or end up with much less than they could have had.

Land can be said to consist of soil, geology, water and climate. Whether you’re looking at beaches, mountains, deserts, high plains or city lots, they all have some basic components. Some of the basic requirements we most often seek are clean air, water, electricity, sewage disposal and trash removal.

Clean air might be construed as freedom from dusty roads, smog, foul smells from industry or landfills, free from noise of traffic, airports and/or neighbors.

Water availability is essential and is often desired for aesthetics as well as drinking, bathing, washing, cooking, cleaning, toilet facilities and watering vegetation. We also enjoy lakes, rivers and streams for recreation. Others enjoy the tranquil sounds that our streams, rivers and oceans can provide. Without a doubt, water availability is a major concern. Note: A 1666 square foot roof can capture 1000 gallons of water for each inch of rainfall; cisterns of all types have existed since the dawn of man.

Electricity is another necessity that we often take for granted. Is a power plant within a reasonable distance from the land or will it cost you thousands of your own dollars to run cables across public lands to get your electricity hooked up? How far are gas and oil suppliers?

Sewage disposal – 25% of our country is on a well and septic system. If you don’t have access to public utilities, will your land support a septic system as well as the water to operate it?

Solid waste disposal – how far is the landfill? Is there a collection service? You can’t burn everything; how will you get rid of it?

Those are the major necessities for modern, everyday living?things that we really need, but can often overlook until after the contract is signed. Others essentials are a telephone, mail delivery, shopping, police, fire station, hospital/emergency services, schools, churches, recreation facilities and access by good roads and highways.

You’ll want answers to questions like those above and county officials such as planning and zoning, community development and building departments are a good place to start. I would also call utility companies about water, sewer, electric and phone, and talk to neighbors, contractors, developers, real estate agents, appraisers and a local surveyor to have some of the more important questions addressed at the beginning of my search. I wouldn’t rely on the sellers to be all-knowing, either.

Again, planning and zoning departments can offer the following: Maps of existing uses, forecasts of future development, lists of planned new roads, utility extensions, locations of planned waste disposal facilities, details on environmental areas and future land uses. They also regulate building codes, curb-cut permits, historic preservation, housing codes, subdivision regulations, tree cutting and zoning laws. They usually have aerial photographs and plat maps that can help you to better identify and evaluate the land in question.

Do you already have your location identified? Will it be in the east where the weather is often wet and humid or out west where it is predominantly arid and dry? Will you be living in cold weather in the north or gravitating towards the southern hemisphere? Concerning location, what are you least comfortable with: Avalanches, landslides, earthquakes, flooding, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, volcanoes and/or wildfires? You may want to investigate areas of interest by going to websites like http://www.officialcitysites. You will get a better picture of what awaits you concerning it’s economy, environment, population, recreation, educational, medical and employment facilities to name a few.

Let’s assume you know where you want to buy this land, why you want to buy it, and how and when you will use it once you have it. The following general observations, ideas and information may help you to further investigate the alternatives that are available to you in your endeavor to find the land of your dreams.

Raw land is unimproved property; it has no utilities, sewers, streets or structures and usually must be cleared.

Here are (or can be) a few drawbacks that are sometimes associated with raw land:

1. Negative cash flow; usually the land does not generate any income while you pay the principle, interest, taxes and costs of development.

2. Tax advantages are scanty as land cannot be depreciated.

3. Generally, raw land is considered a long-term ill-liquid investment that often takes time before gains can be realized.

4. Risk of loss on resale can occur if you choose poorly, fail to evaluate and negotiate properly, the economy slips or various other unforeseen events occur.

5. It is difficult to obtain traditional financing on or borrow against accrued equity.

Here are some possible benefits to raw land:

1. Land has the potential to experience tremendous appreciation if bought in the way of growth, or if a higher and better use can be achieved.

2. Owner financing can often be obtained through the seller at below-market rates.

3. Subdividing can create added value and provide for immediate returns.

4. Privacy and pride of ownership can provide a secure feeling to the holder.

What is considered good and bad land?

The worst you can buy is swamp or marshland. Most often flat land is the least expensive to develop and the most desired for building purposes. Land with barren rock will increase costs and virtually eliminate a basement just the same as a high water table.

Note: Loamy soil, which consists of a balanced mixture of clay, You will most often be contacting many of these sources by writing to them. Don’t get discouraged when you don’t get immediate replies, as the average response rate is one reply for every eight letters that you send. The pros will get on lists and pay services to monitor many of these potential sources, however, good old-fashioned detective work does pay off. When researching in this manner, secrecy is one key and fast action using all cash is the other.

A special consideration to note when hunting legally challenged property is to have a sand and some organic matter, appears rich and dark in color and is considered ideal for most purposes. As opposed to good soil, you don’t want hard cracking ground when dry and sticky soil when wet. Warning! Check with your state offices for the presence of expansive soils; this stuff cracks foundations in the most insidious ways, leading many to ruin.

Many people are literally being driven to the hills. Granted the views can be spectacular but roads, utilities, water, sewer, and foundations, such as pilings, can add 25-30% to building costs alone, further adding to this already expensive proposition. When considering going vertical, an 8-degree slope is about the limit when concerning building economically on hillsides.

Plots with trees, a view, rectangular in shape, a gentle slope or none and a good location are most often preferred, and streams can boost values by 100% in some cases.

How to determine the value of raw land

Using the appraisers standard view of estimating value can give us some clues, so let’s look at what appraisers do!

? Site size and shape, represented by frontage, width and depth.

? Corner influence equals visibility for commercial, or privacy for residential.

? Plottage, has assembly or combining of parcels been accomplished.

? How much land is excess or surplus; surplus has less value than what is required.

? Topography: Land’s contour, grading, natural drainage, soil, view and usefulness

? Utilities: Sewers, drinking water, natural gas, electric, telephone, cable, etc.

? Site improvements: Landscaping, fences, gutters, walks, drives and irrigation

? Accessibility: Parking, location, streets, alleys, connecting roads and highways

? Environment: Climate, adequate water supply, air quality, streams, rivers, lakes, oceans and the absence of any hazardous materials

An old timer once gave me this advice: He said, "Dan, always try to buy land that is located as close to those amenities that an area is famous for, as that is often the reason people come to certain areas. He lived in Florida and had plenty of beachfront property located in tourist areas, which clearly illustrated his point.

Who has this raw land and how do we find it?

You may start your search by contacting farmers, investors, real estate agents, state and federal agencies, cities with odd lots they need to put back on their tax rolls, bureaus of land management, federal marshals, tax sales, bank foreclosures, developers, property heirs, the elderly, and family and friends. Use your networks and birddogs while driving areas of interest looking for further opportunities to buy.

Property is often advertised through newspaper ads, real estate brokers, For Sale by Owner signs, flyers, bulletin boards, the Internet, etc. A quick note on how not to buy is in order here. I would not recommend buying land from a glossy brochure or big development company as it is almost always overpriced to cover large overhead costs, advertising and profit. Also remember when a building boom is on, land prices rise. You will do much better buying when demand is low. Another caveat is to stay away from land that is advertised outside of its normal market as it is often overpriced or has problems; otherwise, a local buyer would have bought it!

If you want to find the deals, then most often you are going to have to dig for them. A few successful methods may include visiting the county clerk/recorder’s office to search the public records for the following:

? New probate filings, use them to contact heirs

? Eviction proceedings to contact out of state landowners

? Arrests – these people may need money and may also be going away for a while.

? Bail bondsman who may have forfeited collateral in the form of land.

? Divorces filed, leading to a division of assets

? New guardianships to contact disinterested heirs

? Deeds in lieu of foreclosure, private sellers may in turn sell it to you.

? Lis pendens means litigation pending, often signaling foreclosure

? Title company in addition to the regular search of mortgage.

? Tax and easement liens also check files for I.R.S. liens, bankruptcy filings and judgment liens.

Quick review

Up to this point we have talked about not getting conned when starting out. We also noted that it pays to understand what everyone wants from the land to start. You are aware that utilities and basic necessities are very important considerations. You know whom to contact to get further in-depth information on properties of interest. You know flat land with natural amenities is the most desirable and economical to develop. You are more familiar with the risks involved with this type of real estate and you also know that rock, marshes and hillsides can be expensive to develop. You have a better idea of how an appraiser begins to determine value and you may have a few ideas on how to find land and the people who own it.

With that said, we are ready to get down to the business of evaluating, negotiating and financing our well-sought piece of terra firma. What follows is a basic checklist. There is more to consider but this will get you off to a running start.

Basic Raw Land Checklist

? Get the most recent and valid information available: A copy of the deed containing the legal description with any covenants and/or restrictions.

? Get the street address, a plot plan indicating the specific property location, a survey, a preliminary title report, a recent map and any aerial or land based photographs to help you locate fence lines, trails, roads, streams, ponds, building locations, etc. Walk the land to verify, evaluate and correlate what is indicated, also looking for any signs of hazardous waste dumping, burying or burning.

? Determine present use in zoning, according to what planning and zoning tells you. Symbols are used to designate uses – here are a few:

A1: Agricultural with single family home
C: Commercial business
CO: Commercial office
FP: Flood plain
M: Industrial
R1: Residential single family
R1H: Residential hillside
R2 : Residential multifamily
RT : Recreational tourist/ Residential transitional

General categories include:

Farm, Ranch and Timberland
Recreational or Resort
Industrial
Commercial/Business
Residential
Mixed use

? Confirm who owns it, their full name, address and phone number
? Find out what they do; are they a dealer in real estate?
? Ask if anyone else is on the title or has authority to act
? What are the annual taxes and assessed values?
? Ask why they are selling and how long they have owned it
? If the owner doesn’t want to sell, ask if they would consider selling a parcel of it.

The preceding is an abbreviated checklist. It is meant to get you started off on the right foot. Many people will research buying a new car more thoroughly than they would when buying raw land; there are many good books that are devoted solely to the subject of raw land. This type of investment is generally not the best choice for the new investor but often times people look to build they’re dream homes away from developed areas and for that reason I have included my two cents here.

Finance considerations $$$

Raw land as opposed to improved property is much more difficult to finance through traditional lenders. The main reasons are that it generates very little income, development costs can be expensive, there are no buildings or improvements that can be used as collateral and it is often considered speculative.

For those reasons mentioned we find that sellers are often our first choice regarding financing. It is typical for a seller of raw land to accept 10% down and the rest to be paid over time at a specified (below market) interest rate. This would be an example of an installment land contract. Other forms are contract for deed, mortgage and note and purchase money mortgages. In these cases, a real estate attorney usually drafts these contracts and a bank will act as an escrow agent to facilitate verifiable records of payments received. The seller often retains the deed until the property is paid for in full.

If you want to investigate bank financing, then you may start out by offering 30% down with a seven-year mortgage, with the bank getting an extra percentage point over and above the current interest rates for standard loans. This may not be accepted but it does give you a starting point to see just what they may be willing to do.

If you plan on building on your land, then having a development plan with an appraised set of blue prints for the project will help the lender in justifying your loan. If you can use equity from other property, then paying substantial down payments may also be an option.

My final words of caution here would be to know values and don’t overpay. Always offer less when possible and research recent sales of comparable properties. The larger a parcel is, the cheaper it tends to get per acre. Ask an agent what an acre of land tends to go for in the area that you are considering; try to buy more than one acre.

When buying residential lots, builders try to keep raw land costs down to 10% of the overall value of the project. If streets and utilities are already in place, then they will use 25% as their guideline. If you can combine or assemble parcels or achieve zoning changes with property, you have a good chance of immediately increasing its value. Always physically inspect the property and do your research before obligating yourself to buy it. Try using contracts with contingencies put in to protect yourself. In essence, these are really options that let you control the deal while you investigate and research the land’s potential to satisfy your objectives. Happy Hunting and buy the high grounds!

Dan Auito is a dual-licensed real estate agent and appraisal assistant. Dan is a 20-year veteran of the United States Coast Guard. He has acquired over 1.3 million in real estate assets in 14 years while also founding a non-profit drug prevention corporation, a real estate consulting group and is the author of "Magic Bullets in Real Estate." This 300-page power-packed book comes with a website that further supports its readers. Please visit with us at http://www.magicbullets.com

Getting Raw Land, Not a Raw Deal!

It doesn’t take long to realize that finding the right piece of property is the most important aspect of new home construction. In a development, restrictions and easements have already been sorted out, but if you are looking for a stand-alone piece of vacant land, you’re on your own. Here are some of the factors you need to consider before spending your hard-earned cash on a pretty view that might be unbuildable.

THE PERC. No, we’re not talking about coffee. But we are talking about percolate. If you are outside of a community, chances are that you will not be connected to city water and sewer; you will have to build a septic system for your own house. The septic system will be designed by a local civil engineer and probably approved by the county, but before the engineer knows what kind of septic you need he’ll have to take a Perc Test. They will dig a big hole in the ground, fill it with water, then clock how long it takes for the water to seep into the ground. If the water drains too fast, you have too much sand. If it drains too slow, you have too much clay (or probably rock).

There is an acceptable tolerance, outside of which the perc fails. If one perc fails, they dig another hole elsewhere to see if there’s any improvement. Sounds simple enough, but in New Jersey you’ll spend about $1000 per hole. If the land doesn’t perc, you may be able to find an alternative septic system, but you can be sure it will be very problematic.

Any wise buyer will make the purchase of the land contingent on the perc. Don’t assume that just because you have a big piece of land that it will perc somewhere; this is not necessarily the case. The cost of the test is usually paid by the buyer. However, a motivated seller will perc the land for you, or even offer an approved septic system. This is a big bonus, and adds peace of mind, but the land will be more expensive as a result. In the long run, it’s worth the extra dollars to bypass this big hurdle. The septic system will be designed to accommodate the number of bedrooms in a house, and you cannot add any bedrooms without redesigning the system.

Once the land is perced, that hole is the spot where the septic will be installed. If it’s in the front yard, you cannot change the location without doing another perc. Also remember that nothing can be built on top of your septic field, nor can you plant any trees there.

SETBACKS: This is the space between the property line and the building, defined by the township. Nothing can be constructed in the setback, including your driveway. Some townships require more than 100 feet of setback from the road; setbacks on the front and back perimeters are usually larger than those on the sides of your property. On your survey, a dotted line usually defines the setback, and the space inside is called the building envelope. If the footprint of your intended house and driveway is wider than the setbacks allow, you may have to apply for a variance, or change the orientation of the building.

EASEMENTS: Easements are the rights given to other named parties for public or private use of a stretch of your land. This may include a gas main that runs through your property, power lines, railroad tracks, water mains, or a strip leading to a land-locked neighbor (this strip would be the “flagpole” of a flag lot). This easement should be clearly delineated in the deed, although common usage has been known to claim precedence over perceived rights. If you’re the one who requires this easement for a flag lot, make sure it is in writing before you purchase this land, or you might not be able to access it.

WETLANDS: I used to think that wetlands looked like standing water with cattails and ducks. Not necessarily so… in fact, we almost bought three wooded acres of wetlands before a friend gave us a timely warning. In the state of New Jersey, wetlands can be a touchy issue, and the determination is made based on vegetation and soil content. If there’s a little stream running through the woods, you might be in trouble. Just to be sure, we hired an engineer who dug a row of soil samples, each marked with a little flag denoting the edge of the wetlands. When he had finished, there was enough land for Ken and Barbie to build a dream house – in the setback, at that.

This little disappointment cost us $600, which is a lot better than the $110,000 we would have spent for a disastrous ruin of our plans. There are times when you might be able to get a variance to build in wetlands, but this can be a costly and time consuming process, with no guarantee of success. You could take your chances and build anyway, but if the township gets tipped off, they could stop your project at any point, or even force to to tear down what you have already constructed.

DEED RESTRICTIONS: These restrictions can be imposed by the former owner of the property, or the township depending on application. For instance, you might be limited as to what kind of house you can build; or what materials you can use. You might not be allowed to build a log home. Some restrictions limit the square footage of the house, or the use of the property. You may have to limit the height of your house, or even what type of fencing you can use. There might be a limit to the kind of livestock you can manage, or how many acres per horse. This has nothing to do with zoning, which is a separate issue.

MINIMUM ACREAGE: Townships have started battling urban scrawl by imposing minimum acreage on a building lot. Sometimes, the piece of land you are trying to buy is smaller than the minimum acreage. If the lot was subdivided before the law was passed, it is usually considered “grandfathered” and you should be able to build on it. Check with the authorities to be sure; you may have to obtain a variance to build on a “substandard” sized lot. Also, if you are purchasing a big piece of land with the assumption that you can subdivide later and sell off parcels, make sure these subdivisions will be allowed. Sometimes, even large parcels can only be divided once or twice by law, depending on deed restrictions, prec restrictions, township restrictions, or possibly land preservation issues.

CLEAR TITLE: If there is a lien on a property due to non-payment of bills or taxes, the title will be considered clouded and you might not be able to obtain clear title to your piece of land. There may be disputes about boundary lines, or adverse possession if you have an unwelcome long-term squatter. In most cases, a thorough title search will uncover any irregularities, and the mortgage company will require that you purchase a one-time title insurance policy against any future issues. This needs to be done before settlement.

WATER SOURCE: If you need to dig a well, consult with the local well driller. There’s a pretty good chance that the driller will have a good idea about how deep he’ll need to go. You will pay by the foot to drill a well, and it could add thousands to your budget.

When it comes to purchasing land, the old saying “Let the buyer beware” certainly comes to mind. If you do not thoroughly investigate your property with the township, civil engineers, or land use lawyers, no one else is going to protect you. A cooperative township office will give you access to the public records relating to your piece of land; if it’s been perced in the past, those records become public. They may already have a file about your lot and block number, and a trip to the township office may enlighten you if there have been problems in the past. At the very least, you should have an idea what you can and cannot do with your land, before you make that big commitment.

Mercedes Hayes is a Hiawatha Log Home dealer and also a Realtor in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She designed her own log home which was featured in the 2004 Floor Plan Guide of Log Home Living magazine. You can learn more about log homes by visiting http://www.JerseyLogHomes.com

Purchasing Land: What To Look For

1.Why are there so many properties on leased land?

There are several situations here. Business and commercial land is often leased all over the world. In New York City, Tokyo, and other larger, older cities; land owners often lease the land that is underneath those skyscrapers and in some cases even the park land is leased to the city by the land owners.

In Lewes, all of the land east of the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal, what is known as Lewes Beach; is leased land. The land leases there are usually owned by the Town of Lewes and are usually for 99 years and renewable. Some of the properties on Lewes Beach, however, are leased for shorter terms by the town, but as a rule all of these are automatically renewable. When you buy a property on Lewes Beach you pay a fee to get the leased land re-assigned to you. That fee for a Bay Front Property, on the Delaware Bay; can be well over a half million dollars, depending on the size of the lot; and the value of the home and improvements is added to the lease assignment value. In other words, even though it is leased land on Lewes Beach; the price is commensurate with purchasing the land. This land has always been leased land as prescribed by England, during our American Colonial Period and that ownership style remains.

In Rehoboth and Dewey Beach areas, is the Rehoboth By The Sea area, a large number of the lots are owned by the family owned Rehoboth By The Sea Realty Company. The current treasurer of Rehoboth By The Sea Realty Company is Jack Redefer; 302-227-4277. Land is leased to the tenant-owners for shorter periods of years; some leases have as little as 20 years left on the lease. These leases may or may not be renewed and the land value if the resident is allowed to purchase it later, could be significant. As a result these properties on leased land go for much less money that the lots that are owned. Some of the lots have been purchased from the Rehoboth By The Sea Realty Company in the past and are owned by the residents – most have not been purchased. Rehoboth By The Sea Realty Company will not likely renew some of the leases, some they may, it is up to them. On the lots that they do not renew the leases for – the residents are required to remove the improvements and leave the land in it’s original level and unimproved condition at the end of the lease. The good news is that you can save as much as half a million dollars when you purchase a home on some of these lots. The bad news of course is that you may have to remove the home and vacate the lot in a couple of decades or so.

Long Neck and other areas where there are trailers, manufactured homes, single wides, or double wides also are comprised of mostly leased land. There is some leased land along Rt. One, where trailer parks now, at times, contain larger and more conventional homes as well. These land-lease communities are far less expensive to purchase. The appreciation in value is small or nonexistent – or in some cases the value of a property purchased on these leased-land communities can depreciate to far less than the purchase price. There is also a monthly or annual lease fee to pay for the use of the land.

2.Why would anyone purchase a mobile home or manufactured home on leased land?

There are many, Realtors included, who wonder why in the world anyone would ever purchase a so called mobile home on leased land. Actually many of the folks who live in the leased land communities are well to do, even wealthy in some cases, many are Realtors themselves.

Safety and security is one reason. Many of the folks in land lease communities, which some might call trailer parks, are retired or part time residents. There are many who prefer the security services which are only available in the manufactured home communities. Most of these communities have community centers, neighborhood watches, security patrols, and alert neighbors who keep a far better eye on the community than the police force can in a town or city.

Low maintenance is another reason people, in fact most people, live in land lease communities. The lots are usually quite small and often the park owner maintains each of the lots. When the individual does need to maintain their individual lot the grass cutting expense is minimal. The fee for cutting the grass, edging and trimming can be as little as $8 each time, as the grass cutter can often take care of a lot in less than ten minutes and if he has several lots in the same community he can do 5 or 6 lots per hour with a push mower and a weed whacker. Some folks do fabulous landscaping jobs on their land-lease community lots. In fact some communities have annual or seasonal competitions for the best kept, most beautiful, or most improved yard. Many of these lots are only 50 feet by 100 feet, sometimes less – so a lot of beautification can be done with limited expense compared to the far larger lots that one must have in a non leased community.

3.Are homes on leased land a good investment?

Very seldom are homes on leased land a good financial investment. There are exceptions. The homes on the leased land on Lewes Beach are just as good as financial investments as the homes on what is called in-fee or deeded land in Lewes town proper. In fact, since the Lewes Beach is more desirable to more people – the prices are higher and the percentage of appreciation on Lewes Beach is, over the long term, better than those in Lewes proper. The town of Lewes, other than the beach, is more of a Williamsburg flavor in architecture, ambiance and character. Lewes Beach on the other hand is less traditional in it’s architectural character. The town of Lewes is very much a walking and shopping town with shops, boutiques, and little stores along Market Street, Second Street and Pilottown Road, especially. The beach has very little commercial activity and is far more a beachy bedroom community where the focus is of course the beach, the canal and the bay.

Homes, manufactured homes or stick-built homes on the other land lease communities are not often a good financial investment. However they may be the best investment in lifestyle. Many folks have other real estate, other investments, and do not need to have the home they own in a land-lease community appreciate in value. And, the homes in the land lease communities are a small fraction of the purchase price that they would be if the land were deeded, in-fee.

For instance, a waterfront home on the Rehoboth Bay in Rehoboth Bay Mobile Home Community; now known simply as Rehoboth Bay Community; may cost as little as $115,000, for a beautiful, double wide, full time, modern home. The land rent would then be from $400 a month on a lagoon to $500, up to $750 a month or more on the largest and best bay front lots. Compared to a home on deeded land the same size that is a savings of over a million dollars!!! So, as an investment in lifestyle it is phenomenal and astute buyers seldom allow these homes to sit on the market.

Other areas, for instance the Angola Area are, have resale homes from $10,000 for a small fixer-upper on a small lot leased at $270 a month to brand new homes on much larger lots, large homes, for $70,000 to $90,000 on lots that rent for usually less than $300 per month. One double size corner lot rents for $400 a month and could have a many bedroom home with decks, porches, garage and still room left over. Angola Beach Estates and Angola Beach and Angola Estates are well established communities with pools, security, substantial community management and lots more. They have community centers, boat docks, launching ramps, boat storage areas, and a list of amenities not available in many other communities.

What a range of values: resales from $10,000 to $80,000 and new homes from $40,000 to $80,000 or $90,000 for a real show stopping extravaganza. Now you know why people are so willing to buy and live in land lease communities!!! You get a wonderful lifestyle for far less than you can purchase anything even remotely similar where you don’t lease or rent the land.

Copyright 2002-2005 by http://www.JodyHudson.com

Mr Jody Hudson is a realtor living in southern Delaware with 35 years dealing with real estate on leased lands!

Source for this article is: http://www.kate-jody.com/essays/faqleasedland.html

Regarding Real Estate On Leased Land

Horses In My Back Yard

by Jody Hudson, with Extensive Collaboration From Chris Hudson

HORSE LOVERS: During my thirty years of selling rural land, I have frequently found that folks want some acreage so that they can own and ride horses. They LOVE horses in their own mind but have little if any of the real knowledge or experience necessary to raise one or more horses. Far too often, they have knowledge based on little more than an idyllic dream and that dream based for the most part on romantic novels and movies. This article will give you some basic information which may save you and a horse some bad or even terrible experiences.

HOW MANY ACRES?: If you do want horses; a good rule of thumb in good pasture areas is 3 to 5 acres of pasture per horse, and ideally another acre or two of paddock per horse. The wise Equestrian will thus plan about 6 to 10 acres per horse they want to keep in the purchase of land. The paddocks are smaller fenced pasture areas close to the barn used for training, saddling up your horse or getting a new horse acclimated to his new home.

The risk of injury to animals increases where horses are overcrowded, and competition for food, water and space may lead to fighting. You must provide an adequate number of paddocks or yards to permit incompatible animals to be segregated. The number of horses and their grouping in each paddock or yard must be appropriate for their compatibility and for the ground conditions, taking into account the climatic conditions pertaining at the time.

You also need room for the house, barn, hay storage, tack building and a loafing shed for them to get under when the weather is not quite acceptable to them. In any yard or shelter, each horse must have adequate room to lie down, stand up and turn around. There should be a clean, dry area for the horse to lie down, the surface of which protects the horse from abrasions and capped elbows and hocks. Paddocks which expose horses to items of machinery, equipment or rubbish (especially wire) likely to cause serious injury must not be used.

FENCING: There are numerous types of fencing that are designed for horses. Board fences are deadly dangerous if not constantly maintained. The horses can break a board and end up impaled on it. Wire, especially barbed wire can entangle your horse’s leg or neck and seriously injure him or worse. There are several kinds of fences made for horse pasture. Barbed wire and narrow gauge (2.5 mm) high-tensile steel wire, because of their cutting, non-stretching and nonbreaking properties, can cause severe injury to horses. They should be avoided when constructing fences for horses, as should internal fence-stays or posts, which are a common cause of injury.

Fences should be readily visible to horses and properly maintained. The ideal fence for premises designed mainly for horses is the synthetic, strong, flexible, post-and-rail type, with rails treated or painted with nontoxic preparations. A popular alternative, which also provides a good visual barrier, is a single top rail attached to a conventional post-and-wire fence. I like the Australian Sheep Wire fence as it has a grid that is very small at the bottom and larger at the top. The small grid size at the bottom prevents the horse from stepping through the fence and getting tangled. I also like a charged electric wire just above the highly visible top rail to “convince” the horse to not lean over that top rail to get grass on the other side. Such leaning by such a strong and heavy animal is a major cause of fence breakage. There must be no sharp objects projecting inwards.

Your large animal Veterinarian or Horse feed and tack store can help you find the right fencing and an installer that knows what he’s doing. Ideally your pasture will have fence corners rounded on a large radius to prevent your horse from injury if he is cornered by another horse or is just running with exuberance and misjudges the distance to the corner. I have occasionally seen a horse on a tether chain or rope, as some people do a dog. Tethering is a practice which has a high risk of injury to horses. It is not recommended and should be used only when other forms of grazing or containment are unavailable and when close supervision of the horse can be maintained. Only placid horses and those adequately trained to accept the practice should be tethered.

FORGET WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM NOVELS OR HOLLYWOOD: Contrary to all the horse stories and films, your horse will not respond to you the same way a dog or cat will. He will respond and perform best when his owner is consistent and has a routine. Forget all those stories about Flicka and Black Beauty; it only happens in the movies.

Horses do have personality but you must remember that they are very big and strong and you cannot make them do anything unless you have convinced them and then they choose to do it. Proper ground manners are a must and the rider must know how to ride. Take some lessons if you are a first time owner. Horses do not like you to hang onto the reins for balance. Learn how to balance yourself in the saddle and to gently guide the horse with the reins. There is no faster way to make a horse “sour” than to pull on his mouth roughly. Learn the horse language; the way to communicate to your horse is through the balance of your body, your seated position, the position of your feet and legs and lastly the position of your hands.

STABLING: He does not enjoy being locked in a stall every night. He would much prefer the open fields and the starry nights! A three sided shed (preferably with the open side to the southwest) will due just fine. Horses do need protection from the sun and rain. Horse blankets/rugs make us feel better; nature however, has equipped him just dandy with a real fur coat. Those horses that are unlucky enough to be put in a stall every night could probably use a rug unless the barn is REALLY COZY. But, when it is 30 degrees or lower and it is blowing and wet, he does appreciate a stall to eat his grain and hay. And it will save you a lot of cleanup in your paddocks.

PASTURE: Plant a pasture with a mixture of proper grass seeds. Check with the local Agricultural Substation or horse feed supply store for the seed mix. Build several paddocks to keep your horses in for short times, so that you can rotate the pastures and periodically give each one a rest to replenish the height of it’s grasses.

Horses are poor utilizers of pasture, compared to cattle or sheep. Most horse pastures contain a large proportion of weeds and “roughs” where horses are the only grazers. Horses will not eat pasture that is contaminated with horse dung. This usually causes the contaminated area to become larger and the grazing area smaller. The pasture growing round the dung patches is usually lush and looks to be the best feed, while the patches in between will look overgrazed.

Where possible, horses should be grazed in conjunction with cattle or sheep. In addition to helping calm the horses; the other species will clean up the “roughs” while also reducing the worm contamination on pasture. Although harrowing can also be useful to spread the dung around, in moist conditions and when the grass is long it may spread worm eggs, making a larger area of the paddock infected. Where no cattle or other grazers are available, it is essential to remove the manure or spread it around regularly during dry periods, when the sun and ultraviolet rays will tend to destroy eggs and larvae.

Your horses will leave some big manure piles around the pasture and especially in the corners. Spread the horse manure out on the pasture with a drag harrow and rake out the pasture corners to break it up in smaller pieces; it helps to keep the fly larvae in the manure from hatching out and bothering your horses.

You will need a manure spreader to spread the manure you shovel out of your loafing sheds and stalls. Your horses will eat a lot of the grass in your pasture — but you will still have to mow the pastures periodically and you will need to use a weed-eater under and along all the fences. You will need to keep a check out for any plants of the nightshade family as they are poisonous to your steeds.

Grazing animals deplete soil nutrients progressively, which in turn leads to poor pasture quality and growth rate. This should be regularly monitored by soil and pasture analysis. Pasture should be top dressed with fertilizers to replace identified nutrient deficiencies. Check with your State Agricultural Agent (each state has an Agricultural College and Agents attached) to learn to identify soil nutrient needs and to show you how to destroy noxious plants properly. Make certain that there is always plenty of clean fresh water in the pasture and that the water trough is kept dutifully clean!

VACCINATIONS: Your horses require annual booster shots for Rabies, Tetanus, Flu Rhino and Encephalitis, and Potomac Horse Fever. Check with your local Large Animal Veterinarian and maintain a proper schedule of immunizations and regular checkups. Horses also require quarterly worming to keep the intestinal parasites below the danger level.

FARRIER SERVICES: Horses in the wild got along just fine without a Farrier. They ran and romped over vast expanses, were chased by predators and often ran long distances as a herd. But now that they are kept and ridden mostly on soft sandy soil or grasslands — the hooves need trimming every six to eight weeks. AND, yes some horses do need horseshoes of steel, rubber or some other material. You will be able to tell if your horse need shoeing; if he does he will walk very “tender-footed” and may have cracks and breakage in his hooves. The way he walks, stands and carries himself in general will tip you off to his Farrier needs.

INTENTION: Your intention is of great importance! Horses can feel a fly on their back and they can feel your intent; when you really mean business. They learn in a hurry who they have to respect and who they can play around with — DON’T be fooled! Set yourself up to win his respect and keep it. Don’t ask him to do anything that you suspect will be an argument unless you have the time to make certain that he does it. Be firm. Being firm does not mean beating your horse; it does mean that sometimes you might have to put a chain a little too snugly across his nose to lead him if he walks too fast and gets ahead of you at lead.

TRUST: It is so important that your horse trust you. Please don’t abuse him by hitting or kicking him. Trust is necessary for him when you want him to cross a ditch or a fence or take him to water or take him to ride with other horses. Trust is built by day to day consistent care and treatment of your horse; and by not putting him into situations that hurt him or scare him badly.

EQUINE DENTIST: Horses need dentists too! At least once a year, some horses require to have the equine dentist “float” his teeth. This removes sharp edges so that he can chew his food properly and be comfortable with the bit.

GROOMING: Horses love to be brushed and bathed. Spend lots of quality time with your horse when you first get him and each time before and after you ride him with gentle loving hands and lots of brush grooming. Pick the stones and dirt from his feet before and after a ride to keep him from getting bruised feet. Check him for ticks after any ride in the woods or tall grass — especially in warm weather. Keep all your tack clean and the leather saddle-soaped and lightly oiled. Wash your saddle blanket after each use and rinse his bit well too. He doesn’t like a hard, dirty blanket on his back or a crusty bit in his mouth. Keep your brushes clean too, rinse, wash and pull the hair out of them periodically.

NUTRITION: Nutrition is a powerful factor in the life of a horse, just as it is our own. Often a problem horse can just be suffering from some nutritional deficiency. Often a horse that is “cribbing” that is chewing on his stall or on the fence has a nutritional deficiency. This should be handled quickly as the swallowed wood splinters have obvious danger to your horse. Horses need vitamins, roughage of course, minerals, protein, oils, carbohydrates, enzymes and trace elements in their diets to be at their best in health, behavior and attitude… and sometimes even if they are getting the correct food they may not be digesting it to get the proper use of the nutrients… just like us.

Horse Hair Analysis is a very useful tool to find the realistic needs of your horse. The hair is a long term record of the horse’s nutritional health and the analysis will tell the most accurate story as to what your particular horse needs… or what he is getting too much of — especially if he is ingesting some sort of toxic substance.

TRAILERS and TRAILERING: For most people learning to trailer your horse is mandatory. If you are fortunate to purchase a place far out in the rural un-populated areas, especially if you purchase property on a long dirt road or network of such roads — you may be able to do a lot of riding without trailering. You will still likely want to have a trailer eventually, so that you can take your horse to a trainer, pick up another horse, or take your horse to join a friend for a ride.

There are several types of trailers; they are of many sizes from small to huge. Some of them even have owners quarters or a groomsman’s room adjacent to the horse section. There are the horse carrying motor home style vehicles too. For highway speeds and to go any distance, it is best to use a large towing pickup truck specialized for such use. The best are the dual tired big pickup trucks called Duelies. You then get a big sturdy support hitch mounted in the pickup bed and the trailer has a long hitch stalk that projects into the truck bed. This type, called a goose neck trailer with a 5th wheel hitch, will give you excellent stability and a shortened turn radius. It is also virtually impossible to have a trailer disconnect from the truck — which is a worry with pull-behind trailers.

Before you take your horse for a first trailer ride; you should ride in the back of the trailer, while someone else drives the truck, so that you can experience the cornering and braking calamities that the horse will experience. Some folks put leg wraps on their horses when trailering to help protect the horse more from accidental braking, cornering, or bumping. After you have ridden in the moving trailer yourself, take a few practice runs with you and the horse — so you can see what the horse is experiencing as a driver drives, turns and brakes. And it would be a good idea to next have someone else ride with your horse while you drive. One of my friends had a good technique; she put a long stem wine glass on the dash of her truck and filled it with water. She then learned to drive without spilling the water or turning over the glass. Personally I think it is a great technique to practice.

You also need to keep the trailer clean, especially keeping it free of hay dust and dirt. Remember when the trailer is underway and if the vent windows are open, whatever hay and dirt there is inside will start whirling around in the trailer. Keep everything well tied down inside too; falling, and swinging articles in the trailer can spook your horse and cause him to jump and hurt himself.

Service the trailer at least once a year. Check the brakes, tires, tire pressure and all hitch welds and bolts carefully. Make certain that the floor is solid. Practice driving, backing and turning. Practice using the mirrors. Mirror use is difficult to learn and of utmost importance. With proper mirror use however, you can easily back your trailer into a space only a few inches larger than it is.

WHO IS THE BOSS?: If you don’t watch out — your horse will TRAIN YOU, for instance… I knew this lady who trailered her horse to various lessons and rides… but he knew he did not have to get into the trailer until the third attempt each time. First she would lead him to the trailer, he would stop and she would pet and coo to him. The second time she would coax him a little more with carrots and baby talk. When that, of course, didn’t work either (he liked that sweet talk and especially the carrots) she would try the third method. By now she was a little tired and frustrated with him, she wanted to go home or get on with the lessons; so she spoke firmly, put the chain across his nose, tightened it a bit, and… he’d get right on. But he always knew that he didn’t have to get on until the third technique — besides he would miss his carrots and sweet talk if he got on the first time!

Here’s another one. Some horses raise their head and clamp their teeth and will not accept the bit. I have seen people strike the horse about the face or swing the bridle and hit him — this only teaches him that the bridle is a mean, scary piece of equipment and that he’d better raise his head up out of your reach for his own protection. The solution to bit shyness takes a while; it will take a little patience, some sweet talk and some sweet syrup on your fingers. Play around with his mouth with your fingers and let him wear the bit awhile when he is in his stall to eat and drink. Put it on him sometimes while you are grooming him too. Make sure that the bit is adjusted correctly for tightness in his mouth and that it is the right size and style. And especially be certain that when you ride him that you are not always holding tension on the reins, using them when you should be only giving body language directions, sawing them back and forth from left to right or in any way being rough on his mouth.

MOUNTING YOUR HORSE: Training your horse to stand still as a statue while you mount is a MUST! If your horse likes to walk about while you try to mount up — have someone hold him while you get up and properly placed in the saddle. Once you are mounted — sit well in the saddle with an erect posture, take a deep and cleansing breath and sink into your saddle with poise and assurance before you start off with him. Take time frequently with just you and him; when no one is around, mount him inside the pasture or paddock fence and just stand there in the saddle with him for several minutes. Then after quite some time, ask him to walk. Of course you will need to spend the time needed to train him to stand quiet and still while you are on him. And you must each learn the particulars of how to open the pasture gate while you are in the saddle.

RETURNING FROM A RIDE: There is always the temptation on your horses part, to run back to the barn at the end of a ride. He will be tempted to trot instead of walk; canter instead of trot; or run instead of canter. Be careful or you will be allowing him to learn or to think you are teaching him to run home. If you persist in this permissiveness you may eventually have a runaway horse each time his head turns toward home.

When you do return home; come down to a walk well away from the barn and let him cool down well as you near the barn. If you are cantering in and he wants to go faster, break down the gait to a trot and if needed down to a walk even if a long way from the barn. If he won’t walk calmly but wants to jig and go sideways or tries breaking into a faster gait — you need to spend some time in the paddocks and school him to walk and trot when you tell him too. If you still have trouble; get help from an outside equestrian or a trainer.

BUYING YOUR HORSE: When buying a horse be aware that what you see during the purchasing meeting with the horse — is what you will have when you take him home. He is most likely on his best behavior at the barns and paddocks where he lives, so when you remove him to take him to your place you are likely to get worse behavior not better. Unless you are a very experience rider with some good horse sense, you should purchase an older, settled horse for a first mount and then as you improve get a younger more spirited one.

Look at the teeth to detect age and condition of the horse. Horse newspapers have lots of ads and some advice. There are auctions for horses too; once you find out about them you can get on the mailing list and visit a few before you buy. Classified ads are a very good sources of horses for sale.

When you go to look at a horse to purchase; take along an honest and reputable person to help you with that purchase. A good saddle horse should cost you from $2,500 to $5,000. A trained horse can cost much more but may well be worth the cost. Specialty horses of course — Arabians and Thoroughbreds for instance can cost more than a nice home or in some cases more than a nice shopping center. You don’t always get what you pay for… but you can count on paying for what you get.

Watch for conformation (shape and bodily proportion) in the horse; which can be learned from books and then there is Attitude — this is the same as for humans. If the horse has a bad attitude it’s hardly worth owning at any cost. The horse should be checked perhaps even x-rayed by a Veterinarian. This is called Vetting a horse; done in a pre-purchase exam. This usually costs about $300 to $500. A lot of lameness can’t be seen with the eye and will only show up with strenuous training, or during work or competition — just when you can’t afford it. ===
Happy Trails and best wishes to a lot of good horsin’ around for all you readers who want horses. Horses can bring out the best and the worst of a person and give you endless hours of pleasure, exercise and frustration. But most horse owners and lovers wouldn’t have it any other way.

TALLY HO!

Copyright 2004 by Jody Hudson

http://www.Kate-Jody.com and http://www.TheRuralSpecialist.com

numerous other articles at http://www.kate-jody.com/essays/index.html

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