How to Pick the Right Piece of Land for What You Want to Do

So you're thinking about buying some land. Let me ask you a couple of questions first.

Where are you looking? And what do you want to do with it?

Where people find land

There are a ton of places to find vacant land for sale. Each one has its own pros and cons.

Land sites like Land.com, Landflip and Landmodo make it easy to search and filter. The downside is that listings don't always get updated. You might reach out about a lot and never hear back, or find out it sold weeks ago.

Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist can have some incredible deals. They can also send you down a rabbit hole. You start out looking for land and the next thing you know you're meeting a guy to buy a used boat and a bag of tamales.

Wherever you find it, the real question is the same.

What do you want to use it for?

This is the question that decides everything. A great lot for one person is a terrible lot for someone else.

Building a home

If you want to build a traditional stick built house, you need to know a few things.

• Is electricity available at or near the lot?
• Is there water, or will you need a well?
• Is there city sewer, or will you need a septic system?
• Is there a minimum build size?

That last one catches a lot of people. Many subdivisions have a minimum square footage. If you're thinking tiny home, find this out first.

Camping or RV'ing

A lot of places have deed restrictions or covenants against tent camping and RVs. Some allow it full time, some limit the number of days, and some only allow an RV while you're building a house. Read the restrictions before you buy.

Shooting or ATV'ing

Even if it's allowed, think about the neighbors. How close are they? Is it the kind of place where people don't mind, or is a little old lady going to flip you off from her porch while you ride a wheelie down the street?

Holding it as an investment

If you're buying to hold, look hard at the yearly costs. Property taxes and HOA or POA fees can eat into your return over the years. Some of our West Texas lots run under $20 a year in taxes. Some lots in town run a lot more.

The bottom line

Decide what you want first. Then find the lot that fits. It's a lot easier than trying to make the wrong lot work.

Heads up. I'm not a lawyer, a Realtor, a title agent or a financial advisor. I'm just a guy who buys and sells a lot of land. This post is general information from my own experience, not legal, tax or financial advice. Every state, county and deal is different, so talk to a qualified professional about your situation before you make a decision.