Looking for input on Land Purchase...
Hi everyone. I have located about 22 acres for about $30,000 for sale in a North Eastern area of Pennsylvania. The property is almost a perfect rectangle: approx 550ft at the top, 1500ft down one side, 2000 feet down the other side, and the long and short sides are joined by a 45 degree angle piece that is about 740ft long. The total taxes are less than $700 per year. The property is zoned as conservation (C1). It's a wooded lot with no electricity, water, etc. The road is a dirt road that is shared by several properties, and there is an easement on the top of the property that allows the owner of the parcel next to it to get to his property. State game land is a short walk away. I called the township, and they said that a cabin is allowed on the property, but I can't build a septic tank because the roads aren't paved (not too clear on how those two things relate, but thats what I was told). I've been looking for a piece of property to buy, and this one is a good price... but I need to know all the catches because something that is too good to be true usually is. What are your thoughts? I don't know much about land zoned for conservation. Thanks.
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Find out ALL of the zoning restrictions before you buy.
How do you plan on crapping without a septic?0 -
Yep - they don't have 'truth and disclosure' laws in PA, do they?
Make sure it's in black and white.[8D]0 -
quote:
How do you plan on crapping without a septic?
I've seen my dogs do it enough to know the basics of what to do.
Seriously, I don't want to live on it.. just hunt on the property. If I have to dig a hole and crap in it during the few days I'll be there hunting... so be it. [;)][:D][xx(]0 -
I would be leary buying it. Conservation rules.. 0 -
...I assume you want to stick close to home, but there are some good land bargains in the Ozarks.
http://www.sierraozark.com/0 -
They ain't makin any more of it. Doesn't sound too bad to me but I don't know squat about PA. If it was in my area, I would have bought it in a heartbeat. 0 -
A parcel of woods about that size recently sold for 190,000 in my neck of the woods. Guess it is time to move to PA....[:)] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by William81
A parcel of woods about that size recently sold for 190,000 in my neck of the woods. Guess it is time to move to PA....[:)]
The prices here are VERY high... this seems to be an amazing deal, and I need to find out why.0 -
I would say since you cant put in a septic tank, cause it is gravel road- means= No city sewer till the road is paved. It may never be paved in the near future which would hurt the prospects of a house etc... Also someone maybe have died in the family and got passed down to someone who doesnt want it. Or someone would just rather get a bit of quick cash out of it. But for what they are asking it would sound nice, even if only used for recreation- camping, hunting etc.... If the lay of land is nice and you have any interest in it or thoughts and dreams, then you should look into it more. Land is always a good investment, values will always contiue to go up. 0 -
Small cabin, with a kerosene heated "out house". 0 -
Thanks for the input everyone... here's something that a co-worker told me...
He says that if the township all of the sudden decided to pave the road, they could charge everyone who has property off that road for the cost of doing so... basically forcing them to pay for the road even if they don't want it. Has this ever happened to anyone?0 -
Do NOT depend on what the town tells you, especially about the road.
Maybe you can put some money down on it to get it off the market with some sort of contingency clause giving you time to get more info. Shop around for a competent attorney who can advise you.
There are some great composting toilets out there. Envirolet comes to mind.0 -
I agree with woodshermit, DO NOT BELIVE what township supervisors tell you, make them show you in black and white.
Find out how long the previous owner has had the property, He could by grandfather in, he could actually put a septic tank in and then sell you the property, just tack on the price of the system to the selling price.
A buddy of mine did that, but he put it in himself, he has is own excavator and paid for the supplies, and then the owner sold it to him for $1.00. Now my father is trying to sell some property he has in northwest Pa and had perk test done, and the man doing the test told him that it can be done like this. It might make it easier to sell the property
Property selling for under $1500.00 per acre is a good buy; it is $1500 up $4500 an acre here now.......0 -
I just went throught this two years ago. I bought a 4.5 acre lot that was grandfathered in for the septic.
The law as I understand it and as it was explained to me by the county folks that gave me my permits is:
1. A parcel can only be split into three sections, that starts with the "original" owner. After that, it needs to have asubdivision plan filed to be split out. So if joe smith owns 100 acres, he can sell of two smaller parcels, once he goes to sell the third parcel he needs a sub-plan. Also if one of the people who bought one of the two original lots wants to sub-divide, time for the sub-plan.
2. If the property has been owned continuously by one person since 1969 (?), then it is grangfathered as far as a septic system is concerned. That means that they can't stop you for putting in a septic, you just have to do a perc test and have it pass.
Now with all that said, I put in a sewage line that runs 3000 feet to the tap in spot.
And YES if the county runs sewage /water/ a road etc by your property, they can force you to hookup and pay for the installation if your house is within 100 feet of the sewer/water line.
I got some neighbors a little wound up with that one. The county originaly wanted to run MY sewer line past a few homes and make them pay for installing it. I say my line because I paid for the whole thing. Turned out that I had a better plan than they did.0 -
You can buy 40 acres of unzoned Texas Border land for $10,000 on Ebay.
just my 2 cents...0 -
Any time a public entity proposes a project they have to hold public hearing to hear any protests against the project. I'm pretty sure that is universal. In some cases if the protest exceeds a set percentage of property owners it is automatically shut down. In other cases the board needs only to "consider" protests and weight it against public need. Find out what the proceedure is in your area.
I'd also get a copy of the regulations relating to the septic systems. Don't let them put you off. It is public information. I suspect a septic system is one of the line established between a conservation property and the next zoing district that allows development. Most likely in an effort to keep extensive development out of the area and maintain some of the "wild" aspects of the area.0 -
would NEVER buy a property that has an access easement across it another OWNER...you have no control over who, when, how it will be used....i have a deeded 10 acre tract (NO EASEMENT) that the adjoining owners & users are crossing & even mowed without my knowledge or permission a 30ft road & driving thru my crops.... trying to stop it by trespass via co. sheriff & attorney..the SOB's have no respect for my private property rights...possibility that an access could become a comdemned wider public road 0 -
I just gave $35,000 for 3 acres here in Western Ky. Wife and I plan on building a house on it this summer. If I could find 22 acres for $30,000 I'd jump on it in a minute. 0 -
spasmcreek said..."would NEVER buy a property that has an access easement across it another OWNER...you have no control over who, when, how it will be used....i have a deeded 10 acre tract (NO EASEMENT) that the adjoining owners & users are crossing & even mowed without my knowledge or permission a 30ft road & driving thru my crops.... trying to stop it by trespass via co. sheriff & attorney..the SOB's have no respect for my private property rights...possibility that an access could become a comdemned wider public road"
I consider a ingress egress easement a negative also. I wouldn't let it stop me from buying a property but it is a important consideration.0 -
quote:Originally posted by steeltoe1978
Thanks for the input everyone... here's something that a co-worker told me...
He says that if the township all of the sudden decided to pave the road, they could charge everyone who has property off that road for the cost of doing so... basically forcing them to pay for the road even if they don't want it. Has this ever happened to anyone?
This is generally called an assessment, 1911 Act or any of several other terms, but they all mean that the property owners will have to pony up the bucks for any improvements...whether they want them or not. Check closely because such an assessment may already be in the works and this could be why the current owners want to bail out of the property. $700 per year in taxes is not all that much (and it is also a tax deduction) but $15k-20K in assessments for roads, sewers, gas, electricity and other items can make someone want to unload that property pronto! Since assessments will bring improvements and add value to your property they are not a tax deduction. The land may be a good deal if it serves some need that you have for the property but undeveloped land is really not much of an asset, at least not in my own opinion. Picture owning five lots valued at $50K each for a total of $250,000. While this sounds like a nice asset, in reality these lots are liabilites because you must pay taxes on the land as well as things like yearly weed abatements and often many other fees, yet the land does not bring in one thin dime of income. Now picture selling four of those lots and using the procedes to build a $200,000 home on the single remaining lot. While you can live in the home, you can also rent it out and collect a nice check every month which will more than cover your taxes on the property (the one remaining lot plus improvements) and put some bucks in your pocket. Just my opinion on owning undeveloped land as an investment.0
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