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When you are selling any kind of real estate, all you want to know is “when will I get my money and what are the odds that I’ll get it?” If you’ve signed a contract with a qualified buyer for your home, you can be fairly certain that you’ll walk away from closing with the money in your pocket. When it comes to selling (or reselling) land for development, the chances of your getting your money at all or getting it by a specified point in time are much less certain.Once you put your land on the market, all sorts of people start to surface and express interest in your property. Naturally, you assume they’re buyers. That’s where you’ve made your first mistake because a fair number of these people have absolutely no intention of handing you money for your property. How can you tell if a land buyer is real or not? Here are some tip-offs.

Scenario A
You sign an offer from a developer who’s willing to pay your asking price and you take your property off the market. Buried among the other contingencies in the contract is a right to assign the contract and a provision giving the buyer 6 months to do due diligence. You don’t think anything about that because you are thrilled to get your price, so you sit back and wait.About 2-3 weeks before the end of the due diligence period, the buyer requests an extension for another 6 months, saying that he’s delayed getting site information and sketch plans from his engineer.You sign an extension (hey, still getting your price). Shortly before the first anniversary of signing the sale contract, the buyer gives notice that he’s terminating the deal. You’re thinking about all of those other buyers who didn’t have the opportunity to give you offers because you took your property off the market. It’s been a whole year and now you don’t even have a buyer. Well guess what? You never had a buyer.What you had was a speculator. Speculators try to find properties they think they can quickly flip (assign) to somebody else for a chunk of change. So they induce sellers to sign purchase contracts and take their properties off the market by offering to pay whatever the seller is asking. Speculators don’t spend any time, effort or money doing due diligence. They spend their effort on shopping the property around to see if they can find someone willing to “buy” the contract by paying them an assignment fee on top of the purchase price the flip buyer would pay the land owner. If they can’t find a buyer, they get their down money back and walk away from the deal, just as they did with you.Legitimate land buyers do need to be able to assign the purchase contract to an entity (e.g., partnership, corporation, LLC) they form to take title to the property and develop it. But you never want to give a buyer an unconditional right to assign. Have your attorney change the provision so that the buyer can assign only to an entity in which they have a majority ownership interest. And buyers don’t need 6 months to do due diligence (and certainly not 12 months) unless there are extraordinary circumstances.Scenario B
You sign an offer from someone who’s willing to pay your asking price and you take your property off the market. Buried among the development contingencies in the contract is a provision that allows the buyer to put signage on the property (ostensibly to market the future new homes) without having to close with you first. This ploy is less subtle than the above but could produce equally bad results for you.
Time keeps dragging on and you keep wondering if settlement will ever occur. And the buyer keeps telling you that he can’t close with you yet because he still hasn’t satisfied all of the contingencies in the purchase contract (subdivision approval, utility permits or whatever). This buyer may be using the signage to attract a flip buyer. Alternatively, he doesn’t want to close with you until/unless he’s able to get pre-sales (deposits or sale contracts) of the lots. Either way, you could lose. You might have to wait a long time if there are many lots or the buyer is asking too high a price. If a flip buyer doesn’t materialize, your deal could die.You want to keep buyers motivated to get to closing, not delay it. If you allow the buyer’s signage on your property without them going to closing, you are only encouraging them to put off the settlement as long as possible. You could even be giving buyers an excuse to terminate the deal when all they really want to do is flip the property.

Nancy Chadwick is a PA licensed real estate Broker and Instructor specializing in land brokerage, consulting and development. See how she’s removing the mystery about investing in land through books (Land Buying & Selling and Selling Land: The Owner’s Guide), articles and more by going to http://www.LandBuyingandSelling.com/

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When you want to buy land for development, you should think of your offer as consisting of two parts. Buyers and sellers often focus only on the price part of the equation and ignore the one that’s just as important - terms. In fact, the terms and conditions that are included in the land development offer can be even more critical than price. Why is that?

There are several reasons. People buying land need to have contingencies built into their offers that allow them time to get certain things done. Land developers typically want the ability to walk away from a deal when they learn new “adverse” information or when something else happens that, in their opinion, lessens the viability of doing the deal. Terms and conditions in land development offers address the purchaser’s bottom-line concern: I want to be able to get out of this deal if I can’t do what I want with this property or if the deal no longer makes sense for me.

If you’ve read my previous article (”Due Diligence for Real Estate Investing: An Overview”), then you know that virtually everything land investors need to find out about a property has to be investigated because it isn’t readily apparent or visible. Doing or not doing the deal can depend on the facts uncovered by your investigation. As a result, due diligence plays a huge role in the land business. So how do you give yourself the right in the contract to get the necessary information?

Land development offers provide for an up-front period of time, often 45-90 days from when the contract was signed by both parties. During this due diligence or feasibility period, buyers can do whatever investigation and testing of the property they want at their own expense, such as verifying the zoning, obtaining site-specific information (topography, floodplain, soils, wetlands, boundaries, environmental contamination and utilities) and data relating to the area (plans for future development and growth or property values).

At the conclusion, the buyers can continue with the next phase of the transaction or terminate the contract and be refunded any down monies if they’ve learned something that negatively impacts the feasibility of the deal. The purpose of this up-front period is for the buyers to get the information necessary to determine if the property can be developed as they want. Even if the buyer’s offer doesn’t contain any other contingencies, it will provide for this feasibility period, and if you think about it, it doesn’t make any sense to buy land without knowing all of the material facts.

Other contingencies in the land development contract generally depend on the scenario contemplated by the buyer. For example, if the property is going to be subdivided, the contract might state that the purchase would be conditioned on the buyer getting a minimum number of lots approved by the municipality. Provisions for getting use approvals (such as a variance, special exception or conditional use) or an outright change of zoning classification would be included. Since the ability of the property to be served by public or private utilities may be important, the offer would contain language relating to getting the requisite utility approvals and permits.

Land development offers are not cookie cutter. They need to be customized to take into account the particular property and the buyer’s intended use. Accordingly, buyers don’t work with the forms customarily used in buying or selling houses. These forms simply wouldn’t be adequate for this type of real estate. Instead, developers employ attorneys to assist them in preparing the contract and modifying it as the situation warrants.

Land investors who want terms and conditions have to be prepared to pay a higher price for the property. Land owners who want to get the highest price for their properties need to be willing to give terms and to allow buyers the opportunity to work through reasonable contingencies. If they try to get buyers to purchase the land “as-is” (without any contingencies), they are likely to discover that there’s no market for their parcels, perhaps at any price. This doesn’t mean, however, that sellers should give buyers an open-ended contract (i.e., an unlimited amount of time to satisfy the contingencies). This is where land sellers would be very smart to retain a “real” real estate attorney to guide them in evaluating land development offers and whether particular contingencies (and time frames for satisfying them) are reasonable and realistic.

Nancy Chadwick is a PA licensed real estate Broker and Instructor specializing in land brokerage, consulting and development. See how she’s removing the mystery about investing in land through books (Land Buying & Selling and Selling Land: The Owner’s Guide), articles and more by going to http://www.LandBuyingandSelling.com/

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Due diligence drives the land development transaction because it supplies you with information you will need about a whole range of issues. These can include details about the zoning, location of public utility lines, soil classifications and prior subdivisions of the property. This need for information arises in your very first contact with the land parcel and continues as long as you are pursuing it or are involved with it by contract. In fact, your need to know different things about the property exists until you: (a) decide not to buy it; (b) put it under contract and subsequently bail out of the deal; or (c) sell the land or assign the contract to someone else.While location may be the most important characteristic of a real estate parcel, thorough due diligence is critical to determining if the potential land development deal is viable. The information you obtain through your investigation is focused on your bottom-line question: do I want to buy this land parcel?When you’re doing your research, you should remember a couple of basic principles. Effective, thorough investigation usually must be hand’s on. It will be time consuming to do and there are usually no short cuts. For every piece of data, there is a primary source. The primary source is likeliest to be the most accurate and current source of information. For instance, the primary source for real estate documents that are recorded (such as deeds, liens, easements, mortgages and subdivision plans) is the actual record of filings maintained by the applicable governmental department as well as the documents themselves that show the recording information on them. These are usually kept at the courthouse for the county in which the property is located.Your local government or municipality is the primary source for zoning, subdivision and other ordinances because they originate and enact these local laws. The governmental body (local, county or otherwise) that is empowered to issue land development approvals is the source if you need to verify what conditions and restrictions may have been imposed when the parcel was subdivided. FEMA is the primary source for flood mapping and information because it is the repository and publisher of this data.You might wonder if you could save time by doing the research online. After all, why should you go look at the actual document if you can obtain the information by using a database? The short answer is that you can’t be sure that what you’re getting online is accurate and up to date. In short, databases are great tools as long as you remember that they should never be used as a substitute for hands-on research at the primary source.At best, these online collections of data (including those maintained by governmental agencies or departments) are secondary or tertiary sources, not primary ones. (The governmental database, however, may be the next best thing to the primary source depending on the manner in which it was created and the frequency with which it is updated.) In the case of third-party sources for information (such as subscription services for ordinances, mapping and real estate sales or other data), vendors have purchased from the primary sources the right to charge people a fee for accessing this data.For several reasons, the farther you move away from the primary source of information, the greater the likelihood that the information may not be current and accurate. There is the time factor. The information has to pass from the primary source down the line through other people or organizations. Data, documents or mapping can easily change or become outdated over even a short period of time. In addition, there is the “garbage in, garbage out” principle. The integrity of any database or compilation, governmental or not, hangs on the thoroughness and competence of the people responsible for compiling and maintaining it.Databases, however, can save you a tremendous amount of time and effort. You can use them most effectively as screening tools and to gather preliminary information subject to confirmation and further research if the situation or property warrants it. In addition, they can be invaluable in identifying specific contacts if you have questions and need additional details or clarification.

Nancy Chadwick is a PA licensed real estate Broker and Instructor specializing in land brokerage, consulting and development. See how she’s removing the mystery about investing in land through books (Land Buying & Selling and Selling Land: The Owner’s Guide), articles and more by going to http://www.LandBuyingandSelling.com/

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There are several ways you can get a lot for your new home. Most of these methods don’t require you to buy a vacant lot that’s already been subdivided. For instance, you could purchase:

1. A portion of someone’s property.

Once you had a signed purchase contract with the owner, you’d have to subdivide the land off from their property before you could take title to the lot. But finding a property owner willing to sell you a portion of their land could be difficult, and getting the land at a reasonable price might be even tougher. Your offer should specify that you would be responsible for paying the costs associated with the subdivision because then you’d have more control over the work being done, time frames, and the expenses charged.

2. An existing house on its lot.

You would demolish the house and then build new. However, what you don’t want to do is overpay for improvements (i.e., existing house) that are going to be torn down. Since your offer price for the property should take into account the cost of demotion, you should get estimates for removal of the existing house before submitting your offer.

3. A land parcel (vacant or not).

The parcel would have to have enough frontage and area to produce 2 or 3 separate lots with all of the lots fronting on the existing street. The objective is to avoid construction of a new street. You want to create a “turn-key” scenario: subdivide the original property, record the plan, and sell off whatever lots you don’t keep for your new home. With the lots fronting on the existing street, your target market wouldn’t be limited to builders. It could also include people interested in buying just one lot for either investment or the future construction of their homes. If the original parcel included an existing house, so much the better, as long as the house had some value and its location within the land parcel wouldn’t mess up an efficient subdivision of the entire property.

The following examples illustrate the difference in land cost between buying one lot and buying a parcel that could be subdivided.

Example A:

2 acre vacant land parcel zoned for single-family detached housing on 30,000 sq. ft. lots; public water and sewer; asking price is $200,000; assumed yield: 2 lots

Your cost for the property is reduced by the price that you can get in selling off the second lot. So, for instance, if you sell the second lot for $150,000, your total cost for the land portion of your new home project is $50,000 (plus subdivision expenses).

Purchase price: $200,000 ($100,000 per lot)

Less sale of second lot: $150,000

Effective land cost: $50,000 (plus subdivision expenses)

Gross savings: $150,000

Example B:

2 acre parcel zoned for single-family detached housing on 30,000 sq. ft. lots; public water and sewer; the existing house on a lot is worth $250,000; asking price is $300,000; assumed yield: 1 building lot + existing house on its own lot

Purchase price: $300,000 ($150,000 per lot)

Less sale of existing house on its lot: $250,000

Effective land cost: $50,000 (plus subdivision expenses)

Gross savings: $250,000

Example C:

2 acre vacant land parcel zoned for single-family detached housing on 80,000 sq. ft. lots (cannot be further subdivided); public water and sewer; asking price is $200,000

Your land cost is the highest in Example C ($200,000) because you’re buying one vacant lot that can’t be subdivided. The subdivision necessary in the other examples isn’t going to run $150,000-250,000 (the amount of your gross savings). To get a good idea of what the expense would be, contact civil engineers in your area. Ask them what they’d charge to do a small (2 or 3 parcel residential subdivision). This type of subdivision may be considered by some municipalities as a “simple” or “minor” subdivision based on the total number of lots and the fact that no new street would have to be constructed. Make sure you consult a real estate attorney for advice and to see that your purchase contract covers your flank.

Check out Nancy Chadwick’s new book Buying a Building Lot for Your New Home at http://www.LandBuyingandSelling.com/

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When you are interested in nontraditional farming, looking into deer farms for sale should be your first step. Deer farms are for people who raise deer for commercial purposes. The deer graze on the farm land during development and are then sold as livestock or for use in hunting areas. Venison used to be considered meat only eaten by the hardy hunter. But the focus on healthy eating has resulted in increased interest in venison, which is lean meat. In addition, deer farms raise trophy deer that are sold for hunting purposes. Deer farms can also be used to raise elk.

If you are considering investigating deer farms for sale, begin by determining your primary reason for getting involved in deer farming. The main reasons for choosing deer farming include for investment purposes, expansion of current farming operations, or as a hobby farm. People who already raise cattle or other livestock are good candidates for deer farming. They already understand the requirements in terms of time, people and money. Considering the many deer properties for sale it is also a good option for people who wish to invest in an interesting hobby farm while continuing to work a full or part time job.

Before deciding to buy a deer farm, there are several considerations to take into account. First make sure you understand your state’s wildlife rules concerning deer farming. Also, have a clear knowledge of the kinds of deer allowed to be farmed. It doesn’t make sense to plan on raising exotic deer if only native deer farming is permitted. You have to understand the rules concerning land and fencing requirements in the area where you plan on searching for deer farms. In addition, make sure you are clear about the market for venison or trophy deer. If you have the farm experience, the money, and a good understanding of the rules related to deer farming, your chances of success are greatly increased.

There are multiple ways to earn money after purchasing a deer farm. You can offer hunting services by allowing hunters to purchase hunting rights. You can rent grazing lands to other deer farmers. Once you begin farming, as a deer farm owner you can use your farm to teach others about farming practices or farm design. Of course, most revenue will be produced from the sale of deer meat and deer by-products.

Once you choose a deer farm, you are able to market the many different products related to deer. These include trophy deer, deer meat, fawns for new stock, meat by-products that can be processed into sausage or jerky, antlers, hides, and urine for scent camouflage. One of the attractions of deer farming is the large variety of ways to generate income once the farm is operational.

Deer farms for sale include land only, or land and deer combinations. The more well developed the farming operation, the more expensive the price naturally. The cost of starting a deer farm on vacant land can vary wildly. You must consider the per acre price, fencing, licensing, farm buildings and stock. You can start slowly and expand your operation as time and money permits. But you should have an idea if you plan on taking this approach before buying a deer ranch or farm. This is so you purchase land in an area that allows for expanded operations.

Deer farming can be a fun and interesting business or hobby if you do your homework first.

Mark Williams is a licensed Realtor that specializes in farms of all kinds in Western Kentucky. If you’re looking for that special hunting or farming tract go to Kentucky Land and Hunting Properties

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Western Kentucky hunting land for sale is prime hunting land that prospective buyers can manage and enjoy. Avid hunters are passionate about their sport and spend thousands of dollars on guns and special equipment. It doesn’t make any sense to not have a guaranteed hunting area each year. In Western Kentucky hunters can find some of the best hunting land for miles around.

Western Kentucky hunting land for sale can be located through a Realtor. When you decide to purchase hunting land, there are several considerations to take into account. First, make sure you protect yourself from problems that may arise with the land in the future. Add a clause to your contract. Second, make sure the zoning and legal considerations allow for unrestricted hunting within legal definitions.
Hunting land in Western Kentucky is good clean land. But it is still important to determine that no chemicals have been added to the property or run-off into lakes or streams. Contaminated soil can affect the quality and quantity of wildlife as they graze on vegetation.

Always inspect hunting land for sale. Look for signs the property has been used for inappropriate storage. You probably will not find such evidence because Western Kentucky communities respect their wildlife and land, but you must reassure yourself anyway. Check with the county land management program and ask about any past problems experienced with the land. If you plan on leasing your new property for grazing when it is not hunting season, it is even more important to make sure the land has never been contaminated.

When buying hunting land for sale, look for plant diseases or problems on the land. That can indicate a serious problem. Walk the property and look for signs of sick animals. Also, most areas now require maintenance of noxious weeks. As the property owner you will be held responsible for keeping your land cleared of particular plants.

Keeping Western Kentucky hunting land for sale in mind when you are ready to purchase or lease hunting property is a wise plan. Western Kentucky is a beautiful area full of high quality deer, turkeys and other wildlife that is regularly hunted. As a hunter, animal thinning through licensed hunting plays a critical role in wildlife management. Having your own piece of hunting land is only appropriate. The beauty of owning Kentucky hunting land is that it is not only a great place to enjoy yourself, land is always a good investment.

Mark Williams is a licensed Realtor that specializes in farms of all kinds in Western Kentucky. If you’re looking for that special hunting or farming tract go to Kentucky Land and Hunting Properties

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Right behind the dikes in Holland you will find fields with tulips, windmills and farmers on wooden shoes.
Really? No, this is how Holland, also called The Netherlands, looked like 100 years ago.
Nowadays, this small kingdom is no.6 of the best European economies, but more important, Holland is the most densly populated country in Europe(number 7 in the world), with over 480 inhabitans per km2.
And the number of inhabitants is still rising. Now, you don’t have to be a professor in real-estate to understand that an investment in land could be very interesting.

Even better, an investment in (Hol)land is a very safe, solid and tax-free investment,
because of the following reasons;

* Holland is the most densly populated country in Europe (number 7 in the world and almost twice as densed as the UK). Average land prices have been risen over 200% in the last 10 years. And as the demand of land will continue in the next decades the land prices will continue to rise as well.

* All plots will be transferred by a solicitor/notary. The whole purchase process is almost identical to the one in the UK. This means 100% security.

* Your land can not be stolen, forged or go bankrupt.

* A possible future gain on the sale of your plot is completely tax-free, as Holland does not know Capital Gains Tax!.

So, what this really means to you, is that you can acquire an investment that gives you these important aspects. So, you don’t have to worry if the stock markets go down, like in 2001. And, on top of that it can give you an extra super return on investment as soon as a project will be bought by
the project-developpers/constructors, which is purely a matter of when, not if. In that case you will get a “buy-out” price for your land. And than you can count on a price that is about 50% to 700% higher than your investment. Most important question for any investor:What can I lose? Well, practically nothing, as land prices will continue to go up (with let’s say min. 3% per year) in our densly populated country you would still make a profitable r.o.i. and…. tax-free.

Holland-Banking (www.holland-banking) is the company that can help you making an investment in Holland.

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If you’re a first time home buyer, you may find the process a little daunting. You’ll need a reliable, recommended realtor to lead you through the purchase of a new home. Your realtor can start you off on the right foot by helping you evaluate your buying power.

Lake helen homes for sale are often waterfront properties, as Lake helen has wide range of lake and water. That adds up to boating, water skiing, swimming, and water sports all year round.

Florida Real Estate Zone has information regarding waterfront houses, residential communities on golf courses, homes near or in national forests, and town homes on quaint brick streets shaded with moss-draped oaks. Suburbs such as Kissimmee have vacation homes right on the water, with docks and cabanas in the back yard. Lake helen homes for sale are near a major bird refuge, with hikes through lush, subtropical hammocks from your front door.

Lake helen offers pristine residential communities, excellent schools, and one of the lowest crime rates in the nation. Lake helen is serene and quiet, with many parks and recreation areas. There are many Lake helen homes for sale, and an investment in Lake helen real estate is a smart investment Good property values and a richly diverse and youthful population add to the attractiveness of Lake Worth.

Lakes helen has much to offer as a community in which to raise a family. You don’t want to miss an opportunity. Property values in the Lake helen community are affordable enough to boot.

For more about lake helen real estate or lake helen homes for sale visit here http://www.lake-halen-real-estate.com

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It’s commonly seen that people take longer time before investing in certain expensive items. They make lots of investigations regarding their purchase. Only when all their queries are answered than they agree to invest in the particular purchase. Similarly, investment in land requires an equally careful investigation on part of the buyers. Besides, a lot depends on whom you purchase the land from.

Purchasing land is like purchasing gold. You ought to be aware of its fluctuating prices.
Since land prices are always registering an upward rise in the graph, its best to invest in
purchasing it without much hesitation. This should be done, of course, not at the cost of
overlooking other relevant factors i.e. a buyer has a limited budget and further delay on his part can often result in his inability to purchase his desired land. Moreover, once a land is purchased, the owner always has the golden opportunity to sell it off at an enormous profit. Land prices are always soaring high and so the buyer can enjoy great profit whenever he sells it!

It is very necessary for the buyer to approach the right person from whom he wants to
purchase his land. In the present day scenario, approaching a real estate firm would be suggestible. A number of firms offer lands at below market value and assist buyers to purchase lands with built-in equity. Besides, buyers are also offered consultation services with regard to the transaction. They are welcome to make the required investigation with regard to their purchase. The legal formalities, too, are taken care of by these firms. Hence, purchasing land has become an easier and hassle-free task.

Those interested in purchasing land should make no further delays. Always remember that land is an asset that everyone wants to covet as much as possible. Quite a number of established real estate firms like Arizona Land Wholesalers offer quality real estate property in Arizona. Investing in real estate is always a safe bet compared to investing in the stock market. Judging by present market statistics, land prices are going to rise further in the near future. It’s now the best time for buyers to purchase lands with future profit in mind.

Suzanne is an Internet marketing professional with expertise in content development and technical writing in a variety of industries.

Arizona Land Wholesalers

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UK land investment has become very popular in recent years but can you really make big gains?

The answer is yes you can make big gains in UK land investment, but for most investors it ends up in heavy losses.

So why do most people lose? Let’s find out:

The aim of UK land investment is to buy land without planning and then wait for it to be granted and sell at a hefty profit to developers for building.

The problem with UK land investment is most investors simply take the word of the company selling them the and planning permission is imminent and will be granted.

Of course if it was, the company selling you the land would not need to bother, as they could simply make the profit themselves.

A common scenario with UK land investment is that investors buy land at way above the market value (the land investment company selling obviously need a profit) and unless planning permission is granted the investor has a losing asset.

Now, not all companies in UK land investment do this and there are many reputable companies around but if you are thinking of investing in UK land, you need to keep a few points in mind:

1. Planning permission – Is not guaranteed and can take many years

2. Be careful how much you pay for the land and consider the mark up

3. Check the track record of the land company you are dealing with to see if they have had previous successes

4. View the investment as long term and don’t expect instant profits

Big profits can be made, but investors need to be very careful of land brokers and check them out.

Look for companies that are sensible in their outlook, avoid anyone who says that you will get rich quick, planning permission is guaranteed etc

Other land investments

In the UK planning permission is the key to making big profits, but there are many overseas markets where land markets are booming.

Investors can target triple digit annual gains, planning permission is easier to obtain and the markets are very liquid allowing you to buy and sell quickly to bank profits.

If you are looking at UK land investment you may want to consider some other markets as well where land is cheaper and profit potential is higher.

FREE LAND INVESTMENT GUIDE

For a free guide to land investment visit http://www.net-planet.org/costarica.php

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