BUYING LAND – A COMMITMENT!- March 2006

Land To Buy or Land To Browse?

“How To Buy Land – Bring Your Checkbook!”

Thinking of coming to the mountains to look around for land.  That’s a great idea!  In the early stages of buying, it’s important for you to come for a visit, drive the roads, eyeball a few properties from your vehicle, call a broker to gather more information, and return home.

That’s called the “browsing” stage of a land purchase, and it’s a great way to get a feel for desirable locations and local prices.  While in the mountains, you can pick up a copy of High Country News or The Mountain Times and look through the classifieds.  You can even drive by many properties by calling a broker for directions.

The browsing stage is NOT, however, the time to make broker appointments to inspect properties.  That part of the process takes place later – only when you have made a firm commitment to yourself to make a purchase.

The commitment stage is when the action takes place.  At this stage you KNOW you’re ready to buy.  You’ve analyzed your financial resources, identified a specific area in which to buy, and know either the acreage size property you prefer or the dollars you are committed to spending. 

In fact, there’s a test you can administer to yourself to determine whether you’re ready to buy.  Ask yourself, “Will I be taking my checkbook on my next trip to the mountains, and am I prepared to write a substantial earnest money check?”  If the answer is “No!”, you’re still in the browsing stage – and that’s OK.

Once you realize you’re at the commitment stage, it’s time to get serious about specific properties.  The easiest and most thorough way to find properties is to visit broker websites.  Try “Googling” the phrase “mountain land” or “North Carolina mountain land”.  That should bring up the biggest and best land brokers.  There you will find many photos of each property, topographic maps, aerial photos, location maps and plenty of specific details with prices.

Allow yourself at least one full day for looking at properties.  Properties are scattered across numerous counties and there will be plenty of drive time.  This is a time to leave the “young’uns” at home, and to don your hiking boots and jeans.

Your broker should be able to provide a comfortable 4-wheel drive vehicle to look at properties with interior drivable roads.  The broker should also provide an all-terrain vehicle such as a Polaris Ranger, Kawasaki Mule, etc. with comfortable seating for three to navigate properties with only a trail system.  For properties with no trail system, be prepared to do some serious hiking up the ridges, through the “hollers” and across streams.  This stage can be quite an adventure.

Three to five properties can normally be seen in a full day.  If you also plan to do some shopping and antique-ing, allow a second day.  Checking out properties takes time and focus so give it your undivided attention while you’re here in the mountains.

So – whether you’re at the browsing stage or the commitment stage, enjoy the search.  Land ownership can add an entirely new dimension to your life.  The peace and tranquility of a large tract is a great stress reliever.

We wish you an enjoyable land search!

Best regards,

Paul Christian Breden, Broker

The purpose of Land Rush is to educate and inform you in such a way that, once you arrive here in the mountains, you’ll be prepared to make your purchase. If you haven’t already, please – before you come – take time to download our buyer’s guide – “Carolina Dreaming” – from our website. It’s short, easy to read, and will provide you with the basic information needed to make your trip a roaring success. For your free copy, go to:

www.ncmountainland.net/manualdesc.html

Ready to come to the mountains? Call us at all reasonable hours, seven days a week, at 800/849-9225. Ask for Chris or Paul and we’ll set up a time and place convenient for you. We’ll take whatever time is required to help make your land ownership dreams come true!

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