whats a good deal/price for land???

So I was talking to an uncle the other day and he told me the northern most border of minnesota....the stsate was selling land extremely cheap to try and populate that region. I cant find nothing on the net about this.

Anyway, when googling all I find is commercial sites trying to sell you land of retail...and I would like to know whats a good way to get wholesale or other tricks of the trade to by good land for cheap.

Anyone here got pointers/tips????

First, figure out about where you want to settle. Cheap land is everywhere, but you have to look for it sometimes.
Check online newspapers in the area you want to move to and look for individuals who are selling the TYPE of land you want. I mean, do you want timber, farmland, both? House, no house? On grid, off grid? etc., etc. until you locate what you want/can afford. Ask for photos, even video of the land if you can't travel there to see it.
Ask everyone you know. Sometimes, just asking a friend brings good results. Many times I've mentioned looking for a certain item, and someone hears me and tells me about a relative or a friend who has what I'm looking for.
Don't underestimate the power of a little motivated action, even if it is only talking. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Oh I definately agree....I've been in many a coversation mentioning something, then a stranger over-hearing me butts in and gies me direction. I know all about.

Wise words thus far. Any actual land owners on here??? Would like to hear some of your experiences.

And arent you land owners worries about something like imminent domain, or in the case the Gov't lost all its powers from some invading force or something, where a situation occurs .....anyone takes what they want type of ordeal.

I was in the market for farmland about six years ago, and I passed up on some very good deals (by todays standards). A day hasn't gone by since that I haven't kicked myself for that...

In recent years, farmland has appreciated more (and more rapidly) than city real estate - probably the first time that's ever happened.

Ever since ethanol began taking off, good land is hard to find.

If you can find 3+ acres, level and arable with a water source selling for less than $30k, you're in good shape, I think. I mean, you can get 30+ acres of rocks or mountains for that price, but it's so much harder to utilize.

So, if you're in the market for farmland - you might want to invest in a time machine to take you back 5-6 years.

Hello dominicus.

I am a land owner, about 80 acres of wilderness and 10 of open farm land. Maybe I can help a bit, but first I would need to know more about what you're trying to find.

All land is not created equal. Farmland is a certain price based on how well farming is doing. Building lots are another price based on location, amenities (such as ease of utilities, availability of shopping and schools), and the local housing market. Wilderness is another price depending on simply how badly the owner needs to sell. None of these are appropriate for certain uses; don't try to build a housing development inside an undeveloped wilderness unless you have a lot of ready cash!

An even bigger consideration is: where do you want to be? Trust me, there is a huge difference between something on the edge of a suburban area and something so far back you have to pipe in sunlight. Land here is up right now, to about $1000/acre, compared to town where a 1/2 acre lot can be $30,000 or more. There is also a world of difference as to how well you will be satisfied with your purpose. If you have never lived alone (and I don't mean minus parents, I mean in a house with no neighbors you can see), you want to stay close to civilization. There's much more to country living than almost anyone realizes.

Since this is in the survival forum, and since you mentioned northern MN (which if memory serves is sparsely populated), I am going to assume you are looking for a mini-farm. Your best bet is to find a place where you already have some buildings, maybe an older house that is abandoned ('fixer-upper'), a small barn or large shed, and a few new building sites on it. You can simply go out and drive around to look for something like this. Chances are you won't see many on the major roads, so take every (public) side road and ride it. Look at what's there, which plot seems to peak your interest, what's not there, etc. Use roads and treelines/fences for landmarks and keep a small notepad. If you see a dirty little 'For Sale' sign, stop and call to check on it. If not, you can take those landmarks and go to the county courthouse and view the public land tax records to locate where the property lines are and who owns them.

Your best bet is to find something that has the little sign, as most people without one aren't really thinking of selling; still it can do no major harm to ask the owners if they would sell some or all of the places you really like. In either case, if you are unsure of how real estate works, get a broker. A broker will charge you a few percent of the selling price, but their advise can help you avoid paying top dollar for something you can't use (like a strip of land containing 10 acres, but 20 feet wide at the widest point). Even if you don't get a broker to help you, get a title search and survey done before you close the deal! Otherwise, you might have just become the proud owner of something you can't own. A lot of people have lost their new land because the title to it wasn't clear and the deed wasn't worth the paper it was written on. Yeah, it costs a few bucks more, but at least you actually receive something for what you paid.

Also, always have an attorney do the closing. I don't like lawyers; I consider lawyers to be the worst criminal masterminds civilization has ever conceived of. But a good attorney will prevent you from facing angry attorneys later on if someone doesn't dot a 't' or cross an 'i' the right way. And that is not a nice thing to be facing.

As for prices, there is no hard and fast rule that says a place is worth this or that. Unlike WalMart merchandise, every spot of land is different. I'd suggest going by a few small convenience stores in the area and grabbing some of the little classified newspapers. Look for anything close to where you are buying and in about the same condition as what you are buying, as well as about the same size you are buying. Compare prices and you should get a feel for what land is really going for in that area. Large parcels (100 acres, 1000 acres) will go for a lot less per acre than small places with an acre or two. Houses will drastically increase the value, especially if they are in decent shape. The closer a place is to a town, the higher it will be. Take all these things into consideration to get an idea of how much it should be worth.

Then haggle, especially if the owners need to sell it. The only real thing that determines the price of land is how much a buyer (you) are willing to pay for it and how much the owners are willing to sell it for.

It also wouldn't be a bad idea to at least visit an actual Realtor and talk to them about what they have available. Remember the price is negotiable. If they have something you like, make an offer. If the owners say 'no', they say 'no'; you haven't lost anything. They might just say 'yes'. In most places, though, an offer is a contract; it's expensive to back out of it, and very expensive/hard to do if you put up 'earnest money'. Be sure before you make an offer. You can also put conditions on an offer, such as the place appraising for a certain amount, or the house you haven't been in being in acceptable shape.

Oh, yes, and before you close the deal, check out what's around the place. Do you really want to be isolated? Are the neighbors old ratty men with a chew of tobacco and a shotgun in their hand, sporting long scars across their faces? You might be in a bad neighborhood. Is that nice flat grassy area hiding quicksand? Don't want to get that sinking feeling when you try to break ground for that garden. Also check on taxes, state/Federal insurance requirements (like flood plains) and how much it will cost to get the utilities you want/need. This is where that broker can be worth their weight in ammo.

Hope this helped, be careful and be lucky. Also feel free to U2U me if you have any more questions.

TheRedneck

reply to post by dominicus


dude, come up here to canada (B.C is were i live).......we have tons of land, and there isent a water shortage (the states gets its water from....oh right....canada).

there are places where you can get a full quarter section (260 acres) for around $50k, and the land is reletivly secluded and it all has wild game, perfect for a survival-x when you need to get away from the roit's/chaos/destruction in the city. most of the land allready has systems of wild edibles growing on and around it so starting areas for farming is usualy fairly simple.


Were the second largest land mass on the planet (first if you count our continental shelfs) and we only have 35~m people.............theres LOTS of room, for all of you .

Hey whats up,
I'm definately considering and would love to move to Canada, however the thing with Canada is the constant winters. I have some friends that lived there before, forgot which part...but somewhere towards the middle of the country....

....and I was told winter takes up 10 out of 12 months there.....so farming is for the most part strictly limited.

still 50k for 260 acres???? thats a deal and a half

Wow 50K for 260 acres send me some links man Im coming to Canada. Im getting out of Florida and it looks like my Iowa deal might fall through so who knows maybe Canada is the place.

Concerning purchasing land, I have heard that at least in the US mineral rights for something like 90% of land are owned by big oil. Is this true in Canada? Shoot is it even true in US?

I purchased my first home as a condemned building. I paid the owner $1800 in cash and I paid off the $1800 he owed in back taxes. I found the building by canvasing town looking for city "condemned building" notices, they are posted out front of any building the city has said is unsound/unsafe. From that point, I had 30 days to pull repair permits from the city before the building was torn down. I purchased the vacant lot next the the house at tax deed auction for $1550. Sitting on 2 city lots and a 1200 sqft house for about $5000. That was 2002. I've dumped 20k into the building to get the city off my back.


3 years ago I purchased acreage in the ozarks, via www.unitedcountryrealty.com. I visited the area I wanted land in... I went to a realty office and asked to be shown acreage. I then returned home and watched prices for a few months. Prices ranged from about 1000 an acre, to 1500 for adjoining national park, to 2000/acre for river front. The first deal I found under $1000/acre in the area I wanted... I took. I'm sitting on 10 acres for $7900. I purchased site unseen, on the word of the realtor that the land was "wooded" with dirt road access, which was all I wanted.

Good luck, there are deals to be had.... especially right now.

Sri Oracle