A Brief Guide to Buying Land
If you are thinking of buying land these guidelines are to be used as an introduction and we always recommend seeking expert independent advice from a reputable lawyer or notary - please use these as general information purposes only. As well as working alongside a reputable company supplying legal advice it is always good practice to conduct your own due diligence
 Advice should be sought from local expert licensed real estate brokers
Seek guidance from local property inspector or surveyors - people who are familiar with land
Title/escrow companies - these may be useful
Attorney's, notaries and and/or financial advisors - essentail legal advice
Land is often sold as parcels as well as a whole concern and it is best to ask this from the outset. Later you may wish to request planning permission for a parcel only to find that permission is given only for whole tracts or land or as a combined application.
Is the land title clear which means that you need to check that it is free of liens, easements, and other encumbrances and if there is a question regarding this what are the easements on the property and what paperwork is there to back up this situation? Together with this you will be advised to look into if there are any covenants, codes, and restrictions on the property that you may be considering purchasing. Can you also get the land insured by yourself or through a legal representive, as while there may be no buildings on it, it is none the less of value - otherwise why would you consider purchasing it?
Doing your own due diligence when purchasing land is often more important than buying a property already built on land, as raw land has the potential of never having been researched as to the real owners, whether or not there have been many owners who have past the land by word of mouth or a hand shake or if there are local tribal rules about land ownership in general. If there is a deed to the property what type of deed is it and how long ago was it drawn up? Perhaps there are other deeds that are in existance and have never come to light.
If you have assurances about the type of ownership get the circumstances put in writing from the owners, the legal teams for both buyer and seller and check and double check.
As with all major decisions in buying real estate, you will want to make sure you get full information and the best advice possible. You may want to consider using an experienced real estate broker who can help you with your due diligence, negotiations, and closing. Depending on your personal circumstances and investment goals, you may also want to engage an attorney, lawyer, notary and even a tax advisor as regards the local implications of buying land - often the local government will levy a sales tax on any land sold and it can be high.
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