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RobWnzl
Member
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2016 08:06pm
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(I've been wanting to use that line!)
Seriously, I'm interested in purchasing property in the mtns. of western NC and could use:
1. Advice on how or where to find a good deal
2. Pitfalls when buying out-of-state property (I'm from SC)
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Salty Craig
Member
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2016 08:52pm
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1. Be patient and thorough
2. Do your research and refer to number 1.
I've never purchased out of state but have multiple properties in different Counties out of my area. It's a fun experience and I hope you find what you're looking for!
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RobWnzl
Member
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2016 09:12pm
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Thanks, Salty. Good advice.
My son and I are in the process of putting the "tin" roof on an 8x12, our first build, and it has me excited about the prospect of building a cabin in the mtns. as a vacation get-a-way. I'm all about family and would like to have a place our children can rendezvous even when we are gone.
As I was pouring over information on this site I came across Creeky's solar/lithium battery solution and that fired me up all the more! So, I'm eager to locate land. My enthusiasm will have to be tempered with the reality of life but I envy many of you and would love to learn more. I'll keep reading posts!
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2016 09:57pm
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My sister lives in NC in a rural area and recently found out there is a huge meth problem cooking and using near her peaceful home in the mountains.
Same thing is happening in rural OH where my family is from. It's been going on for years and there is no way one can leave a house or cabin vacant for long because the meth heads will be in there and they will take EVERYTHING and than start cooking.
So my advice to you is to contact the law enforcement in your proposed cabin area and find out if there is a meth problem.
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RobWnzl
Member
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2016 10:21pm
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Ugh! Meth. It doesn't surprise me since vacant buildings draw perps like a magnet. We've been camping and renting vacation homes in the western part of NC for decades and thankfully have never encountered a problem. I'll be on the lookout and will check with the local officers. Thank you for sharing. I'm wiser because of it.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2016 12:34am
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Every Saturday for two years, my coffee cup and I searched landwatch.com just for fun. You start to see things. Water features cost more. Flat cost more than sloped. My search was VA, WV, and NC.
Mountains of NC happen to be the highest and southest you can get on east coast, which attracts the money from the northeast (and my dad). Life at 3000 ft down south is real nice. Look to pay big for small in NC mountains.
So I mainly keyed in on WV cause you can get more land for the buck. One day, bang. Ten postings next to a WMR for cheap. Drove over to look real fast since if they were not right I didn't have to bother the agent. One parcel had a stream that was not apparent from the road (lazy agent) or cited on the listing. 10 acres for 15. Offered 12 and bang.
So just keep looking, every Saturday, with your cup.
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RobWnzl
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2016 07:01am
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Thanks, Dave, for the encouragement and advice.
Yeah, I totally agree - I figured the area was going to be pricey. I suppose I could slip back into the foothills of SC but it's not as attractive to me as the mtns. of NC. Staying within a reasonable driving distance from our home is paramount, too. I may just have to pay the high price. I'm sure I won't find a deal like yours. Wow! That is an awesome buy! I'd have burned rubber getting to that one!
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PA_Bound
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2016 09:10am - Edited by: PA_Bound
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Start with a big dose of patience and diligence. They're not making any more land, and its all currently owned by someone else. So you have to wait for them to be done with it before you can buy it.
More seriously, along with landwatch.com pick one of the realty-type websites and monitor it as well. I've been using Trulia.com lately, but have also used realtor.com and Zillow. Some (all?) of these tools have a function that allows you to create a search, then save it. Then the tool will e-mail you when new properties matching your search are posted.
I suggest this because I actually purchased my land this way. The PO hadn't set-foot on the land in over 10 years, had a child going off to college, and wanted money to cover that. So they engaged an old-fashioned realtor and put the property on the market.
I will close with the fact that it took me about 3 years of searching, however. And looking at a lot of coal before I found a diamond.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2016 01:02pm - Edited by: DaveBell
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Quoting: RobWnzl I'm sure I won't find a deal like yours.
Do like I did and what PA recommended. You just might find one.
There is one parcel for sale in WV right now where the seller is a church in FL. What's that tell ya. Someone passed, left it to their church, and the church could use the money. Bet they would come down some. So start looking.
I created a list of requirements and then prioritized them so I was ready.
Search for the other thread in here, same type of subject. Someone posted another real estate search site I'd not heard of. Also United Country.com
I wanted in priority order:
1. elevation, trees, price,
2. remote
3. water feature, next to WMA or National Forrest
4. View
So I could settle on a 1&2 and go without the others. Needs vs wants.
Air is dryer the farther up you get. I'm at 1800 feet and is way better than 400 feet in the summer. Dad's got 32 or 3400 in Waynesville. NC. He told me he only runs the AC 2-5 days a year. I've seen a property with their own natural water falls. ($$$$$)
And lastly, start practicing finding and using county GIS and county real estate tax sites. (Do not use that info as leverage, only as info to help make good decisions)
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NorthRick
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2016 04:36pm
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As others have said, the key is to start looking. Get an idea of what type of land in what locations typically goes for. As you get a feel for that, start narrowing down the areas you would like to own land in based on your wants balanced with what you can afford.
I'd also go one further than DaveBell's suggestion of checking the want ads every week. Take some time and go to a region you like and go check every property for sale that appeals to you. I mean actually walk it over. Do that a few weekends and you will really get a feel for what is a good deal and what isn't.
Get your financing lined up ahead of time. When a smoke'n deal comes along, 1) you'll know it, and 2) you can grab it before someone else does.
Good luck and have fun!
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RobWnzl
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2016 06:40pm
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Quoting: PA_Bound I will close with the fact that it took me about 3 years of searching, however. And looking at a lot of coal before I found a diamond.
I admire your perseverance, PA_Bound. It gives me a measure of hope that I may find something after all if I stick with it. Thanks for the suggestions - I'm familiar with all three apps.
Quoting: DaveBell I wanted in priority order: 1. elevation, trees, price, 2. remote 3. water feature, next to WMA or National Forrest 4. View
That's very similar to my top two desires:
1. Remote and $$ (as opposed to $$$$$)
2. View
Quoting: NorthRick Take some time and go to a region you like and go check every property for sale that appeals to you. I mean actually walk it over. Do that a few weekends and you will really get a feel for what is a good deal and what isn't.
Lol! I had to laugh!! Not at your advice but at a recollection I had after reading your post. Years ago, in my exuberance to locate "the best deal" on a new car, I travelled to 19 (!) different dealers in the state. I eventually got my price but in the process I also learned a lot about the gimmicks and tricks car dealers pull (my apologies to car salesmen). I can just imagine what may happen if I take the same approach to land buying in the mountains of NC!
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RobWnzl
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2016 06:49pm
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DaveBell - I didn't consider buying property adjacent to game management property ... something to ponder.
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Bevis
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2016 07:18pm
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Quoting: silverwaterlady there is a huge meth problem cooking and using near her peaceful home in the mountains.
they burned my Tenn cabin down from cooking Meth...
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Littlecooner
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2016 08:16pm
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Check the little local publications in the area of your desire that are the "free to you" classified ads that you find either free or for a small fee. keep looking, keep looking, find for sale by owner. do your homework. the county gis with values and maps are free to anyone with a computer. Be ready to jump on the bargain because if it is a bargain, it will only last a short time, sometimes only hours. That means doing your homework to determine 1) Asking price and 2) actual selling price for property in your desired area. Get in the car, head out on a Saturday morning and go cruse the desire area, pick up those free classified, the free real estate listing, go look. could be the appraisers and mappers at the local county courthouse may provide valuable information in your search ( you would have to visit them on a weekday) Hard work will be paid back one day with a nice property at a lot less expenditure that the lazy who just want to call a Realtor and buy what they say the seller wants for the property ( always as as minimum, fair value, but most of the the time above fair value. Hey its your money but its your future, keep looking
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RobWnzl
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2016 08:41pm
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I'm sorry for you Bevis. It's hard to understand those who are a drain on society. What area of Tenn were you located?
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RobWnzl
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2016 08:49pm
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Thanks, Littlecooner. I'm gathering info and your thoughts are a help. What type of questions did you ask at the county courthouse?
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 9 Dec 2016 07:25am
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Quoting: RobWnzl consider buying property adjacent to game management property
That's a score and neat trick. Buy 1/2 or 1 acre and get access and surroundings to 3000.
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Littlecooner
Member
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# Posted: 9 Dec 2016 07:29am
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County courthouse visit to the mapping and or appraisal section - Well, we live in the south, where most everyone is friendly to a stranger and willing to help answer questions. These are government employees so stopping to help a stranger and provide information is not going to be chastised by the supervisor, probably will win a few "brownie points" if anything. The mappers are keeping the maps current so they know which area are seeing large parcels broken off and sold, new subdivision that may be just recorded and just coming on the market, etc and also know the area where a lot of property exchanges hands. Appraisers are paid to know the value of land and building, that is their job and they also are required to periodically check the records by field visits of all the parcels, so they are out and about in the community, see where property is for sale and part of what they do is sales analysis of sold property, so they really have a better handle on what raw property and existing structures are worth in today's market that some of those appraisers you pay money to for their opinion. This departments information in open to the public and if you hit these friendly southerner with a smile, you will be amazed at how much free information that can be provided in a 10-15 minute trip. They just could tell you, "o yes, two weeks ago we were over on the babbling brook road and the retired dude is selling off a couple of parcels on the west end and the view of the creek is super, said he hated realtors was just putting of a sale by owner sign on the side of the road". All about the search. I could tell you about the 6 acres I own in Colorado that I paid $1200 cash for about 10 years ago. I have been there, not a great place but I still grin that I paid $ 200 an acre and its all mine. found it in a free classified add here in the southeast, guy was old, bad health and just wanted cash, so he got cash and I have a deed,
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 9 Dec 2016 07:29am
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Quoting: NorthRick Get your financing lined up ahead of time. When a smoke'n deal comes along, 1) you'll know it, and 2) you can grab it before someone else does.
Yes!! I had saved and set aside funds for just such an event. When it happened, I only needed a few more bucks to jump.
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deercula
Member
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# Posted: 9 Dec 2016 08:58am - Edited by: deercula
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I searched for YEARS! Drove several realtors to suicide. One told me "you are too picky". I told her "you are fired".
We made a list of "must have" and "can't have". I stuck to the list no matter what. Several pieces came close, but did not have it all.
I wanted a parcel that i would keep for the rest of my life. A place where my ashes would be scattered (hopefully not soon). I spent too much time, and gas money driving around to all these places that were for sale. I would get frustrated and stop looking for a few months. Then the bug would rise up again, and the search was back on.
Could not believe that i had cash, and could not find a parcel worth spending it on. Can't tell you how many places i looked at, but it was a lot. Some were wetlands, steep as hell, too narrow, next to a pig farm, next to a red neck junk yard, just brush, just fields, flood plains, logged to death, etc. etc.......
An older, very experienced realtor told me to forget about the "multiple listings" that are put out by the various realtor groups. She said the kind of parcel i was looking for would "never hit the open market". She said those pieces of land always end up with a family member, friend, neighbor, or someone that has hunted it for years. She suggested putting the word out to everybody i knew that i was looking, and had cash. This did produce a few leads, but more junk.
I put a "WANTED" add on Craigslist. No response for several months. Then one day out of the blue, an email. "I have 110 acres, looking to sell 40, all wooded, all mineral, gas, timber rights included. Interested?" YES! Looked at it, made a deal, and have been happy ever since.
My advice: Try Craigslist. Watch out for scammers. Research zoning, easements, prior gas, oil, mineral leases. Use a lawyer. Hold out for the piece that is your dream. It will be worth the wait! GOOD LUCK! Hope you end up looking like this! 
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RobWnzl
Member
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# Posted: 9 Dec 2016 06:02pm
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Quoting: Littlecooner This departments information in open to the public and if you hit these friendly southerner with a smile, you will be amazed at how much free information that can be provided in a 10-15 minute trip.
Thanks! It's amazing the difference a pleasant attitude will make. Good advice to an ol' Southerner!
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RobWnzl
Member
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# Posted: 9 Dec 2016 06:15pm
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Quoting: deercula I put a "WANTED" add on Craigslist. No response for several months. Then one day out of the blue, an email. "I have 110 acres, looking to sell 40, all wooded, all mineral, gas, timber rights included. Interested?" YES! Looked at it, made a deal, and have been happy ever since.
I'm hearing everyone ... persevere, be willing to wait a long time for the right property, check it out in person, look everywhere, be creative where and how you gather leads, stay away from the typical realtor, don't settle for less than you're willing to live with, check and double-check the surroundings, including records, have your financing in order, and ... persevere!
And maybe, just maybe, I'll end up like deercula!
(Great looking cabin, deercula!)
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