If you’ve read eBay’s real estate section carefully, you may have noticed a land section that is littered with listings of vacant or rough land. The raw earth is exactly what it sounds like, it hasn’t been developed at all. He is homeless, usually no well, no septic, etc. and on eBay some of these listings seem to have land at a very affordable price. It is possible to get a good deal on a piece of land on eBay, but it is important that you do your research first or you may end up regretting your purchase.

My first and only experience buying land on eBay came in December 2010. For years I had been browsing the eBay land list, more out of curiosity than anything else, but as my search for local land became unrealistic due to high land prices, I turned to eBay for something more affordable. My intention to buy land on eBay has been solely for my retirement. I currently live on a one acre lot and would like to retire on a much larger lot. I figured if I made my payments to own the land for when I retire, then I could build a house with savings or sell my current house and live there without rent or mortgage. I had my plan, now I just needed to find a suitable ground.

For anyone looking to buy land, whether it’s on eBay or from a real estate agent, it’s important to look for a few things. The first thing to look for is accessibility. Where is the land? Are you on a paved main road? Is that path maintained throughout the year? Or is it a seasonal dirt road that is only maintained during the warm and snowy months during the colder months? Making access to and from your property very difficult. Is it close to services such as shops, supermarkets, post office, etc.? When you are looking for land, do you want to maintain the comfort of life where you are, or are you really looking to sneak out and be truly self-sufficient? There is also the problem of easements, some parcels of land may be “landlocked”. This means that they do not have direct access to a road. Usually this also means that you will have to cross someone else’s terrain to reach a road. This can be a tricky situation. Imagine someone who buys a piece of land adjacent to yours and has or needs an easement to get across your lot and onto the road. Sometimes this can create tensions between neighbors. I recommend avoiding a parcel of land that requires an easement to get to and from your property.

Another important aspect to consider is access to drinking water. Many lots of land on eBay are far from public services, not all of them, but a good part; In these cases, you will need to drill a well to get water. This is easier in the east than in the west. Many of the cheap parcels of land in states like Arizona or Colorado may not even have water as they are so dry. Therefore, the water would have to be trucked to your site and stored for use. It is important to ask the seller if the water table is high enough to drill a well. There are many things you can live without, but it is very difficult to live without water, for you, but especially if you plan to raise animals. Sometimes buying land is a good opportunity to disconnect from the grid. When choosing your plot of land, explore what types of renewable energy would be feasible. Almost all lots are ideal for solar or wind energy as long as there is not too much tree cover. Many lots have electricity on or near the street. You’ll also want a heat source, so it’s best to choose what that heat source will be before purchasing your land. Do you grow or buy firewood, propane or solar energy? These are all things to consider when buying land.

What do you want to build on this piece of land? Some lots, even though they are in the middle of nowhere, will have certain requirements on what you can and cannot build. This was one of my mistakes when buying land. I forgot to ask about these requirements. I was hoping to build an efficient little log cabin home on the land I purchased, but when I finally received all of my information, I discovered that the township requires a home of at least 1500 square feet. Here are my little cabin plans. Many municipalities and counties will have similar requirements to research that beforehand. Taxes, you will pay taxes wherever you go. The more services your local government provides, the more you will pay in taxes! The acre of land taxed at $ 100 a year will likely consist of a parcel of land near a seasonal dirt road, the same acre at $ 2000 a year will likely be on a year-round paved highway with utilities, streetlights, etc. We know that taxes always go up and up with the development of the land itself, as well as the surrounding area, so keep it on me when shopping.

There is also the fact that it is eBay and you have to protect yourself from scammers. If you can take a trip to see the lot, that’s the best you can do because it will be your fault if you buy something without actually seeing it. I have to admit that I bought my land without seeing it first, in fact, as of the date of this post, I have not visited it yet. My only view has been on Google Streetview and so far that has given me enough peace of mind to continue making those payments, but I also have a few other things that make me feel confident about my purchase. My land transaction came with a contract, as all land transactions should be. Make sure that both you and the seller sign this contract, that it is notarized or has witnesses, and that both parties have a copy. This will help you protect yourself legally in case something goes wrong and there are questions about who is the true owner of the land. This is just my experience with buying land on eBay, but so far I do not regret my decision. I feel like I did enough research on this particular parcel and land purchase in general, which gives me confidence in my decision. If you do the proper research, you can also find good quality land at a good price.