If you've every perused the Real Estate section of eBay, you will
have noticed a Land section which is full of listings for raw or vacant
land. Raw land is exactly what it sounds like, it has not been developed
at all. It has no home, usually no well, no septic, etc and on eBay
some of these listings appear to have land for a very affordable price.
It is possible to get good deal on a plot of land from eBay but it is
important to 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 eBay's land listing, more out of curiosity than anything but as my search for local land became unrealistic due to high land prices, I turned to eBay for something more affordable. My intent to buy land on eBay has been solely for retirement. I currently live on a one acre lot and I would like to retire on a much larger lot. I thought that if I made my payments to own the land by the time i retire, then I would be able to build a home with savings or from selling my current house and live there rent and mortgage free. I had my plan, now I just needed to find a suitable tract of land.
For anyone looking to buy land, whether it's on eBay or from a realtor, it's important to look for a few things. First thing to look for is accessibility. Where is the land? Is it on a main paved road? Is that road maintained year round? Or is it a seasonal dirt road that is only maintained during the warm months and snowed over during the colder months? Making access to and from your property very difficult. Is it near amenities like stores, supermarkets, post office, etc. When you are looking for land do you want to maintain the convenience of life of where you are or are you really looking to rough it and be truly self-sufficient. There is also the issue of easements, some plot of land may be "land-locked" This means they have no direct access to a road. This also usually means that you will have to cross through someone else's land to get to a road. This can be a touchy situation. Imagine someone buying land adjacent to yours and having or needing an easement to cross your land to get to the road. This can sometimes lead to tension between neighbors. I recommend to avoid a plot of land that requires an easement to get to and from your property.
Another important thing to consider is access to clean water. Many land lots on eBay are far from utilities, not all but a good bit, in these cases you will need to drill a well for water. This is easier in the east than in the west. Many of the cheap plots of land in states like Arizona or Colorado, may not even have water since they are so dry. So water would have to be trucked onto your site and stored for your use. It is important to ask the seller if the water table is high enough for a well to be drilled. There are a lot of things you can live without but it's really hard to live without water, for yourself but especially if you plan on raising animals.Access to energy is another thing to look for. Sometimes buying land is a good opportunity to go off grid. When choosing you plot of land, explore which types of renewable energy would be feasible. Almost all lots are great for solar or wind as long as there is not too much tree cover. Many lots have electric at the street or nearby. You will also want a source of heat so it is best to choose what that source of heat will be before you buy your land. Will it be firewood you grow or buy, or propane, or solar? These are all things to consider when shopping for land.
My first and only experience buying land on eBay came in December 2010. For years I had been browsing eBay's land listing, more out of curiosity than anything but as my search for local land became unrealistic due to high land prices, I turned to eBay for something more affordable. My intent to buy land on eBay has been solely for retirement. I currently live on a one acre lot and I would like to retire on a much larger lot. I thought that if I made my payments to own the land by the time i retire, then I would be able to build a home with savings or from selling my current house and live there rent and mortgage free. I had my plan, now I just needed to find a suitable tract of land.
For anyone looking to buy land, whether it's on eBay or from a realtor, it's important to look for a few things. First thing to look for is accessibility. Where is the land? Is it on a main paved road? Is that road maintained year round? Or is it a seasonal dirt road that is only maintained during the warm months and snowed over during the colder months? Making access to and from your property very difficult. Is it near amenities like stores, supermarkets, post office, etc. When you are looking for land do you want to maintain the convenience of life of where you are or are you really looking to rough it and be truly self-sufficient. There is also the issue of easements, some plot of land may be "land-locked" This means they have no direct access to a road. This also usually means that you will have to cross through someone else's land to get to a road. This can be a touchy situation. Imagine someone buying land adjacent to yours and having or needing an easement to cross your land to get to the road. This can sometimes lead to tension between neighbors. I recommend to avoid a plot of land that requires an easement to get to and from your property.
Another important thing to consider is access to clean water. Many land lots on eBay are far from utilities, not all but a good bit, in these cases you will need to drill a well for water. This is easier in the east than in the west. Many of the cheap plots of land in states like Arizona or Colorado, may not even have water since they are so dry. So water would have to be trucked onto your site and stored for your use. It is important to ask the seller if the water table is high enough for a well to be drilled. There are a lot of things you can live without but it's really hard to live without water, for yourself but especially if you plan on raising animals.Access to energy is another thing to look for. Sometimes buying land is a good opportunity to go off grid. When choosing you plot of land, explore which types of renewable energy would be feasible. Almost all lots are great for solar or wind as long as there is not too much tree cover. Many lots have electric at the street or nearby. You will also want a source of heat so it is best to choose what that source of heat will be before you buy your land. Will it be firewood you grow or buy, or propane, or solar? These are all things to consider when shopping for land.
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