How to Find a House With Acreage
Whether you want to get out of the city or already live rurally and want to expand, you may want to look for a home with acreage. Depending on your needs and financial situation, you can find homes that come with land ranging anywhere from 5 to more than 100 acres. Although the same principles apply when buying a home in the city, there are other factors to consider when looking for a house with acreage.
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Instructions
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Hire a real estate agent with a good track record of selling rural homes. Even though the process of selling homes with a substantial amount of land is similar to selling homes in the city, an agent with rural experience will know the finer points when it comes to looking for a home with acreage. A real estate agent who specializes in rural properties will have access to more listings, as well as the experience to compare current listings to those that have been recently sold. Agencies such as United Country Real Estate specialize in rural properties across the country, but national real estate agencies like Century 21 and RE/MAX can also steer you to real estate agents experienced with rural property.
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Tell your real estate agent what you would like to do with the land in advance. Some counties or municipalities may have zoning rules that place restrictions on how you may develop land or that prohibit certain types of animals from being kept on that land. For example, if you wish to have a large amount of land for horse keeping or for creating a pond, your agent will need to know this information to narrow the search to communities that allow it.
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Research options on your own. You don't need to leave the entire search in your real estate agent's hands. While the agent is on the hunt for your new home, you can be doing research on what is available by searching Internet listings on real estate agencies' websites. (See Resources.) You can be as specific as you please by narrowing your search by number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and location. You can also refine your options by choosing the size of the land the home sits on, most ranging from 1 to 20+ acres.
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Review your options. Depending on where you live, you may have more or less to choose from when it comes to finding a house with acreage. If you live in a more rural area, chances are you will have many properties to compare. The more flexible you are, the better chances you have of finding a great deal on a new home. Good public school systems drive up the prices of homes in a community, so if your children are out of school or you don't have any, you could find a good deal in area where the schools don't have a good reputation.
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Proceed with the sale. If you are certain that you have found a property with an acreage that fits your needs and wish to purchase, your real estate agent can take you through the rest of the home-buying process.
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Tips & Warnings
If you find a property with acreage that is out of your price range, consider asking your agent to negotiate with the buyer to buy only the amount of acres that you can afford.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit farm house image by Brett Bouwer from Fotolia.com
