Comments on: How to Buy a Vacant Home Site

on 9/5/2006 Even if your land purchase is for future use, it is wise to check the floodplain designation for your property. Your insurance agency can provide the FEMA designation, but official confirmation must come from the county or state. This designation is used to determine eligibility and cost of flood insurance.

Another issue can be soil stability and issues of soil expansion and contraction,which need to be considered in the design and placement of a house. This information should be checked with a county or state environmental quality department.

on 11/22/2005 Our realtor recommended that we drill the well prior to purchase, as she learned that people in our area need water treatment systems. She felt that this would assist us in asking for credit from the buyer, due to the cost of water treatment.

on 11/22/2005 One more area that you have to explore is the existence of toxic wastes on the property. Anything from oil leaks to chicken carcasses can make the land toxic - and, in California for example, the responsibility for cleanup falls on the current owner.