Smart guides to land, property and real estate investing
A USDA final rule effective Nov. 9, 2026 excludes real estate commissions from the 6% seller concession cap on guaranteed rural home loans. Here is…
Yes, land can be financed, but usually not with a standard 30-year mortgage. Common options include land or lot loans from local banks and credit…
Sometimes. A landowner generally does not have to let a neighbor cross their land unless a legal right of access exists, such as a recorded…
Yes. Vacant land can be bought in a 1031 exchange, and land can also be sold as the relinquished property, as long as both properties…
Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed rate fell to 7.18% on Nov. 5, 2026, down from 7.24%. Here's what it means for monthly payments, land loans and…
A USDA final rule effective Nov. 9, 2026 excludes real estate commissions from the 6%…
Before you make an offer, confirm who actually owns the land. Where US county records live, how to trace a chain of title, where online searches fall short, and how…
Land flipping is a sales business that happens to involve dirt. How beginners find sellers, price offers, check parcels and resell, plus the licensing and tax rules newcomers learn too…
Owner financing opens land deals to buyers banks won't lend to, but the paperwork decides who is protected. How the structures work, what federal and Texas rules say, and the…
A 1031 exchange can defer federal tax when you sell investment land, but only if the structure and deadlines are right from closing day. Here is how the like-kind rules,…
A zoning map tells you the district. The ordinance tells you what you can build. How to read both, check overlays and use tables, and confirm the answer before you…
A track to a parcel is not the same as a legal right to use it. How landlocked land is defined, why it affects price and financing, and the routes…
Easements survive a sale, so you inherit them with the land. Here are the common types, where to find them in US, UK, Canadian and Australian title records, and how…
A perc test decides whether a lot without sewer can carry a septic system. Here is what the test measures, how Texas and Massachusetts handle it differently, and what to…
Raw land has no building to inspect, so the risk hides in zoning, access, soils, flood maps and title. Here are the 15 checks to run before buying vacant land…
Price per acre means little without context. A practical comps-and-adjustments method for valuing vacant land, a worked example, and the mistakes that lead buyers to overpay.