Part of business is education. In the land business, it’s common you will find remote properties that do not have registered addresses to simply plug into google maps, so accessing these listings can seem complicated, but it’s actually really easy with some helpful tools which I will explain here. You may also run the problem of wondering where the property lines are if the land isn’t staked out, which I can help with as well.
Second portion of this will be addressing your questions about building, water, electric, development, usage, etc can be a concern before you buy land. I will show you how we find information regarding specific properties.
Lastly, I will talk about how we can offer such low prices, and where we find these properties.
We want you to be comfortable and confident in your purchase! Our goal is to offer land that everyone has the opportunity to use for investment, recreation, or development.
- How to access a Wilco Land property?
- I suggest using the GPS coordinates from our website, then plugging those into your smartphone, google maps, or google earth. Always research the route and location before you leave home.
- View the Google Maps/Earth link on our site.
- View the tax/plat map
- How do I know where the property lines are?
- Sometimes land will be marked in the corners, and often times it will not be. To give you an idea, you can plug the 4 corner GPS coordinates into your phone and try to walk it while you’re there. Keep in mind these are approximate. A land survey is what will yield exact results.
- I also suggest viewing the Google Maps/Earth link in our website listing, and finding a marker in each corner to try to give you an idea. (ex. Is there a road that one corner butts up to, is there a power line in a corner you can see, does it start to slope at this property line, is there a group of trees on the back line of the land)
Here is a video of me walking through access and location on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Pj2llwzZC8&t=4s
- When it comes to zoning, development, electric, water, etc – I suggest talking to locals and calling the county offices (assessors or building and development) to learn more about the specific area. A simple google search will yield those numbers. We can guide you in the right direction and tell you more about what we know about the areas we sell. But we strive to have our customers get those questions answered on their own, so they can hear it straight from the source. I ask myself a few questions…
- Are there homes nearby? Good indicator there is potential to develop/build.
- How close are power lines? Are locals using alternative sources?
- Does the county have a website with zoning etc? Below are links to view county assessor sites. To search any property, use the parcel ID or “APN”
- What do I say when I call the county or a local well/electric company asking these questions?
- To identify a parcel you will need the parcel ID/APN and county of the land – which you can find in our listings.
- We often also include legal descriptions which can tell you subdivision and/or HOA/POA.
- Let them know you’re looking at land in the area, and has some questions about a specific area, or parcel.
- Often times the county has a parcel search website and GIS map to view parcel records, tax maps, zoning, etc – here are some links to the counties we often work in:
Siskiyou County: https://assessor.compulog.com/Crook County: http://gis.co.crook.or.us/
Fremont County: https://www.fremontco.com/assessor/erecords.shtml
Lassen County: http://www.lassencounty.org/dept/assessor/assessor
- Where does Wilco Land find these properties and why are they so cheap?
- Wilco mines TONS of data and sends out offers to purchase thousands of properties. In return, individuals who own land, and wish to sell – and we are able to pick up land at discounted price and pass those savings on to you. At the end of the day, it’s a numbers game for us.
- Why do they sell to us? There are many reasons, but the big reason is simplicity. We can handle the process from start to finish and make their life easy.
- The area I want land is not listed on your site?
- Our goal is to keep growing this business, and be able to provide the opportunity to service more counties and locations. We hope to roll out new locations as often as we can.
- Can I make an offer other than what is listed on our site? Of course! We got into this business to make owning real estate available for everyone, no matter what your income is. If there is a property you really like, we want to work with you to make land ownership a reality for you.
- What are my options to purchase and what does it look like?
- You’re first option is a cash sale (one time payment): For this type of purchase we often close in house for a $350 processing fee, and both parties sign a purchase agreement. Wilco Land then deeds the property to you upon payment. Another route, is using a title company to make the purchase. We often work with First American Title, which has locations across the country.
- You’re second option is an owner carry or financing option: For this type of purchase we close in house and both parties engage in a land contract specifying how much the down payment, monthly payment, and length of the contract will be. Again, a $350 processing fee will be charged. After both parties complete paperwork, the down payment will be due, and you are ready to start using the land!
I hope all of this information is helpful, and again if you have questions do not hesitate to simply call or send us an email, we’d love to hear from you!
I am no expert on this subject but I thought I would give you a few tools I use and things I look for before I buy.
To your land ownership,
Miles McLaughlin
