Land-buying guides

How to find land that nobody listed: owner sales, county records, old home sites with the well and septic already in, and how to ask an owner to sell.

• How to find land for sale by owner (that isn't on Zillow)Where owners actually post land for sale themselves, how to find the parcels that are never posted at all, and what to check before you buy land without an agent.
• How to find off-market land with county recordsA step-by-step guide to using free county parcel maps and tax records to find land that is not listed: absentee owners, estates, old home sites and long-held lots.
• How to tell if a vacant lot already has a well, septic and powerFormer home sites often come with a well, septic system and power already in place. How to check the records before you buy, and why 'already there' does not always mean 'ready to use'.
• How to write a letter to buy land from the owner (with a template)A short, honest letter is the most reliable way to buy land that is not for sale. What to say, what to leave out so it does not look like a scam, and a template you can copy.