Using Your Property
As we expand into more states and counties to find you the best deals and hottest pieces of land, there naturally are questions about what can be done on lots and how to understand various restrictions as our inventory expands across state and county lines.
In all cases, we encourage you to contact the local county or city to confirm your specific plan and we have included contact information for the relevant offices in some of the major counties we offer land.
If you are having trouble getting in touch with the county or are unsure how to proceed, please give us a call and we can help you work it out and find the right lot for you.
Understanding Zoning
We also wanted to help give more context to some of the residential zoning codes we use to describe our properties. In most cases, looking into local zoning codes is the best way to understand what general restrictions apply to your land.
Beyond the zoning, if you have a special project and are unsure if it will be allowed, contact our staff and we can help you by looking at the vesting deed. Vesting deeds can be accessed via county Recorder’s websites, but we understand the process can be confusing at times and are available to help. What you need is the Deed Book and Page numbers that we provide in our lot descriptions.
When land is parceled out, in most cases, there are some restrictions and covenants that limit the ways people can use the land. Some of these expire over time and others remain forever. It is important to look into the vesting chain because in some cases land will be zoned somewhat vaguely and there may be additional restrictions only explained in the deed history.
The two most common areas of zoning related questions we face are about the types of structures that can be placed on the lots and the commercial purposes that the land can be used for.
Structures on Your Land
Regarding the types of structures, if you are planning on placing a mobile home, tiny house, or residential vehicle on a plot of land, it is important to look into the county zoning code and confirm that you can receive an occupancy permit for that type of structure within that zoning code.
Furthermore, some deeds will have restrictions that state mobile homes can be placed but only under certain conditions. When this is the case, it is important to make sure that the structure you plan to live in can comply with these requirements. If you plan to live in a RV, then a restriction requiring an underpinning or foundation would make an RV not a viable option.
Starting a Business on Your Land
Some people are interested in starting a business alongside their new home and in some cases the local zoning will allow this. But for many businesses, your structure would need to be on commercially zoned land which would not allow for a residential building. Similarly, over the last few decades there has been an expansion of people looking for land to homestead or farm.
If you plan to have a small garden for personal consumption, then residential or agricultural land in most cases will allow you to build or place a structure of your choice and farm to feed your family.
On the other hand, if your plan is to use land to farm and plan to sell the products for profit, you are going to want to make sure that the land you are farming is agricultural land or that the county has a special designation that allows large scale farming on land without zoning.
For more information about some of our major land offerings, look below to sections explaining local zoning codes, general tips, and key contacts.