"Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam, where the deer and the antelope play..."  So many of us dream of owning a little piece of the great American countryside-- a quiet place where we can "get away from it all". 

How many of you have ever thought about buying a piece of land somewhere, and either building your own home, or putting one of the new pre-fab houses on it?  I know I have.  It is often part of my vision for that "someday" when I retire.  But just hold on there all you country folk wanna bees...let me share with you some practical tips on buying land that make it different than purchasing a home.

Purchasing a rural piece of property is quite different from buying a nice little house in the suburbs. There are many more things that need to be considered before you sign your name on the purchase contract. If your dream is to build a house in the country, here are 10 tips that may help save you problems and expense down the road.

1. Work with a real estate agent who is familiar with country property in the county you are buying land. Even if the land is cheap land, you still want a knowledgeable agent helping you.

2. Be aware of the zoning laws. For instance, you may be looking at a nice little 5 acre parcel to build a house on for you, and a small cottage in the back for grandma. Make sure the zoning allows for two homes on the property. If you plan to have farm animals, make sure it is zoned for large animals. Zoning can also affect outbuildings, crops, roads, fences, towers..etc.

3. Check out the utility sources. Where is the main electrical hook up? Is it at the street, or is it four miles down the road at the neighbors farm? You will have to pay to bring the electricity up to your house from wherever it currently is. The same is true for phone lines. You will need permits for your utilities.

4. What is your water source? Is there city water available or will you need to dig a well? Digging a well can cost thousands of dollars without guarantees of success! Tying into to city water will also require an expense and a permit. Make sure you are able to get a permit before you buy. Some areas only allow so many water permits a year to be issued due to shortages.

5. If there is a well existing on the property you will want to test it. Test the quality of the water (for bad things that may lurk in the water that you can't see or taste). You will also want to test the amount of water that can be pumped in an hour. You don't want to run out of water in the dry months.

6. If you are in the country, you will likely be on a septic system. If one is in existence, how old is it? Have the tank inspected and pumped. How big is your tank? Is it big enough for your size of house and family?

7. Easements- this is one of the scariest things about buying rural land- especially if the land is cheap. You can find out who has a recorded easement by looking at the preliminary title report. An easement is a legal right of use. This means someone-- other than you-- has a right to use a portion of the property. It can be for a variety of purposes. The most common is access to their land. But it can also be an easement for a shared well. It can be a share in a pond or river, a driveway or road, utilities, fences, etc. Knowing about the easements on a piece of land is vital. It also means there is usually a shared responsibility for repair, and upkeep.It is very common for land in the country to have easements.

8. Geological report, Natural hazard report, and soil test- know what kind of dirt you have. By this I mean you need to know if you are building on top of bad soil...asbestos for instance. Or maybe there used to be a garbage dump or an abandoned mine on the property. Some old properties may be part of an old military base. The military is notorious for burying all kinds of nasty things like tanks with rocket fuel or live ammunition. Getting a geological report and soil test on any raw land should disclose this.

Flood zones, earthquake zones, high fire zones-- all of these can impact how you can build, where you can build, and how much insurance you may have to buy to protect against these natural disasters. There should be a Natural Hazard report that will disclose these.

9. Road access-- What kind of road is there to get to the property? If it is dirt, you may want to try it out after a heavy rain. A dry dirt road in summer can become an impassable mudslide in winter. If it is an oil dirt road or gravel, you will be responsible for reapplication.

10. The other important report to get is a survey. This is important because you want to know where your legal boundaries are. It is nice to have the seller wave his arms and tell you the ranch you want to buy is as far as the eye can see. Maybe Mr. seller is partially vision impaired and to him that means as far as to the end of the drive...not to horizon line. Know just how far and wide your new dream horse ranch you are purchasing really goes.

Living in the country can be a wonderful life. Buying raw land in the rural countryside has different considerations than purchasing a home in the city. Knowing some of these nuances can save you a great deal of money and headache, by taking a few precautions. Hiring a real estate agent familiar with land purchases, or even better, a rural land specialist, is the best plan of action. Aside from that, being an informed buyer will give you the peace of mind knowing your "home on the range" will not turn into the "money pit". Instead you can live the great country life you always dreamed of on your beautiful piece of land in the rural American countryside!