Why won’t anyone sell me land?

May 1, 2007 | By Kelley Koehler | Filed Under Tucson Land

I received a call the other night from a gentleman looking to buy land in Southeastern Tucson. He had contacted several other Realtors, all who wanted to sell him a piece of land with a HOUSE already on it! Being quite frustrated, he found me online, and decided to call.

“Why,” he asks, “Why doesn’t anyone want to sell me land?”

It’s a good question. A lot of Real Estate Agents don’t want to sell land, or be involved in transactions having to do with land. The bottom line is that houses are easier to sell. Land is a lot more work.

When buying land, there are many more questions to be answered and research to be done:

– Is there water available at the property? City water or will a well need to be dug?
– Is there sewer connections available?
– Will a septic system need to be installed? Will the land drain well enough for a septic system to work?
– Is there electricity available at the property? Does it come all the way to the lot line or is the closest power half a mile away?
– Is there gas available? How far away is it?
– Is there cable available? How far away is it?
– What kind of housing can I put on this land? Are manufactured homes allowed?
– How much of this land can be developed?
– Can I build a guest house or workshop on this land?
– Will the deed restrictions allow me to build a two story house on the parcel? Will home design and colors be restricted?
– Where are the boundaries of the land?
– What can be build on the adjacent parcels?
– Where are the easements on this property?
– Where can a structure be built on the property?
– Is the parcel in a Hillside Development Zone?

And that’s just the BEGINNING of the questions needing to be answered!

Given the additional research and the specialized knowledge needed to buy and sell land in Tucson, some agents have made the business decision to not get involved in land transactions. Not every Real Estate Agent is up to the task of selling land!

If you’re looking for a special parcel of land in the Tucson area, send me an email at kelley@housechick.com, or call me at (520) 918-5246, and let’s see if we can find you the right piece of dirt.

Photo courtesy of Arkntina.

tags: agent, realtor, tucson, land

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