The questions that most often turn a cheap lot into a bad one, and how far free public data gets you on each before you spend money on professionals. Each guide links its sources and ends with the steps on the map.
How to check a piece of land — the raw-land desk check in the order that kills the most deals fastest, who to call at the county, and what only a survey, title search and perc test can answer.
Legal access vs physical access — a road on the map is not a right to use it. What the Road access row can tell you, and where the rest lives.
Will it perc? — what a perc test is and costs, what a septic system can cost, how to read the soil survey's rating before you pay, and what to do if land fails.
How to read a soil map — what a soil survey map unit means, the septic, drainage, hydric and farmland ratings, and what the map colours do and do not show.
How to read a flood map — zones A, AE, X, V and the floodway in plain words, when flood insurance is required, and how it is priced now.
Wetlands on a parcel: what the map shows and what it means — what the National Wetlands Inventory shows, the permit rules in plain words, and how a delineation changes where you can build.
How to read a zoning code for a piece of land — what a district code like A-1 or RR-5 does and does not tell you, where the ordinance and the map live, and what to confirm with the planning office.
HOA covenants and deed restrictions on raw land — what recorded covenants and a homeowners association can control on vacant land, where to find them, and the dues that attach to an empty lot.
What unrestricted land means and how to check it — what the word on a listing can mean, the septic, building, flood and subdivision rules it never removes, and how to check a parcel before you buy.
Can you put a mobile home on your own land? — what zoning, covenants, the home's HUD label and wind zone, septic, flood and the setup permit each decide, with one county's checklist.
Land-home packages: how they work and what to check first — the three deals sold under that name, why the loan matters, what the price may leave out, and what to check before you sign.
Buying farmland — CSR2, PI and NCCPI soil ratings and the weighted average, tillable acres, FSA records, CRP, tile and drainage districts, Swampbuster, water rights and the lease.
Buying tax-deed and tax-delinquent land — back taxes, redemption periods, quiet title, access, covenants, the seller's last sale, stale listings and working through a county list one parcel at a time.
General information, not legal, engineering or financial advice. Confirm anything that matters with the county and a licensed professional.