By 
If you’ve perused the real estate section of eBay, you may have noticed a land section that is filled with listings for raw or vacant land. The raw earth is exactly what it sounds like, it hasn’t been developed at all. He is homeless, generally without a well, septic tank, etc. and on eBay some of these listings seem to have land at a very affordable price. It’s possible to get a good deal on eBay land, but it’s important to do your research first or you may end up regretting your purchase.
My first and only experience buying land on eBay was in December 2010. For years I had been searching the eBay land listings, more out of curiosity than anything else, but as my search for local land became unrealistic due to the high land prices, I turned to eBay for something more affordable. My intention to buy land on eBay has been solely for retirement. I currently live on a one acre lot and would like to retire on a much larger lot. I figured if I made my land ownership payments by the time I retired, I could build a house with savings or sell my current house and live there rent-free and mortgage-free. I had my plan, now I just needed to find a suitable piece of land.
For anyone looking to buy land, whether on eBay or from a real estate agent, it’s important to look for a few things. The first thing to look for is accessibility. Where is the land? Is it on a main paved street? Is that path maintained throughout the year? Or is it a seasonal dirt road that is only maintained during the warm months and covered in snow during the colder months? Making access to and from your property very difficult. Is it close to services such as shops, supermarkets, post office, etc.? When looking for land, do you want to maintain the comfort of life where you are, or are you really looking to rough it up and be truly self-sufficient? There is also the issue of easements, some land may be “landlocked”, that is, they do not have direct access to a highway. This also usually means that you will have to traverse someone else’s land to get to a road. This can be a touching situation. Imagine someone buys land adjacent to yours and has or needs an easement to cross your land to get to the highway. This can sometimes create tension between neighbors. I recommend avoiding a parcel of land that requires an easement to go to and from your property.
Another important thing to consider is access to clean water. Lots of land lots on eBay are far from utilities, not all but a good portion, in these cases you will need to drill a well for water. This is easier in the east than in the west. Many of the cheap parcels of land in states like Arizona or Colorado may not have water because they are so dry. Therefore, the water would have to be trucked to your site and stored for use. It is important to ask the seller if the water table is high enough to drill a well. There are many things you can live without, but it’s really hard to live without water, for yourself, but especially if you plan on raising animals. Access to energy is another thing to look for. Sometimes buying land is a good opportunity to disconnect. When choosing your land, explore what types of renewable energy would be feasible. Almost all lots are great for solar or wind power, as long as there isn’t too much tree cover. Many lots have electricity on or near the street. You’ll also want a heat source, so it’s best to choose what that heat source will be before you buy your land. Will it be firewood that you grow or buy, or propane or solar? These are all things to consider when buying land.
What do you want to build on this plot of land? Some lots, even if they are in the middle of nowhere, will have certain requirements about what you can and cannot build. This was one of my mistakes when buying land. I forgot to ask about these requirements. I was hoping that I could build a small, efficient cabin-style home on the land I purchased, but when I finally received all my information, I found out that the municipality requires a home that is at least 1500 square feet. There go the plans of my little cabin. Many municipalities and counties will have similar requirements so research that beforehand Taxes, you’ll pay taxes wherever you go. The more services the local government provides, the more you will pay in taxes! an acre of land taxed at $100 a year will likely consist of a parcel of land near a seasonal dirt road, the same acre at $2000 a year will likely be on a paved road year-round with utilities, street lighting, etc. . We know that taxes always go up and increase with the development of the land itself, as well as the surrounding area, so keep this in mind when shopping.
There’s also the fact that it’s eBay and you have to protect yourself from scammers. If you can take a trip to see the lot, that’s the best thing to do because it will be your own fault if you buy something without seeing it. I must admit that I bought my land without having seen it first, in fact, as of the date of this publication, I have not visited it yet. My only view has been on Google Streetview and so far that has given me enough peace of mind to continue making those payments, but I also have a few other things that make me feel confident about my purchase. My land transaction came with a contract, as all land transactions should. Make sure both you and the seller sign this contract, that it is notarized or witnessed, and that both parties have a copy. This will help protect you legally in case something goes wrong and there are questions about who the real owner of the land is. This is just my experience with buying land on eBay, but so far I don’t regret my decision. I feel like I did enough research on this particular parcel and land purchase in general to give me confidence in my decision. If you do the proper research, you can also find good quality land at a good price.