Putting together a land profile?

[Betho]

OK so I found a parcel of land today... for weeks I've been just kinda offhandedly dreaming and looking at land. Found one today and showed my mom and she showed my dad and they actually are thinking of buying it. 120 acres of forest with a 30 acre meadow in the middle and a spring, off the beaten path.

Our plan is to get a larger piece and subdivide it so my folks and my siblings, we can each own our own piece. Sort of like a commune. We aren't ready to do anything yet (gotta coordinate 4 families here lol) but the land is perfect, my folks have the $$ to buy it and the price is right (and will continue to go up). So it would be in the best interest of our future plans for them to buy it now if they can get a good price.

So my dad asked me to put together a sort of profile, like a business plan in a way. I'm wondering what sort of things I should put on there?

Closest airport, closest big city, closest grocery store, hospitals, school districts, crime rates, rainfall, growing season, county restrictions of some sort, etc. What else should I include and where on earth am I going to find that stuff out?

[Dutchie]

Start with the Census website and Google the rest. Put the name of the county in Google.

[brownthumb]

what about a subdivision plan?

[Meg Z]

Don't forget the actual land. Can you get a map so you can see buildable homesites, potential water problems if heavy rains, access issues?

[anniew]

I'd want to know the soil type so I'd know if it could grow stuff.
Job potential? Market potential for anything you grow/raise?
Taxes? What would they be if you subdivide?
Any plans for commercial/industrial sites nearby?
Rights of way? Clear deed?

[fantasymaker]

price? restictions?

[Yeti]

you can use www.terraserver.microsoft.com to search properties to view them from satalite. also www.zillow.com will give you state equalized value when you view home on it.

[Betho]

so far here's the list of questions I need to get answered. Anything to add?

Closest airport
Closest big city
Closest hospital
Closest grocery store
Closest shopping mall
School district rating
Distance to elementary, middle and high schools
Crime rates
Rainfall
Water table
Is there a natural water source?
If so, do we have water rights?
Is that water source year round or seasonal?
Buildable homesites
Access roads?
Flooding areas?
Soil type
How long is the growing season?
Annual taxes?
Electric?
City Water?
Phone?
Internet?
Need for a well?
Septic?
Plans for commercial/industrial sites nearby?
Clear deed?
Mineral/timber rights?
Rights of way?
Industries in Colville
Zoned as?
Any building restrictions?
What % of the property is level?
Does it pass soil compaction tests?
Any native American burial sites?
Any existing easements/shared driveways/etc?
Has the property been used for dumping?
Water quality tested?
Any zoning changes planned?
Is there an HOA?
Covenants?
What sort of timber is on the land?
Roads to the property maintained?
May we see the Seller’s disclosure?
Why is it being sold?
Is it being sold off a larger acreage

[hunter63]

Pretty good list, that should cover a lot of stuff if you can get honest answers.

Any way here is a site for the USDA satellite soil survey, and if you really get into it it will give you soil loading and drainage etc.
It was listed in my USDA fram news letter. Pretty recent pic's also.
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/

[fin29]

I would add in there the direction of the slope of the land--critical to good growing and one of the first things I look at when I'm considering a piece of open space for crops. Ideally (at least in my neck of the woods), you want a slightly west of south exposure on your growing area.