| If you are not familiar with the growth patterns, | | | | neighbors in the area and ask if they know who |
| ask an experienced real estate agent, talk to an | | | | owns the property. If you can't determine the |
| active real estate appraiser, or visit the Chamber | | | | owner and their address, go to the County Tax |
| of Commerce. Make sure you concentrate on an | | | | Assessor's office. At the Tax Assessor's office |
| area that is growing. You do not want to buy land | | | | you can locate the property on their tax maps |
| and have to hang on to it. Of course, if you use | | | | and they can provide you with the name and |
| the techniques in this book, you can tie up a piece | | | | address of the owner. By looking at the tax map |
| of property and see if it will resell before you | | | | you can determine how many acres the people |
| actually close on it. In order to find property that | | | | own and how it lies. This could give you very |
| can be bought for a reasonable price and provide | | | | important information on the approximate road |
| a good profit margin, you will normally look on the | | | | frontage and whether the road is public or private. |
| outskirts of the city. When looking for a tract, | | | | And whether the tract is so deep that a road |
| first make sure you are in a county that will not | | | | would have to be built or shallow enough so that |
| prevent your subdividing activities. Then as you | | | | it would be perfect for slicing up. Analyzing the |
| are looking for land in a particular area, notice if | | | | tax map could cause you to loose interest in that |
| there are fire hydrants or manhole covers in | | | | particular piece of land or could get you very |
| place. | | | | excited. These maps will also indicate any |
| And look for land with a for sale sign on it, | | | | easements that have been recorded on the |
| preferably by the owner. Personally I prefer to | | | | property. Also while you are there, if it looks as |
| find land that is not listed with a real estate | | | | though you want to pursue this piece of land, ask |
| company. Should you come upon property that | | | | if they have aerial maps of the area. |
| really gets your attention and there is no sign on | | | | You can then look at the tax map and determine |
| it, you will need to locate the owner. Even though | | | | roughly where the property lines are on the aerial |
| I feel that working directly with the owners of a | | | | photo. These photos can be very helpful in your |
| particular piece of land is preferred, working | | | | investigation of the tract as they would show |
| through a Realtor is still feasible. I found that | | | | possible problem areas such as a large swamp or |
| Realtors will go along with a delayed closing if they | | | | a large ravine, etc. It would be best for you to |
| feel that is the only way they can assure | | | | learn as much as possible about the land before |
| themselves of a commission in the near future. | | | | you approach the owners. Through the years, I |
| And on occasion they will cut their commission in | | | | have found the tax maps and aerials obtained at |
| order to make an arrangement work. | | | | the tax assessor's office to be very helpful. |
| To locate owners, first visit some of the | | | | |