FAQ
May I put shipping containers on the land?
There are all kinds of local guidelines that are different from one side of the street to the other in some cases. Check the local rules. Maybe you can add some wheels that may get around the zoning, lots of tiny home people on YouTube seem to be doing that. Get creative with it. The zoning guys tell you what you can’t do and you have to figure what you can do from there.
May I build a house out of tires on the land?
Hopefully so because those are cheap and efficient if you are willing to put in the labour. Check the zoning and get creative. Read between the lines.
May I build a house out of bottles or cans and earth?
You realize there is a recycle value to those cans in CA right? It might be cheaper to try that in New Mexico or elsewhere. When you build it please send me some pictures. Better yet make lots of YouTube videos along the way. If you make good videos I might sponsor you.
Will you give me a tour?
No, I’m not a real estate agent trying to pry a commission out of you to pay for a financed car to drive you around in. Use your cell phone to look up the GPS coordinates to the property. Download a free app that shows you the actual coordinates. Drive out there or better yet ride your bike. It is healthier and with all the money you save you can buy more land.
Do you have any pictures of the land?
Sometimes I hire someone to go take pictures but I started noticing that someone often buys the land before I get the pictures from the person I hired to go get them. If you are touring my properties please take pictures. I will compensate you for good pictures. Try to get the road or lack there of. The view in all directions and anything you think is noteworthy good or bad.
Can we use escrow to close?
Sure, if you pay for it. Signing over a deed is really easy so I have a hard time paying someone else to do something I know how to do and have done many times.
Do you offer title insurance?
Sure, if you pay for it. To me their numbers make me feel like I am being robbed. In CA they pay out something like $0.03 for every $1.00 they charge. That is a 97% profit margin. There are super high barriers to getting into the title insurance business. I think they must pay the real estate agents and everyone else in real estate huge kickbacks to keep that sales pitch going. Most deeds are digitized now so most anybody can go research the chain of title. It is not like they are going to the recorders office and digging through files to price their insurance. When you buy land with out a mortgage you don’t have to be taken to the cleaners by the title insurance companies. Read the article by Forbes here.
May I record my own title?
Sure, I would be more than happy to send you what you need to record your own title if you know what you are doing. If you are new to recording I would rather record it for you.
Can I buy land in my kids names?
Yes, one of the nice things about transferring land in the US is that the buyer does not have to sign. The seller signs as the grantor granting the property to the Grantee or receiver of the grant. A child not of age to sign legally binding contracts does not need to sign to receive or take ownership of land. They might have a hard time selling it until they are of age.
Interested in your property, what more can you tell me about it?
Please go watch the YouTube video on the property where I try to present everything I know about the property. My YouTube channel is here.
