govt land

[lindalouflower]

Does any body know anything about unclaimed govt. land? Is it for real or another scam?

[CarolAnn]

Hi, Lindalou - Welcome to the forum!

I hope you don't mind that I removed your double posts! You can also do that for your own posts with the "Remove" link in the upper right corner of your post. Another one you'll like is "Modify" right next to it, if you ever get creative with your spelling like I do! *;)

I don't know about unclaimed government land - but I do know that there isn't any more "homestead" land that you can get free from the federal government just by improving it. That program's been gone a long while now.

There ARE, however, states that have programs that you might be interested in. They're usually states with lots of "backwoods" type real estate and a declining population. If you're interested, I'll be glad to do a search and post some links!

Here's a link to one site that has lots of other links:
http://www.business.com/directory/accounting/unclaimed_property_and_escheat/reference/government/

Just remember that NOTHING is free. Sometimes the cost of something "free" is more than it would be on the regular market - if you include the strings that are attached to the "free" thing. If it seems too good to be true - it is! :o

[lindalouflower]

Thanks for the info, Yes I would like all the info. you can find me. I saw an add for unclaimed land where you could get tittle and as long as you paid the taxes every year its yours to file on . Just wornder if it was true.

[CarolAnn]

One place you might start is on land auction sites like this one:
http://www.gotacres.com/auction/index.php
or
http://www.findcheaplandforsale.com/

Buying tax land is a risk, but sometimes it pans out. If someone lost their land due to non-payment of property taxes, in some areas you can pay the taxes and EVENTUALLY get the deed to the land. However, if the original owner comes up with the money, they can get their land back. I'm not sure what the time frame is, but I heard of such happening in Arkansas in the 80's. Be aware that the neighbors might be hostile if you bought land from someone they liked or were related to!!

[WileyCoyote]

Hi lindalouflower!

Like CarolAnn says, if something is too good to be true it probably is. You should go look at any land you intend to own - and find out everything that there is to find out about it before you take that step. Is it wetlands that you can't even build on or plow? Is it sand that grows nothing but cactus? Is water available? Can you even dig a well if it is? Is the water potable, or is it alkaline or does it even have heavy metals? Was it mined property? Are there mine leavings poisoning the soil? Or is there a possible cave-in/collapse potential because of a mining operation? Is it in or near a flood zone for a lake or river?

I saw an ad for 90 acres while I was looking for our homestead. It had a big ol' house, a couple of barns, a chicken house, and was fully fenced - CHEAP! Further investigation proved that it was close to a lake that was steadily expanding, and over 2/3 of the property had been declared wetlands - and the house had to be TORN DOWN as well as the barns by the buyer because they were on wetlands. You could BUY 90 acres - but only 30 acres of it was livable and/or useable. The real kicker was that there was no electricity run to the livable side of the property - you'd have to spend $$ to run it that far - and they did not allow any more wells to be dug in that county, and there was no potable water available. "water water everywhere, but nary drop to drink".

So be very careful about what you are willing to settle for - or do without. Investigate, question, and research. Some folks get stuck with something unlivable and try to pawn it off on the first sucker they can find. And the government gives nothing away. Please make sure that you're not stuck with 'nothing'.

[Terri]

I looked into this in the past.

The deal is, it is mining land that can be claimed, and you do not own the land, just the right to use it.

There are many restrictions.

What state interests you?

[lindalouflower]

thank you all for the good advice. i am mainly interested in the states that have a milder winter such as ala,ga, or nc orsc

[WileyCoyote]

Unbfortunately, lindalouflower, every retiring snowbird from up Nawth is looking for property in those states. The property in the South has become suddenly very valuable - and the last time the government gave away land there was during the Reconstruction. Even the early Snowbirds who moved to FL 5 and 10 years ago are heading back to SC and NC, GA and AL to get away from the hurricanes!

Unfortunately, too, they are bringing their service people with them - WalMart and Starbucks, attorneys and hairdressers - and the flip side is that the drugs, high traffic, and crime are following in their wake. If there is free or even cheap land out there, a developer has probably already got an option on it! Try midrange - say KY or TN. MS and MO still have some places left, too. While you might be able to get some property in those other states, it won't be long before they have ordinances against having a garden or a chicken, much less a rabbit or a cow. Look for a place that is losing population, that isn't near an interstate, and that doesn't have an active community development corporation or group!

VOE - Voice of Experience - we moved from SC to NE this year, after looking for two years for cheap property where we could build and grow what we want. The town we lived in for 23 years grew from 1800 to 3000 in the last three years - and is expected to top out at 240,000 in the next seven years! :o NOT a misprint!!!

[Terri]

Lindalouflower, when I read posts like yours I usually direct them to www.unitedcountry.com

Alas, their search engine does not appear to be working right now.

As a woman from California, it was amazing to me that land could sell for very little. The reason, of course, is because the land is REMOTE! No jobs, no electricity, etc etc.

That might bother you, and it might not!

Terri

[cmdan]

Hi all,
I know this isn't what you are asking for, but you can, at times, find cheap land in the Alaska land auctions.

http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/mlw/landsale/

[Terri]

Have you seen this? 7+ acres for $10,000.

http://www.unitedcountry.com/search06/SearchResults.Asp?SID=63413381&Lcnt=&AU=N

I bought a property with no city water on it, and so I paid much less than the going price. We knew that we were not going to move there for some years, and so the lack of water did not bother us. We took the price break and smiled!

Water is now available, as we knew that it would be. I go out there once a week. The asparagus is looking very well, and the louisiana iris is looking FINE! in that marshy area near the creek. The bee hives have been some good and some bad. I found out the hard way that mice are a real danger to hives!

There is always a reason if the property is cheap: it is just that the reason might not be one that you care about. I did not care that there was no city water, but it DID take $10,000 or so off of the price!!!!!!!