A pretty piece of land can turn into a headache if you find out after closing that you can't put a septic system on it, the road isn't legally yours to use, or half of it floods every summer. Here's what we check with buyers before they commit to land in Dixie, Levy, Gilchrist and Taylor counties.
1. Can it support a septic system?
Most rural land here has no sewer, so your home will need a septic system. In our counties, septic permits go through the county health department, and the site has to pass an evaluation of the soil, the water table and the lot itself. On vacant land, ask whether a site evaluation or soil test has been done, or make your offer contingent on one.
2. How will you get water?
Plan on a private well. Ask whether there's an existing well and what it cost neighbors to drill, and have the water tested if one is already in.
3. Is the access legal?
A dirt road that everyone uses isn't the same as deeded access. Make sure the property fronts a public road or has a recorded easement, and get a current survey that shows the boundaries.
4. Does any of it flood?
Low ground near the rivers and the coast may sit in a flood zone, which affects where you can build, how high, and what insurance will cost. Check the flood maps, walk the land after a hard rain if you can, and ask how it fared in recent storms.
5. What do zoning and deed restrictions allow?
Each county sets its own rules on minimum lot sizes, mobile homes, RVs and outbuildings, and many subdivisions add their own deed restrictions. Some ban manufactured homes or set a minimum home size; others have no restrictions at all. Read them before you sign.
6. Could it qualify for lower taxes?
Florida's "greenbelt" law lets the county property appraiser value land in good-faith commercial agricultural use, including timber and cattle, at its agricultural value instead of market value. It's granted by the property appraiser, not by zoning, and applications are due by March 1 each year. If the land already has the classification, ask whether it will carry over under your use.
7. How will you pay for it?
Land loans work differently from home loans, often with larger down payments. If you plan to put a manufactured home on the land, most loans need a home built on or after June 15, 1976, set on a permanent foundation and titled with the land. We can connect you with local lenders who make these loans.
Ready to look?
Browse land and acreage, hunting land or land under $100K, or contact us at (352) 498-5151 and tell us what you're looking for.
Sources: Florida Department of Health on septic permitting; UF/IFAS on greenbelt classification; HUD manufactured housing requirements.