Finding the perfect place to build your dream home is not always as easy as one would think. After many years of searching, we finally found our idyllic location though we went about it in quite an untraditional manner!
We love where we currently live for several reasons and have never expanded our search for land more than a 5-10 mile radius from our current location. We wanted our property to have gorgeous oak trees draped with Spanish Moss, remain close to the river, not be in a subdivision, not be near any major roads, and preferably be on a cul-de-sac. Not to difficult to find right? Add to that the fact that a lot of land near us is considered wetlands and thus not buildable. A lot may appear perfect, but then the feasibility study comes back that only a portion of it is buildable. With all of these challenges to meet, we have had a very frustrating time finding land. Specifically, it took us seven years! As most people would be, we were very discouraged after so many years of looking in vain.
However, one day, I found a piece of land in a nearby neighborhood that was for sale. I knew we would not be interested as it had no trees but I mentioned it to my husband as a possible investment opportunity. He agreed we would not be interested but then remembered he had been down that exact road earlier that week and had noticed an uncleared lot with gorgeous oak trees on a cul-de-sac. We were able to locate the owner’s information through county property appraiser’s website and decided we would write them a letter to see if they would be interested in selling. The very next day, my husband called and informed me he just happened to be right near the home of the owners who lived about 25 minutes from us, and he was wondering if he should stop by and talk to them to see if they might want to sell. I told him they were either going to pull a shotgun on him or love him so he had better talk fast so they would know why a random man showed up on their doorstep! Well, they loved him but told him they had not thought of selling the property. However, they said they would discuss it and get back with him. About a week later, we got a call that not only were they willing to sell it to us, but they also accepted our offer without any negotiation, meaning we got a great deal!
So if you are trying to find land to call your own, do not give up! You never know when you will stumble upon the right piece! Also, do not be scared to go about finding land in an untraditional manner. If you discover a gorgeous piece of property that is not for sale, ask! You will never know unless you do and you never know; it might just turn into the land upon which you build your dream home!