The Dream of Living in the Country
Part II, by Rod Price, Northwest Farm Credit Services

This is part two of a multi part series of Living in the Country. It is intended to help you realize your dream of country living with proper planning.

THE PROPERTY

Be cautious before you fall in love with a particular parcel of land. There are several land issues to consider before you buy land to build your dream home on.

Make sure zoning regulations permit the activities you want to conduct on your land and prohibit those you'd like to avoid. For example, are you allowed to operate a particular business from home or build a multiple family dwelling on the land? Find out what local laws and building codes may affect your building plans and what government agencies will need to approve them. Have the local building and health inspector's check out the property so securing future permits won't be a problem. In some counties, parcels are separate for the purpose of taxation but are not legal lots in the sense that a building permit can be issued. Be sure to check with your county authorities to verify that a piece of land can be built on.

Easements may require you to allow constructions of roads, power, water or sewer lines across your land. Or, an existing easement may require you to provide and maintain a lane on your property for the benefit of your neighbors. You will need an easement when a neighbor's property must be crossed to bring utilities to your site. If you need to secure an easement, be sure you have everything in writing before you purchase the land. Your real estate agent can help you obtain information concerning the easements in your area.

Fences that separate properties can be misaligned with true property lines. A survey of the land is the only legal guarantee that you're buying exactly what you expect. A licensed surveyor or registered civil engineer can give you a detailed and price description of your property.

Many subdivisions have covenants limiting the use of the property. Homeowner associations may also be formed to take care of common elements such as roads or open spaces. It's important to get a copy of the covenants and/or homeowner association rules (or confirm there are none) to be sure you can live within the existing guidelines. A title search is a necessity; to be sure the property you want to buy will be yours free and clear. This search will indicate if anyone holds a lien on all or any part of the property, including buildings on your land. Your real estate agent can assist you.

PERSONAL NEEDS

Some personal issues only surface after you have lived in your new residence for some time. It's often useful to have a family brainstorming session where all family members are encouraged to list the issues that are important to them.

Does your family have any allergies to the plants, weeds, animals, dust, pesticides, and herbicides commonly found in the new area? Check with the local county agent for a list of common weeds and plants and when the active pollination season is for those plants.

The new schools may be smaller and may not emphasize the sports or activities that are important to your family. Make a visit to the school and talk with the administrators, teachers, coaches, and activity directors to assess the school's priorities.

Extended family vacations and time away from home may have to be shortened or modified if you have farm animals to feed or crops to water. Rural neighbors are often willing to trade animal care duties, or you may be able to hire a local neighbor's son or daughter to take care of your farm needs during those extended absences.

Be aware that your view or the area's appearance may change, sometimes dramatically, if your neighbor decides to harvest some timber or builds a home that obstructs your view. Determine who the owners are for the surrounding properties and talk to them about their intentions for their property.

Wildlife enhances the rural experience. Deer, coyotes, raccoons, porcupines, quail, and other local fauna are exciting to watch & enjoy. However, not all wildlife experiences will be positive. Deer & raccoons will help you harvest your garden, if it's not protected. Coyotes, foxes & raccoons will raid chicken houses. Other birds & animals will build nests in pumps, attics & crawlspaces and may become nuisances. You can control wildlife activity with fences and by repairing outbuildings, buy you should be prepared to accept some of these aspects of country life as part of sharing living space with wildlife.

Consider Your Farming Neighbors

Much of the land in the country is still used for agricultural purposes-growing crops, feeding livestock and providing lumber & mineral resources. Farming is a wonderful way of life, and farmers work hard to produce the food, fiber and other resources for our living needs. If you choose to live adjacent to an agricultural business you need to understand the requirements of the operation. Also, local farming practices are often protected & farmers are not required to change them if they disturb or irritate you.

Farmers often work around the clock, especially during planting & harvest time. Dairy operators sometimes milk without stopping and hay is often swathed or baled at night. Be aware that the peaceful setting you saw on your first visit to the area may change to an active, noisy & dusty setting during the growing season. Animals & their manure cause odors... what else can be said?

Farmers may use sprays to control pests & weeds. Sometimes this spraying is done by airplane and the drift cannot always be controlled.

In most areas, you have an obligation to control the noxious weeds on your property. You can often get good advice for the best weed & pest control from your farming neighbors. Remember spraying drift from your own yard can often cause damage to neighbors' crops. Be sure to be aware of wind speeds and directions when applying sprays. Certain times of the year, farmers will use local roads to transport equipment & farm produce. This can cause some delays and you should be on the look out for slow moving farm vehicles while driving on rural roads during harvest time.

Country Living... Make Your Dream Come True

When you think you've found the perfect site, get to know it well. If possible, check it out for more than just one season. Many things can change from spring to summer & from summer to winter. Your real estate agent can also help you investigate future plans such as additional building or planned road developments.

A new rural lifestyle can be very enjoyable & fulfilling. Careful investigation, respect, and understanding for local agricultural practices, and use of professionals familiar with rural issues can help you avoid some of the challenges of moving to the country. You can gain more elbow room, a good environment for you children, access to wide-open spaces, peace of mind and more quiet, reflective time.

Rod Price has been a real estate lender for over 10 years in the Inland Empire and specializes in rural properties and bare land loans. He can be reached at 1-800-473-8998 or www.MyCountryLoans.com