Buying land to homestead or farm is different from buying a house. The building matters less than what's under it and around it. I've watched people fall in love with a pretty view and discover later that the land has no reliable water, no legal access, or rules that forbid the very thing they bought it for. Here's how to look before you leap. None of this is legal or financial advice — get a real attorney and agent — but it's the practical checklist I'd run.
Water rights and water access
This is the first question, not the last. Does the property have a well, and what's its depth and flow rate? Can you legally drill one? In some western states, surface water rights are separate from land ownership and fiercely contested. Is there a creek, and are you allowed to use it? A cheap parcel with no water is worth less than an expensive one with abundant water.
Legal access
Can you legally get to the property on a public road, or do you cross someone else's land? An easement should be in writing and recorded. 'The neighbor's always let people drive through' is not access — it's a lawsuit waiting to happen.
The checklist I'd run
- Water: well, flow rate, water rights, surface water, flood risk.
- Access: legal recorded easement or public road frontage.
- Soil: get a soil survey (USDA Web Soil Survey is free) and test before buying if you can.
- Zoning & deed restrictions: is agriculture, livestock, a second dwelling, or a roadside stand allowed?
- Utilities: power distance, septic feasibility (perc test), internet.
- Topography: slope, drainage, sun aspect, usable vs. unusable acreage.
- Environmental: flood zone, wetlands, easements, mineral rights (often sold separately!).
- Taxes: current ag exemption status can save thousands; losing it can cost you.
Walk it in the rain
If you can, visit the land in bad weather. A property that looks idyllic in July can be a swamp in spring. See where water pools, where the road washes out, where the wind hits. Talk to the neighbors — they'll tell you things the listing never will.
Get the soil survey
The USDA Web Soil Survey is a free online tool that maps the soil types of almost any parcel in the country. It'll tell you the soil's drainage class, its suitability for crops, depth to bedrock, and more before you ever set foot on the property. It's the first thing I'd pull up on any listing.
Written by Jordan Polasek, founder of Texas Roots, from his greenhouse in El Campo, Texas. Free to share. If this helped, the best thanks is to grow something or pass it along.