Buying land...off the internet?

Have you ever tried to buy land?

Not just a piece of property or a lot in a subdivision, to build on, amongst all the other houses. Generally, this type of land or lot is already developed, has a nice square shape, has utilities, electricity, gas, etc.

No, I am talking about buying a piece of LAND.

You know the kind I mean... that has the word "acreage" somewhere near it, and "vistas/views", or "comes with a creek" or "forest nearby" or "sandy beaches just outside your door step..."

Yeah, the *adult* kind of property.

When I was younger, much younger, like 20 years younger (I know, you're thinking, "you were only a toddler then, how can you remember?" What can I say, I have a good memory), my parents would take us on "drives."

"Drives"- Sitting in the rear of a suburban, yelling at my brothers to quit kicking the back of my seat, complaining that my sister is breathing too loudly, while my parents drive us out to the middle of nowhere to look at a boring ol' piece of land.

Every weekend. Or so it seemed to me.

Oh, how quickly we become our parents.

Except this is the 21st century people! We have the internet! And Shiner Bock! And those fancy cables with the yellow, red, and white ends that you can hook up to your t.v. so that whatever is on your laptop shows up real big on your screen.

You can put in all your parameters: your price range, your favorite area, your "must-haves" and then the really smart internet people give you an entire list of properties that fit what you are looking for. Pictures, specs., contact info. if you are interested. It's great.

You never have to talk to a single human being trying to sell you something you don't want at a price you can't afford. And did I mention you get to drink beer the whole time? On all of our "drives" that we took with my parents I never once saw them enjoying a beer along the way. They were missing out, man. (and they were trying to stay legal. they are such squares.)

There are a few downsides to looking at land on the internet.
You don't get to know... well...the Truth.

You see this piece of land...



and this view...




Isn't it beautiful?

It is exactly what Martin and I want in our piece of property. A little more than an acre. Fairly flat, though on the top of a hill, surrounded by protected forests so no one can build around you. Only one other family living on the same street, and yet within walking distance from the local town center and only 20 min. from the center of Krakow. It has the most amazing drive up to the property, hilly and overhung with trees. Breathtaking. And the price was perfect. We were so close to making it ours.

But one thing stopped us. And it was something that could only have been discovered by seeing the property in person.

The drive up to the property was indeed beautiful, but the road to get there was not. It looked a little like this...



To be fair to us, we made it there in a little car, about the size of the smallest Scion they make, and later in Martin's Passat, but it wouldn't have passed the test. We would have been snowed in completely during the winter and an ambulance would have trouble getting there were there an emergency. Even then, Martin and I were willing to perhaps buy it for the future, we negotiated the price down even further. And then the real blow.

We weren't even allowed to build on it and perhaps not for 10 or more years. Even though it was technically a "buildable" property, the city would not give us permission because it was too dangerous for us to live there.

So, we didn't buy it. And it was a little sad. I love that property.

And I don't care what they say about "not falling in love with a piece of land." God doesn't make a place that speaks to your heart like that if He didn't want you to fall in love with it.

I know now why my parents took so many drives, and why my father made us walk every inch of the land he was thinking about buying. He also wanted to love the land, but he also wanted to make a wise decision.

So, we spend a lot of time on the internet, looking at land (and awesome, really cool flats downtown that we *could* afford...but that's not what we want Olivia, stop it...).

And Martin will travel in the Fall to look at a group or so and hopefully settle on something (without me!...but I trust him and he will send me a photo of every square inch) or we'll wait til we get there and choose. Patience, patience.

Because honestly, only truly insane people buy property off the internet, sight unseen.