Frequently Asked Questions
About Buying Vacant Land

How do I visit a property for sale?
Maps to all of our properties are available by clicking the 'AREA MAP' link on the individual property for sale pages.

What is the zoning of these properties?
Most of the properties we sell are zoned for residential use. Some of the properties we sell are zoned for agricultural use, but may be re-zoned with a few easy, inexpensive steps. We do not guarantee the zoning of any of our land parcels. If you have questions about the zoning of a particular property, please contact the county planner where the property is located and give them the 'APN' number for the property you're interested in.

Do the properties have water?
Visit our 'LAND FOR SALE' page on our site, and click on any of the parcels for sale. On each of the individual property for sale pages, the location and accessibility of water is shown on the page if it is available. Many of the properties we sell are located in areas that are served by city water. In these cases, water may be obtained by simply connecting to the water supply near the property line. In other cases, city water is not available, and it is necessary to drill a well. On most of the acreage or rural parcels we sell, a well will need to be drilled, since city water is not available nearby. Wells can range from 100' to 1000' deep, and in a few very rare cases, water may not be available at all. To our knowledge, we have never sold a parcel of land on which excellent water could not be located. In other words, as far as we know, every property we have ever sold has water available either by well or city water. In most cases, the cost of drilling a well is very reasonable. In rocky or hilly areas, this cost can rise dramatically. Again, be sure to read the individual property page for water information about that specific property.

Do the properties have electricity and telephone service?
Visit our 'LAND FOR SALE' page on our site, and click on any of the parcels for sale. On each of the individual property for sale pages, the location and accessibility of electricity is shown on the page if available. Many of the properties we sell are located in areas that have electricity at the property line. In some cases, the electricity is just across the street. We also sell remote acreage parcels which are several miles or more from power. In these cases, the cost to bring power to the property may be significant. Remember that many of the buyers who buy land from us don't plan to build on the land for quite some time. In these cases, it makes sense to simply wait until you are ready to build, because by the time you're ready to build, one of your neighbors may have paid to have the power brought much closer to your land, and it didn't cost you one red cent.

Can I build a home on the land?
Most of the properties we sell are zoned residential, but some are not and you will need to check your zoning with the county planner prior to purchase to be sure you can build on the property you are interested in. You can build anytime you wish, but there is no requirement to build. We never sell land which has a requirement to build. Of course, you would need to obtain the proper building permits before you begin construction.

How much are the closing costs?
If you purchase directly from us, there are no closing costs. Zero. Our goal is to make property ownership affordable, and one of the ways we make this possible for you is by not charging you any closing costs. We pay all of the fees for transferring the property (transfer tax, recording fees, etc.) If you purchase from us, but do not purchase DIRECTLY from us (e.g. you purchase from us using another web site that offers our properties, or you purchase from us using an online auction), we may require a processing fee.

Is the land approved for a septic system?
Some of our lots, especially those on paved roads, and within the city limits, may have sewer service available in the street. But for most of the parcels we sell, there is no city sewer service available. In these cases, it will be necessary for you, the buyer, to have a septic system installed. We have never sold a property (to our knowledge) which did not "perk" for a septic system. Septic systems typically start around $1,000.

Is there a balloon payment with this owner contract financing?
No. We do not have a balloon payment. Just for your information, if you don't know what a balloon is, let's say you purchase a parcel of land and the payment term is 9 years (you agree to pay monthly payments for 9 years). An example of a balloon payment would be a paragraph in the sale agreement which requires you to pay the land off in, say... 5 years. So this would be a 5 year balloon. We don't use balloon payments, because we don't know, and you don't know what kind of financial situation you will be in when the balloon comes due. We don't want to put you in a situation which would require you to come up with enough cash to pay off the remaining balance on the loan.

Is there a pre-payment penalty?
No. You can pay off the land any time you're ready, with no penalty of any kind. We will even give you a 15% discount for paying off your loan at any time during the contract.

Can you pay more than the minimum monthly payments?
Yes, you can pay any amount over the minimum monthly payments. For example, if you purchase a parcel of land and finance $11,500. If you paid the normal payment of $110 per month, it would take just over 20 years to pay it off. But, if you paid an extra $15 per month, it would only take you 14.5 years to pay it off. If you paid an extra $30 per month, it would only take you 11.5 years to pay it off.

Is there a road to these properties?
You can drive to all of the properties we sell. We will not sell a property which does not have road access. Many of our properties have paved roads right to the property line. Most of the properties we sell have good dirt roads, which are accessible with any car. A few of our parcels are located in remote areas, which may have poor dirt or gravel roads. In these cases, you can still drive to the property, but you may need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to get to the land. In these rare cases, we will make note of the poor road condition on the property information page of our site.

Who owns the properties being sold on OverstockLand.com?
All of the properties we sell belong to Radius Management, or one of our other Radius Group Companies. We own all of the properties we sell. We do not sell land which belongs to other companies or other individuals. In addition, we do not sell land for other parties. All of the land we sell belongs to us.

How does OverstockLand.com acquire its properties?
We buy land from many different sources, including private parties, auctions, banks, tax sales, and government sales. We only buy desirable, quality properties which we feel will satisfy the needs of our buyers. We buy properties that we can buy for a good value, and then we offer the properties to buyers at a fair price with simple, easy terms.

Are there any liens on the properties?
No. None of our properties have liens on them. We guarantee that all of our properties are sold to you with clear title, free of any type of lien, encumbrance, mortgage, loan, back taxes, contractors lien, or any other type of lien.

Should I visit the property before buying?
Only you can make that decision. Most of our buyers purchase property from us without viewing the land. Because of our strong guarantees, our buyers are comfortable making a buying decision without inspecting the property first. In addition, we have already viewed the property, and inspected the land. We have already taken photos of the actual property. Remember, all of the photos on our site are actual photos of the land you are buying, not just a photo of the general area.

Can I buy more than one property?
Yes. We have had many buyers who purchased several properties at the same time.

What is owner financing?
Owner financing is the easiest way to buy property. It is extremely simple. We own the land, and you would like to buy the land. We will sell the land to you, and all you need to do is pay a small down payment and small monthly payments. We finance the land for you, so you don't need to qualify for a bank loan. You don't even need to fill out a loan application. Everyone qualifies!

Do I qualify to buy with owner financing?
Yes. Everyone qualifies to buy with owner financing. There is no loan application, no bank red tape. All you do is pay the small down payment and pay the small monthly payments. It couldn't be easier!
Do I pay any kind of sales tax or real estate transfer tax when I buy land from OverstockLand.com? No. In some states, there is no transfer tax or sales tax. In other states, a tax is required. In states where a tax is required to be paid, we pay the tax for you. We want this to be an easy, simple transaction, with as little out-of-pocket for you as possible.

What kind of guarantee do I get when I buy land from OverstockLand.com?
Because we know we are selling quality land, at a fair price, with excellent owner financing terms, we're proud to offer three guarantees. You can learn more about our guarantees by visiting our guarantees page. Basically, we offer a 90-day low price guarantee, a 90-day exchange guarantee to customers in good standing, and a free & clear title guarantee. Remember, in a recent customer survey, 100% of the buyers who replied said they would do business with us again!!!

Who pays the property taxes on the land I buy from OverstockLand.com?
On most of the properties we sell, the property taxes are $35 - $150 per year. To determine the exact amount of the property tax for the properties you are interested in, simply view the individual property page. To make it simple for our buyers, OverstockLand.com pays the property taxes each year. Then, we divide the annual property taxes by 12 months, and add this to your monthly payment. For example, let's say you purchase a property from us, and the advertised monthly payment is $100. The annual property taxes on your property are $120. We would divide the $120 annual taxes by 12, so you would pay $110 per month ($100 for the property, and $10 for the taxes).

Is OverstockLand.com a Realtor/Broker?
No. We are not Realtors or Brokers. Realtors and Brokers are people who sell real estate which belongs to others, and they earn a commission from the sale. We own all of the properties we sell. In addition, we sell directly to the public, thereby avoiding the Realtor's commission, allowing us to sell our properties for a lower price.