I’ve read a lot of stories on the web of people buying land off eBay who were extremely disappointed with their purchase. Obviously they failed to fully read the listing and buying site unseen. When they actually set foot on the property they are horrified to find raw land with no utilities. Know what you’re getting before buying.

Is there a road leading to the property and will you have access to it? If you must cross over someone else’s property get to yours, pass it by. Another thing you have to watch out for is how far off of the road these tracts are and if there are any type of road leading to it. If the land is far off of an improved road, gaining access could mean thousands of dollars of dozer work to build a road to the property, defeating the purpose of buying cheap land.

Check with the county tax assessor’s office to be sure there are no back taxes owed on the property, You want everything free and clear with no surprises. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and remember the most honest answers will come from those who have nothing to gain from the sale of the property.

Another thing to look out for when bidding on property listed is to be sure you are actually bidding on the purchase price of the property and not just a down payment. Always read the fine print, as a matter of fact you might want to read it twice.

Also check the sellers feed back rating and read the comments of previous buyers. Taking a few extra minutes here can mean the difference in finding your piece of property or carrying the burden of unneeded stress and aggravation.

If you’ve bought land off eBay we’d love to hear about your experience. What did you learn? What would you do differently?