Are you tired of fast-paced city life?
Is your family planning to move out of the city and settle into a more rural setting?
Well, buying a farm may suit your need but, remember that it has more challenges than buying a ready-built house in town. Finding the perfect farmland is a time consuming process as it requires you to visit several properties before finding the perfect piece of land that meets your goal. Hiring a professional real estate agent San Antonio can help you in achieving that goal.
Buying a farm is a big investment and you should not make a rash decision. So to ease out the entire process of buying a farm for the first-timers, top realtors in San Antonio have listed a few important factors to be considered before you go farmland hunting.
Purpose:
Why have you decided to buy a farm? There may be various reasons for buying a farm. You may consider it as your weekend retreat, a hobby farm, working farm, livestock farm, conservation or self-sufficiency block, agricultural farm, or an investment. Many farms can also be used for multipurpose reasons. So, before purchasing a farm, it is important to be clear about the purpose of its usage. Buying a farm can certainly be profitable if you do proper homework before going ahead. Also, decide whether you want your family to live on the farm.
Size:
How much land do you need? Once you are clear about the purpose for buying the farm, the next you need is to map out the exact area you need to fulfill your purpose. Buying farmland is expensive and maintaining it is also difficult. So do not overbuy. Find a real estate agent who will help you in buying the exact land you need and thus, save on cost.
Water Resources:
Is plenty of water available on the farm? Farmland without abundant water is of no use. Water rights laws are complex. So check with the county water department and understand the water usage rights. If the farm has water resources such as a well or a pond, then check for any contaminants and see if treatment is necessary. Moreover, nowadays most wells are electric wells, so just remember to check that a manual pump is attached. This will prevent any water problem during a power outage. But in absence of any water resource on the farm, check whether a lake, river, or creek is present nearby and you are legally allowed to irrigate from it.
Finance:
Do you have enough money to buy a farm? Buying a farm is a big investment. The premiums are high. So you will need enough money in your pocket to handle the down payment and mortgage amount. Also, the daily cost of running the farm is huge. So your financial position needs to be strong to meet all these expenses without landing into extreme debt.
Revenue:
Will the farm provide enough income? As discussed above that buying and running a farm needs a huge investment, so, likely, you will also need the farm to make some money for yourself. Your revenue should match the cost. Spending too much on a farm without generating a good income is a poor decision. So before buying a farm it is necessary to estimate a revenue forecast.
Proximity:
How far do you need to travel to get your daily resources? Farmlands are usually located in a remote area or on the outskirts of the urban area. So there is a lack of proximity to community services and retail areas. Although farmland in a remote may give you peace of mind, proximity to a civilized area to meet our day-to-day needs is also essential. Think twice if you have to drive a long way to reach the local market or your workplace. If you are planning to keep your family on the farm, then schools, hospitals, shopping centers, markets should be within reasonable distance to the farm. A very long drive can be a hassle.
Environment/Location:
Is the farm located in a good environment? Along with the proximity to community services, location is an important factor to be considered while buying a farm. The farmland should be situated in an area having other farms too. The farm should not be located in a low-lying area, as these areas are flood-prone or marshy. Farms located on high slopes have difficulty in farming due to a lack of moisture. Also, lands on slopes are not feasible for constructing any structure.
People usually buy farms for a peaceful and quiet life. Farms that are too close to highways or busy towns are noisy and have pollution issues. Also, they have a risk of potential theft. A place with enough sunlight and water is an ideal location to set up your farm in an effective and lucrative manner. The area should also not be prone to other natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornados.
Soil:
What is the soil like? Soil is an important component of farmland. Check the type and quality of soil, fertility, and penetration. If you plan to use the farm for agricultural purposes, then the soil should be rich in organic matter and efficient to transport water and nutrients to crop. Not all soil can be efficient to grow the crops you have in mind. Buying barren land is a poor decision. Find out what was previously grown on the farm. If there are any soil issues find out if there are ways to fix them and how expensive it would be. Also if you intend to build a property, then buying land that does not build is worthless.
Zoning restriction:
Does the zoning laws fulfill your purpose of buying a farm? Before buying a farm pay special attention to the local zoning laws. It is likely that the farm that you have set your eyes on may only be zoned for agricultural and commercial purposes and may not permit the development of building for residential use. Thus, for building a home on the farm you may have to apply for special zoning permission.
Easement:
Will you allow others to access your farm? Before buying a farm it is necessary to check the title report of the property. Many times other parties have a right to use your farmland as a thoroughfare to get access to the main highway. This will disturb your routine work and also intrude on your privacy. Thus, understand where easements lie and who has the right to use them.
Conclusion:
Buying a farm is indeed potentially profitable if you take care of all the above factors before you zero on a farmland. It is thus vital to do proper research or simply hire a reliable real estate agent San Antonio who can find a perfect farmland to meet your specifications and requirement.
