Selling

No, the seller will not accept $0 down

In lieu of requiring buyers to pay all cash, some land sellers choose to offer “owner financing”. The seller accepts a down payment from a buyer of, say, 20% and then the buyer makes monthly payments to the seller over time.

When one of my seller-clients decides to do this, I ask them to specify up front the terms they will consider, i.e., the down payment, interest rate, and number of years. An example is 20% down, 6% interest, 10 years. I put the seller’s terms in black and white in all of my marketing materials. Yet, inevitably, I find that whatever down payment the seller requires, a few buyers will always contact me and ask if the seller will accept a smaller down payment.

Typical conversation with a buyer

This video shows a typical conversation that I will have with buyers. It explains why sellers offering “owner financing” will not accept a small down payment:

http://https://youtu.be/8nr6GICqO88

Additional reasons why sellers will not accept $0 down or a low down

The commission and closing costs are not the only reason sellers will not accept $0 down. The seller might also have liens or back property taxes to pay.

For example, suppose the seller in our $100,000 video example still owes $4000 on a loan tied to the land. In addition, he owes $3000 in a child support lien and $2000 in back property taxes. In order to transfer the land to a buyer “free and clear”, escrow will require the seller to pay those items, along with the commission and closing costs, out of the seller’s proceeds. Even though the seller is paying these items, and the buyer is not paying them, the down payment that the buyer gives the seller has to be sufficient to cover all of the items the seller is responsible for or the seller will have to write a check to escrow in order to close. Land sellers do not want to write checks. They want to receive checks. Getting money in return is kind of the whole point of selling land when you think about it!

Further, when a seller offers to carry the loan, he will naturally have a keen interest in making sure that the buyer will make their monthly payments in full and on time. The higher the down payment, the less likely the buyer will flake out in the future. This is because buyers realize that they will lose their down payment (and the land too) if they don’t pay.

Other sellers have in mind a certain amount of money that they want up front for a particular and immediate use in their life. Maybe they have medical bills to pay. Maybe they’re trying to fund the family’s vacation to Hawaii. Maybe they want to buy another parcel of land. Maybe they want to renovate their kitchen. Maybe they owe money to their drug dealer. Who knows? The point is, some land owners don’t want to sell their land at all unless they can get some threshold dollar amount down from a buyer. If they can’t get at least that amount, they won’t sell at all.

Occasionally “the seller” is actually multiple sellers, each with a percent interest. So, whatever the buyer puts down ends up getting split 2, 5, 8 ways (or whatever) after costs are deducted. The amount each individual seller will end up with at closing is therefore small. The more co-owners there are, the more the required down payment can get ratcheted up.

Advice to buyers

Before buying land, consider saving your money for a while so that you will have a sizeable down payment. Or, find a co-investor. Or purchase a less expensive parcel of land.

If you really want to purchase land with $0 down or a small down, don’t even look at parcels listed by Realtors. This is because, when there is a Realtor involved, the seller will always have to pay the commission out of any down payment that you propose. The math is not going to work out. So, buyers, if you don’t want to put at least 20% down, look only at For Sale by Owner (FSBO) listings where the seller does not have the expense of a commission.

If you have your heart set on a parcel listed by a Realtor, then at least contact the Realtor and ask if the land is “free and clear” of all liens and back taxes. Sometimes the agent will know the answer to this question and sometimes they won’t. Depending on what the agent says, do a “back of the envelope” calculation. Consider things from the perspective of the seller. Add up all the costs you think the seller will have to pay at closing: liens, back taxes, commission, and closing costs. You won’t have the exact numbers, so just estimate. When estimating, keep in mind that commissions are not always 6%. They can be 8%, 10% or anything and the listing agent is unlikely to tell you what commission the seller is paying. The total you come up with is your estimate of the bare minimum down payment the seller might possibly consider. Throw in an additional cushion of several thousand dollars over that sum and that’s the down payment you might propose in your seller-financing offer. If you find that the total exceeds what you want to put down, then don’t even bother submitting an offer. Move on down the road and buy a different parcel.

Suppose that the seller’s total costs, including liens, back taxes, commission, and closing costs, add up to $9642. Buyers, please don’t assume that you can offer the seller $9700 down and he will accept it. The seller is not going to transfer title to you in return for a check for $58 dollars at closing. The seller will want to receive a check for thousands of dollars at closing in order to agree to carry the loan for you. That’s why it’s important to cushion the down payment offer by several thousand dollars over and above the seller’s total costs.

Also, note there are basically two ways the seller can carry the loan. One is with a “trust deed” where title is transferred to the buyer at closing. Escrow records a lien on the land in favor of the seller and the seller and becomes a non-owner and lender just like he is Wells Fargo. The second way is a “land contract” where the seller retains title until the loan is fully paid off. The land contract is sort of like buying a car. After you make all the payments, then you get the pink slip. You don’t get the pink slip (title) up front. I’m not sure about other states, but the trust deed is the most common in California and Oregon, and I have never seen a “land contract” used in these states in my career. However, a “land contract” is the only kind of agreement that is likely to work with $0 down or a low down. This is because sellers are unlikely to want to transfer title to you up front when you are putting no money down. As a buyer, you might try proposing a “land contract” to FSBO sellers instead of a “trust deed”.

Finally, buyers, remember that, in addition to the down payment, you will also be expected to pay your portion of closing costs. Closing costs include the escrow fee and title insurance. These costs are entirely separate from the down payment and are paid to the escrow and title companies, not to the seller and not to the Realtor. Even in the unlikely event that you can convince a seller to accept $0 down, you will still be expected to pay your share of these costs. Purchasing real estate is not free.

Advice to sellers

Offering to “carry the loan” is one way to dramatically increase the odds of selling your land, and for top dollar. The reason is, there are virtually no good bank loans for most kinds of vacant land. Sellers who offer to “carry” do not think of it as a burden. They think of it as an investment that yields a return secured by real estate. Consider whether or not seller-financing is right for you. If you don’t want to carry the loan, that’s totally fine, just know that your buyer-pool will likely be limited to those buyers who have all cash. If you do decide to offer seller-financing as an option, consider requiring at least 20% down.

Conclusion

The notion of a zero-down payment on land is basically a myth. I have never seen a seller accept that in my career. Purchasing land with a low (not $0) down payment might be possible but not when a Realtor is involved in a transaction. Buyers who are seeking seller-financing, and want to consider parcels listed by Realtors, should be prepared to put down at least 20%.

10 reasons land sellers sometimes have so little knowledge about what they’re selling

by Tammy Tengs

Land owners have a legal duty to disclose to buyers all material facts about the land they’re selling. This duty, however, is limited to information the seller is actually aware of. Buyers are sometimes dismayed when they learn that sellers have so little knowledge about their own land.

Here is a typical scenario: A buyer asks me a question like “where are the exact corners?” or “will this property perc for septic?” When I say that I don’t have that information, the buyer says “well, could you ask the seller?”

The thing is, the seller has no idea either.

“How could that be?” the suspicious buyer wonders. “Surely the seller knows everything there is to know about their own land, right?”

Um, no.

The vast majority of sellers are ethical and helpful and will provide the information if they have it. However, there are many reasons why some sellers know little about the land they’re selling. Here are the top ten reasons:

Bought it at a tax sale

Seller Larry is an investor. He buys land at county tax sales at low prices. Then, he “flips” the land a couple of years later at a profit. For parcels under $50,000, Larry does not go to see the land in person. To decide what to buy, he relies on studying satellite maps and other online information sources. As a consequence, when it comes time to sell the land, Larry does not have detailed knowledge about the land he’s selling.

Just the lenders

Seller Seymour did not invest his retirement money in the stock market. Instead, he became a hard money lender because the rates of return were higher. A few years ago, buyer Jane wanted to buy some land and Seymour loaned Jane the money. At that time, Seymour had the land appraised. Unfortunately, after buying the land, Jane lost her job and did not pay Seymour. Seymour foreclosed on Jane and took the land back. Now he wants to sell it and the old appraisal report is the only information Seymour has about the land. Seymour will be happy to disclose the appraisal to new buyers, but that’s all the information he has.

Purchased it for someone else

Sellers Wang and Chen purchased a lot for their daughter Lilly to build a home in California. Wang and Chen live in New York. Although they are the owners, they have not seen the land. A year later, Lilly’s company transferred her to an office in a different state. Lilly moved away from California and so decided not to build. The family now wants to sell the land. It is Wang and Chen, not Lilly, who must list the land for sale with a Realtor and complete the official disclosure forms. This is because they are the legal owners. Sellers Wang and Chen know almost nothing about the land and their disclosures reflect their lack of knowledge.

Live far away

Sellers Brad and Leslie live in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. They purchased land on the Oregon Coast 10 years ago with the intent of someday building a retirement home there. However, they have now decided to stay in Colorado near their children. Brad and Leslie live hundreds of miles from the land. They bought it on a whim based on the amazing ocean view and have little information about the land beyond happy memories of salt air and seagulls.

The person with detailed knowledge about the land is deceased

Seller Myrtle owns land near Crescent Lake in Oregon. Her husband Fred used to love to take the RV over to Central Oregon to go fishing with his friends. The guys would camp on the land and Fred would dream about someday building a cabin there. Fred was a fastidious person and knew every single detail about the land. Myrtle, on the other hand, preferred the comforts of city life and did not get into detailed discussions about the land with Fred. Fred is now deceased and Myrtle is trying to sell it.

Have not seen the land in decades

Seller Cecil, age 85, purchased 160 acres of desert land 50 years ago. Cecil went to see the land prior to purchasing it. In addition, while on vacation 10 years later, Cecil took a detour to go “visit” his land. At that time, access was via a dirt road and the nearest electric pole was 1 mile away near a small development of new homes. Decades have now passed and he has not seen the land for 40 years. Cecil has no knowledge of whether or not additional development (paved streets, water, electricity, sewer) might have reached his land or not.

Didn’t do their research when they bought it

Seller Omar received a large inheritance 5 years ago. He bought 12 lake-front lots at the time. He chose the parcels based on how pretty the lake looked in the Realtor’s online photos. Omar relied on what the Realtor told him and did not do any independent due diligence on the parcels prior to purchase. Consequently, now that Omar is a seller he is is unable to provide much information to potential buyers.

In the hospital

Seller Thelma hired a listing agent to sell her land. A few months later, when the agent located a buyer, he called Thelma’s home to tell her about the offer only to learn from her family that Thelma was in the hospital. Thelma is scheduled for surgery next week. She is anxious to sell her land so that she can pay her medical and after-care bills. Thelma is of sound mind so, with the assistance of a mobile notary, she is able to sign the offer and escrow documents to sell her land. However, since she is in the hospital, she is not exactly in the position to be looking through her files at home for additional documents.

Never had plans to build

Seller Juan purchased 10 rural acres from a friend for about 50% of its true value. Juan already owns his dream home so he has no plans to build on this land. He bought it strictly as a long-term investment and to help out his friend, who needed fast money. Because Juan never planned to build, and because he bought it at such a bargain price, he did no research on building and has no knowledge about things such as utilities or even whether there is legal access.

No legal duty to research

Seller Tamar owns a view lot in Malibu. Tamar is an orchestral musician and does not have a background in construction. Tamar is represented by a Realtor. Buyer Manuel is considering purchasing Tamar’s lot to build a fabulous architectural house for his family. Manuel has never built a home before. He does not have a contractor or architect yet. Manuel has many questions about whether or not the lot is buildable. He asks Tamar’s Realtor for information about the degree of slope, whether a flat pad can be graded, the minimum square footage for a house, the cost of a water meter, etc. Seller Tamar and her Realtor reply that they do not know the answers to these questions. The Realtor explains to Manuel that the owner is selling dirt and has no duty to research matters related to building. The Realtor helpfully advises buyer Manuel to seek the assistance of a contractor, architect, engineer, or other building professionals to assist him.

What’s a Buyer to Do?

Land buyers should do their own independent due diligence. Here is a partial list of things that land buyers will want to research: Zoning, building restrictions, electricity, water/well, sewer/septic, and legal access.

Buyers sometimes wonder whether the Realtor will get answers to all their questions. Realtors do sometimes have considerable knowledge about the land they’re representing. In fact, Realtors often know more about the land than the sellers do. On the other hand, it is also common for the Realtor to have little information. The Realtor’s ability to provide answers, varies depending on the parcel. So just ask. If the Realtor has answers, the Realtor will be pleased to provide them to you. If the Realtor does not have the information, they can usually be very helpful in advising the buyer where the buyer can go to get answers.

Note however that while the Realtor will happily disclose what they already know about the land, it is not the agent’s role to perform new research, especially on matters related to building.

Further, experienced Realtors have learned that the best way to prevent misunderstandings and lawsuits is for the buyer to get as much information as possible from an official source instead of relying on the Realtor or seller. A wise Realtor will advise a land buyer to roll up their sleeves and get answers “straight from the horse’s mouth”. This means that the buyer, not the Realtor, should phone the utility company to get information on utilities or drive down to the Planning or Building Department to discuss building restrictions.

A great side benefit to a buyer doing their own due diligence, is that they may learn things about the land that they did not even know they had questions about. For example, a buyer who calls the water company to ask about the cost of a water meter, may learn there is no sewer. Or, a buyer who sits down with a City Planner to discuss building setbacks may discover, in the course of conversation, that the mother-in-law unit they were planning is not allowed by the municipality.

As a buyer, you may feel that you don’t have time to do your own independent due diligence. Or maybe you feel it’s not that fun and you just don’t want to do it. I understand completely. However, in that case it is in your best interest to buy a house or condo, not land.

Conclusion

For the reasons described above, it is common for sellers to have little knowledge about the land they’re selling. The careful buyer will seek answers from official sources such as the City, County or utility companies.

How to write good driving directions

by Tammy Tengs

Finding land for sale is not like finding a house. Houses have addresses posted right on them. You can Google the address, get in your car, and easily drive to a house. Locating land is more difficult. Typically, vacant land parcels will not have an address.

Realtors who want to be successful at selling land must provide two things to help buyers: 1) Clear directions, and 2) Good maps. This blog post is about the first of those two critical items. I explain how to compose good driving directions.

The Audience for Driving Directions Has Changed

I know you’re wondering, why are buyers going on their own to see land for sale anyway? Isn’t it the Realtor’s job to take the buyers there and “show” them the land? Is the Realtor being a lazy-ass? I know that’s what you’re thinking. I’m a mind reader.

We’ll here’s the scoop on that…a little bit of history…

Back in the day, Realtors hoarded listing information in thick Multiple Listing Service (MLS) books. The only way for a buyer to get directions to a property for sale was to call the listing agent and make an appointment to see it. And that’s just the way Realtors liked it because it made the phone ring.

As the MLS moved from books to the Internet, Realtors started entering their directions into online databases. Still, only Realtors had access to the MLS at that time so the audience for directions was other Realtors. Listing agents got in the habit of writing driving directions in a kind of short hand, using phrases and abbreviations familiar to all local Realtors who lived in in the area and were “in the know”.

Today in 2017, Realtors are no longer the gate-keepers of the land listing information. It’s all over the Internet: Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, everywhere. Further, with land, unlike houses, there’s no door to unlock. Land buyers have realized that they don’t need, or even want, a Realtor along just to take an initial look at land. Buyers jump in their car, unaccompanied by an agent, and go for a Sunday drive to look at land for sale.

A lot of buyers do not even call the listing agent so the agent has no opportunity to show them the land even if they wanted to. The buyer just heads on out to the land.

Wise listing agents will adapt to the times and understand that the audience for driving directions has shifted from other Realtors to the potential buyer.

The buyer might be coming from 100 miles away or she might be in town from Shanghai on a business trip. Thus, buyers may be unfamiliar with the area. So those brief one line directions that used to be fine for an audience of local Realtors will not work anymore.

It’s time for Realtors to stop writing those confusing directions that only the agent who’s lived in the City for 30 years might understand and start writing thorough directions so that any intelligent buyer who can read can visit the land on their own if that’s what they choose to do.

The Basics: How To Write Good Directions to Land

Good directions begin at the beginning. Remember, Agents, most buyers will not be coming from your home or office. Start by asking yourself, who is the likely buyer for this land? What is the location those buyers will be coming from? For example, when selling desert land in Palmdale California, perhaps most buyers will be coming from the Los Angeles city area. When selling rural land in Hood River Oregon, perhaps most buyers will be coming from the Portland Oregon area.

Next identify the major artery that buyers are likely to travel on. If you anticipate that buyers may be coming from some distance away, this artery may be an interstate or highway. If you think buyers will be more local, this could be a major thoroughfare or street. The first word in your directions should be the word “From”:

“From Hwy 1…”

“From Interstate 5…”

“From Martin Luther King Blvd…”

The next thing in your directions will be an exit or a turn. However, even though you have given some thought to where buyers may be coming from, recognize that you’re uncertain about that. So, this means you are uncertain which direction the buyer will be travelling on the initial major artery, and therefore also uncertain whether they will be turning left or right off that artery. For example, the buyer may be approaching from either the north or the south on I-5. So, when they exit I-5, it’s not clear whether they should turn “left” or “right”. However, it is clear whether they should turn “east” or “west”. So, on this first turn off the major artery use the directions east/west/north/south:

“take exit 999 and turn west on…”

“take exit 999 and turn east on…”

“turn north on…”

“turn south on…”

After that first turn off the major artery, all subsequent directions should be “left” or “right” rather than north/south/east/west. This is because most people lack an internal compass and so understand left and right better. Plus, from this point on it will be clear what direction they are approaching from.

“Turn right on….”

“Turn left on…”

After giving a series of left and right directions, your directions will eventually put the buyer at the street the parcel is on. Now be sure to mention which side of the street the parcel is on:

“The parcel is on the left side of Elm Street.”

“After Maple curves to the right, the parcel will be on the right.”

Take Advantage of the Addresses of Nearby Homes

The land you’re selling probably does not have an address. Even if it does, that address probably does not appear posted on the dirt. Thankfully, the land is near some houses that do have posted addresses. Take advantage of them!

When writing directions, indicate that the land you’re selling is “after, and adjacent to, 1234 Main Street”. Or “across the street from 2345 Main Street”. Or “behind, and adjacent to, 3456 Main Street”. Or “between 4560 Main Street and 4580 Main Street”. Or “as you face the house at 5678 Main Street, the northern border of the land will be 1000 feet to the left.”

Here are some real examples:

“From I-84, take exit 5 toward OR-213/82nd Ave. Turn right on NE Multnomah St. Turn right on NE 82nd Ave. Turn right on NE Fremont St. Turn slight left on NE 91st Ave. Turn right on NE Rocky Butte Rd. The parcel is near the top of the hill on the left. It is after, and adjacent to, the house at 3145 NE Rocky Butte Rd. Take the maps.”

“From Hwy 210 take exit 78. Take Del Rosa Ave N north. Continue onto Quail Canyon Rd. Parcel is on the right. It is before, and adjacent to, the house at 1394 Quail Canyon Rd. You will see the yellow gate across the driveway. Park next to the yellow gate at the bottom of the paved driveway near the street and walk a few yards up to the land. Take the aerial map.”

“From Hwy 49 turn left on Sutter Ione Rd. Turn right on Spanish St. Turn right on Badger St. Turn right on Allen Ranch Rd. The parcel is on the left. It is after, and adjacent to, 110 and across the street from 141 Allen Ranch Rd. Take the aerial map.”

Refer to Landmarks

Use landmarks to orient buyers. Anything unusual that sticks out can be a landmark. These include houses, barns, commercial business signs, intersections, colored flags, fences, and even a pile of rocks! Landmarks give your buyers confidence that they are on the right track. You want them to think to themselves “Hey, there’s that red barn mentioned in the directions, I must be in the right place!” or “Yeah, there’s that tall white PVC pole marking the SW corner that was described in the directions, now I can really tell where the land lies from here!”

When giving directions, you might say “Turn left on Conifer Street at the red barn.” Or after passing the geodesic home on the right, go 3 more blocks and turn left on Mission Rd.

On the land itself, you might say things like “There is a white rail fence along the west border.” Or, “the row of mail boxes is near the northeast corner.” Or “the river marks the north boundary.” You get the idea.

Here are some actual examples:

“From Hwy 49 west of Loyalton, turn left on Sage Rd. Continue driving on Sage Rd past the first intersection. At the second intersection, at the dome home, turn right on right on Moss Dr. Before the big log home, turn right on Woods Ln. Parcel is at the end of Woods Ln at the top of the hill. Woods Ln is a dirt road with small rocks. It can be driven with a four-wheel drive. Half way up is a wide spot in the road where you may see my sign with an arrow. I parked there and walked the remaining couple blocks or you can drive the whole way if you want to.”

“From Hwy 101, turn west on Seabird Dr. Parcel is on the left/south side of Seabird. Look for the mailbox on the left marked 1152. The parcel is on the left, between that mailbox and a row of tall trees, close to Beachloop Dr. A pink flag appears to be close to the southeast corner. Take the aerial map.”

“From I-10 take Hwy 62, Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy, to Joshua Tree. When you reach the US Post Office on the left at the lighted intersection, there is a fenced-in parcel on the right. This parcel for sale is to the left of that fenced parcel. Take an aerial map.”

“From I-5 exit and take E 30th LCC exit. From E 30th, take the Spring Blvd exit. Drive south on Spring Blvd. Turn right on Firland Blvd. Turn left on Shasta Loop. Turn left on Spring Blvd (again). Turn left on E 43rd Ave, a dirt road. The parcel is on the right. It is between the addresses 2420 and 2620. You will see white signs posted for these addresses so parcel will be easy to find. A stake with pink ribbon near the street marks the approximate northeast corner of the parcel for sale. Parcel is not exactly rectangular and boundaries in aerial map are only approximate.”

Avoid Abbreviations

Don’t use abbreviations that buyers may be unfamiliar with such as “PIQ” (agent-speak for “parcel in question”). Abbreviations such as Rd, St, Ave, and Hwy may be OK but don’t use L for left and R for right unless you absolutely must because there’s so little space in the MLS database field. Never abbreviate street names or place names. Avoid all abbreviations if you can.

Find Directions Online

Fortunately, it is not necessary to compose your directions from scratch. Directions are available online from Google, Mapquest and Bing. Grab online directions from a reasonable starting point to the land and then edit them into a paragraph.

Here’s how I do it using Google Maps: First, I enter the starting point and the ending point. The starting point will be where I think most buyers will be coming from, e.g. “Sacramento CA” or “Medford OR”. The ending point will be the land. After Google produces directions for me, I cut and paste the directions into a word processing file. Using the tips mentioned above, I edit my word processing file into a paragraph so that it is very succinct and clear. Then I cut and paste that paragraph into the MLS and other marketing venues.

For the ending point, if the land doesn’t have an address, you could enter longitude and latitude. In lieu of that, you have two options: One option is to enter cross streets of the nearest intersection. A second option is to identify the address of a property that is near or adjacent to the one you’re selling and enter that as the ending point. The goal is to trick Google Maps into giving you directions to somewhere nearby. Then, when editing the directions that Google produces down to a paragraph, you’ll have to revise them because they are not exact directions to the land itself.

Do a Practice Drive to the Parcel Using the Directions

I write directions before I even visit the parcel for the first time. That way, I have something in my hand to test out to see if they’re clear when I go out there to photograph the land.

When you’re on the ground it is common to notice that street signs are different from the street names online. Or signs may be missing entirely. You may find that your directions are incorrect in other ways too. You might get the great idea to include things such as “Turn left on Country Ln after the sign for Serene Vineyards on the right” and the like. Based on your insight, go back and edit your directions to match what you see in the real world.

Think of writing directions as an iterative process, not a one-time thing. Even after writing the best directions I can possible write, and posting them in the MLS live to the world, I sometimes find that additional editing is needed. One time I found that buyers were confusing Fremont St with Upper Fremont St and arriving at a house with a similar address rather than the land for sale. So I edited the directions later to shout “Upper” Fremont. Or you many discover later there are two turnoffs for Huckleberry Ln that you didn’t know about and buyers are confused about which turnoff to take. Or maybe buyers are blocking the neighbor’s driveway as they park to walk the land and the neighbor doesn’t like that so you need to instruct buyers where to park in your written directions. When you get feedback, edit your directions online so that they’re clear. When you know better you do better!

What to Do When There are No Street Signs

Sometimes one of the streets on the route to your land will have an official name in Google Maps but when you get out to the rural area on your practice drive, you will see no posted sign for that street.

When writing driving directions, if the street has a proper name, use it. However, in your directions, acknowledge that there is no street sign there so that buyers driving to the land will not be confused when they get out there and see no sign posted. For example:

“Turn left on Rattlesnake Rd, a dirt road with no sign.”

You can also add distances so that buyers will know how far they must drive before turning on the unsigned road. For example:

“Turn right on Sycamore. Drive 8.2 miles on Sycamore and turn left on Rattlesnake Rd, a dirt road with no sign.”

Addresses posted on houses can also come in handy in this situation:

“Turn right on Sycamore. After passing the house at 8765 Sycamore, turn left on Rattlesnake Rd, a dirt road with no sign.”

Streets with signs are also useful even if you don’t want the buyer to turn there:

“Turn right on Sycamore. Pass the Gopher Rd intersection then turn left on the next street, Rattlesnake Rd, a dirt road with no sign.”

Remind Buyers to Take the Aerial Map

At the start of this blog post I mentioned that agents needed to provide two key things to help buyers locate land for sale: 1) Clear directions, 2) Good maps. Now that you are an expert at writing good directions buyers will flock to your land listings. But when those potential buyers get to the land, on their own, a choice they made, they will inevitably want to know where the boundaries and corners are.

That’s where the aerial map comes in. If you’re a Realtor, you will post one in the MLS and online of course. But in the directions, which is what we’re talking about now, be sure to remind buyers to take the paper aerial map with them. Why? Because there might not be any cell phone reception in that area when they get there so they may not be able to pull it up on their smart phone when they’re standing on the land. That’s why.

Final Exam for Agents

Realtors, here’s your final exam. Don’t worry it’ll be fun. It’s only one question, multiple-choice. Which of the following voice mail messages would you like to receive?

a) “Hi, it’s Friday at 4 pm and I was wondering if you could meet me out at that $50,000 parcel you’re listing 2 hours from your office and show me where it is?”

b) “Hello, I’m out here in this rural area looking for your vacant land listing and I can’t find it. I was on the paved road then I turned on the dirt road and then I curved left and then I crossed some railroad tracks but I have no idea where it is and I don’t know the name of the street I’m on. I’m leaving this message Sunday morning at 7:30 am. Can you call me back on my cell phone right now and give me directions on how to find it?”

c) “We drove by your parcel last weekend. Thank you for writing such clear directions, not all Realtors do that and my wife and I really appreciate it. Well, the land is super awesome and we want to submit an offer. Will you help us?”

As an agent, of course you prefer “c”! So, take a moment to write clear directions!