Stage 2 of 5
Most land horror stories come down to something the buyer never checked: no legal access, soil that cannot take a septic system, a flood zone, an easement through the building site. Due diligence is how you find those problems while you can still walk away.
A complete due diligence checklist for buying vacant land: access, title, zoning, septic, water, flood zones, wetlands, utilities, and taxes, with the office to call for each.
8 min readReviewed September 21, 2026
An easement lets someone else use part of your land, or lets you cross theirs. Learn the types, how to find them before you buy, and which ones should change your offer.
9 min readReviewed September 21, 2026
Use FEMA's free maps to see whether a parcel sits in a flood zone, learn what the zone letters mean, and find out what a flood zone does to building costs, loans, and value.
9 min readReviewed September 21, 2026
Seven ways to find the property lines on a piece of land, from free county maps and phone apps to locating survey pins, and when only a licensed survey will do.
11 min readReviewed September 20, 2026
A perc test shows whether soil can absorb wastewater from a septic system. Learn how the test works, what it costs, what passing means, and your options if a parcel fails.
10 min readReviewed September 20, 2026