In my August Newsletter I talked about how to find a property on the county Geographic Information System (GIS) so you can get a more detailed look than the listing will provide. If you missed that post, you can find it here.
Now, let’s take a closer look at those details.
Once you’ve got a visual representation of the parcel, there are questions you should be asking in order to evaluate whether the property is worth a visit.
The first thing you should be looking at is accessibility.
Sometimes properties in the mountains are “landlocked.” What does that mean?
Landlocked Properties
There are many large parcels in our mountains that have been subdivided over the years. A section might have given to a family member or sold off long ago The parcel outlined in blue above is an example.
Sometimes, parcels that are the product of a subdivision are only accessible via passage through an adjacent property. When it was all in the family, this didn’t present a problem. Regardless, when it was split, if done properly, the original owner should have granted an easement which is permission to pass through the property. Usually, a reference to the easement will appear in the deed and there will be a document on file spelling out exactly where the easement is located. If that wasn’t done or if some new obstacle to access appeared over the years, courts in North Carolina are not always bound to granting access if proper legal work wasn’t done when the property was originally split up.
No Road Access
The parcel in the graphic above also appears to have no access to a public road. Sometimes you’ll find that the property can be accessed via a private dirt, gravel or less often asphalt road. When that’s the case, the question to ask is, “who maintains it?” If it’s shared with other properties, often everyone pitches in to make sure it’s passable. Sometimes the agreement to share responsibility is on a handshake, but it’s always best to have a legal Road Maintenance Agreement prepared by an attorney. If financing is involved it almost always required.
In fact, the only access to this parcel is via a rutted logging road. As it was when it was sold, it was only accessible on foot or in a high clearance 4×4. The buyers purchased it for recreational purposes but if they wanted to build, it would have been quite a production. Logging Roads in our area are 10-14’ wide. Not wide enough for a construction vehicle. About ½ mile of road would need to be made passable. Area for a turn-around would also have to be cleared. Clearing and grading a road would needless to say, add a lot of expense to a build.
Where’s the Nearest Power Pole?
Where is the nearest house? The closest access to power is probably over there.
Solar? The Blue Ridge Mountains are dense with large canopy tree areas that can grow to be 80 feet tall or higher.
Duke will run 100-250 feet of line for free. Beyond that they charge by the foot. A new pole costs $1500. Want to get sun on your panels? That’s a lot of clearing.
Want internet? No fiber optic lines here. There’s Starlink but Starlink needs to have line of sight to the satellites over a large section of sky.
Always look at the satellite image of the parcel. Zoom out to see where the nearest houses are. Look at the density of trees in the image. Are there any natural clearings? That’s a plus.
There is still even more you can learn by looking at property on the GIS. Standby for the next installment where I’ll tell you about topography and other factors to consider if you’re thinking about build in the mountains.
If you have questions now, don’t hesitate to give me a call.
