First a little geography: Raleigh is the capitol of North Carolina and Cary adjoins Raleigh’s South West boarder. Both are located in Wake County which is located roughly in the middle of state of North Carolina.

The Raleigh/Cary area has received lots of press lately. Forbes Magazine, for instance, has voted the Raleigh the number one best Place for Business and Careers. Forbes, in a separate article cited the Raleigh area as the 3rd Least Overpriced Housing, virginia Crime, Markets in the Country. And while we are on the topic, let’s not forget Cary was voted #5 best place to live in the whole country by Money Magazine.

Apparently the word is out. People are flocking to the Cary/Raleigh area. In fact, the good folks at the Census Bureau say it’s the 18th fastest growing area in the whole country.

100 people a day are moving into Wake County. The burgeoning Wake County school system opened 7 new schools this year and converted,, virginia Crime, virginia Crime, some to year around to further increase capacity.

What’s so appealing? Well, the two of the bigger reasons: jobs and affordable housing. While $650,000 buys just a modest 3 bedroom ranch in the Virginia suburbs, it buys a brand new home with many upgrades and a big yard in Cary/Raleigh. And while many New York residents routinely pay around $10,000 to 20,000 per year in taxes, Cary/Raleigh residents pay roughly 1/10th of that, virginia Crime, .

In addition, Cary real estate has consistently enjoyed a slow and steady 3-5 percent property appreciation per year.

In addition to these appetizing ingredients to Raleigh/Cary’s most appealing recipe, add a splash of great schools excellent health care, low crime, and mild weather to the mix. Cary is part of the superb Wake County school system and many of the best schools in the county are found in Cary, NC.

Cary, North Carolina is the seventh safest city in the whole county. Perhaps in part due to the religious influence of the Bible belt or perhaps the triangles distinction of having the most PhD’s per capita.

Regardless, families feel safe in Cary and Raleigh’s streets and parks.
With Wake, Rex and Duke Hospitals close by, residents enjoy some of the finest and most advanced health care in the nation. Lastly, you can’t say enough about the weather here. The area defiantly, virginia Crime, has four seasons. Now, summers can be quite warm and humid, however winters are typically short and mild. Spring and fall are long and lovely. The spring flowers are brilliant and the fall colors magnificent.

If, however, I drive the extra mile and drive outside the city of Washington to the free bridge, I am using a legitimate,, virginia Crime, logical, and suitable method of tax avoidance, and I am performing a useful social service by doing so.
For my tax evasion, I should be punished. For my tax avoidance, I should be commended. The tragedy of life today is that so few people know that the free bridge even exists.”
Our progressive tax system in the United States facilitates the redistribution of wealth from the more fortunate to the less fortunate.

Now, the U.S. judicial system is also being used to redistribute wealth through litigation. Entrepreneurs, business owners, retirees and others who have accumulated any significant amount of wealth are often financially devastated by the U.S. judicial system.
With that in mind, it is easy to see why even a person of average wealth with assets at risk would benefit from implementing a wealth management plan to protect assets from the claims – especially the frivolous claims – of unknown future judgment creditors.

Among many other exceptions to liability insurance coverage, most insurance policies do not cover punitive damages or employment-related claims.
Insurance against the most common source of judgments and settlements over $1 million, automobile accidents, is only very rarely maintained at the level necessary to cover such claims. In fact, it may be prohibitively expensive or impossible to insure at such a high level of coverage. While insurance is the first line of defense against legal claims for damages, it is impossible to insure against many sources of significant potential liability.

It is essential to implement an asset protection plan integrated with your estate plan. Your asset protection plan will greatly enhance your estate plan by providing additional assurance that you and your family will be able to reap the fruits of your labor, and often, by providing the means to make gifts of interests in protected assets to family members – gifts which are protected from your unknown future creditors and from all of the creditors of your family members. Simply put, the objective of legitimate offshore asset protection planning is to avoid litigation altogether by using a structure involving the prudent use of professional advice and foreign law; it is not intended to protect dishonest or incompetent persons from creditors.

Legitimate tax-neutral, flexible offshore asset protection and investment vehicle are available.
International variable life insurance and international variable annuities with reputable companies in secure offshore jurisdictions can be attractive investment vehicles. In addition to being well protected, because they have different commission structures they are not subject to certain U.S. taxes, offshore life insurance policies and annuities can be significantly less expensive than comparable products offered in the United States.

►What Asset Protection Planning Is Not
Asset protection planning and proper tax planning do not involve tax evasion or anti-IRS theories. All solid well designed asset protection planning is done with full IRS compliance and disclosure.
Asset protection advice is not “cookie-cutter” planning. Avoid cheap asset protection “kits” promoted by dozens of providers via seminars or the Internet. Good asset protection advice is formulated on a case-by-case basis. Neither does legitimate asset protection planning does not involve hiding money offshore and using offshore credit card accounts.

While it is a bit more difficult to track protected assets offshore than in the U.S., if you rely mainly on offshore secrecy to protect assets, you will likely soon find you and your assets parted.
►Offshore Planning
Offshore business structures and offshore estate planning structures, including offshore trusts and offshore insurance policies can often offer an excellent solution to asset protection problems. Variable life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts which are compliant with U.

S. tax laws, offer a wider range of investment opportunities, and are often available at lower costs than comparable U.S. policies for policies with total aggregate premiums of over $100,000.
Be careful in choosing an Offshore Planning and Asset Protection Planning Consultant.
A Web search will reveal hundreds of offshore service providers offering various offshore tax planning and asset protection schemes, as well as company formation services. How do you choose one out of all of these?
First, look for a consultant with extensive tax experience who can provide competent and comprehensive U.

S. tax advice. Most reputable offshore service providers specifically disclaim the U.S. tax consequences of their structures and suggest that you seek the advice of U.S. tax counsel. Less reputable offshore service providers, virginia Crime, will claim that their plans are set up in jurisdictions where there are no income taxes, no capital gains taxes and no death taxes. While true – for that jurisdiction – the U.S. tax consequences are entirely different.
There is no simple way to avoid taxes offshore that cannot be done onshore.

There are sophisticated means that work for legitimate businesses, but there are not “offshore only” ways for the average investor, holding marketable securities and acting alone, to avoid income taxes on investment income. The most predatory offshore service providers will simply lie and tell you that for whatever reason, there are no U.S. taxes due on their preferred type of offshore vehicle (“you don’t own the company – you’re just the manager;”, virginia Crime, “you don’t owe taxes on offshore trust income;” “the Panamanian foundation is a separate legal entity without any owners, so you don’t pay taxes on its income,” etc.

). Bad tax advice can have grave consequences. Willful tax evasion and willful failure to file required information returns are, of course,, virginia Crime, serious crimes that can and do result in massive fines and imprisonment. Even worse, for some, may be the fact that relying on the tax advice of an incompetent advisor may not even keep you out of serious trouble – at best, it can result in the imposition of hundreds of thousands of dollars or more in fines and interest, and at worst, fines and imprisonment.

The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon brochures, advertising or other promotional materials. Before you decide, ask for written information about qualifications and experience.
A sophisticated and creative tax planner can:
* Transform tax plans from methods of cost-containment to integrated systems of advanced tax risk management and value creation;
* Transform asset protection plans from ineffective collections of legal odds and ends to integrated systems of advanced legal risk management and security enhancement; and
* Transform individual financial plans and company treasuries from piecemeal jumbles to integrated systems of financial management and wealth preservation.

U.S. citizens should always consult a competent tax attorney or CPA before implementing any planning involving domestic or foreign structures. Windward Harbor’s principals are experienced tax planning, wealth management, insurance, investment, tax, and asset protection professionals. We specialize in providing the most effective, legal tax planning available for entrepreneurs and high net worth clients. Windward Harbor will offer asset protection and offshore planning services only to clients who are committed to full U.

S. tax compliance.
The materials found in this article, including these comments on asset protection planning and offshore planning, are for, virginia Crime, general informational purposes only. The information provided herein is not warranted to be accurate or current and must not be regarded as legal advice. All legal and tax planning is very fact- and circumstance-specific, asset protection planning and offshore planning, in particular. Internet subscribers and online readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional advice.

You should consult a lawyer if you have a legal matter requiring attention.
? Windward Harbor LLC 2004
Wayne Walker & Christopher Riser, Esq.

Windward Harbor LLC

If you are in a big hurry to find rural property, you will likely not be able to find what you are looking for. Rural properties have fewer buyers who want to purchase them, but there are plenty of dreamers who have not considered the realities. There are seldom bargains available because most folks who own rural properties know exactly who to call first when they want to sell. If the property really is a bargain it is gone with one of the first ten phone calls the seller makes. However, if you are willing to “think outside the box” of convention you may end up with what is a bargain property for you.

Twenty and thirty years ago thousands of folks bought into the “live on a farm and make a fortune” dream of owning a chicken house, home and acreage in Sussex County Delaware — the chicken capital of the world — where there are several million chickens for every person who lives here. For a short while it was possible to take the “contract” from a chicken plant to the bank and with only that as collateral, get a loan for about 10 acres, a home and at least one chicken house. Many folks soon discovered that the so called contract had fine print and clauses that were all in favor of the chicken plant and none in favor of the chicken grower.

Soon most chicken growers were working full time to help support the chicken business they had bought, along with it’s mortgage of $200,000 or more, sometimes much more.
Now when I appraise a chicken farm with house and acreage I appraise the working chicken farm at zero — and that is really too high a value in some cases. There are lots of easier, better smelling and cleaner jobs you can purchase with $200,000 or so. If you want to make a living growing chickens you should prepare to spend at least a million dollars, you can finance it of course, and get several chicken houses built around your home on 15 to 20 acres, if you don’t mind the smell, and then the best bet is to lease the business to someone who is running 20 or thirty chicken houses at least.

There are some sensible things you can do in contemplation of moving to and living in the country. First among those is to start by renting a small home in the area you want to live — and either move there or at least visit there often enough to get to know the area. If you already live close enough to drive to your dream area daily, start doing that and start frequenting the shops, churches and restaurants there. Stop at yard sales and to check into cars, trucks and equipment that is for sale in people’s front yards.

Be honest, tell them you are planning to move into the area and want to learn about your neighbors and only stop to shop if you are really interested in what they have for sale and are willing to purchase it at your price. Rural folk have a built in truth-detector and it is usually accurate. Don’t try to BS them or your reputation will precede any other data about you.
I suggest that you can subscribe to a good magazine on rural living, or two or three. One of the best to begin with is Backwoods Home Magazine; www.

backwoodshome.com Start by visiting and reading EVERYTHING on line, then get a subscription, then purchase ALL of the back issues which are bound into soft cover books.
If you yearn for the simple life of old fashioned living, in a log home for instance, and away from the downward pull of civilization, check out: www.homestead.org
If you are able to take your income with you, to maintain your current income, and don’t need a job where you are going. Then I recommend you just rent a place first and start spending more and more time in a good area as you begin to test your transition resources.

While renting get to know the people and see if you fit in with them. They are not planning to change to meet your parameters, I assure you. MOST of the folks who come from the city to the country start by trying to change the area they have moved to and the new neighbors, to be more like where they left. They should not have left or they should get on back there — and most of the neighbors will tell you so.
If you move to an area as a renter and find the people to your liking and they find you to their liking, you have probably found the right area.

However, in rural areas ten miles can make a huge difference in lifestyle and area ethnicity. Please don’t move to a resort town, like Rehoboth Beach where I work, and then without checking try to move into a place like Oak Orchard (the little rural waterfront town where I live) or you will experience some near terminal culture shock. I love where I live and the people who live here but hopefully not one of them thinks that I have some intention of changing the way they live here!
Once you have zeroed in on an area and visited it many dozen times or better yet rented a place there and started living there for short stays; I suggest that you start joining various groups and organizations as a part-time member and let them know that you are not full time yet, but hope to be.

They help. Don’t try to instruct them or help them do what they are already doing better; just try to help them on their own terms. You need to learn the rules of this new game, it’s their game and their community. At most you will be a welcome member of the community. You will never be the equal to those who have four or ten or thirty generations of family buried and established there. For instance in our area those who have only been here for sixty years are still not considered “from here” by those who have been here since the 1500s or soon after.

Once you have looked at several dozen properties that interest you, and that may take a year or two or more; you will begin to appreciate different micro-cultures in the area. You will begin to notice differences in soils, roads, well water, septic system functionality and road access; not to mention the differences in governmental rules and enforcement of same. Each time you find the perfect property; put a contract on it “pending research and discovery” and during that time check the neighbors and professionals about the property.

You should check the neighbors first, lots of them, they already know everything the professionals are going to charge you to tell you.
Hopefully by the second or third property you put a contract and deposit on; you will have the one that is right for you. Remember, if the property is a bargain price, you have missed something in almost every case. What you need to do is figure out how it is a bargain for you; because you have an unusual use, ability, or way to change the property easily to suit your needs.

Buy through a Realtor if at all possible. Sign a buyers agent agreement with your agent so that his allegiance is to you — otherwise,, virginia Crime, by law his allegiance is ONLY to the seller and by law, you are in an adversarial position to the seller and the Realtor. With a buyer’s agent agreement signed, your agent is now on your side, by law, and is an opponent of the seller and the seller’s agent. Ask your agent then to provide you with all the comparable sales data from the multi-listing service if there is one.

If not hire an appraiser, once you have the property under contract, (make the contract contingent upon a satisfactory appraisal) and pay to have the price evaluated. If you have contracted for too high a price, renegotiate the contract; if you find you have a real bargain; you of course double check with your agent and the appraiser to find out why. It may be that the reason for it’s “reasonable” price the reason that keeps it from selling is not that important to you — and you do have a bargain.

Possibly your employer or the consulting work or your self employment, virginia Crime, activities may allow you to telecommute. But if you can’t telecommute to maintain your current income; before buying in an area, find out if you have a marketable skill, one which is in demand in that particular region. This will give you some assurance that you will not become a financial fatality. Most of the folks who move to rural communities, without checking into how they will make money in the new location, have to sell their property at a loss within 5 years, due to lack of income.

If you are retired, be certain that hospitals, doctors, stores, restaurants, etc. are suitable for you in the new location — or be very certain that you will be able to comfortably reside in the new area regardless.
Some of us are not be able to save enough money for a cash purchase of our rural dream property before we reach retirement age. It is however likely that we can provide a small sum for a down payment, and we’re reasonably certain that we can market our skills locally to meet payments and put bread on the table (but please don’t just guess about this, check it out).

Even if you find small acreage (10 to 50 acres) for $5,000 or less per acre that has good soil, good water available and a good prospect for an inexpensive, workable septic system — many banks and mortgage companies are not optimistic about financing raw land. BUT, seller financing is often a alternative and easily structured method of purchasing raw land. In fact it is not unusual to get twenty, thirty or even forty year financing at 10% or less interest — from the seller. Of course, in order to build on the property, you will normally have to pay off the seller’s mortgage with your home financing loan.

Any of the money you have paid on the price of the land, down payment as well as principle payments during your ownership period, and any appreciation of the land value will be considered as part of your down payment on your home owners loan.
Be careful to set your payments so that you can afford the land payments along with your current cost of housing. You can save thousands of dollars in interest by keeping your loan to as short a term as possible. Also, make sure that there is no prepayment penalty on your seller financing note.

You can however often purchase an existing home on acreage for a lot less than the cost of acreage and building a similar home. You can also often rent out the property to cover part of your expense while you arrange your affairs for your eventual relocation to rural bliss. If you are interested in purchasing a 100 acre horse farm complete with buildings, fencing, paddocks, etc. you can often save nearly 50% of the reconstruction cost; but there is little market for renting such a property.
If you find “more than five acres” with a home and buildings that need work but are structurally sound, you may save 30% to even 60% of the reconstruction cost.

Be certain in this area, Sussex County Delaware, that you get more than five acres as five acres or less falls into a nonagricultural zoning classification that you may not wish to be involved with as you develop your rural lifestyle.
Most people ask me for 20 to 30 acres, or more. But let’s take a look at reality here. A football field is three quarters of one acre. Thus 5.1 acres or more is a very roomy place to live acreage wise. If you want horses however think 15 acres or more. Each horse will need an average of 5 to 9 acres depending on how you decide to raise the horse; that acreage is in addition to the land that your home, driveway, out buildings, garden and other non-fenced areas take in.

Many people are thinking of one, two, three or four horses for the family enjoyment; if so they need about 3 or more acres for the home and other human related improvements and should figure an additional average of seven acres for each horse or pony.
If you have a dream of self-sufficiency; living off the power grid, being away from it all… this is virtually impossible in reality yet most prevalent when you are in the dream stage. Coming to terms with what you can realistically afford and what you can realistically live with before you buy can save you a lot of headaches later.

Solar power is far more expensive than buying electricity from the power company, wind power is unreliable, water power is expensive and hard to arrange; now I expect to get a lot of argument on this from those who have read all about it but have no real experience — but I won’t get any valid argument from anyone who has done it (unless they are simultaneously trying to sell the idea to others).
There are many good articles in Backwoods Home Magazine; but most of them leave out the initial expense, maintenance expense and almost always the expense of replacing worn components of these so called money saving off-the-grid systems.

You can however, virginia Crime, design a passive solar home, one with most windows facing south west and few facing other directions. Most older farm houses are already designed like this, not all of them are well insulated however.
Location: is paramount. We Realtors are wont to chant”location — location — location” like a mantra. It isimportant, just learn what it means as location hasdifferent parameters for different purposes. Location on a main road is imperative for commercial activity; location near pleasant living and good jobs is imperative for residential property; location regarding rural principles is a matter of sometimes life and death or at least a matter of doable and undoable for a rural home.

I suggest that the proper location for rural living is NOT usually closest to the best beach, ski slope or lake but the more sensible location is near to a rural town, virginia Crime, where many or most of the locals are living on rural acreage. In our area everyone wants ten to thirty acres near the beach; after finding out the price, they dream about 1 to 5 acres but seldom end up getting it and if they do the difficulty of finding it, using it for rural purposes and enjoying it when your neighbors complain about your rooster, tractor noise or fertilizer odors will often make this semi-rural location less than your dreams.

If you’re not rigidly set on purchasing land in some popular or scenic wonderland, some good buys can still be found in the less “romantic” parts of the county, particularly on the edges of small farming communities. In Sussex County, I suggest the south west part of the county, west of Millsboro, nearer to Gumboro, Delmar, etc. for the best rural surroundings and lowest prices. There are few properties available in that area but even fewer buyers who have faced the reality of where rural living is better lived.

If you are independently wealthy, that is a different matter. There are some lovely farms on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific near Carmel California; where the movie stars reside and if you can find a hundred acre farm you may be able to get it for a hundred million dollars or so, plus the value of improvements. That is about what you can expect to pay for acreage near Rehoboth also; and it’s a little easier to find. The farther you go away from the “ideal” locations the fewer people are looking to purchase it and the lower the price is.

An interesting anecdote here; I had a couple come to me a few years ago looking to purchase a hundred acres or so on the oceanfront near Rehoboth, for horses; they could easily afford the price of a million an acre or so, but they ended up purchasing land twenty minutes inland after they did more reasonable research.
Before you go out looking for property, sit down with paper and pencil and any partners or family that will be involved. You may find numerous surprises when you all start writing down importances, desires, and things not wanted.

It is most important that you know what you must have, and what you can do without. Make a list of the features you feel an area MUST have in order for you to consider relocating there. This might include things like climate (and, thus, growing season), being within a certain radius of a population center (or maybe a certain distance AWAY from one), and availability of certain facilities or services. Being within 20 miles of an airport or hospital may not matter to one family, but could be of vital importance to another.

The most important item on this list is consideration of the social and economic climate of the area, and how you will fit into it. Even if you’re independently wealthy, the economic circumstances of an area can affect how you will fit into it. Will a well-heeled but bored-with-society person be able to move into an economic Appalachia and truly find contentment? Perhaps, but first consider the “necessities” of the life you’ll be leaving. Do you need to regularly attend the symphony or visit a high-quality library? Is high quality clothing shopping or other shopping important to you?
MAKING A REASONABLE INCOME AND LEARNING ABOUT RURAL IMPORTANCES: IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF LEARNING TO LIVE IN THE STICKS.

Those of us who aren’t independently wealthy need to consider some means of supporting ourselves in our new surroundings. “Living off the land” is certainly NOT all it’s cracked up to be, and isn’t even legal unless you become a vegetarian; year around hunting for meat is illegal everywhere. Even gardening or collecting wild edibles is not legal either, if you try to do it on public land.
Before moving to the country… One of the important questions to ask (and find out for sure the answer) is; “Does the area have a large enough population base to give a person a good shot at finding a job? Another is; “Does it have a diversified economy? Many communities seem to have good employment opportunities, but on closer inspection they all turn out to be based on the same industry, such as recreation, chickens, fishing camps, skiing, ocean swimming and water sports, timber or mining or farming.

If the bottom falls out of a single industry, or suddenly there is no snow or the water becomes polluted and is posted against use… as folks from many towns can attest has happened, the economy of the entire area falls apart — FAST… to fast to get out with your investment.
If an area’s economy is primarily based on tourism, such as ours in the Rehoboth, Lewes, Dewey, Bethany, Fenwick area, there may be many jobs available in the service sector (motels, restaurants, etc.) But most of these jobs pay very low wages, and often these jobs are seasonal.

Land prices tend to be inflated in many resort areas, and ours more so than most.
I was surprised a few years ago to find that the most expensive areas of California were not all that expensive compared to Rehoboth and surrounding areas.
Minimum wage income is not likely to enable a person to live comfortably in a resort community, much less enable a person to purchase property! An extreme example is the city of Aspen, Colorado. This beautiful ski resort community is an extremely expensive place to live.

The local fast-food restaurants have trouble getting employees because there is no reasonably priced place for them to live. Some of these businesses actually have to provide housing in order to get employees! It is somewhat like that in Rehoboth area. As you may know, Grotto’s Pizza, our largest employer in the area, at one time provided space for many of their employees. Now, a lot of our resort help lives communally in “three bedrooms, sleeps twenty) type apartments and homes. Many more of our seasonally employed folks are imported from Ireland and elsewhere — and come to live in dormitory style, often sleeping in shifts.

If, virginia Crime, you are a computer professional, you are very fortunate as the “Information Age” has created a class of professionals who can survive in depressed rural areas — the computer entrepreneur. With reasonably good dial-up ISP service, perhaps a cable modem (in Millsboro and some areas of southern Sussex County) a cell phone, computer, printer, modems and fax, people can now roam across the country and the world by phone and the Internet. Some folks, and this is a fast growing segment of our buyers, can either work at home for a distant company (perhaps commuting once a week or once a month or even in the case of one of my clients twice a week) or create a new business as a consultant, doing the same job for the same company they are currently employed by.

With a business card and digital tools one can appear to have a large conventional business, albeit a laptop and other portable digital tools, and it can be quite profitable.
Computer-based businesses are ideally suited for rural living. They are becoming increasingly more important as a means of breaking loose from the grind of commuting to work in big cities that are fast becoming too dangerous to live in. If you’re not yet into computers, you’ll have to consider whether you have a skill that’s marketable in the area you’re interested in.

Make sure the place you choose (a) has a use for that skill, and (b) isn’t saturated with unemployed people who have the same skill. One of my best friends is a fabulous carpenter, home builder, cabinet maker, and skilled in many other fields such as welding, auto mechanics, gunsmithing to some degree and perhaps a couple of dozen more marketable skills. He moved to a rural area of Virginia to his dream home on over a hundred acres and his income plummeted. He is back here now and I’m glad he is even though I don’t see him very often; it’s just pleasant to drive by his business and know he’s back in the neighborhood.

Please, please, please… before you move to an new rural area; subscribe to the nearest newspaper for the area you are considering and read the economic and community sections as well as the help wanted ads. If there is a skimpy “help wanted” section in the local paper… beware. On the other hand, could this “depressing” state of affairs regarding employment news probably means that real estate is bargain priced in that area?
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER

What about your health and age? Do you now or do you expect to have frequent need for the type of medical services mostly found in large cities?

Although they’re necessary, think seriously about staying at least 25 miles away from the nearest freeway system.

These “conduits of crime” that cross the country not only carry law-abiding citizens but solitary criminals and gangs as well. The gangs and other thugs tend to use the corridor towns in proximity of the freeways as their “banks” and they excel in “withdrawals on the run.” One small town the writers lived in was only a few miles from a freeway exit. One night, two men left the freeway, robbed a motel and got back on the freeway a short time later. They were never caught. Imagine what these corridors may become as our cities and suburbs continue to deteriorate!
WHEN YOU FIND AN AREA YOU LIKE .

. .

Once you’ve decided generally where you’d like to relocate, visit it several times, preferably at different times of the year. Learn which areas are desirable and which have problems. Check for flood plains, areas with access problems, water problems (not enough, too much or poor quality), noise problems (yes, even rural areas can have noisy spots), or other problems peculiar to a given area. Some rural “neighborhoods” have earned a bad reputation. Find out why before buying there. If the price seems too good to be true, maybe somebody’s trying to unload a problem.

If you’re looking for undeveloped land on which to build your retreat, find out about the water tables: depth, quality, and reliability. Find out what it costs to drill a well to the necessary depth for that area. Water should be one of the most important considerations in any land purchase. In Sussex County we are fortunate that we have generally good water (no matter what the press and Pseudo-envoronmentalists say) and wells are relatively cheap to drill.
Find out the proximity of utilities and costs to bring them in and hook them up, if they’re not already in place.

In some areas, costs to hook up to the power lines grid are prohibitive. Some of those same areas may not be conducive to an inexpensive well or septic either. BUT that can be an advantage if you are able to think outside of the norm. For instance our Fowler’s Beach property is not conducive to running electric wires, getting good water from a shallow well or building and inexpensive sewer system. As a result you can get waterfront acreage for little money on a private beach and the cost of electric, water and sewer when added to the cost of the property is minuscule!
Once you’ve narrowed your search to a few areas within your target community, look at several properties! Realtors such as ourselves, can be a big help, not only by showing you individual properties, but by telling you about the area in general.

It’s not necessary to restrict yourself to one Realtor. But as soon as possible you should choose ONE to work with, get their allegiance and preferably sign a buyer’s agent agreement with them so that they are looking out for your best interests!!! If your Realtor is too pushy for you or isn’t showing you the type of properties that interest you, find another one; make sure you void the buyer’s agent agreement if you have one (in writing) and get a Realtor who will listen to what you want and provide you such.

And don’t forget to watch the newspapers and check out properties in your price range and area of interest being offered for sale by owner. Sometimes the best deals can be had by working with owners; and if you have a buyer’s agent, the agent can make certain that you are well informed and protected even after you view the property with the seller.
You will also need an attorney in Delaware to assist you with the closing on the property. It is important to know that all attorney’s CAN do real estate settlements but only a handful are worth using.

Attorneys specialize and only three to five of them specialize in real estate — for the rest of them, real estate settlements are awkward and no matter what they say… they usually make errors and those errors can be horrid.
When you do find a property you like, don’t let it blind you to its drawbacks. Whether or not you’re working with a Realtor, do your homework. Remember, unless your Realtor is a buyer’s agent, he or she is working for the seller. Most Realtors will be up front with you about all your questions, but they are also bound by contract to get the best possible price for their client, the seller.

And, by law — when they are working for the seller there are numerous things they may NOT divulge to you even when they know about them.
First, ask the seller or Realtor all the questions you can about the property. For an older dwelling, this might include questions about the age of the wiring and plumbing, type of foundation, and in some parts of the country, when it was last checked for insect problems. This is particularly important near the beaches and regarding wooded properties — where termites are prevalent.

Then talk to the neighbors. In the rural sense, the “neighbors” are folks living within a five-or-so-mile radius of the property; sometimes even more, if the property is down a long road without intersections. Ask them about the area, its people, any problems with the area, and particularly if they know of any drawbacks with the property you are considering purchasing. If they seem reluctant to talk to you, this might be a red flag you shouldn’t ignore: maybe they’d like to buy the property but can’t afford it, or maybe they don’t like outsiders buying property in their area.

If you run up against this in several conversations, you might have a hard time getting along with the neighbors. Buying — and holding onto — that chunk of land, with or without a home and buildings on it will take creative planning, patience, and caution on your part!
IF YOU MUST HAVE A DEAL OR ELSE . . .

Today’s expensive properties will be tomorrow’s bargains. Don’t be discouraged by short term obstacles. Land prices seldom go down in the long run. Obviously, there are a lot more things to consider when buying rural land as opposed to buying a house in a city.

One of them is the possible problems of buying in a “boom town” area when you don’t want to be part of the boom.
It is important to consider whether your dream location will become less desirable as more people relocate there. For this reason it is not uncommon for people who move to a rural area to want to “close the gate” after they get there. They realize that if too many people move to the small community they have chosen, that it will eventually lose the qualities that drew them there in the first place.

Unfortunately, people WILL find these wonderful places, no matter how hard some people try to keep them a secret. Some communities handle growth well, others don’t. Check to see what kind of planning and zoning is present in your chosen area. A community that looks ahead and plans for growth fares much better than communities that keep their heads in the sand, thinking “it can’t happen here.” Growth not only can happen, it will.
But short of a natural disaster or a devastating man-made calamity, land won’t come down in value.

Buy it, use it, live on it, improve it, and love it. Land is the best investment you’ll ever make, for yourself and posterity.
Good luck in your search!
Copyright ? 2001 www.JodyHudson.com
Source Page: http://www.ruralrehoboth.com/essays/ruralproperty.html

When you begin to think about a location where you want to purchase your real estate property, you must first think about a general location. This will be a personal preference. Do you want to live in the big city where there is a lot of hustle and bustle, noise, and a faster pace of living or would you like to live in a quiet corner of the country where there is little noise and people live at a slower pace. Maybe you want something in between. Which ever area is your preference, it must be the first step you take in deciding where to buy real estate.

Once you, virginia Crime, have decided on the general area, you can then compare a list of cities that are located with in that area. During this step, you want to look at the cities closely. What types of schools, libraries and churches are available in this town? Is there a hospital or doctor close by? How far is it from neighboring towns and cities? What is the population? You may even want to go visit your chosen town for a few days to actually see what, virginia Crime, is available and if it would be a place, virginia Crime, where you would want to live.

Once you have decided on a city, you are then ready to begin, virginia Crime, seeking your property.
Today, many people are leaving the bigger cities and seeking homes in the cities suburbs. A lot of, virginia Crime, people work in the big cities, but when it comes to living, they prefer to live the big city for the quiet life of a smaller town or country. In the larger cities today, the crime rate is rising, the noise and pollution levels are exceeding reasonable limits and the cost of living in the city is rising.

Therefore, the idea of a quite life without the threat of crime, noise, pollution or higher cost of living is attracting people from all walks of life all over the country.
According to Money Magazine, the best places to live in the United States are smaller towns that are suburbs of large cities. These include; Moorestown, New Jersey, Bainbridge Island, Washington, Harperville, Illinois, Vienna, Virginia, and Louisville, Colorado. (www.cnnmoney.com). Out of the top 100 best places to live in the United States, no larger cities were mentioned.

Most were smaller cities or country areas.
Buying a house is difficult. However, by defining and analyzing the location where you would like to purchase real estate, some of the difficulty can be eliminated. Finding the right location is just as important as the cost, the maintenance, the investment and the closing. Be sure you choose a location that best fits your needs.
Resources
http://homebuying.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=homebuying&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2Fbest%2Fbplive%2F CNN Money Online.

Retrieved April 1, 2006.
Kamau Austin is publisher of
Montclair 411.
Visit his site to get the latest news on the Hot
Montclair New Jersey Real Estate scene. Also, get great info on New Jersey Mortgages at http://www.mortgagesbylarrystokes.com.

? You are currently unemployed and are seeking employment.
? You receive public assistance.
? You believe that your credit file contains errors due to fraud or identity theft.
Additionally, you also may be able to get your credit report and credit score from other business or companies. For example, if you live in California and are shopping for a home loan, the lender must provide you with your credit score by law. Several other states require that credit scores be disclosed to consumers.

It’s possible to receive a free copy of your credit reports annually if you live in Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont and Maryland. Recently Congress passed a law which affords each of us the right to a free credit report annually. Below is a listing of the start dates for this particular program:
Consumers in the Western states ? Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming ? can order their free reports beginning December 1, 2004.

Consumers in the Midwestern states ? Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin ? can order their free reports beginning March 1, 2005.
Consumers in the Southern states ? Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas ? can order their free reports beginning, virginia Crime, June 1, 2005.
Consumers in the Eastern states ? Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia ? the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all U.

S. territories can order their free reports beginning September 1, 2005.
To take advantage of the free annual credit report,, virginia Crime, please visit: www.annualcreditreport.com.
Why is it important to “maintain our credit profile”? You have to have good credit, or at least decent credit, for a lender to consider you as a worthy credit risk. With our credit score being used in everything from insurance to interest rates on loans, we need to ensure that we manage our credit properly.
There is also the an epedimic going on called Identity Theft.

The FBI released a study in May 2005 which stated that Identity Theft has caused over $52.6 billion, virginia Crime, dollars in total losses for 2004. With over 4.6% of the population being effected by Identity Theft, you can never be too careful. Identity Theft is simply an individual assuming another identity, and often times leads to other financial crimes such as credit card fraud, mortgage fraud, and check fraud.
By monitoring our credit reports frequently and utilizing our credit responsibily, we can take control of our financial futures to ensure that our profiles are accurate.

For more information regarding your credit scores,, virginia Crime, credit reports or debt options currently available to you, please contact Gateway Credit Connection or visit us online at http://www.creditmonkey.com
Michael Goff is the Co-Founder of Gateway Credit Connection, helping empower consumers to take control of their personal and business finances.

Automobile insurance is regulated by the state’s insurance commissioner, and every state has its own rules and regulations for mandatory, virginia Crime, driver’s insurance, virginia Crime, .
Each state periodically looks at a number of statistics and analyzes data for a certain time period. This allows the insurance commissioner to assess risks and problem areas and adjust standards accordingly for each location.
There are several components that go into determining risk factors, and thus an increase or decrease in insurance prices, depending on the location.

One of the main points of interest for the insurance commissioner is the number of motor vehicle theft reports and subsequent vandalism and damage. They also analyze the number of accidents in a given time, as this will directly affect the insurance prices because of the insurance claims in direct proportion to the number of accidents reported. The insurance commissioner is also likely to analyze climate and weather, because extreme conditions such as ice and snow, or flooding are likely to increase accident and property damage rates.

One of the minor factors that may affect insurance rates is the cost of car repair, which varies greatly by geographical location.
According to polls and data collection, there are statistically “good and bad” places to live, if one is concerned with auto insurance rates. Although it’s tempting to categorize these areas based on geographic location, numerous other factors come into play. New York, along with Washington D.C, Nevada and Arizona are among the top ten states with the highest insurance premiums for 2005.

Although the population varies greatly in each of these locations, the persons per square mile statistics are similar, in that they are, virginia Crime, all very high. Trends have shown that in areas with dense populations, accident and crime rates are likely to increase. These areas are also notorious for extreme weather conditions, such as winter storms and blazing heat. Iowa, Ohio, Virginia and Indiana, along with six other states claim their title as the ten best states to live in, when considering automobile insurance.

The crime rates along with weather conditions are fairly calm and stable, which leads to a noticeable decrease in insurance premiums, with an average of less than half that of New York’s rates.
Another factor to consider when comparing insurance rates is not only the price of the automobile insurance, but also the cost of living and its subsequent compensation in regards to financial conditions such as minimum wage. For the ten most expensive states, minimum wage is higher than the federal average, and similarly the minimum wage is comparable to the federal average for those states that rank the lowest in premium rates.

Although location is a significant factor in automobile insurance rates, it cannot always be an avoidable one. Maintaining a safe and honorable driving record can help reduce rates significantly, regardless of geographical area.
Tristan Andrews is a writer for California Car Insurance.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tristan_Andrews

Why? Two words: ‘mountain estates’. West Virginia real estate is attracting out of state baby boomers buying land for sale by owner that offers peace, quiet, and year-round
recreation. A perfect spot to build that dream home in the mountains.

A 2-5 hours’ drive from New York or Washington, anyone retreating to a private, mountain hideaway there quickly recognizes why West Virginia is one of – if not the best –
places to retire.

Recreation and nature abound. Buyers are noticing land for sale by owner in West Virginia is scarce. For the moment, the best kept land for sale by owner secret for West
Virginia real, virginia Crime, estate lies in the southwestern part of the state, around Beckley, West Virginia, which neighbors the two quiet mountain towns of Daniels and Shady Spring.

While the amount of land for sale by owner diminishes, Beckley, West Virginia real estate owners prosper from its benefits.

For instance, Beckley, West Virginia real estate boasts:

? The lowest crime rate in America,
? 17 epic golf courses,
? 3 national parks, teaming with trout filled streams and rivers
? Year-round recreational facilities,
? And just 60% property tax paid on a property’s Tax Assessed Value

It seems West Virginia real estate buyers acquiring all land for sale by owner will profit tomorrow from their purchases made today.

Further, with the recent opening of two high-end, gated real estate communities, demand for Beckley, West Virginia real estate is increasing.

The smallest and, virginia Crime, most exclusive private community near Beckley, Willow Wood Acres, quickly sold 60% of its 23 wooded lots that range from 1.5 to 7.35 acres in size.

Best of all, West Virginia real estate owners in Beckley enjoy summertime activities like hiking, biking, and fly fishing. Winter enthusiasts cross-country ski and snowmobile.

By the way, nearby Winterplace Ski Resort also has 27 runs across 90 acres of skiing terrain.

Simply put, land for sale by owner around Beckley, West Virginia is nationally recognized. Be it golfing, dining, shopping, or for the outdoors and fresh mountain air, West Virginia real estate is a wise choice for any buyer looking to escape the fury of the city, and enjoy fresh mountain air. Think, virginia Crime,, virginia Crime, about it. If you grab some of that remaining

West Virginia real estate land for sale by owner now, it will surely generate many pleasant memories for you and your family in the years ahead.

To, virginia Crime, learn more about Beckley, West Virginia real estate and take advantage of some exclusive land for sale by owner, visit

http://www.MyWillowWoodAcres.com