I've noticed similar issues with county auctions—seems like good deals come with strings attached. Ended up buying privately to avoid zoning headaches. Curious though, has anyone had better luck with tax lien sales instead?
I've looked into tax lien sales before, and they can definitely be worthwhile if you're patient and detail-oriented. The key is thorough research—checking for hidden liens, environmental issues, or zoning quirks upfront saves headaches later. A friend snagged a decent lot through a tax lien sale last year, but he spent weeks digging through county records first. So yeah, good deals exist, but they're not exactly effortless...sounds like you made a smart call going private to dodge zoning drama.
"A friend snagged a decent lot through a tax lien sale last year, but he spent weeks digging through county records first."
That's exactly the kind of thing I've been wary of—county records can be a real maze sometimes. Speaking from experience, even private sales aren't always smooth sailing. Last year, I almost jumped on a private lot that seemed perfect until I found out about a buried septic tank issue... dodged a bullet there. Have you (or anyone else here) found any reliable shortcuts or online tools to streamline the due diligence process? Or is it pretty much always a manual slog through county offices and endless phone calls?
I've had similar experiences—county records are definitely not my idea of a good time, lol. But honestly, I've found that doing it manually usually pays off. Online tools like Zillow or LandWatch can give you a decent starting point, especially for zoning and taxes, but they're rarely complete. I once used an online mapping tool (county GIS portals can be surprisingly good) to spot potential floodplain issues before even visiting the property. Saved me a lot of headaches.
Still, nothing beats actually picking up the phone or going down to the county office yourself. You'd be surprised how helpful some of those clerks can be if you're polite and patient—they've pointed out red flags I would've totally missed on my own. Sure, it's tedious, but I'd rather slog through paperwork than end up with a hidden septic tank situation... yikes.
Totally agree about county GIS portals—they've saved me from a few nasty surprises too. But honestly, I've found even those aren't foolproof. Once, a property looked perfect online until I visited and saw the neighbor's "collection" of rusty cars leaking who-knows-what into the soil. Yikes indeed. Manual checks and in-person visits might feel tedious, but they're worth it if you're serious about building sustainably or avoiding environmental headaches down the road. Better safe than sorry...
