Is land purchase required?

[HMT]

Is the purchase of land required when building a cabin in the bush? (way out of civilization... )

 

[sigabrt]

Trespass cabins

Trespass cabins

The government (state/feds) call those trespass cabins. Ultimately you have no rights to what you build. If discovered you risk losing it all. I assume a similar position would be taken by native entities (village/regional)...

 

[1stimestar]

Lol where's that popcorn eating smilie?

 

[HMT]

In reviewing many of the other threads on land purchase, sources of property for sale info, etc; it would seem the farther you go out the lower the cost . No different than any other city center in relation to suburbs and "rural" property I suppose.

Is there a "lower limit" on cost per acre once surpassing anything that might even remotely be classified a commute via any means of transportation just because land is seemingly supposed to cost $xyz these days?

 

[HMT]

I've read a few threads on state land sale info.

Anyone else willing to share what the resulting appraisal value / cost for a state sale remote cabin building site came out to be?

Hoping for enough info to get a better feel for it ... Compulsive over research?

 

[LuJon]

In reviewing many of the other threads on land purchase, sources of property for sale info, etc; it would seem the farther you go out the lower the cost . No different than any other city center in relation to suburbs and "rural" property I suppose.

Is there a "lower limit" on cost per acre once surpassing anything that might even remotely be classified a commute via any means of transportation just because land is seemingly supposed to cost $xyz these days?

Lots of variables. Understand that AK is mostly swamp land, mountain, or tundra. All three of those are hard to build on and the only real way to ensure you are going to be able to do anything with it is to actually go there and check it out for yourself. It is a huge challenge to find a piece of property that is high and dry with enough logs to build some sort of cabin on any distance from anywhere. If you do find that gem, odds are someone else has too and the owner will know it's value and the price will reflect that!! Also remember that the farther out you go the more $$$$ you will spend trying to build on it, cost of access will add up fast.M ost of those land sales are done in neighborhood fashion so the land around your spot will be owned by someone, and if you start chopping their trees they will probably not be pleased.

It is attempted by many every year, a bunch buy junk land and only step foot on it once if at all, a bunch more start trying to build and never complete it, a few realize their dream of a remote recreational cabin, and an even smaller number find the bush lifestyle fits them well.

 

[HMT]

LuJon,

Thanks for the feedback. I've learned a few lessons in buying recreational land in the mountain west of the lower 48 thus all of the questions. Your checklist is a great start for things I'll need to watch for.

I'm trying to decipher now if a state lottery piece of dirt is more cost effective than buying land from someone who has already done the work; which I kind of assume is where many of the current listings on many of the referenced real estate sites in this forum are from ...

Thanks

 

[jeremiahak]

I have some friends that purchased some "over the counter" land from the University. It was only about 15 miles away from downtown Fairbanks, and very suitable for conventional building. They paid around $9k for it, 10% down, no credit check. It can be done, but it takes a little work to find it.

 

[Paul H]

LuJon,

Thanks for the feedback. I've learned a few lessons in buying recreational land in the mountain west of the lower 48 thus all of the questions. Your checklist is a great start for things I'll need to watch for.

I'm trying to decipher now if a state lottery piece of dirt is more cost effective than buying land from someone who has already done the work; which I kind of assume is where many of the current listings on many of the referenced real estate sites in this forum are from ...

Thanks

State lottery land goes for market value, so there is no savings there.

The key is first deciding what area of the state you are interested in, then see what is offered in either private lots for sale, or state land sales.

The cost of land is really the least of your expences. Being able to access the land and building a cabin is the $ adds up.

 

[akjg_03]

There are state lots available "over the counter" right now starting around 6k. Lots are anywhere from .5 acre to 35acres..
http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/landsale/otc/index.cfm#region

Here is the site where yo ucan find available lots.

I would also recommend looking at retail sites. Lots of property sits unsold for years with an eager seller simply looking to unload. Remember you can ALWAYS make and offer and they can ALWAYS say no... no harm no foul.

It's not as previously described to find a chunk of good land for a remote site.

 

[Alaskanmutt]

Not entirely true

Not entirely true

State lottery land goes for market value, so there is no savings there.

The key is first deciding what area of the state you are interested in, then see what is offered in either private lots for sale, or state land sales.

The cost of land is really the least of your expences. Being able to access the land and building a cabin is the $ adds up.

The Initial Over the Counter Lottery parcels are sold as the minimium bid price. Which is below market value. The lots say at Chiganki Pond are taxed and resold at over double the price (my lot went from 20,000 to 80,000 in 4 years according to the borough)

The over the counter land is sold at the minimium bid price of the year it was offered, they do not reappraise the land unless they take it off the market for some reason (then it has to go back into the auction not directly back into the OTC land) some of it hasn't been appraised for 10 years. People buy lots say at Deadman Lake for 3,000 then post them on eBay for 10,000 all the time. Dag near everything sold by Western Properties up here was bought through the OTC sales (once they are paid off and patent is received of course)