I am currently renting an apartment, never been a home owner/land owner in my life.

Someone on another board (a dealer) posted a WTT add for 1 acre of land in S.E. AZ near Willcox (5 miles from town).  It is 80 miles from Tucson

I am currently in IL, and AZ is a possible sight for my podiatric residency (I liked Phoenix when I was there for a week).  

The dealer is asking about $2k for the acre.  Zoned for a house or cabin, no electric, will support a well.  Taxes at $20/year.

I figure that at $20 a year, if it sits for a few years, it is OK.  Eventually, I could put a small cabin and generator on the land and use it as a hunting cabin (apparently there is a National Forest nearby).  It is not likely that I would live there, but as a vacation get-a-way place, it might not be too bad.

Having never been a land owner, I don't know what the pro's and/or con's are on a deal like this?

If we do the paperwork (quit claim deed and warranty deed according to the dealer) ourselves, the filing fees, etc. are only about $50.  If we go professional with a title search, etc. it runs $600 (i.e. not worth it at that point).  I offered him about $1600 worth of my guns from storage (i.e.--not a great loss if something goes wrong, and the guns are replaceable--no collector's value, and not my favorites, or duplicates of what I have already).  If he wants significantly more than that, it is not worth it to me.

It is not even likely that I could visit the property any time soon, and I don't have any relatives nearby to check on it for me.  However, it is one of those Wild Hair Up My Ass trades that occasionally pique my interest.  It tickles my fancy to be a "landowner", and maybe will workout nicely.

Any input would be highly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

AFARR

AFARR,

Paul is right. Don't just buy something without looking into it. Location is the primary value in land, and there are some real bad places. I live in Great Falls Montana and property values out here can vary greatly in just a couple of miles, because of the quality of well water.

Paul forgot the fourth rule of real estate. If it sounds to good to be true, it is. The agent would have already bought it if it was a real good deal.

I don't think you'd be impressed with that land. IIRC mostly flat desert, and the "National Forest" is prolly the Sonora desert. @ 2k an acre, NOT a good buy
Wilcox, the home of Rex Allen