This Land is Our Land

After we started focusing on land things got somewhat overwhelming. Some were in neighborhoods, some weren't. Some were 3-4 acres, some around 10, some closer to 20 acres. South Carolina, Georgia. Appling, Lincolnton. Edgefield, Aiken, Trenton. Some were cleared, some all woods. Ponds, no ponds. Flat, not flat. Some perked, some didn't. County water, well water. Ridiculous HOA rules. You get the idea, the list goes on and on.

 

 

We started a list of the potential properties and started marking them off. After only really liking 2 houses, options was a good thing. A whole bunch of comparing and we had the list down to just a couple. We had three main contenders.

Though we liked several in Georgia, only one seemed to make it to the final countdown. It was in an equestrian "waterfront" neighborhood in Lincolnton. The neighborhood has several ponds, nobody has built in it yet, and we found a decent size corner lot we liked pretty good. There were things we didn't love about it, but the price seemed good enough to keep it in the running. It was a little further than I wanted to have to drive into Augusta, and for David to have to drive home every night.

 

 

The other two were in South Carolina. One was in Edgefield (I think) -- it wasn't a neighborhood though. Just a side road with a whole bunch of land. It was big acreage and really pretty, really out in the middle of nowhere. One day we rode out to look at it again and much to our surprise on one side of the road a logging company had come in and cut down all the trees. The lots were still for sale across the street, but that ruined it for me and that one was out.

The land that we purchased is in fact in an equestrian neighborhood, and it was a different lot that got us in the neighborhood in the first place. We really liked it and called the real estate agent only to find out that though the listing said it was close to 10 acres, it was marked wrong (long story that actually made perfect sense) and was only about 6 acres- however the price was the same. Made things kind of tough. David would point out the other lots for sale in that neighborhood and I wasn't loving the idea of any of them. One day though, he made me get out and walk the lots and then called to meet the real estate agent out there to figure out where exactly property lines were. (The backside of the lots have woods, and if the woods weren't included in the lots I did not want them). Once he met him out at the land and we got an idea of the actual property lines it moved quickly into first place. 

David did a lot of comparing and figuring. Did research to see how much acres were going for in similar type neighborhoods. We decided to send in an offer, on not just 1, but 2 lots.

The real estate agent did not think that the bank would accept our offer. We didn't think the bank would accept our offer either. (HA!) But it wasn't long until we heard back that they had accepted. We had thirty days to agree or decline. 

 

 

We agreed! October 25, 2013 the papers were signed on 20+ acres!

 

It felt like it took forever to find land that we both loved. Looking back it probably didn't really take us THAT long and we had fun doing it. We drove all over, spent hours in the car talking and singing with the windows down. Saw so many summer sunsets, walked through so many pieces of property enjoying the fresh air. 

 

 

 

Fishing in a pond we found. And yes, that's a branch stuck on the jeep.
It really was fun, I would maybe even do it again, except that I love where we have ended up!