Buying Vacant Land in Southern California: The Questions to Ask First
Vacant land requires a different approach than a home purchase. There is no inspection contingency on a roof or a furnace; instead the questions are about what you are allowed to build, whether you can reach the parcel, and what it would cost to bring utilities to it.
Zoning comes first. The county or city zoning code sets the allowed use, minimum lot size and setbacks. A parcel that looks like a homesite may be zoned for agriculture or have a slope or fire-hazard overlay that limits building.
Access and utilities come next. Confirm legal access from a public road or a recorded easement, and find out how far the parcel is from water, power and sewer or whether a well and septic system would be needed.
Title issues are more common on land than on homes: easements, mineral rights, unrecorded agreements and boundary questions. A preliminary title report and, where needed, a survey are worth ordering before you commit.
I help buyers and sellers of land across Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Kern counties, from Westside infill lots to parcels in Lancaster, Palmdale, Joshua Tree and the high desert. If you are considering a parcel, send me the address and I will tell you what to check.
