Buying vacant land

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45 years in banking and mortgage. Absolutely have it surveyed. Absolutely have a title company update the abstract and strongly consider a title insurance policy. All a quit claim deed does is say WHATEVER interest the seller MAY or MAY NOT have is transferred. Can't state all of this strongly enough.
 
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Could be really simple.
Go to the court house and look at the county records and see who actually owns it.

If you know the guy that owns it personally and know he is not a liar or a thief you could just go to the county courthouse and transfer ownership.
That is if there are no liens on the property.
Records in the courthouse will show any liens.



It is called a: Quit Claim Deed.

I have bought and sold houses and property using that Deed.
You only pay court costs to file it.

Most I ever paid was $23

Yes twenty three dollars.
Most of the time it was 2 bucks.
We just went to the Grant County courthouse a week ago to research some shared land we have with another relative. Found 23 acres that the deed had never been transferred back in the 50's when it went through probate that is now ours through various wills that contained a legal clause for items not listed or forgotten. The lawyer we went to today verified what we researched with the court clerk.
So, now we have to get an abstract built to confirm ownership.
 
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To the best of my knowledge, Osage county doesn’t have mineral rights. They’re owned by the tribe. I was told I can’t even sell boulders off my property.
That is correct. All minerals below 12" belong to the tribe as well as surface minerals, meaning rocks.
We live in Osage County, and my Uncle had a ranch a few miles east of our place. He let some guy come in to get rocks for a rock garden or something, being spotted by a tribal member coming out of the gate on Highway 60.
Uncle was contacted and at the end of the day, the rocks had to be replaced.
 

Bigdawg90

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The title company wants to charge $4k for a 2 acre purchase for $20k. That’s a racket!!!

Does that sound right? Or is it just a greedy title company. I might just head down to the county office. $4k to handle a simple handshake cash deal is crazy over the top.
 

Arnie

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When my wife and I sold our house to our son and his wife, we chose to have a realtor go through the paperwork. She didn't charge much because it was limited work for her. Peace of mind for all.
 

skeene482

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I just got a call from the property owner of the land right next to us. Super excited as he agreed to a purchase price.

We have the cash on hand, but now what? Do I need a realtor and escrow company?

If there’s anyone with experience purchasing land right next to yours, please PM me. It’s about 2 acres but secures our view of the lake cove we’re on. Just made our day as we’ve wanted to purchase this land since we moved in.
I am actually a manager for the closing side of a title company. Like many others say, I would highly recommend going through a title company, or at the very least get the abstract updated and have an attorney complete a title opinion. I am biased because I have to fix issue all day everyday and I can assure you title issues are a lot more prevalent than you would think. Our biggest issue we run into is deceased owners and the property not being sold property/legally. Even when probates are completed, they are often done incorrectly as they have a very strict guideline and timeline to follow. And just because grandma put the house to you in her will absolutely does not mean that individual has the right to sell the property unless it was left to them in a trust or by transfer on death deed. Liens and judgements also stick with properties. I have people purchase property on a quit claim deed that end up finding out there are $100K+ in tax liens against the property that was only work $40K, so you are taking a huge gamble with an "as-is" quit claim deed. I personally purchase title insurance on everything I have bought, but again, I am probably biased. If you have any questions I am happy to help. Good luck to you whichever route you chose!
 

JonnyRocco

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Ok county treasurers.com is an excellent website. A map of the state comes up. Click on your county and it goes to oktaxrolls.com. Click on view or pay taxes. You can then enter owner name or property address. It shows taxes paid or unpaid since 2016. Once the property is displayed, click on the history button to display prior owners. Should work state wide.
 

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