Hunting land by driving around ....

[JRR]

My wife and I just finished a driving trip around the country.  Our second time of doing more or less the same route ... from Georgia northwest to Vancouver, loop through BC and Alberta, back down into the states ... over to the coast.... down to southern California ... then back to Georgia.  Last time we followed I-20 and I-10 back, this time we took the more northern I-40 back to home.  Twelve thousand miles total this trip.  38 days away.  Last time the trip was in snow ... this time, mostly, in scorching sun.

This time, without the snow, gave us a chance to see what dire straits most of the country still is in as far as real estate is concerned.  Thousands of "for sale" posters.  Everywhere there seems to be "good deals".  From Sunset Blvd to Route 66.  Montana and Utah ... back down to Mississippi and Alabama.  Somewhat sad are some of the old Route 66 towns ... boarded up restaurants, hotels, etc.  Also northern Mississippi near Memphis ... DIY projects, and other homes, abandoned ... "owned by bank"'s or HUD properties.  One house was ready for windows and siding ... but was nearly hidden by the weeds and underbrush.  Some of these places could probably be had almost for free ... just to eliminate the tax and upkeep burden.  

Sometimes on different overnight stops on the trip, I would take the laptop out ... go to Google Maps ...clip on the real estate tab, and go "shopping".  Amazing what's available!  And its the same where I live ... and probably where you live also.  Any weekend, starting at your driveway, drive a 50 mile loop ... in a direction you don't usually go... take the backroads and back steets.  Carry Google and the GPS along.

Happy shopping!



 

[ben2go]

I did something along the lines of what you are speaking of,except I didn't drive.I chose a few places I wanted to buy land,simply clicked the real estate in the google menu,and scrolled over the areas I was interested in.It is a crap shoot on what's available.For sale by owners are not list, so some deals will be missed.

[glenn kangiser]

Sounds like quite a trip, JRR.  I followed the old Rt66 one time trucking coming back from Texas.  Interesting to get into a whole other building era on much of the trip.