6 Easy Tips to Buy Your Country House in Wisconsin without Regret
Wisconsin is a great place to make your dream of living in the countryside real. However, buying your country house there and getting acclimated could be tricky. Here come some few easy tips I gathered over my career as a real estate agent.
1) Find out who your neighbors are and start building relationships immediately
Community support can be vital to survive Wisconsin’s long winters- besides, it’s fun! Therefore, check who your neighbors are before buying any real estate. You may want to avoid going to live in the deep forest if you come from a busy city. Be realistic and choose a location not too far from other houses or city amenities. Try to know and meet your future neighbors and socialize with them even before buying your house.
2) Check zoning to avoid issues with the local authorities
Municipalities use zoning to design permitted uses of land based on mapped zones that separate incompatible land uses from one other. For example, it is generally not allowed to farm animals in an urban residential area, as it can affect your neighbor’s quality of life. In general, it is wise to check if your future farm matches all the requirements set by the law. Especially if you plan to keep livestock, there are several requirements and restrictions you will have to comply with.
3) Check your water rights
Water rights are a complicated matter that must be always carefully investigated before purchasing any farm. Remember that water is not for granted in the countryside as in an urban development. Especially if you plan to farm your land, you have to know how much water you can rely on.
4) Is your future land potentially eligible for some help from federal or state authorities?
Today, farmers are not alone, as there are several aid programs of multiple federal and state agencies for them. Therefore, it is a good idea to check if your future property could be covered by one of these programs. This could mean that you are entitled to ask for some type of tax exemption or monetary help, according to each individual program.
5) Check if your farm is inside a flood zone
Floods are highly disruptive events that can bring down even the wealthiest person in the world. Through this map, you can check if a property is inside or near a flood zone in Wisconsin: Wisconsin Floodplains
6) Prepare yourself to manage big quantities of snow
Living far from town can mean isolation. This implies that you must be able to be on your own and manage some potentially difficult situations, like abundant snow. Consider that in Wisconsin snowfalls are, on average, 36 inches, and in winter temperatures drop below minus ten. It means that you are going to spend winters in cold temperatures and with long-lasting snow around. It will be your responsibility to keep your driveway clean and assure for yourself a system to reach town, at least to buy food.
Our team can actively help you to gather all the necessary information to buy the farm of your dreams in rural Wisconsin without regret. Please feel free to contact us by email or phone for an informal discussion.
Photo coutesy: Wisconsin country homes for sale