I’m hearing from lots of buyers frustrated by the lack of houses for sale. They’re wondering if maybe they should buy land instead.
It’s certainly an option.
Historically, land moves a lot more slowly than houses in rural areas. There’s not much development, so there’s not much call for it. And building your own home, satisfying though it may be to get exactly what you want, always presents challenges. In 2022, there are new challenges.
Materials have gone up in cost by about 300% in the past year, according to contractors I’ve spoken to. And those contractors are busy. Really busy. Some of them are booking two years into the future. If you’re from a more populated area, you need to understand that your choices are more limited in the Catskills. There are great contractors, but there just aren’t a lot of them. And even the ones with less than stellar reputations (they’re out there, too) are booked solid. So buying an existing, livable house makes a ton more sense than buying land and building in the Catskills right now.
But maybe you’re not in a hurry. Then let’s discuss what you need to know about land in the Catskill Mountains.
There’s a lot of it, certainly. But there’s also a lot of it that’s protected or restricted. That’s because much of the Catskills is in a watershed. It’s where New York City’s drinking water comes from. Other parts are in forestry programs, which reduces taxes but restricts building. So you need to check just what can be built on that dream property you’ve found.
Then there’s the land itself. Is it buildable? What are the zoning restrictions and local building and health restrictions? Are there wet spots? Will it pass a perc test, or do you need to put in a more expensive raised septic system?
Because Delaware and Otsego are agricultural counties, you need to also think about the roads. There are more dirt roads than you might expect. That doesn’t mean they’re not plowed in winter — many of them are. But it’s something you want to check. And also something you want to consider if you don’t have a 4X4. There’s not just snow and ice, but mud on dirt roads. Potholes are pretty common and washouts happen, too. If you’re not read for that, it can make getting to your new place a lot more of a challenge than you wanted. And there are seasonal roads, too — that means they’re closed in the winter. Period. Good to know, right?
And finally, not every corner of the Catskills has a cell phone signal or Internet. More of it is covered all the time, but it’s not a sure bet yet. Another good thing to know.
So it’s a sure bet that an existing home is going to be a more predictable expense right now. But if you’re set on building your house, just the way you want it, where there’s a will, there’s a way.