Would you like to own your own rural acreage? Something to farm in your retirement years? Or perhaps develop and subdivide down the road? Real estate is generally a good long term investment, but before you plunk down the down payment on a 40-acre "ranchette," there are a few things you might want to consider. Ingress and egress is a fancy legal term for access. When looking at a piece of property, there might be a dirt road that leads to it. Do not assume that this is a permanent road that you will be able to use at your pleasure. Check with your county recorder and the seller about the road status. If there is any doubt, make sure that as a pre-closing requirement, you will be given a recorded road access agreement that clearly describes the location of the road. If the seller is unable to agree to a road agreement, walk away. Your land with not be worth much if it is landlocked.

Ask the seller of Real Estate for Sale in India and locals in the area about the road conditions during the winter and rainy seasons. A dirt road may seem perfectly fine on a warm, dry summer day but it may turn into a quagmire during spring snow melts. Find out if the road is plowed or otherwise maintained, or whether there is a recorded road maintenance agreement in which property owners who use the road share in the maintenance costs. The nearest electric line might be five or ten miles away, so you will need to find out how much it will cost to get power to the land. It might cost thousands and thousands of dollars to hook into the grid, and the sheer cost might be prohibitive. Solar and wind generated power sources have improved in the last few years and could be a great alternative.

Before buying, you might want to see if there are any local alternative energy consultants and vendors in town. They can let you know the approximate cost of installing wind or solar power, what will be involved in maintaining your off-the-grid power source and can share stories about others' experiences. You might also need to check into portable power generators. Sometimes you can convert gas generators into propane generators, and then receive a discount from the local propane company because your propane generator is a primary source of power. Check with your local propane company.