Greetings, I found a half an acre of lake front property with electric & septic. No major timber has to be removed. I'm trying to figure out what I am allowed to build on the property and what's the rule for short term rentals in the area. I have some what of an idea on who to call but I wanted to get some insite and possbibly someone's blueprint that has done something similar. I haven't purchased the land yet either and i'm thinking should I get a loan to buy the land and build a tiny home or put a mobile/trailer on the property. Can anyone give me some suggestion on getting the ball rolling in the right directions
Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
3y
Hey @Troy Hollensworth, I second what @Bruce Woodruff and @John Underwood said. Also, when you are lakefront, you really need to check that septic. The fines for septics leaching into lake water are crazy. Make that a priority when doing inspections.
Also ask about ground water mitigation. When you are right on the lake building, you need to have a plan to deal with rainwater runoff from your property in general as well as from your building. You usually can't just dump it into the ground via cistern or the like.
Finally, when you are asking, find out what you can actually build. Here in Idaho, the building regs are pretty basic unless you are building on the lake. They get complex from there and you have to jump through hoops. I met a couple building a new home that wasn't lakefront but tertiary with a great view. They had over 6 months of delay planning and implementing ground water mitigation to keep it from just dumping in to the lake.
It is even worse if you have a creek or stream on the property. Now GA might be very different but I kinda doubt it.
Real Estate Broker · New York, NY · Member since 2020 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
3y
Hey @Troy Hollensworth - I would reach out initially to a real estate attorney as they would have more experience in dealing with scenarios such as this in your particular region. You could also find out if other people have done similar things by trying to find other projects that look the same (perhaps what you're wanting is modular homes on empty plots for STR).
Alternatively, this might sound like more work, but attending networking events is a great way to meet other investors/attorneys/lenders that you'll be able to crowdsource information from.
Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
3y
Call the County that has jurisdiction over this area. They will give you all the info you need. You didn't mention a well....that could be hugely important, some areas have to go super deep to get to the aquafier, or there is no water at all. That would be my major concern.
Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
3y
Hey @Troy Hollensworth, I second what @Bruce Woodruff and @John Underwood said. Also, when you are lakefront, you really need to check that septic. The fines for septics leaching into lake water are crazy. Make that a priority when doing inspections.
Also ask about ground water mitigation. When you are right on the lake building, you need to have a plan to deal with rainwater runoff from your property in general as well as from your building. You usually can't just dump it into the ground via cistern or the like.
Finally, when you are asking, find out what you can actually build. Here in Idaho, the building regs are pretty basic unless you are building on the lake. They get complex from there and you have to jump through hoops. I met a couple building a new home that wasn't lakefront but tertiary with a great view. They had over 6 months of delay planning and implementing ground water mitigation to keep it from just dumping in to the lake.
It is even worse if you have a creek or stream on the property. Now GA might be very different but I kinda doubt it.