LOW-COST LAND IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN

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The system provides a further breakdown within each section, based on quarters and halves. Thus "the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter" would describe a 40-acre tract

within a 640-acre section. In the abbreviated form used in advertising land for sale the entire description might be written as "se-se-25-50-5". [ For further discussion of the federal survey, with illustrations, see LIFESTYLE!NO. 5, "Understanding Topographic Maps".—MOTHER. ]

When there's a lake bordering a piece of land, the water doesn't go with the property and that parcel is not described in terms of a fraction of a square mile. Instead it's called a "government lot", and all such plots are numbered within a section. The plat book will give the number of the lot and its acreage. (The same useful manual also shows all roads and streams, and the name of the owner of record of each tract of land at the time the book was made up.)

Next compare the plat book with the maps in the soil survey publication. The latter charts are also based on townships and sections, so it's easy to use the two together.

Incidentally, when land is put up for sale in a platted subdivision—an area that's been divided into building lots—the boundaries won't be shown in a plat book. This means a trip to the courthouse to look at and maybe to copy the recorded location.

You should be warned that lots in such developments are frequently too small to build on. In the city of Superior, parcels only 25 feet wide were laid out originally...but the local zoning law now requires a 50-foot width for building, so at least two lots are necessary.

Once you're squared away with your reference works, sit back and watch for the land sale advertisements. Check each tract in the plat book and on the soil map and, if at all possible, drive out to see it. Northern Wisconsin is only a day's trip from Chicago and many other Midwestern cities, so the inspection can be made on a weekend.

The best rule in buying land is never to do so without seeing it first. If you can't afford to go and look at the place, you can't afford to buy it.

Countless suckers are being ripped off by shady promoters who advertise homesites in vacation or retirement areas. Property which cost the con men only a few dollars is going for thousands an acre, with a small amount down and extended monthly payments. When the victim finally goes to look at his building lot, he finds it out in the middle of nowhere with no roads, no utilities and no water within drilling distance.

When inspecting real estate for possible purchase, look to see if the boundaries are marked. Rotted posts and rusty wire are enough to establish the property lines, even if they've fallen down and are covered by dead grass. But if there's no way to find the borders, it may cost more to survey the place than to buy it. Will you want electric service on your homestead? Then look to see how close the powerline comes to the site. If it's nowhere near, it might take a lot of time and money to get the current put in. How about roads? Will they turn into mudholes when the snow melts in the spring? How far away are the schools? What's the distance to the nearest town? What suits one buyer may not suit another...but, if you like what you see, put in a bid.

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