-----Original Message-----

From: ]

Posted At: Sunday, January 14, 2007 3:54 PM

Posted To: rec.aviation.owning

Conversation: Airpark lot, things to consider before buying?

Subject: Airpark lot, things to consider before buying?



Howdy,



I'm lucky to have found a lot nearby that has pretty much everything I

want, including 2600 ft. of turf runway. This whole thing has been

carved out of the bush in the past 6 months. Great fishing is just a

stretch of the legs away, and while it is awfully rural, it isn't that

far away from a lovely metropolitain city or the beach.



....



Having just purchased a lot on Gunderson's Airpark in Owasso, Oklahoma
(O38) I suggest you take the earlier advice and talk to a knowledgeable
attorney. In the meantime, here are some things to think about:



* There probably should be a homeowners association to buffer
the individual homeowners from some of the liabilities.



* If the airport is privately owned then the homeowners
association may need first-rights to prevent sale to some non-aviation
type buyer.



* If the airport is sod then the substructure most likely will
be hard clay or some other type of soil that does not perk-test well.
That means you will be looking at a septic system that treats your waste
and then distributes the gray-water through a sprinkler system. Figure
on adding $5 to $8 K to your home building costs.



* In most areas, the county / parish planning board must approve
the platted land description. (This isn't easy so don't put your money
down until that approval is obtained.)



We put a deposit down on our lot 2 years before we could legally close -
the planning commission, the utility companies, and the local residents
all had to be satisfied before we would agree to buy the property. And
this is an expansion of a pre-existing residential airpark.



Best advice I can think of is - don't get in a hurry, make sure your
deposits are refunded if the developer can't close, and find a good
attorney who will help you through the entire process. $500 for an
attorney is cheap when you are looking at $50 K or more for good
residential airpark building lots.