Question 1

Should I visit the property before buying?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we strongly recommend that you inspect the property before buying. You should also check with the county on the zoning and approved uses of the property. Particularly, the County Planning and Zoning Department will also be able to tell you about the current and future development plans for the area. While we will do our best to tell you everything we know about each property, nothing replaces the value of doing your own research and due diligence.

Question 2

Who owns the properties being sold at The Land Gals.com?

Accepted Answer

Unless otherwise stated, all properties sold on TheLandGals.com are the property of The Land Gals which is owned and operated by G Harvest Homes, Inc. a real estate investment company. The only exceptions are the classified listings that are clearly labeled as such.

Question 3

How do the sellers acquire their properties?

Accepted Answer

Contrary to other land sellers, we only purchase properties from private parties and DO NOT engage in purchasing through tax sales or foreclosure sales. All properties are bought with WARRANTY DEEDS. Basically, we acquire beautiful quality properties and then offer them to you at bargain prices.

Question 4

Are the mineral rights guaranteed for the properties?

Accepted Answer

We make no guarantees concerning mineral rights or the lack thereof. If we are aware of the lack of mineral rights, disclosure will be made in the disclosure statement of each of the properties. However, buyers should do their own research to find out if the property has mineral rights or lack thereof.

Question 5

What guarantees do you offer?

Accepted Answer

We guarantee that the property is free and clear of any governmental or private liens or encumbrances other than recurring assessments or bonds. Basically we guarantee that at the point of ownership transfer from them to you, the property is free and clear and has a marketable title.

Question 6

Are there any liens on the properties?

Accepted Answer

No. We guarantee a free and clear marketable title on all properties we sell.

Question 7

What kind of documents do I need to purchase?

Accepted Answer

Because we offer to finance the property for you and don’t require any formal qualifying process, you really don’t need much. We just ask for a valid form of identification as well as the funds necessary to pay your down payment. The down payment is due the moment you choose to purchase a property.

Question 8

Can I step back from a sale?

Accepted Answer

No, all sales are final. Make sure you do your research and due diligence before you purchase one of the properties on our website. Please also remember that you will need to have the down payment for the property purchase at the time you check out.

Question 9

What fees do you charge in addition to the down payment/ payment in full amount?

Accepted Answer

There is a one time document fee of $150.00 for each property purchased. This fee covers eventual document transfer fees charged by the respective counties, a recording fee of the Sale Agreement, as well as the setup cost for the loan servicing. A monthly loan servicing fee of $10.00 will also be included to cover the cost of maintaining the loan account by the loan-servicing agency.

Question 10

What form of payment do you accept for the initial down payment and the monthly payments?

Accepted Answer

The preferred payment is cash but can also be in form of Credit Card  (Master Card, VISA, AMEX). The monthly installment payments can be made using personal checks or any of the previously stated forms of payments.

Question 11

What form of payment do you accept if I pay for the property in full?

Accepted Answer

Payment in full can also be in the form of a Credit Card (Master Card, VISA, AMEX, and DISCOVERY).

Question 12

Can I make a larger down payment?

Accepted Answer

Yes, making a larger down payment amount is absolutely possible. Just let us know what amount you want to pay down and we will accommodate the contract for this. Of course you can also make additional monthly payments without any form of pre-payment penalty or fee.

Question 13

If I want to make a larger down payment how does this affect the loan?

Accepted Answer

If the amount for the Down-Payment is larger than what is required the monthly payment will be reduced (minimum monthly payment is $60.00). The length (=time to pay-off) of the loan will stay the same.

Question 14

Do I need to qualify for financing or how does this work?

Accepted Answer

No, you don’t need to qualify for financing. The sellers see it as their mission to make property ownership affordable for as many people as possible. Therefore, they do not require formal qualifications. It is very simple, you want to buy a piece of land and we want to sell it to you. That’s it. We do however, perform a check against a database in order to see if you have an IRS lien against you. This would be the only disqualifying reason for the simple reason that IRS liens attach themselves to the property like glue. Other than that we do not look at your credit at all. We do not look at your credit score and even bankruptcies are fine.

Question 15

How long can I finance the property?

Accepted Answer

The length of the loan (time to pay-off) depends on the purchase price. The following rules apply:

Question 16

How low can I expect my monthly payment to be?

Accepted Answer

The length of the loan (time to pay-off) depends on the purchase price. The following rules apply:

Question 17

Can I buy more than one property?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can buy as many properties as you want.

Question 18

Is there any penalty for paying off a property early?

Accepted Answer

No. You can pay off your property at any time with no pre-payment penalty whatsoever. Just call us at any time and we will let you know your pay-off amount.

Question 19

What kind of Contract will I be signing when purchasing a piece of land at your auction?

Accepted Answer

When purchasing a wonderful piece of land at our auction we will both sign a Sale Agreement/Contract for Deed which lays out all the terms of the transaction including the sale price, down payment, monthly payments, interest rate, cost of loan, and all the details commonly in such a document. Once we both sign this document we will, upon request record the original of this document with the County Recorder/Clerk where the property is located.

Question 20

What are the benefits of buying with a Sale Agreement/Contract for deed on terms?

Accepted Answer

Recording the Sale Agreement/Contract for Deed gives you full security and puts you in a clear ownership position. For example, it makes it easy for you to sell the property again.

Question 21

Once the property is paid off, what kind of Deed do you convey the property with?

Accepted Answer

Once a property purchased through The Land Gals is paid off, transfer of title occurs exclusively using Special Warranty Deeds (Grant Deeds in California). This form of deed gives you, the valued customer, one of the highest levels of protection.

Question 22

When do I get the Deed to my property?

Accepted Answer

Once you pay for a property in full, your title to the property will be conveyed via Special Warranty Deed within thirty (30) business days. If a loan was paid off, the Loan Servicing agency will inform the seller of such pay-off. In case of a cash sale, loan servicing agency will inform the seller that a cash sale has occurred. In both cases, the seller commits to signing all paperwork necessary to transfer ownership and deliver a Special Warranty deed to the recorder/clerk of the county the property is located. In addition you will receive copies of the notarized deed via mail so you can have proof that the seller has issued the deed to you. After the recording of the original Warranty deed is completed the county recorder/clerk will then return it directly to you. Depending on the County it may take 4-14 weeks (depending on the county) for the county recorder/clerk to mail the recorded deed back to you.

Question 23

Who do I contact if I have questions about the auction or about a specific property?

Accepted Answer

If your questions cannot be answered through our TERMS & CONDITIONS, please don’t hesitate to call 1-833-511-LAND.

Question 24

How to find the property when doing my research?

Accepted Answer

Here are some helpful hints on how to find properties for sale. For each property listed on our website we have provided links to help you find the properties and determine the approximate geographical location. A link to www.maps.google.com, a link showing the topographical map of the property, a link to the aerial picture of the property location, and often a link to the County / Assessor’s Parcel Map for each property . Furthermore, these maps also list the latitude / longitude parameters for each property in case you have a GPS system available.

Here are 2 scenarios helpful in finding the properties of your choice:

1. The property has a street address.
If this is the case finding the property is very simple. Go online to www.mapquest.com or maps.yahoo.com and enter the street name and the city/town name. If available, enter the zip code and the approximate property location will appear. You will be able to zoom in or out at your convenience until you can clearly tell where the property is located, relative to its surroundings. Once you identify the approximate location of the property you can then compare the detailed view of the property location (from www.mapquest.com) with the plat map (available for each of the properties on www.TheLandGals.com).

2. If the property is in an area with no street signs.
In this case, we recommend you print out the detailed Topographical map available through the “TOPO MAP” link for each property or by purchasing a good topographical mapping software such as www.delorme.com. If possible, we also strongly recommend the use of a GPS (Global Positioning System) to help you find the property location. Basic handheld GPS systems can be purchased inexpensively at any major electronic store. Ideally, such a GPS device can be connected to a laptop or handheld device running any of the major mapping software and you will have a fully functioning multi-color interactive GPS system. In such a system, you can now enter the Latitude/Longitude measurements provided by us for each property and it should be very easy to find the exact property location. This combination is useful for very large properties that are not located in a subdivision because the plat maps do not really show much of the surroundings and it would be easy to miss the property otherwise.

Understanding the Parcel number system.
Most counties in most states have a very explicit numbering system, to identify the individual parcels and its location in the county. Those numbers in many cases also serve as identifiers for property tax collection purposes. In Arizona, the Assessor Parcel Number (also called APN) is the single most important identifier of a property. It consists of three pairs of numbers XXX-XX-XXX and sometimes also XXX-XX-XXXX (in this latter case the last number is usually a letter). The three parts of each parcel number represent the Assessor’s Book, the Page, and the Parcel. For example: parcel number 503-90-664B means that this property is mapped in the Assessor’s Book number 503, on Page 90, and it is parcel 664B on that page. In California, the numbering is similar only that there is a slight difference between the Assessor’s Parcel number and the Assessor’s Tax number (in Arizona the same number is used for both). So in order to find a property on a parcel map, just look for the last set of numbers on the parcel number and find it in the parcel map we have attached to each property listing. For your convenience, on each parcel map, we have identified the parcel to be sold at the auction, we will issue the Warranty deed within 10 business days from the day of the auction.

Question 25

Looking at a plat map and/or the short legal description, how do I find out where this parcel is in relation to other parts of the County, State, or Country?

Accepted Answer

Three methods of description are used in the United States:

(1) Metes and Bounds,
(2) Rectangular survey, and
(3) subdivision lot and block.

Rectangular survey system (Ranges / Townships/ Sections):
The rectangular survey system is based on two sets of intersecting lines: principal meridians and base lines. Principal meridians are north and south lines, and base lines run east and west. Both can be located exactly by reference to degrees of longitude and latitude. Each principal meridian has a name or a number and is crossed by its own base line. Each principal meridian and base line is used to survey a specific area of land.

Ranges. The land on either side of a principal meridian is divided into 6-mile wide strips by lines that run north an south, parallel to the meridian. The north-south strips of land are called ranges. They are designated by consecutive numbers east or west of the principal meridian.

Townships. Lines running east and west of the base line six miles apart are referred to as township lines and form strips of land (or tiers) called townships. These tiers of townships are designated by consecutive numbers north or south of the base line. The township squares formed by the intersecting township and range lines are the basic units of the rectangular survey system. Theoretically, townships are six miles square and contain 36 square miles.

Sections. Each township contains 36 sections. Sections are numbered consecutively, 1 through 36, with section 1 being in the upper right-hand corner of the township. Each section contains 1 square mile, or 640 acres of land, and is commonly divided into half sections (containing 320 acres), quarter section (160 acres), and further divisions of halves and quarters for reference purposes.
For example:
The E 1/2 of the NW 1/4 of Section 17, Township 14 North, Range 4 West of the 6th Principal Meridian.
In the above example, the land described would have an area of 80 acres (the NW1/4 equals 160 acres; of this equals 80 acres). Generally, the smaller a parcel of land is, the longer its legal description will be.

Subdivision Lot and Block
The third method of land description is by lot and block number in a subdivision plat. When land is subdivided by its owner, the first step is the preparation of a plat map survey by a licensed surveyor or engineer. On this plat, the land is divided into lots and blocks, and streets or access roads for public use are indicated. The lots and blocks are assigned numbers or letters.
#1. Source: Real Estate Fundamentals, 6th Edition, 2003. Gaddy Jr., Wade E., Hart, Robert E.

Question 26

General Questions

Accepted Answer

Q. I have a loan with you, where do I send my payment?
A. Please send your monthly loan payment to: 490 43rd Street, Unit 187, Oakland, CA 94609

Q. Who do I write the check to?
A. The Land Gals

Q. I received a tax bill from the county, what should I do?
A. If we service your loan, just send your tax bill to: 490 43rd Street, Unit 187, Oakland, CA 94609