When buying rural property a little planning and research is vital.

Following are some steps to minimize future problems, disappointments and financial loss before you sign those closing papers.

Research the area, the tax rate, utility service providers and zoning laws so you have an understanding of, and know the answers to, questions like:

1) What will my taxes be and is a raise in the tax evaluation imminent?

Call your County Assessor's office and ask if any tax increases have been proposed recently and/or if any are being considered. If tax increases have been proposed once or twice in the past, even if they have been defeated, you very likely will face an increase in the near future. If more funds are truly required, a tax increase will not be deterred for long. Take a stab at figuring your taxes after you have made the improvements you are planning. This can sometimes triple the current amount.

2) What is the water source, how much is it going to cost and how long is it going to take to connect to it?

All but the most remote rural areas are generally served by water districts originally, at least partially, subsidized by the federal government. The service is set up by "District" such as "Missouri Water District #1, Davies County." You will be responsible for having the lines run in from the main waterline which may or may not be on your side of the road. You will also be responsible for the cost of the water meter. You will bear the cost of any repairs necessary to the lines coming out of or on your side of the meter. So, if you have a leak it is yours to fix.

If the water source is a private one, such as a well or spring, you will need to know if your county has restrictions or requirements that must be met.

Private wells and springs should always be tested and perhaps cleaned before they are used. Your state university extension service will do this for you, or direct you to where it may be done and they most likely will have an office in the nearest town.

3) What is the cost going to be of running power to your house/barn/facility and how long is it going to take to connect?

There can be some rather significant costs related to connecting electrical service that you should be aware of. Call the power provider early in your planning. Also give them a connect date as far in advance as possible. I knew of an instance where there was a three-month wait for service. You will most likely read your own meter and compute the charge as stated in a booklet provided by the company. Most rural electric service companies are co-ops and do a wonderful job.

4) How do rural communications services differ from town services?

You will need to understand and be prepared for less-than-instantaneous internet service and telephone service that often charges toll fees for calls made to locations "outside of your locality." This may include your next door neighbor and the town in which you do business. Few rural areas have cable service. Almost all have access to direct tv or dish-type service.

5) What are the building restrictions in the area regarding the type of housing you plan to have and will the utility/power hook-up and service rates be different for your housing or facility?

Some of the more affluent and "closer in" (to metropolitan areas) counties are generating basic building codes that require a certain standard of housing and square footage.

More and more counties are discouraging mobile homes and prefabricated housing. A common restriction near metropolitan areas in some states is the "40-acre" rule. This means that you cannot place a mobile home or prefabricated home on less than 40 acres of land. Some counties have taken this a step further and included the requirement that the 40 acres must have an existing home on it.

Also, some area electric co-ops will absorb the cost of running lines to homes with poured foundations but charge a significant fee, by the foot, for service to mobile homes and prefabricated homes without poured foundations.

6) Can you install a septic tank or will you have to connect to some distant sewer line? If so, what will be the cost?

Waste disposal is becoming an increasingly bigger issue in rural areas. Make sure you have a complete understanding of the costs and requirements of waste disposal in your area as it would relate to your property and what you want to do with it.

Research your state's agriculture laws and state and federal land descriptions and restrictions pertaining to your particular piece of land. Know the answers to questions like:

7) Is your land classified under any conservation restriction? Such as HEL (Highly Erodable Land) or does it qualify for CRP payments?

If it is classified as HEL land you may have some responsibilities regarding any waterways located on your property.

If your land is currently receiving CRP payments what are the restrictions? It is in everyone's best interest that you are aware of and understand any existing CRP contract. You will be asked to "take over" the CRP contract and it will almost always be to your benefit to do so. Formerly, the annual payment had to be prorated at the time of signing, that is, the seller received any amount earned before the sale and the buyer was entitled to any earnings accrued after the sale. Recently the parties to a sale have been allowed to agree on any resolution as long as the original CRP contract is honored.

To say that there is a CRP contract on the land means that the seller, or former land-owner, signed a contract with the Farm Bureau to meet certain requirements, adhere to certain restrictions and receive a set payment amount. You may choose not to participate in this program and this point will be discussed prior to the actual closing. A seller may choose not to sell to a buyer who is unwilling to "take over" the CRP contract because he (the seller) would then be in a position of having to repay any payments previously made to him or a minimum 25% if no payments have yet been made.

Most buyers are happy to have a little CRP income on at least a portion of their property. It is a wonderful buffer during the inevitable learning curve wherein you decide what you actually want to do with your property.

Speak with someone on the county zoning board or county commission and get a "feel" for any changes the county is currently talking about and may therefore, within a few years, become law.

All this takes is a phone call. In this call you should also inquire about any "action" groups who, although not on any boards or commissions, may be striving for a specific change.

For instance, if there is a highly motivated group in your county committed to shutting down "puppy mills" that county might not be the best location for a breeding kennel, no matter how conscientiously maintained and managed. The restrictions they strive for would probably only make a breeder's life miserable.

Or suppose there is a group already upset about the "denuding" of the landscape. If you are planning on using that "back six acres" for firewood sales you may have some neighborly input you won't like.

If you have children, learn where the schools are located and how they are rated by the state.

Rural schools are often the best kept secret in town. Like all schools, however, some may be very good and some may be very bad. Find out how yours rate. All it takes is a phone call to the administration office of the school district.

Now that you've done your homework, Happy Homesteading!!