What easements should I look for before buying land?

Look for every recorded right that lets someone else use part of the property. Common examples are utility lines, pipelines, private road access, and drainage. Once an easement is recorded, it burdens the land and future owners must honor it, which can limit where you can place a home, driveway or septic field. Easements appear as exceptions on Schedule B of the title commitment, and a current survey should show their locations on the ground. Also ask whether the land benefits from any access easement you will rely on, and make sure it is recorded. Have the survey and title commitment reviewed together so you can see whether your planned home site is clear.

Check your local rule. This varies by state, county or city. Your permitting office has the final word; the official lookup pages below show you who that is.

Sources

• What You Need to Know About Land-Use Restrictions in TexasTexas A&M Real Estate Research Center
• Texas Rural Land Purchasing ChecklistTexas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas Agriculture Law