View source for Buying Land Advice for New Residents

GUIDE;  LAND BUYING ADVICE FOR NEW RESIDENTS
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Hello and welcome to Second Life!

Here is some advice that should make your land buying experience more pleasant.

1.   Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware.
2.    You don't need land for Second Life to be enjoyable.
3.    Owning land means you have to pay monthly fees.
4.    Buy or rent.
5.     Plot size matters.
6.    Start with Land for the Landless first.
7.    Location! Location! Location!
8.    You can buy land from Linden Labs directly through the land auctions.
9.    Become familiar with land prices.
10.  Your Friends can help.
11.  Negotiate.
12.  Things change.
13.  If you have a problem... ask for help.


1.   CAVEAT EMPTOR - BUYER BEWARE

Buyer beware. Or at least be aware. Learn what you can about buying land, why you want it, and what you can do with it. The advice in this notecard should keep you out of most land trouble, but in the end you are responsible for your decisions.

2.   YOU DON'T NEED LAND FOR SECOND LIFE TO BE ENJOYABLE

To enjoy Second Life you do not need land. Though it can make things much more enjoyable.

Owning land is best if you want to:
*  Build permanent structures, like a home or business.  The more land you own, the more permanent objects you can have out.
* Have a retreat for you and your freinds that's always available.
* Have more control over what can and can't be done and who can and can't be there.
* Play with the land tools. (Terraforming is a blast!)

3.   OWNING LAND MEANS YOU HAVE TO PAY MONTHLY FEES

If you own any land, you will be paying a monthly land tier fee in US$. For details about this check out:
http://secondlife.com/land/index.php
http://secondlife.com/faq.php

4.   BUY OR RENT

You can "own" SL land directly. If you own SL land, you will need to pay monthly tier fees to Linden Labs.

OR

You can pay for the use of land from other players on the mainland. You can also "rent" land from other players in island sims (off the mainland) which is more like ownership; you will have access to land control features. Neither of these two options require you to have land tier, so you will not need to pay tier fees to Linden Labs. For more information about renting read this notecard: ?

5.   PLOT SIZE MATTERS

Avoid buying lots smaller than 512 sq.m. at first.

Considering that the smallest amount of land rights you can pay for is 512 sq.m., and that you can get 512 sq.m for cheap through the First Land program, you should only seriously consider buying a 512 sq.m. lot at first.

6.   START WITH LAND FOR THE LANDLESS FIRST

Linden Labs has a program where new residents can buy 512 sq.m. for L$512. You can only do this if you have not previously owned land. More details at: http://secondlife.com/land/index.php

At L$1/sq.m. you can't beat this price, and you can eventually sell this land for a tidy profit. But before you do sell your land, learn what it is you can do with SL land. This is a great opportunity to do that.

To find first land:
    1.  In the SL, click the Find button at the bottom of the screen.
    2.  Select the Land Sales tab.
    3.  Select First Land from the dropdown menu.
    4.  Click Search.

This should list the First Land you can buy. Sometime all the first land is gone; Linden Labs adds more land regularly so you shouldn't need to wait too long for new land to show up.

7.  LOCATION!  LOCATION!  LOCATION!

When you finally decide to buy a new lot, go look at it. What are the neighbors like? Is it conveniently located for you? Do you like the geography? Does the sim host many events (which cause lag)? Is it close to your friends or favorite hang outs? Or what ever other considerations matter to you.

8.   YOU CAN BUY LAND FROM LINDEN LABS DIRECTLY THROUGH THE LAND AUCTIONS

You can buy land directly from Linden Labs through the land auctions. Some plots available at auction will be priced in Linden Dollars (L$), and others in US dollars.  The auctions are located at:
http://secondlife.com/auctions/index.php

9.  BECOME FAMILIAR WITH LAND PRICES  (L$/sq.m.)

Before you buy (or sell) land you really should look at the Find->Land Sales window. Look at what land prices for the rating and size you want are. Also, look at the auctions to see what land is going for there.

You should not have to buy at the highest land prices to get land you want, if you research land prices before hand.

10.  YOUR FRIENDS CAN HELP

If you let your friends know you want to buy land, then they may help you find a good lot at a good deal. And it might be nice and close to your friends.

11.  NEGOTIATE

The price listed is not fixed. The land owner can set the price to whatever they want. If you ask nicely, the land owner may lower the price for you.

12.  THINGS CHANGE

Even after you buy your land, you will find that Second Life changes greatly from day to day. One day your neighbor is an empty lot, and the next it may be an ivory tower or an ugly box.

If you don't like what's there now, wait around, it might change to something new in a couple days.

13.  IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM... ASK FOR HELP

The advice in this notecard does not cover everything that can happen in a land deal. If you have a problem ask for help. Ask your friends, Live Help (help menu->Live Help...), on the forums, e-mail support@secondlife.com or if worst come to worst, search for someone online with the last name "Linden". They are employees of Second Life and are there to help you.


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contributor:
- StoneSelf Karuna

Specials Thanks to:
Talen Morgan, Schwanson Schlegel, Camille Serpentine, katykiwi Moonflower, Almarea Lumiere, Darko Cellardoor, Zsinj Xevious, Cristiano Midnight, Billy Grace, Misnomer Jones, Rysidian Rubio, Planet Mars, Lisse Livingston, Traxx Hathor, Ardith Mifflin, Roberta Dalek, Juro Kothari, Alexa Hope, Merwan Marker, Iron Perth, Jillian Callahan, Pendari Lorentz