You can level (terracing) the ground to build. Or you can build a level foundation on the slope. I’m not sure which is cheaper. If you build on a slope, there might be two rows of cinder block on the back of the house and 16 rows on the front. Laser levels make it easier, but building a foundation on a slope takes more skill to do it right. The footings may need pinning into the rock so that the foundation doesn’t slide.
Deciding which way to build depends on the land. Consulting with an experienced foundation contractor is a good idea.
Appears to be a typical abbreviated parcel description:
Somewhat decrypted to read: A parcel in the Southwest Quarter of Section 23 of Township 23, Range 2 West per document/instrument number/auditor’s file number 79- 470097, more particularly known as the most Easterly parcel shown on that Record of Survey number 5487.
The Public Land Survey System (thanks, Thomas Jefferson!) laid out lands in a rectangular system of 6 mile squares (one Township, thence subdivided into 36 one mile squares (one Section), thence subdivided further into 4 Quarter Sections.
The Townships are arranged in tiers (layer-cake fashion) and columns (the Ranges) from a predetermined N/S meridian and an E/W baseline, so this parcel is in the 23rd tier (~138 miles) from the E/W baseline and ~12 miles West of the Meridian line.
The 36 one-mile square Sections are numbered from the Northeast corner (Sec. 1) west to the Northwest corner (Sec. 6), then reversing to the East (Sections 7 to 12) then back West until we end with Section 31 in the Southwest corner and Section 36 in the Southeast corner.
This may sound a bit confusing, but the system does allow for quickly finding property within a region with just a few numerical references and the assessor’s parcel maps.
The Record of Survey (usually filed with the Auditor) should detail the location/description of the property corners and the dimensions of the property lines, together with information about any existing easements of record.
Yeah, one of the issues may be the zoning requirements. Not just residential, but size, height etc. upper and lower limits. Also, for the ones that want to try the latest fad, you may have trouble getting approval for any building method that does not go back to the ice age (like foam bricks and concrete, steel beam, geodesic dome, etc.)As a friend of mine found out, even building a simple standard house is not as cheap or simple as you think it is.
I would urge caution-the fact that the land has been vacant is a sign that something is wrong. It probably is the case that there are restrictions as to what can be built on it. I would engage a RE lawyer to find out all the details on this piece of land-buying it and finding it is unbuildable would be a costly mistake.
Not necessarily. In my county the zoning called Rural Residential is 10-40 acres now. That means, one house per that size lot (the planning dept makes the call as to whether lots of that size are subdividable). Inside the city development zone, you get city water and sewer, and much more density. Outside it, you provide your own services. This division means finite resources can be managed, and agricultural and forestry uses preserved.
Used to be that RR was 2.5 acres, which is why we live on 2.5 acres.
Also, building a house in a city is complex up the kazoo. Second the idea about a real estate lawyer.
And – building on a slope is not always simple. In fact, it rarely is, unless the slope is very mild. For example, in my county a earth-retaining wall in a house, over 3’ in height. requires a sign off by an engineer.
It could be a very doable adventure, but it is going to be a big one.
It could take one year, or it could take ten, or it could be impossible on that specific lot.
Not just a big adventure…
You also need a big,big kazoo. … ('Cause you’re gonna get a lot of complicated things stuffed up it.)
Don’t even think about doing this on your own!
It all sounds tempting: Invest in a cheap lot, pay for construction and then makie a profit. But you need lots and lots and lots of professional assistance.
Not just a real estate lawyer: you also need a land appraiser , an architect who is thoroughly familiar with your city and your local zoning procedures,** financial advisors, soil engineers, foundation engineers, and contractors.
**this is critical…and can save you a year or more of bureaucratic hassles. Hire an architect only if he has experience building simiilar size houses, which were approved by the exact same planning board which has authority over your lot. If he has built projects 10 miles away , but in a different planning zone outside your municipal boundary, do NOT hire him.
I’m not familiar with California. But around here I don’t see a need for an architect for a standard 1500 sq ft, 3 bedroom 2 bath house. Any local home builder would know the zoning and code requirements. The OP would save money and time by choosing a plan that the home builder already offers. A blueprint that’s already been approved & constructed locally.
I’d pick an established, local home builder that can provide multiple references. He’ll know what hoops he has to jump through to get the building plans & permits approved and the job started.
Someone still has to draw up plans for that specific house on that specific lot. Doesn’t need to be a licensed architect, but it does need to be someone who knows how do this, who knows all the local building codes, and what requirements are needed by the municipality.
And you’re going to need a full set of structural plans. Those are the key, and what the builder will refer to most during the construction process.
And… You’re going to need a Title 24 (energy audit) and probably a GreenPoint Analysis by a certified professional. The latter varies by locality, and is mostly a bunch of BS that most good builders do anyway, but will likely cost about $2k.
