Important Factors Before Buying Mountain Property
Protect yourself!

Do you know what to look for when buying a mountain cabin? With very few building codes in our area are you sure you are working with a knowledgeable builder, developer, and realtor? If your realtor can not answer your questions then maybe you have the wrong realtor. Use a knowledgeable buyer's agent and be sure your interest is being represented.

Important Factors Before Buying Mountain Property

The ease of construction and the ability of a piece of land to adequately support a building are basic concerns of the home buyer and responsible builder. Site stability depends upon the land's slope, soil characteristics, and water drainage. it also depends upon human-made alterations to the land required to make it a more suitable building site. Certain types of soil are unsuitable for home construction. Some clay soils will expand as they absorb water and contract as they dry. The swelling and shrinking of the soil exerts great stress upon the foundation of the house. the house's foundation may crack severely unless it is specifically designed to tolerate such stress. Each country has a soil survey map which can be found by contacting your Soil and Water Conservation District county office. More on Site stability

Sewage Disposal

Approximately 75 percent of the homes in the western North Carolina and north Georgia mountains depend on individual sewage treatment disposal systems. However, a large percentage of the land, 90 % in some counties have severe limitations for conventional septic systems.

Every prospective property owner should realize that an adequate septic system approved by the Environmental Health Section of the county health department is required before a new home is allowed to be occupied or connected to a source of electricity. It is important to evaluate the site for septic suitability before the purchase of the property.

More on .... Sewage treatment on Georgia Mountain Land and North Carolina mountain cabins

Drinking Water

Is there sufficient quantity and high quality drinking water for your home?

Residential drinking water supplies in the mountains may generally be divided into four categories municipal supplies, small water supplies, private individual or privately owned and shared. Municipal are classified as as community public water systems, and are regulated by the state and serve cities, towns and some rural areas. Small water supplies serve 15 or more homes and are regulated by the state and classified as community public water systems. Private individual water supplies using wells and springs serving individual residences and are not regulated by the state. Privately owned is shared water supplies using wells or springs which serve more than one home but are not large enough to be classified as community public water supplies and are not regulated by the state.

Storm water management

Storm water runoff is the rain or snow melt that runs off streets, rooftops,parking lots, lawns, and other land surfaces. as communities develop, more impervious surfaces are created and less rainfall can soak into the ground. this increases flooding and stream bank erosion. For some communities, there is federal, state, and local law regulating the quantity, quality and temperature of storm water.

Access

A poorly designed or constructed road can be a major headache for a homeowner. it can limit access for a house, especially when the weather is snowy, icy, or wet and can also cause severe erosion and stream sedimentation that can lower the value of your property and destroy the beauty of the land. also find out who is legally responsible for maintaining the road to the property or house: the state, the developer, or property owner. if the road to the property is private, make sure that you have legal access in and out to a state maintained road.

Flood Plains

The mountains of North Carolina receive the highest amount of rainfall east of the Mississippi River. Small creeks are as susceptible to flooding as large rivers, before buying or building a house, check to see how close the site is to any creek or river. ask residents of the area how high flood waters have risen on the property in the past. Communities that belong to the national Flood insurance Program have maps that show the flood prone areas within their community. these maps can be found in the county courthouse or city hall.

Stewardship of the Land

The natural beauty of our mountains is in large part what attracts so many to the area.The Blue Ridge Mountains support a wide variety of plants and animals, many unique to the southern Appalachians. By gaining an understanding of the complexities of your property's terrain and it's natural resources, you can help promote the existing character of this area by preserving the natural character of your own homesite. Prior to any land clearing activities, identify and protect features such as springs, streams, bogs, rock outcroppings, as well as existing vegetation, such as large trees and rare wildflower areas. work with your contractor to develop a site plan that enhances rather then eliminates, these unique features.

Solar Energy

The solar Energy potential of a homesite becomes increasingly important as energy cost continue to rise.Land on the south facing slope of a mountain receives direct sunlight for many more hours each day then land on the north facing slope. Houses on the south facing slopes are generally easier and less expensive to heat. They have the greatest potential for using solar energy for residential space and hot water heating. Houses on east and west facing slopes have less potential, and those on north facing slopes have minimal solar energy potential.

Mineral Rights

Under North Carolina law ownership rights to the minerals on or under the ground can be severed from the surface rights to the land and transferred as a separate estate. The owner of the mineral rights is legally entitled to use the surface of the property to reach and remove the minerals he or she owns. therefore before you buy property, check the deed closely to determine whether the mineral rights have been severed and belong to someone other then the owner of the surface rights to the property. The NC Division of Land Resources regulates all mining activities in North Carolina.

Dark Skies

A well placed homesite should blend into the existing area. this is especially important with ridge top homesite's, which can either be unobtrusive or eyesores. Some counties have adopted a local ridge top ordinance. Contact your county planning department to verify if your county has one. North carolina's "Ridge top Law" restricts development of buildings 40 feet or greater in height on identified protected ridges.

I would like to thank Phillip Gibson Director of Research and Community Outreach Warren Wilson College for allowing me to reproduce this booklet. Some information on this page may be outdated as new ordnances have been past in many municipalities. Please contact your local agencies for updated ordnances. a new information Cd is being produced at this time. Check back here for an announcement on when and how to receive one once available. Or contact:

Phillip Gibson
Director of Research and Community Outreach
Warren Wilson College
PO Box 9000
Asheville, NC 28815-9000
828-771-3781
pgibson@warren-wilson.edu