Mountain property appeals to those who want a strong connection with nature and mountain amenities as a priority for their home site.
When buying mountain property it is important to understand matters often taken for granted with urban or urban-suburban properties.
Among factors important for due diligence (fact-finding) are understanding access, easement agreements in place, road maintenance agreements, whether roads used in access are privately owned (through an easement, or deed), or publicly owned (By City, County, etc.).
If it is a county or city road, the local jurisdiction will classify them according to maintenance and snow-plowing frequency. Road classifications may also determine the road surface. Usually, but not always, private roads in the mountains tend to be dirt and gravel, or just dirt roads and public roads are paved. However, with rural counties, it is common for arterials having a paved surface with the remainder of the county roads being dirt and gravel.
Some buyers will need to know where the closest school bus-stop is located; incidentally, road on school bus routes have a high maintenance and snow-plow priority, which also improves access for those that live near them during the winter.
Other matters that are most often associated with mountain property that require investigation include: well & septic systems, topography, drainage, proximity to open space, national forest or BLM land, and flood zones. One will need to understand the proximity and choices regarding internet service, cellular service, electricity, natural gas, and propane service.
The previous discussion isn’t comprehensive, each property is unique, and due diligence should uncover any unique factors.
