The last and perhaps biggest obstacle to getting land ready-to-build is paper – as in dollar bills.  In most cases, nothing about the process is cheap.  From the Permits Office and Pinelands Commission (or the Department of Environmental Commission) to the Professionals, it costs money. 

            Standing between the seller and buyer of land is the money necessary to get approvals and, more importantly, the risk of losing money.  The biggest factor behind a failed land sale transaction is the fear of loss.  This fear far outweighs the potential gain of selling or buying a beautiful, buildable lot.

            Many real estate listings for land say “land sold as is” or “buyer responsible for all approvals”.  That’s the equivalent of buying or selling a broken-down car.  It doesn’t run, but is the battery just dead or is the entire engine shot?  With land, sometimes neither party wants to spend or gamble the money to find out.