01 · Intended use
Start with what you plan to do with the land.
Describe the parcel’s intended use and the timing of any planned work. A farm or ranch operation, future residence, recreation, or conservation project may lead to different questions for a lender or program administrator. Ask each provider which uses it considers and what current requirements apply.
For agricultural operations, the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Farm Ownership Loans page describes one federal program for eligible farmers and ranchers. Its program rules govern whether a use or applicant fits; this reference is not a determination about a specific parcel or borrower.
02 · Parcel details
Build a clear picture of the property.
Details in a listing or map can be incomplete. Collect records where available, then confirm open questions with local offices, the seller, and qualified professionals. Requirements and records vary by location.
What do the records show?
Gather the legal description, acreage, available survey, recorded easements, deed history, and any purchase agreement. Ask the county recorder or other local office where authoritative parcel records are kept.
How is the parcel reached and used?
Check documented road access and maintenance responsibilities. Confirm zoning, land-use limits, covenants, and any applicable water, mineral, or conservation rights with the relevant local offices and qualified professionals.
What is present or planned?
List existing and proposed wells, septic systems, utilities, fencing, buildings, and site work. For structures or infrastructure, record what is permitted, what needs repair, and what remains unconfirmed.
What will the full project require?
Separate the purchase price from possible survey, access, utility, water, environmental, legal, and improvement costs. Use quotes or professional estimates where available and identify assumptions clearly.
The USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey provides mapped soil information, and FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center provides official flood-hazard maps. Neither substitutes for property-specific research, professional review, or a lender’s process.
03 · Provider conversation
Ask how the provider would evaluate the scenario.
Financing products and public programs have different scopes. Compare the actual written information a provider gives you, and confirm details before relying on an estimate or starting a purchase.
Does the intended use fit the provider’s program?
Describe whether the parcel is for an agricultural operation, a future residence, recreation, conservation, or another use. Ask each provider to explain its current eligible uses and property requirements directly.
What would the financing structure include?
Ask for any applicable cash contribution, repayment schedule, rate type, fees, collateral, term, and prepayment conditions in writing. Do not assume a home loan, farm program, or land-only product applies to the parcel.
Which documents should you prepare?
Ask for the provider’s current document list. It may be useful to have the parcel records, intended-use summary, purchase details, site information, project budget, and relevant personal or business financial records available for that conversation.
Preparation · optional
A quick checklist for a financing discussion.
Use these prompts to organize a conversation with a financing provider.
These are preparation prompts only. They do not establish or guarantee borrower or property eligibility, financing availability, or approval. Provider requirements vary; confirm current requirements directly with each provider.
Official third-party references
Explore the source material directly.
These government resources explain their own programs and mapping tools. Their information is separate from C 45 Group and does not establish an offer or outcome.
USDA Farm Service Agency
Farm Ownership Loans
The agency describes a program for eligible farmers and ranchers, including purposes related to purchasing, developing, or expanding agricultural operations. Current rules determine covered uses and eligibility; the page does not establish that a particular bare-land parcel qualifies.
Open official resourceUSDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Web Soil Survey
Use the official soil-survey tool to look up mapped soil information for a location. Treat mapped information as a research starting point, not a site inspection or a determination of value or suitability.
Open official resourceFederal Emergency Management Agency
Flood Map Service Center
FEMA provides access to official flood-hazard maps. A map lookup is one research step and is not, by itself, a property-specific insurance or financing decision.
Open official resource