Can you legally and physically get to it?
The single most expensive mistake in raw land is buying a parcel you can't legally reach. Confirm access before anything else.
- Make sure there's legal access — a recorded easement or frontage — not just a dirt track across someone else's land.
- Drive the actual road in. A parcel that's lovely in summer can be unreachable in mud or snow.
- Ask whether access is maintained year-round or seasonal.
The deal-breaker question
Water makes or breaks rural land. Know your situation before you sign.
- Ask about well potential and what neighbors' wells cost and yield.
- If you'll haul, measure the real distance to a fill point.
- Check whether any water rights come with the parcel.
Grid, solar, and what you can build
How you'll power and plumb the place shapes the whole budget.
- Find out how far the grid is — running a line can cost more than the land. Often solar is the answer.
- Ask whether the soil will pass a perc test for a septic system, and what the county requires.
- Confirm what sanitation options are legal there.
What you're actually allowed to do
Cheap land is cheap for a reason sometimes. Check the rules before you picture the cabin.
- Confirm zoning and whether you can build, and what.
- Ask if you can live in an RV or camp while you build — rules vary by county.
- Check for any HOA or deed restrictions.
Walk it before you buy it
Maps lie. Boots on the dirt tell you the truth.
- Look for wash channels and flood risk — you don't want your build site in a drainage.
- Note slope, soil, and which way it faces for sun and solar.
- Stand on it at different times of day if you can.
Out near Concho or St. Johns? We'll bring it to your land.
Water, propane, groceries, gas cans, lumber, a forgotten part from town — Concho Dash runs errands and deliveries straight out to off-grid parcels in the area. No app, no membership. Text what you need.
See what Concho Dash hauls → Text or call · 480-201-7275Looking for the right parcel?
Buy Arizona Raw Land has owner-financed parcels in the Concho Valley and St. Johns area — low down, simple terms, and land that's already been checked against this list.
See available parcels →