Confused about land

[LoveAshley89]

I just upgraded to a premium account & i wanted to buy mainland to own, NOT RENT. I am unable to participate in action to buy land from Lindens because I am less than 14 days old & i am confused about how buyng land from a resident or group works?

 

1) if i buy a land from group then does that mean i an only a RENTER and i pay the group weekly or monhly?

2) if i buy from group or resident It says i have to pay Lindens. After I pay the lindens to the resident or group then is the land mine only now? to own??

3) I havent used my 512 land yet so by buying land from resient or group will I be charged for the tiers too??

4) how do I know if i am buying land for rent or to own? Some residents and group afdvertise (Land for sale) but i have saw some that advertise weekly linden charges??

 

I am new to this and I have found a land I really like but i don't want to get in trouble and buy something without even knowing exactly what  I am buying. =)

[Dora Gustafson]

If you haven't read the article about Buying Land in the Knowledge Base, you should do so
Any questions you have after that are welcome

:smileysurprised::smileyvery-happy:

[beethros Karas]

When you "buy" land from auctions or from an individual member or group you simply buy the RIGHTS to PAY RENT to Secondlife or to a landlord.

The price of rent you have to pay pay to LL is shown in the URL bellow.

The price of rent you have to pay to a landlord depends on their policy, usually its cheaper than secondlife.

So, for to make it clear.... you will ALWAYS pay rent, no mutter what.

http://secondlife.com/land/pricing.php

cheers

beethros Karas

 

[Indigo Mertel]

@LoveAshley89, just to clarify things a bit: the difference from buying land versus renting land is a bit blurred in SL.

When you rent land from another user or group you effectively rent land from them.

When you buy land from another user, group or Linden Lab you actually buy the right to use the land but ultimately the owner of the land is always Linden Lab.

That said, the praxis is that when you buy land you are a "de facto" owner and your "ownership" is rarely challenged by Linden Lab (when it happens it is usually for serious reasons).

Be aware that when you buy land your cost doesn't end there. Land ownership involves the payment of a tier, a monthly fee that you have to pay to Linden Lab. A good analogy for the tier is the payment of a tax to a governing body. Translated into real life terms, the tier you pay is a maintenance fee you pay to Linden Lab to maintain the server where the land is located.

[crypticzynergy]

I've gone from a basic member who rented both mainland & private, to becoming premium with a Linden home, to "owning" mainland of my own.

No matter which option you choose, there will always be some form of monthly payment to somebody, even when you "own" mainland. The best way I can explain the difference -- think In RL terms... Even when you "own" land, you still have monthly payments to make -- similar to something like monthly mortgage payments (or property taxes). You're never really going to be "paid in full" because Linden owns the continent (i.e., realm) itself. You will always have some form of monthly payment to somebody. ALWAYS.

If the land belongs to Linden (i.e., Linden Maintenance, etc), then you are paying the owners of SL directly. There's no middle man, no subletting, no landlord (other than Linden). You can see who owns the land by checking the "About Land" for the parcel in question.

If the land belongs to a group or to a person, then chances are you're "renting" it from that person/group who already owns it. They are considered your landlord/property manager. You'll need to speak with them and have them be very clear with you about whether they are still going to be the owners of the property. Ask who you'll be paying next month's rent to if you decide to buy the land. If they say you'll pay rent to them or to a rental box of some sort, then you're renting. If they say you're paying directly to Linden (or SL), then you're owning.

(If you find out later on that the person/group lied or are trying to screw you and say you are only a renter not an owner, at least you'll have your chat log to use if you file a complaint for rightful ownership of the land.)

For more info on buying land etc, visit the Knowledge Base: http://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Buying-land/ta-p/700043

If you truly "own" mainland, you'll be paying SL directly and it will be a fixed rate, based on land dimensions. The Mainland rates are shown here: https://secondlife.com/land/pricing.php?lang=en

Take advantage of the group bonus too! -- If you create your own private group and use it to purchase mainland, it will be like getting a discount on the monthly "mortgage" you pay for owning that land. More info on group land can be found here: http://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Group-owned-land/ta-p/700079

For me, I purchased 4608sqm through my private group, and I pay Linden/SL $25 a month for the land. If I didn't use my group to purchase/own the mainland, then that same land of 4608sqm would've cost me $40 a month instead.

Anyhow, I hope this helps explain things better! Feel free to IM me in-world about mainland ownership if you need help... Or take advantage of SL/Linden support as a premium member. Good luck!

 

[Lindal Kidd]

Ashley, I teach a class about land on Fridays at 5 pm SL Time, at Caledon Oxbridge University.  It's free to attend.

[crypticzynergy]

Hi there!

It can be confusing when buying your first land -- & some people say they're selling land to you when really, you're just renting it from them. *Hate that*

I've got a Mainland parcel for Sale if you're interested, and I can answer any questions you may have before you buy. The monthly tier for it if you own/buy the land under a group you own (for the group bonus) will be $25 USD... Tier's already been paid through Oct11 so you won't have to pay Linden Labs until then.

When you're buying mainland, you shouldn't have any landlord or anyone else to answer to other than Linden Labs (since they are the owners of SL). The best way to find out if it's a rental or sale is to ask, "Who will I be paying my monthly tier to?" If they name a person, then it's a rental. If they say you'll be paying Linden Labs (LL) or SL directly, then you're truly buying it.

When you own mainland, Linden Labs becomes your governer/mayor or however you want to see it -- they technically own all SL mainland. You'll be paying a monthly tier to them, which can be compared to paying taxes to the local government for owned land in real life. The cost of tier goes up when you start to own a lot of land. Buying land thru a group (just create one for your home) will qualify you for a group bonus & bring down the cost a li'l bit.

Here's the Land Use Fees (tier) chart to help: https://secondlife.com/land/pricing.php?lang=en

You can own up to the parcel size mentioned in the chart, and it will cost you the amount shown in the chart. For example:

1/16 Region

4,096 sqm

937 prims

US$25

So you can own up to 4096sqm and the monthly tier will be $25. If you go over this limit by even 1sqm (to 4097sqm or more), the price will jump to the next tier (1/8th region) which is $40.

BUT!!! If you buy the land under/through a private group you own, the group bonus will let you get more land for less cost. Here's a group land use calculator to help figure out cost: https://secondlife.com/my/account/landfees.php?

And here's some info on group-owned land: https://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Group-owned-land/ta-p/700079

For example, the land I own (& am now selling) is 4608sqm, but because I bought it under my private group -- I get an additional 512sqm free. So basically I'm paying a monthly tier of $25 for 4608sqm & getting more prims for that price, thanks to the bonus.

I hope this answers your questions. If you have any more, feel free to IM me or come stop by my place & see if I'm online. I can try to talk you through any questions/concerns you may have.

Good luck & have fun with home ownership!

 

[Christhiana]

Tier's already been paid through Oct11 so you won't have to pay Linden Labs until then.

 

You're wrong there. You pay tier for the right to own a certain amount of land. Payed tier does not carry over with the land to a next owner.