Can I actually own and keep land for retail without being billed?

[Askatah]

So I got a real life I like to play Second Life because it's the only way to interact with online people to try and ask this as simple as possible can I just buy out land and retail and keep it without a monthly bill fee is this possible? I'm new to the whole premium membership thing and land owning and want to get creative with the services. The most part of owning land I want is for retail and developing my own community if anyone answers thanks!

[Trixie Wyx]

Only the charter accounts got a deal like that, and those have not been offered in many, many years. Everybody else has to pay rent to LL or some middleman.

[Chic Aeon]

If you are premium (hard to tell from your post) you get the tier on a 512 lot free with no bill each month (that bonus comes with premium membership and only premium members can own mainland). That isn't a big piece of land but it could be a start. You now get 175 prims to work with. 

 

Anything else you will get an additional bill or pay a landlord inworld for the use of the land. 

[Askatah]

I actually am a premium membership and how do I do this I go to the web market on Second Lifes website and i'm having a hard time fanding the right place to settle my avatar in I like cosmic themed environments like night scapes or outer space maybe a fancy little house while i'm at it if you have any suggestions fill me in if you can please?

[Amethyst Jetaime]

The equivalent of 512sqm of tier you get free with a premium membership applies only to mainland.  You must buy your own parcel.  By buy I mean pay the amount of $L the lot is for sale for.  The cost of a parcel depends on what the owner is asking for it.  Parcels in highly desirable areas, such as waterfront, road side, or next to Linden protected land, will be more expensive than ordinary parcels.  Once you buy your land you won't have to pay tier on the first 512sqm.  For instance if you buy a 1024sqm parcel you will only pay tier on 512sqm of it.

With the exception of a few areas on the mainland, there is no 'zoning', meaning rules as to what you can build on your parcel, or themes other than the theme you use on your own parcel.  It is unlikely that you will be able to have both a shop and a home on just 512sqm of land and only 175 prims to work with.

To find a parcel to buy you can use search under "land" or open your map and check the option to show parcels for sale on it.  Parcels that are available for sale will be blocked out in yellow.

To develop a "community" on the mainland, you would need to first find a region with lots of land for sale and buy a parcel then persuade like minded people that want to live in a similar environment (in your case cosmic or space themed) to buy land there and put builds on their land that conform to the theme. 

Since any premium member can buy any parcel for sale, you couldn't stop someone from buying a parcel in the middle of your community and not conforming to the theme.  To prevent that you'd have to buy a large amount of land and then rent it to other residents.  This could be done on the mainland or you could get your own private region then enforce the theme through a rental agreement or covenant. 

Alternatively, you yourself could just rent land from another resident that maintains a cosmic theme.  There are private regions with various different space themes.  You don't need to be a premium member to rent land from another resident.  You also can't use your 512sqm of free tier towards your rent.

You would probably benefit from taking a land class where all this would be explained in detail and you could ask the class leader any questions you have, before you buy or rent any land.  You would also learn about land management and how to use the various land tools to control your land.  Caledon Oxbridge University has a free class on Fridays at 5pm SLT. 

[Abigail Merlin]

Some estate owners like myself will offer a deal where you pay a sum upfront to be tier free for as long as you are active but keep in mind that the amount you pay upfront will be equal to what you would pay for a few years as they still have to pay for the land each month.

[Aislin Ceawlin]

Also keep in mind that the land owner you make this deal with had better be trustworthy. They may decide to abandon their sim, leaving you with no land and no recourse to get your money back!