This isn't becoming a blog about Second Life, but it is an activity that I'm fascinated by right now. So that explains all these posts.
Searching for land is one of the most interesting, time-consuming, enjoyable and stressful activities on SL. I have never searched for commercial property so this post is entirely about residential land. There are so many options to choose from in regards to virtual living space. If you want to live a full time RP life and be anything from a Cowboy to a Roman, there are various sims to live in that keep to strict dressing and building codes. Many of the RP towns have choices to buy and rent, but mostly the emphasis is on renting. Then there is mainland controlled by Linden and private land available from Real Estate Moguls.
On mainland the sky is not the limit because Linden basically has no zoning laws. Residents on this land can build just about anything they desire. This is wonderful and also awful as well. Visual blight is a very big problem with mainland offerings. An avatar could buy and hold a very nice mainland plot with wonderful neighbors. But in the next second a commercial owner could buy the plot next door and set up a huge disco, theater, stores, strip mall or whirling billboards that will destroy any ambiance prior residents have attempted to create. They are also well within their rights to do so. The problem isn't only confined to commercial owners. While I was looking at mainland recently, I found a rather nice plot that was a good price. Which was surprising because mainland is very expensive land. But the reason why this was so was not hard to discover. The land was on a gentle incline and most residents had an ocean view. However one resident had decided to create a huge mountain range around his/her plot and blocked the view for many residents. Hence, the cheap land all around the personal Matterhorn estate. Linden has slowly been making moves to control blight. Mainland is sprinkled with various protected Linden land that will never be sold to the public. However if someone builds a huge billboard next to a park, the park won't hide it. Some residents have been forming cooperatives that buy large, adjoined mainland plots and developing them as strictly residential. However they are still at the mercy of Linden's free for all policy of no zoning. If you can deal with these unknown variables and need to be close to the action, then mainland is for you. You can check the auction sites for land available directly from Linden. I had a fantastic time jumping around auction land to check the goods before making a bid. You can also use the land search feature in the SL browser, which will allow you to look at mainland available from real estate agents and residents. Again, mainland is expensive and it will almost always cost more than private land. However you will own it and you will be responsible for paying property taxes (Land Use Fees) to Linden. Also note, to own Linden mainland you must be a premium member of SL.
Many people like the idea of being free to build anything they want on the mainland and direct ownership. However I, and others, do like strict zoning laws for protection. So the option for land on private estates is a nice choice. Another benefit is that you do not have to have a premium account to buy land with private holders. The land use fees are paid directly to the owner not Linden. Many landholders have various areas dedicated to kiosks that enable a resident to pay their taxes for the month. I like the kiosk option a lot better than the mailbox option set up in front of the property. There are many landholders who develop land. Some of the newer private landholders are cheaper since they want to build up their paying populace. I've become an Anshe Chung resident. I know she is considered one of the robber barons of SL. But I like her zoning (covenant) laws and her attractive terraformed land features. Her holdings are always priced competitively and even land available directly from Chung residents is reasonable. The land from Chung is always ready to build upon. Some of the other holders just sold unformed plots that required terraforming. It was cheaper but to a relative newbie, too much of a hassle to develop. For the most part, private landholders zone for strictly residential use. Some do host unzoned land as well. The price of the land depends on the size of the plot and whether or not it has access to unrestricted ocean views (All of SL is based on island format). There is more of a chance to get a beach front property on a private estate than there is on the mainland. The only problem is that a property with a waterfront can be changed. Linden and private holders always have the option to re-terraform and add land.
It took me at least 4 days of searching to get a piece of land I wanted. The last time I purchased land, it took the same amount of time. Even in SL, you have to take into account price and the land tax (basically you are paying for space on the Linden or Private Server). Buying land in SL is not a rash decision. I wanted land that wasn't too developed or crowded and with a beach front. Obviously mainland was out unless I wanted to bid at auction for over a thousand dollars (real currency). Also I wasn't going to pay for a private island. Again that is a lot of money (basically you are renting a Linden server) and I have no plans to attempt being a land baron. After many days of looking and considering other properties, I finally settled on Chung land. It is on a beautiful small island and I have beach front on two sides. It is just absolutely gorgeous. I don't know if my neighbor was too pleased since before me, she had ocean views all around her home. I wondered if my plot was new land and how long before it was adjoined to her plot. I'll enjoy my views for as long as I can. Hopefully that will be at least a few months.Labels: internet, mmorpgs, second life, technology