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As a suggestion for buying land now, have you looked into buying on a Land Contract? In a Land Contract you and the seller agree on a down payment and monthly payments and an interest rate. Each month you own another little piece of the land until it is paid off in full. The advantage to the seller is that they can spread out their income tax burden over several years, they get to keep the deed to the land in their name until its paid for so they have security. The advantage to you is that its difficult to get a Bank loan on raw ground and this solves that problem. It also lets you tie up the ground now, at an agreed price. You control the land now, you pay the taxes and insurance, you get to use it as your own now as you pay for it. The down side for you is that most Land Contracts say that if you miss a payment you forfeit your interest in the land, so you are taking all the risk, the seller takes none. Once you improve the land or build a house on it you can qualify for a bank loan and pay off the Land contract.