Inherited an acre of land. What should we do with it?

June 7, 2009 9:30 PM

Inherited an acre of land. What should we do with it?

Is there any way to make it profitable, and to help the comunity around it by creating at least some jobs? Or should we just sell?

My wife and I just inherited an acre of land. It is in Mexico (somewhere around here); it is near a highway, two hours from Mexico City. It has all utilities (plus two wells). It is in a residential/farming/other uses area. In the past it had been used to raise rabbits, deer and chickens, but that did not work out because of negligence by the caretakers, we were told. It was also used to grow onions, cucumbers, apples, bananas, pears, radish, apples, watermelons, mangos and lemons, all in a small scale (non profitable, but good). Then it was transformed into a private weekend getaway house with lots of garden (and a small river, did I mention a small river goes through the property?) Right now it has some living quarters, a small pool and some abandoned amenities (a tennis court, a jogging track) all of which needs urgent fixing and mending or could be torn down without spending too much.

So, the thing is we are wondering what to do with it. We don't want to go live there full time but it is near enough that we can go every weekend or so. We can pay for someone to manage the property and all aother expenses (assume money is no object). So far we have come up with the following solutions:
We could just sell the land, but in its current state we will wind up not getting what it's worth.
We could section it and build really nice little houses with a common pool (4 houses or so) and sell them for profit but, where's the good for the local community in that?
We could start producing something. The climate is really good and everything grows. What could we possibly produce that is not very time consuming for us and can at least not loose money in medium to long term?
We could start a small factory. Again, assuming money is of no object, what could we build? (It must require simple labor as local people are probably not trained to even use a computer)

Only four no-no's:
The thing we grow or build or wahtever cannot be loud. No loud machines, a tractor is ok.
We do not want to pollute anything. Not the river, not the land, nothing, so it must be clean.
Nothing illegal (no drugs).
Nothing to do with tourism, the area has all needed hotels already.

Any help would be greately appreciated.

posted by omegar to work & money (8 comments total)

community garden plots.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 9:38 PM on June 7

A good book to read.
posted by salvia at 9:40 PM on June 7

"We can pay for someone to manage the property and all aother expenses (assume money is no object)."

This. Heck, I'd be all over this. I loved living in Mexico.
posted by youcancallmeal at 9:41 PM on June 7

I'm a planner, albeit in Canada. If I were interested in developing a piece of land, I'd first as some questions - some of which you've sort of answered already.

1. Servicing. Yes it has servicing already but does it have the capacity to do what you want?
2. Zoning. What is the land zoned for, and what's allowed on the land? If it's zoned for agricultural use, you may not be able to put multiple residences on the property, and you may not be able to put a factory on it.
3. What are the neighbouring uses?

Community facilities like gardens can be great if there's the local capacity to support it is there, but if not it can be a burden on the community with maintenance costs etc.

If I were interested in doing something positive for the community with the land, I'd go talk to the local planning authority (if one exists) and ask them what would be beneficial. Local knowledge is critical.
posted by jimmythefish at 9:57 PM on June 7

Note that an acre isn't that much land in the scheme of things.

4 large lots.
posted by @troy at 10:46 PM on June 7

ah, I see you already knew that. Never mind.

An acre of productive land can be intensively gardened, of course.

But in the end the utility of a plot of land most depends on its surrounding community. If the community needs local food, then go that way. More luxury housing, or perhaps an apartment block, then go that way.

One of my dreams actually is to buy 8 acres and make the coolest apartment complex. Nearly all apartments suck but they don't have to.
posted by @troy at 10:48 PM on June 7

It's Mexico so I would say that the answer you will get by "talk[ing] to the local planning authority" would be what is best for the local planning authority and not for the community.

Why not build 4-6 simple. low cost but decent housing units, with enough room for a small garden, on the property and sell them at just enough to cover your cost? Give 4-6 lower to middle income families in the community the empowerment of land ownership.
posted by Pollomacho at 4:34 AM on June 8 [2 favorites has favorites]

It's Mexico so I would say that the answer you will get by "talk[ing] to the local planning authority" would be what is best for the local planning authority and not for the community.

Given that the initial information is worth exactly zero as far as the ability to make a proper, informed decision as to what to do with the land, I'd say that trying to talk to someone local is a good start. It's Mexico, it's not Somalia.

As a general rule, if you have to ask Metafilter what you're going to do with an acre of land, just sell it. Otherwise, you're really going to get your ass handed to you. Developing land profitably isn't a casual pastime for the uninitiated.
posted by jimmythefish at 8:40 PM on June 8