We have many properties around here ranging from 3-100 acres. More are in the 3-20 acre range. I try to make sure my listings have information sheets and plats in the house, but sometimes they disappear 2 at a time when an agent and a buyer each take one. Then I get calls from the bueyrs agents asking for a plat because they can't figure out where the boundary lines are even if they are marked by fences and survey stakes. Then I get calls saying we thought if we bought a house on 10 acres that we wouldn't be able to see any neighbors, or we didn't know the house next door was so close, etc.
Most counties have their own web site by now, and if provides tons of information about every property in the county. (1) AGENTS: Don't assume there are going to be fliers, brochures, and plats at the house when you get there. It is a simple matter to research a property on a county web site and find at least 50 items about that property. Plat, location of house, well, septic, streams and creeks, trees, zoning, closeness to neighboring houses, school info, flood plains, easements, fences, fair market value, current tax assessments, recent sales, etc, etc. You would think a buyers agent would want to do their own research anyway before they even show the property, but are just never prepared to show a property. So it's no wonder that buyers go out and find another agent that is prepared to answer all of their questions because they did their homework.
BUYERS: You should also learn to use your county web site to learn all you can about a property that you want to see. Don't depend on your agent, because many of them think that all they have to do is print out the listing from the MLS and open the lockbox to let you in. Plus, they want to make a sale, so they might not want to tell you that 5 of the 14 acres is in a flood plain, or that there is an easement on the property, because they don't want to lose a sale. You can map the plat, add the house and outbuildings, creeks, trees, forest cover, location of wells and perc sites, etc all from your county web site. You can even measure distance to neighboring houses, road frontage, distance house is from street, etc. I always go to our county Health Dept and get well and septic records so a potential buyer and their agent will know what size and type of septic system and tank is on the property, a record of any repairs that have been done on the septic system, etc. But any buyer is free to go to their county health dept and look this info up for themselves.
Knowing everything you can about a property will help you understand more about the property that you're thinking about buying.
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