Internet deals mire unwitting buyers in inaccessible Green Swam...

[Mike]

While I really do feel for the people who unknowingly bought this land, I know they should have been able to check up on things even via the internet (Google Earth, county websites)... moreover, not all wetland NEEDS to be developed! A lot should be retained as is for the sake of conservation.

What I would really love to see is some fat and arrogant developer get stuck with acres and acres of land he couldn't develop nor sell and had to sit on and pay taxes on while it remained in its natural state: it would serve some of them right for how Florida has already been over-developed.

Btw, lest anyone calls me a hippie or the like, note that I am an architecture student: I need buildings to be built for my career too, just not overbuilt and without due care to the stewardship of the natural environment.

[garym1a2]

Mike wrote:

While I really do feel for the people who unknowingly bought this land, I know they should have been able to check up on things even via the internet (Google Earth, county websites)... moreover, not all wetland NEEDS to be developed! A lot should be retained as is for the sake of conservation.
What I would really love to see is some fat and arrogant developer get stuck with acres and acres of land he couldn't develop nor sell and had to sit on and pay taxes on while it remained in its natural state: it would serve some of them right for how Florida has already been over-developed.
Btw, lest anyone calls me a hippie or the like, note that I am an architecture student: I need buildings to be built for my career too, just not overbuilt and without due care to the stewardship of the natural environment.

I would rather the Green Swamp never get devloped. It is the main water recharge area for central florida and home ti tons of wild life. Not all of Florida needs to be paved over or turned into sub-divisions.

[I Bought FromThem Too]

I too bought property from God's Land Stewards on eBay, with our wedding money. I purchsed 2.5 acres in Volusia county and I live in Duval county (Jacksonville). I did all of my research first, called the property appraiser's office, looked at the property on-line, everything checked out. I received the warranty deed as promised. Right now there are motorcycle and 4 wheeler trails through it, and it is not presently buildable. I just plan to sit on it, they were selling off tons on parcels there, and I cannot find anyone complaining about buying property located in Volusia from God's Land Stewards. I would like to know if anyone has anything negative to say, because if there is a down side, I haven't found it yet... The proce was very cheap.

[E Vey]

I Bought FromThem Too wrote:

I too bought property from God's Land Stewards on eBay, with our wedding money. I purchsed 2.5 acres in Volusia county and I live in Duval county (Jacksonville). I did all of my research first, called the property appraiser's office, looked at the property on-line, everything checked out. I received the warranty deed as promised. Right now there are motorcycle and 4 wheeler trails through it, and it is not presently buildable. I just plan to sit on it, they were selling off tons on parcels there, and I cannot find anyone complaining about buying property located in Volusia from God's Land Stewards. I would like to know if anyone has anything negative to say, because if there is a down side, I haven't found it yet... The proce was very cheap.

Was the fact that he land was unbuildable mentioned in the ad? Were you TOLD that the land was unbuildable, or did you have to find this out on your own?

By law the seller is required to TELL you this without you having to ask. Buying land isn't like buying a used car although many people seem to think so.

[I Bought FromThem Too]

Yes, I was told it was unbuildable in the ad, there is no sewer or septic there yet, nothing to do with swampland. The only possible negative I have found is that Forever Florida (a Volusia County land preservation program) recently sent me a notice wanting to know if I was interested in selling. I hope there is no way they can make me give it up. I'm thinking others that bought parcels don't want to sell, but you never know. It would really suck if they acquired land nearby, and then I couldn't build as a result. I don't know anything about that part of the legalities.

[E Vey]

"and then I couldn't build as a result."

Uhm. Maybe you don't know what "unbuildable" means?

It means you you can't build, not just for now because it lacks utilities, but FOREVER. It doesn't matter who your neighbors are or what they do. It doesn't matter if you get utilities, it just doesn't matter.

Why would someone divide a property up nto a bunch of unbuildable lots? Well, that's because up until the '70's no area of Florida was considered to be unbuildable.

The other fellow that wrote in here doesn't mention that the lot is unbuildable, but I guess it doesn't matter much if folks don't understand the true implications of that word.

[Telling the Truth]

hurt wrote:

<quoted text>
Joe Matarazzo, Windermere Custom Homes, use to work for this company in Maryland that swindled senior citizens out of their life savings to buy worthless property in FL. He and his sister even convinced their own mother and father to purchase this swamp land??

What kind of idiot are you to spread this kind of slander regarding Joe Matarazzo. I know him personally, and knew his family. The thought that he "swindled" ANYONE, let alone his own parents, is ridiculous. And Carol Evans is one of the most decent and caring people we know.

I think you are a bitter, miserable person and I suggest you get a life!

[You all know so much]

More than 40 years ago a couple by the name Doris and Alfred Kaskel bought 2,400 acres of land in the middle of nowhere west of Miami to build a country club and a couple of golf courses. Today the area is part of a prosperous municipality in Miami-Dade, Call DORAL after DORis and ALfred which is considered the second business center in the county, CNN Money ranked Doral as 51 on a list of 100 cities with the best mix of business advantages and lifestyle appeal
He brought the land for less than 30, sixty years later the 650 Acres Resort they built was sold for over 320 million and that was only 20% of the land the brought... and people thought that the 21 year old polish guy was stupid... Who's stupid Now???

[You all know so much]

More than 40 years ago a couple by the name Doris and Alfred Kaskel bought 2,400 acres of land in the middle of nowhere west of Miami to build a country club and a couple of golf courses. Today the area is part of a prosperous municipality in Miami-Dade, Call DORAL after them..DORis and ALfred which is considered the second business center in the county, CNN Money ranked Doral as 51 on a list of 100 cities with the best mix of business advantages and lifestyle appeal
He brought the land for less than 30K sixty years later the 650 Acres Resort they built was sold for over 320 million and that was only 20% of the land the brought... and people thought that the 21 year old polish guy was stupid... Who's stupid Now???