The most expensive view in Oregon is land you cannot build on

Bare land is the purchase with the most upside and the most ways to get hurt. I have watched people buy a beautiful parcel and then find out, months later, that the thing they intended to do with it was never going to be allowed.

Oregon land use law is strict on purpose. Farm and forest zoning exists to keep working land working, and it puts real limits on new dwellings. A parcel can be gorgeous, road accessible, in a great location, and still not qualify for a house. That is not a loophole to find. It is the system operating as designed.

So the order of operations is: can you build, where can the septic go, is there water, how do you legally get there, and what does power cost to bring in. Get those five answers before you get attached.

The septic question comes from a site evaluation, which is a soil test that determines whether and where a system can go. That answer often decides where the house sits, which means it shapes the whole design. It is early homework, not a closing formality.

Power surprises people the most. It looks close on a map right up until the utility quotes you a number based on distance, terrain, and whether you need an easement from a neighbor. I have seen that quote rival the price of the land.

None of this makes land a bad buy. It makes an unverified land buy a bad idea. Do the homework in the inspection period, when walking away is still free.