updating the land buying advice

I don't think we should add in anything about "Ansheland" rentals until we see if she changes her terminology after the next patch.

The "sales" are an upfront fee with an obligation (which is unenforcible) to pay rent until you find a replacement. She can break her side of the agreement as well, but she has more to lose.

Some landlords do rented land on private islands with deeding to group and without the upfront fees. I have this in Euphoria, for example. The landlord has no risk on a private island as they can reclaim it at any time if you don't pay.

Land deeded to group gives you land editing, ban and admit lists, direct access to media URLs, setting your own description etc.

Maybe a separate rental notecard as it's quite complicated, cheaper than owning land in many cases and is a growth market. Also many people do not know that it exists.

maybe a whole faq for it

Yes, probably.

The killer point for me is comparing the tier alone for so many m2 of land per month, and the equivalent rental cost.

The only real problem is finding rental land - there needs to be a central source of information for renters. Although it's doable with regularly updated notecards it really should be built in.

create a notecard that covers most of the stable information,
and then point people at some webpage or form or wiki that
has some of the less stable information.

Stoneself

Pathfinder Linden is currently working on updating and changing a lot of things for newbies, from orientation island to the Welcome Area and possibly beyond. Would it be a good idea if you sent him a copy which he can incorporate into that?

Alexa

will do

here's the latest revision:

Land Buying Advice for New Residents (10May2005)

Land Buying Advice for New Residents

Hello and welcome to Second Life!

Here is some advice that should make your land buying experience more pleasant.

Summary (detailed comments follow after):
-00- Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware
-01- You don't have to buy land for Second Life to be enjoyable.
-02- Owning land means you have to pay monthly fees.
-03- "Renting" versus "Owning" Land
-04- Plot size matters.
-05- Start with a Land for the Landless lot first.
-06- Location! Location! Location!
-07- You can buy land from Linden Labs directly through the land auctions.
-08- Become familiar with land prices.
-09- Your Friends can help.
-10- Negotiate.
-11- Things change.
-12- If you have a problem... ask for help.

Details:

-00- Caveat Emptor

Buyer beware. Or at least be aware. Learn what you can about buying land, why you want it, and what you can do with it. The advice in this notecard should keep you out of most land trouble, but in the end you are responsible for your decisions.

-01- You don't need land

To enjoy Second Life you do not need land. Though it can make things much more enjoyable.

-02- Monthly Fees

If you own any land, you will be paying a monthly land tier fee in US$. For details about this check out:
http://secondlife.com/land/index.php
and
http://secondlife.com/faq.php

-03- Buy or Rent

You can "own" SL land directly. If you own SL land, you will need to pay monthly tier fees to Linden Labs.

OR

You can pay for the use of land from other players on the mainland. You can also "rent" land from other players in island sims (off the mainland) which is more like ownership; you will have access to land control features. Neither of these two options require you to have land tier, so you will not need to pay tier fees to Linden Labs. notecard with rental detail goes here

-04- Size matters

Avoid buying lots smaller than 512 sq.m. at first.

Considering that the smallest amount of land rights you can pay for is 512 sq.m., and that you can get 512 sq.m for cheap through the First Land program, you should only seriously consider buying a 512 sq.m. lot at first.

-05- First Land

Linden Labs has a program where new residents can buy 512 sq.m. for L$512. You can only do this if you have not previously owned land. More details at: http://secondlife.com/land/index.php

At L$1/sq.m. you can't beat this price, and you can eventually sell this land for a tidy profit. But before you do sell your land, learn what it is you can do with SL land. This is a great opportunity to do that.

To find first land:
- In the SL client, click "Find"
- In the Find window that opens, select the "Land Sales" Tab
- In the unlabedl drop-down menu select "First Land"
- Click "Search"

This should list the First Land you can buy. Sometime all the first land is gone; Linden Labs adds more land regularly so you shouldn't need to wait too long for new land to show up.

-06- Location! Location! Location!

When you finally decide to buy a new lot, go look at it. What are the neighbors like? Is it conveniently located for you? Do you like the geography? Does the sim host many events (which cause lag)? Is it close to your friends or favorite hang outs? Or what ever other considerations matter to you.

-07- Land Auctions

You can buy land directly from Linden Labs through the land auctions. Some plots available at auction will be priced in Linden Dollars (L$), and others in US dollars.

The auctions are located at:
http://secondlife.com/auctions/index.php

-08- Land Prices (L$/sq.m.)

Before you buy (or sell) land you really should look at the Find->Land Sales window. Look at what land prices for the rating and size you want are. Also, look at the auctions to see what land is going for there.

You should not have to buy at the highest land prices to get land you want, if you research land prices before hand.

-09- Friends

If you let your friends know you want to buy land, then they may help you find a good lot at a good deal. And it might be nice and close to your friends.

-10- Negotiate

The price listed is not fixed. The land owner can set the price to whatever they want. If you ask nicely, the land owner may lower the price for you.

-11- Things Change

Even after you buy your land, you will find that Second Life changes greatly from day to day. One day your neighbor is an empty lot, and the next it may be an ivory tower or an ugly box.

If you don't like what's there now, wait around, it might change to something new in a couple days.

-12- Help!

The advice in this notecard does not cover everything that can happen in a land deal. If you have a problem ask for help. Ask your friends, or if worst come to worst, search for someone with the last name "Linden. They are employees of Second Life and are there to help you.

* * *

Specials Thanks to:
Talen Morgan, Schwanson Schlegel, Camille Serpentine, katykiwi Moonflower, Almarea Lumiere, Darko Cellardoor, Zsinj Xevious, Cristiano Midnight, Billy Grace, Misnomer Jones, Rysidian Rubio, Planet Mars, Lisse Livingston