buying land, does it really matter where I buy?

I'm about to purchase my first peice of land (4096 sq m) and from what I understand main land is safer and easier, well to start with anyway.
What I don't understand is prices vary? I mean its not like the real world where location is everything as we have teleportation in sl.
So why do prices vary so much? I don't get it?
can someone explain or point me in the right direction please.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Location does matter. Waterfront is more costly, especially if it's next to protected water.

If the sim has fewer parcels for sale, prices will be higher.

If the sim isn't blighted by ad farms, prices will be higher.

If the sim has a sex club, avoid it like the plague, you'll have trouble tp'ing in.

I'd recommend buying in a sim that has been settled for a while, and which is stable.

Yes land prices vary quite a bit on Mainland. There are parcels that are just more attractive to the majority of people in SL so the price will be higher. Myself, I would not worry too much about location. I would look for a parcel that is priced in my budget and is in an acceptable "neighborhood" for me. I've owned the same parcel on Mainland for almost 3 years now. When I first bought the land it was in the upper right hand corner of an almost desolate sim........there was nothing around me except the intersection of two Linden protected strips of land. Call that a buffer since I only have one side where anyone can build right next to me. I've seen that sim get very crowded with clubs, shops, the whole mix except a mall. Then they go away and something else comes along. I've seen ad farms come and go. I've had lag to the point of logging in and immediately tping to a less laggy place. Now it's quiet again........been that way for almost a year now.

What I'm trying to say is just get what you want at the price you are willing to pay. Build your home, business, club, sanctuary, whetever and have fun..........six months from now it will likely be nothing like it is now. And six months after that it may be the most desirable place in SL.

Location is everything in SL in fact probably more so than in RL. In SL however it's probably not the actual piece of land that you're interested in that you have to consider; more the surrounding land and what's going on there. On the mainland there are no covenants (not yet) and so pretty much anything goes. And this can frequently impact on your prospective piece of land. Here's a few things to consider:

When visiting the land turn on your lag meter, constant red I'd walk away (if you can..tp if not), yellow, think about it and green for go. Look out for lots of particle effects and complex objects with scripts and stuff operating nearby.

When visiting the land get down on the ground and walk around, don't just view it from above, also put your draw distance to max, that way you won't get any nasty surprises looming over the horizon should you buy a new computer with a higher graphics spec. sometime in the future.

Lots of 'for sale' signs and yellow patches on your map will probably mean that what you see when you visit won't stay that way for long. As the land is sold new owners will build, changing the landscape, sometimes dramatically and frequently not for the better. The ideal plot would probably be a single plot for sale bordering by Linden land and/or neighbours who've been there a while (and hopefully are in no rush to move)..this assumes the Lindens and/or neighbours are friendly.

A stunning view will only remain stunning..as long as the folks between you and the stunning view allow it to remain a stunning view. (Confused..I am..this was probably a reference to high-rises and the lack of building controls in SL..)

Sex clubs and clubs in general, most would advise against buying nearby, and to be honest I wouldn't consider it. However from what I've seen clubs tend to be the most desolate empty waste of space in SL, there's never anyone there. So you probably won't get hassle from the patrons and no mega lag, but you should consider how it will impact on your attempt to sell later on. I'd be more inclined to avoid shopping malls, if they're not popular then the odds are they'll be sold and the landscape will change before your very eyes, if they are popular then the lag will drive you crackers.

To be honest buying land in SL can be a bit hit or miss, sometimes you get it right and sometimes wrong. Nice thing is what you buy today can easily be sold tomorrow..possibly even earning you a little profit.

Good luck with the land..

Perre..

if you like the location, and how it looks - and you can imagine your build there.. buy it. enjoy it.

also note that alot of sim owners rent out land so you have no buy costs but own the land for a monthly price

advantage, you can packup when you want or if something happens you loose nothing more then the location
disadvantage, you don`t own it like the mainland and at their mercy

but with a good landlord you could stay at the location for a very very long time, both have advantages and disadvantages, just adding another option for you to keep in mind

I found the SL Wiki Land Buying FAQ helpful, there is a lot of information there:
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Land_Buying_FAQ

Thanks everyone for the replies, it has opened my eyes a little and at least i have more of an idea as what to look out for. The lag meter thing seems very usefull and i didnt know there was such a thing before now.

With any luck i will find somewhere very soon!