New players not well informed about buying land in player run estates

I found this post interesting and amusing in a depressing way.
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How in a practical sense can LL or anyone else explain about renting versus buying land in a loud and clear enough way to alleviate concern that people are not properly informed?

A reminder every time you buy something?

Is the difference between renting and buying any bigger in real life? In a virtual world where you can not apply rl terms with confidence, something defining needs to seperate the two. We can run around in circles having a battle of semantics all day long, but it all comes down to that extra layer of 'ownership'. To me, that's pretty defining.

Well, I don't think most people are stupid. I do think occasionally someone gets confused or misunderstands though, because the whole land business from the get-go is confusing.

But that is a result of the way SL is set up, not the result of major landowners trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. They do not.

The "buying," "renting," and "rent to buy" arrangements these landowners offer are different arrangements. I have "bought" my land there (something I did after knowing the owners for all of about 20 minutes when they were back in Meins, on the mainland). I was aware, of course, that they could abscond at any moment, but I was willing to risk my hard-earned $4000 or whatever it was that I had saved as a basic, which I was then. Just as I risk the entire she-bang on the assumption that LL itself will continue to be in operation.

"Buying" land allowed me not only to have my "own" land as a basic, but it allowed me to invest in something I thought would at least retain its value over time, and then to profit from that.

I don't think you could really call that leasing, could you? I believe when you lease a car (correct me if I'm wrong) you don't get to then turn around and sell the car and keep all the profit when the lease is up.

When and if I decide to sell my land in Azure Islands, I can sell it for whatever price I desire and keep the entire proceeds myself.

The tier itself, I believe, is actually less than what I would pay the Lindens for the same amount of land (and not nicely zoned, either), and I can pay it in Lindens, not U.S. dollars. That was especially good when I was a basic.

If the landowners who have these plans - including Anshe - were so all-out to get us all, then they would certainly not be as successful as they are, with so many hundreds of happy residents.

coco

Well I can't comment on your particular situation or Azure in general, as I don't know what plans they have. But most estate owners are constantly expanding, and for that reason alone, you would have to be particularly fortunate to get more than what you paid for it. In those circumstances, you can at most expect to get what you paid for it, more probably less. To expect a profit is pretty much living in a dream world (generally, I hasten to add). That's the same everywhere though, maingrid included, land generally devalues with age unless you are fortunate to be located somewhere pretty unique. In general, land puchased at end user prices is not an investment.

Maybe dream world! But not entirely out of the question. It is possible! And of course, when you rent, you don't sell it at all when you move.

I originally figured I would be doing well to get out of it what I originally put into it, if that.

But my co-officer and I have three very nice parcels on the beach overlooking the boardwalk to the bay beyond. The longer I'm there, the more I'm convinced I have some of the best land in the area. And even some of the best in the game. So I think I could make a profit!

Then again - I'm not planning to sell it, lol.

coco

I don't think they're "out to get" anyone. I do think there needs to be a bit more information available to new players about the extra layer of ownership that comes along with certain risks when you buy land in a player run estate.

And Suezanne, to address your question, I'm not really sure how LL could do this on a practical level. At the very least there should be something on the website explaining all the different types of land ownership and a few details about each.

To me it comes down to the difference between leasing and sub-leasing--not defining at all. If Linden Labs can call their land leasing deal "ownership", I don't see why Anshe Chung can not do so as well.

But you are right about "run[ing] around in circles having a battle of semantics"; at this point I don't think either of us will convince the other.