Question for those of you that own homes :)

Thanks Incanus - I shall try to pop over tonight

Thanks Ylikone also for your advice

Caveat: as you will see, I have a bias

Another option is mainland rentals. What I have set up includes 2 full mainland sims, that are entirely dedicated to rentals, as similar as I could get it to how I would set up a private island rental sim, if the monthly costs of island sims weren't 50% higher than mainland sims...

Benefits:

1. no purchase price, only weekly rent, minimizing risk and upfront cost
   
2. light covenant, minimizing some of the less nice aspects of Mainland (i.e., you won't have a club, casino, camp chair farm, or horrible eyesore popping up next to you)
   
3. don't need to be Premium, so your costs will be lower
   
4. potentially lower rental rates on mainland than on private islands (because for the sim owner, monthly fees on islands are 50% higher than tier on mainland sims. However, I've heard of some GREAT private island rental rates, so do your research)
   

Downsides:

1. compared to a private island, less potential to terraform; restricted to +/- 4m of the base terrain
   
2. even if your own sim is beautiful, there is potential for a neighboring uncovenanted regular mainland sim to have giant ugly rotating neon particle-spewing atrocities
   
3. risk of the sim owner disappearing (although at least you'd only be out a week's rent; same risk as with a private island rental, or wose yet, island parcel "purchase"
   
4. you might not have access to ALL land parcel tools (like deeding objects to group)
   

If you are curious what mainland rental sims might look like, you can take a look at my two: Linji sim (currently fully rented) and Peronaut sim (most parcels still available).

Thanks Ged - I'll have a look

BTW, I found the reference to what I consider an excellent rental price, for a private island parcel.

At the risk of losing my own business, LOL, it's Rock Ryder's post from: /327/5f/182018/1.html#post1499262

If he has parcels available, a covenant that's acceptable to you, and you're looking for a rather large parcel (4096 sq m, I think he mentions), it might be worth looking into.

It's also a rather useful thread, discussing the pitfalls of "buying" private island parcels, and "renting" anywhere.

I have a lovely home on 6144 M2 in FairChang Resort - a private island sim that is a well-managed, residentailly-zoned area. I am a Basic member. I will not pay a single L$ for Mainland property or Premium membership while the Lindens refuse to lift a finger in regard to problems like land extortion (people building hideous things next to beautiful builds and demanding stupidly high prices to buy them out so you can get rid of it), and other issues. To me, the Mainland is pure anarchy and chaos. While it certainly has some areas that are lovely, those can be ruined at any moment by Players who have no regard for the value of other's land, and the Lindens won't do squat about it.

On the other hand, Most private sim owners are quite good about providing well-managed areas in their sims. They can and usually do enforce zoning and can theefore enforce sane standards for what is and is not allowed in their sim. If some jerk tries to trash my view and extort all the neighbors to buy him out, a responsible sim owner can, and will, kick him out.

Those who say that you don't really "own" land on private islands have a point. But a responsible sim owner won't do anything stupid, or he won't have tenants for very long. The irresponsible ones don't stay in business. And the Lindens can take away mainland parcels for any reason or no reason, as well, It's in the TOS. They just rarely do it.

My home is where I meet with my friends, share intimate moments with my SL loved ones, create projects in my workshop skybox, and meet with clients. It is a social space, as necessary to my SL life as my real home is to my RL life.

Mr preference is mainland. I live in Mimas and in Chaska Gorge. They seem busy but it means that things are happening all around you. One of my partners has an island - it is relatively private and lag free but not entirely so. If you collect sl art you will need a larger house. I collect so I need space. I also like flying around my house rather than stumbling. Keep walls to a minimum and use lots of semi-transparent glass.

Thanks Ceera - great post, I will have at look also at the resort Island you live on

Thanks Jig too

The more I read about owing a bit of space for a home the more appealing it sounds and the more I feel it is for me.....

*BB goes off to research hard....*

A little offtopic perhaps but this thread proves again how helpful most residents are. Great job peeps!!

Mandy C

Yes you guys all rock - I am really grateful for this forum and all of your help

When I first started out I rented from Ashlynn Dawn... I had the most amazing house with a massive prim limit... which meant I could decorate anyway I liked, and she was so helpful...

Just thought I would throw another idea at you

Thanks Tiana - I'll look into this also

Who is helpfull? Me? You know I am a bitch!!!

*grins*
Morwen.

This is spooky!!

Last night I was dancing with a young lady in Taff's Bar and reading her profile saw groups 'hard working bitches' and sexy bitches'.

I commented she was definitely sexy ... and maybe hard working ... but could not believe she was a bitch.

She panicked .. "I never said I was a bitch!! .. where does it say I'm a bitch?!?

I reasured her I was simply reading her groups LOL

SL just creases me up sometimes

Morwen - get your supper on the oven and tidy up your house lol! - you have been chatting for six days straight!!
The Jigster

Buying or renting from a private island owner - or having your own land on the mainland - both are good.

I've had both for close to two years now.

coco

Check this sim out: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sentience/229/229/21/

But only go there if you like white sand, palm trees, hammocks and sea turtles.

Read the covenant...The owner has a great attitude and treats his residents as equals.

I've been wanting some beachy land, so I took a look and it's lovely, but the 'no security orbs' aspect of the covenant would be a deterrent for me. I can maybe see not allowing them on the ground, since the sim seems very community-oriented, but what about around a skybox? I value my privacy, illusory or not.

I own land on the original continent, and yes, while we've had our bouts of weird neighbors, that's part of life, you know? I love my little (well not so little any more coz i keep buy sections of the sim that come up for sale) plot. It's near the newbie hangout The Shelter, so I've made gardens and fun stuff for people to do and see.

On the OTHER hand, I also run a business, and for that, I rent land. It's in my landlord's best interest to keep the sim running smoothly and without grief. I can be assured that my issues will be heard and responded to (if not immediately solved) by a sympathetic person. I can also be assured that my shop will not be suddenly sandwiched between 2 strip clubs. We have an active community on the rental islands; people know eachother and talk to eachother as true neighbors. I know that the residential tenants are also very pleased.

barrowness,

you can always try renting to see if a house is something you want at all.

i lived on Hawaii Kai for more than 1/2 a year before i bought land. great place. great owner and manager. check it out. 3 sims of beautiful island living.

IM Nobody Fugazi, the estate owner and ask him about it. he is very flexible and may have a solution for you.

-No need to go premium at all you dont have to have it to buy land. At the moment premium is kinda like throwing your cash away

-Not a change buy on a private island or sim away from mainland always less lag less griefers

-I use my home in SL just like I do in RL except NO dust bunnies!!!!!

-When you are ready to buy land ONLY buy from know sellers way to many con's out there and spend like 2 weekes looking around 1st to get a better idea on prices...and stay WAY away from mainland lol
..does it show I hate mainland? hehe

I own a little 512 parcel in a snow sim that I found on SLExchange (which is one place you might consider looking.) It's mainland, so there are no covenants.

The plot next to me is actually for sale, but the plot next to that one is Governor Linden land that is littered with somebody's war protest prims, so nobody's bought it yet.

I principally use my land as 'home base' to log in with, to change clothes, and for opening packages and building things. I like having a place to build where I won't be plowed into by some bozo testing out his motorcycle.

I've built a very simple house and some furniture, and created some art to hang on the walls. I invite people over periodically to show it off. (Not really in a braggy way, more of a "hey, lookit what I made!" way.)

I recently held a discussion salon there and had a pretty good turnout. I even had to pull out extra chairs so people could sit.

Second Life can be a little overstimulating at times, so it is nice to have a place to blink home to when things get hectic and sort of gather myself.

Cyfishy, I believe we're neighbors. Unfortunately, I had problems with some kind of beacon, so my plot is for sale. Whoever is playing wargames on that sim might like to have my plot.

I'm still on mainland, but now I have waterland on a new sim. I tried renting, but I came home one day to find that the island owner had set up buildings on my parcel. It would have been a great deal for someone who doesn't want premium membership and who doesn't mind living in a pre-selected house. It's a neat sim owned by a really nice guy. It just didn't work for me because I like to build.

So, both have their benefits and their drawbacks. I really like having land to build on and hang out at. If I wasn't a premium member, I would definitely rent.

*grins*
You will find no where in my profile me claiming that I am bitch. But when assuring people by word I am a bitch makes they are nicely suprised when I show my nice and kind side... It is all about shock effects ^^.

Oven? Household? I have personnel for that...

*hopes she didn't say that too loud and starts to move slowly aside*



Morwen.