Land Buying Advice For New Residents

(Originally authored by His Grace/Stoneself Karuna, updated for v1.5 by Lisse Livingston)
Hello and welcome to Second Life!
Here is some advice that should make your land-buying experience more pleasant.
==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.
==You don't need land==
To enjoy Second Life you DO NOT need land. At the time of this notecard's writing, only 15% of the Residents own land. You don't have to have land to have fun in Second life.
==Monthly Fees==
If you own any land, you will be paying a monthly fee in US$. For details about this check out: Land FAQ
==Location! Location! Location!==
When you decide to buy a new lot, go look at it. What are the neighbors like? Is it conveniently located for you? Do you like the geography? Does the sim host many events (which cause lag)? Is it close to your friends or favorite hang outs? Or what ever other considerations matter to you.
==Finding Land==
You can search for land using the search utility built into viewer, you may choose estate or mainland (linden estate), along with PG, Mature or both, minimum area and maximum price. This utility is somewhat limited, so you could also utilize a 3rd party tool such as SLIB Mainland Search to help you, if you are looking for mainland.
==Land Auctions==
You can buy land directly from Linden Lab through the land auctions. You can buy land for Linden Dollars (L$) or for US dollars.
The auctions are located at:
http://secondlife.com/auctions/
==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.
==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.
==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.
==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.
==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:
His Grace, 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