1. Shipping costs occur 90% of time, sometimes bringing discounted price back up to normal price of same item found locally at a department store.

2. Descriptions on bid sites and online auctions may not be accurate. Sometimes sellers will talk up their item in order to sell it.

3. Refunds are not as accessible and may not always be possible when conducting online shopping.

4. Payment devices may not be secure, allowing access to more people than simply seller, or abused access by seller.

Internet shopping can be very useful and very convenient, however individual thinking about using a discount shopping online should carefully weigh pros and cons before ruling out local market. Common sense can save you a lot of money online, and when in doubt just log off and go old fashion route of shopping locally.

DEED RESTRICTIONS: These restrictions can be imposed by former owner of property, or township depending on application. For instance, you might be limited as to what kind of house you can build; or what materials you can use. You might not be allowed to build a log home. Some restrictions limit square footage of house, or use of property. You may have to limit height of your house, or even what type of fencing you can use. There might be a limit to kind of livestock you can manage, or how many acres per horse. This has nothing to do with zoning, which is a separate issue.

MINIMUM ACREAGE: Townships have started battling urban scrawl by imposing minimum acreage on a building lot. Sometimes, piece of land you are trying to buy is smaller than minimum acreage. If lot was subdivided before law was passed, it is usually considered "grandfathered" and you should be able to build on it. Check with authorities to be sure; you may have to obtain a variance to build on a "substandard" sized lot. Also, if you are purchasing a big piece of land with assumption that you can subdivide later and sell off parcels, make sure these subdivisions will be allowed. Sometimes, even large parcels can only be divided once or twice by law, depending on deed restrictions, prec restrictions, township restrictions, or possibly land preservation issues.

CLEAR TITLE: If there is a lien on a property due to non-payment of bills or taxes, title will be considered clouded and you might not be able to obtain clear title to your piece of land. There may be disputes about boundary lines, or adverse possession if you have an unwelcome long-term squatter. In most cases, a thorough title search will uncover any irregularities, and mortgage company will require that you purchase a one-time title insurance policy against any future issues. This needs to be done before settlement.

WATER SOURCE: If you need to dig a well, consult with local well driller. There's a pretty good chance that driller will have a good idea about how deep he'll need to go. You will pay by foot to drill a well, and it could add thousands to your budget.

When it comes to purchasing land, old saying "Let buyer beware" certainly comes to mind. If you do not thoroughly investigate your property with township, civil engineers, or land use lawyers, no one else is going to protect you. A cooperative township office will give you access to public records relating to your piece of land; if it's been perced in past, those records become public. They may already have a file about your lot and block number, and a trip to township office may enlighten you if there have been problems in past. At very least, you should have an idea what you can and cannot do with your land, before you make that big commitment.