Everybody warns you about water rights and easements, but nobody warned me about solar access when I was advising a buddy shopping for off-grid acreage in southern Utah. He found a gorgeous parcel with a ridge running along the south property line. Looked perfect on paper. Closed the deal, then the neighbor planted a row of fast-growing Lombardy poplars right along that ridge. Legal as daylight, nothing my buddy could do about it. Winter sun angle drops low enough that those trees now shade his panels four to six hours a day.
I changed my mind completely about how much due diligence matters on what's adjacent to you, not just what you own. Solar easements exist in most western states and almost nobody asks for them at closing. Your realtor won't bring it up. Your title company won't either. If you're buying land specifically to run off-grid on solar, you need that conversation before you sign.
Anybody actually negotiate a solar easement into a rural purchase, or is that still basically unheard of in your area?