A 60 acre parcel is acceptable if it is isolated (no close neighbors or plans for development). A larger piece of land will provide a buffer zone if there are neighbors or other modern world items close by (freeway, roads, flight pattern of an airport). 

• At least 10 acres (minimum!) of flat and level land in one area or two associated areas for use for the Eric and camping space. Additional areas suitable for camping would be a plus. 
• An additional 8 acres (minimum!) suitable for parking. This doesn't have to be as level or as nice as the camping area, and could be in several areas, not necessarily all in one lump. It does have to be reasonably accessible from the camping area. 
• Available water, by well or county service. We will drill our own well if there are other recent wells in the area or an hydrologist's report suggests that we can get good water. Year-round access to the site on reasonable roads. 
• Year-round means throughout the normal tourney season, not necessarily December through February. "Reasonable roads" are defined as usable by the average under-maintained, overloaded SCA car, not a brand new 4-wheel drive vehicle. 
• Shopping for basic needs (supermarket, hardware, etc.) within half an hour of the site. 
• Emergency services (hospital, fire, police) within half an hour of the site. 
• Zoning that allows for our intended use and for construction of privies and showers at the very least. (There are many zoning categories which will allow our usage, and a few which will not. Zoning as Agricultural Preserve is the one zoning which is (usually) incompatible with our usage. 
• Extras that will make the parcel more attractive include sewer connections, shade trees, electricity (power hook-up for running well pumps or other necessary equipment), possibility of phone hookup, running water (creek or river), a small woods and/or hilly terrain for battles. 
• Bottom line: Would you attend and enjoy an event on the parcel you are looking at, after minor improvements? Once you had attended one event on the land would you come back on a regular basis? If you answer "No" to either of these questions, then there is probably something wrong with the piece even if you can't specify what it is.

• Zoning: The biggest single bar to acquisition of a piece of land has turned out to be zoning. This was something of which we were unaware when we started the search, but it is now the first question we ask about land. The zoning of the land will determine whether or not we will be able to obtain a conditional use permit to do what we want to do with the land. Specifically, we have discovered that Agricultural Reserve zoning is next to impossible to change and is a bar to the uses we want to put the land to in most counties. On the other hand, zoning for a campground would be ideal. 
• County Politics: We will have to obtain a conditional use permit from the county in order to hold events on the site. Some counties have already indicated to us that they are unwilling to issue new permits for our kinds of activities (i.e. large group camping). 

Anything that would make it difficult-to-impossible to hold an enjoyable tourney on the site and which cannot be corrected. There are several things to watch for. Some of the more important items include: 

• Modern Intrusion: Railroad tracks with trains, the ability to hear or see a freeway, being under an airport landing pattern, other unpleasant aspects that are unavoidable reminders of the modern age. 
• Accessibility: Excessive driving time on poor roads, inability to get to the land at certain times of the year (i.e. regular road closure), access only across someone else's land unless the access is invisible to the land owners. 
• Terrain: Some up-and-down-ness is reasonable; mountain sides are not. We want to camp, not ski. Fighting and camping cannot be done on a slope. We probably cannot afford extensive terrain modifications, although we can probably do some minor leveling. Terrain will also affect our ability to make certain improvements such as leach-fields for grey-water disposal, and other sanitary improvements. 
• Soil and vegetation problems: Extremely bad soil which would make camping on the land uncomfortable (one piece we rejected had ground that was covered with broken obsidian!). Enough star-thistle growing that it would be hard to eliminate it could be a bar. Scrub brush is not a problem; we can clear brush. 
• Bad drainage and the like: If the flat area turns into a bog when it rains, then that would not be a good place to put the camp. If the access road will be subject to flooding with every rain, that's not a good idea either. Regular flooding of a significant portion of a site next to a river would also bar the purchase. 
• Extremes of weather: If it is regularly very windy, or if it's too hot during the summer and/or too cold during the spring and fall to use the land, we probably don't want to buy it. (We know that we probably won't find a true year-round site, but a site as close to that ideal is what we are aiming for.) 
• Neighbors: A site too close to residences. If houses are within sound range, the piece is probably unusable for our purposes. Again, a piece of land larger than the minimum (60 acres) would provide a buffer zone especially if the usable portion is near the center. 
• Cost Limitations: If it costs more than $300,000 we could not afford that particular piece of land at present, no matter how ideal it is. We need to be able to put down enough money so that we are not carrying back a large mortgage, and we will need to keep some money for improvements and a reserve. (If someone wins the lottery and wants to donate the money to KHTI, please see us!). Please note, however, that some parcels for which the asking price is greater that $300,000 may be considered if the owner might accept a lower offer. (For instance, if the land has been on the market for some time, or if the owner is sympathetic to our purposes, the cost might be brought down.)

Second, you can help by volunteering for the Land Acquisition Committee. (Send your letter to the KHTI address.) The Land Acquisition Committee consists of several Directors and KHTI volunteers, each with responsibility for a specific geographical area in the thirty-nine county search area. We need as many people as possible involved in the land search to cover such a large area. If you have some knowledge of real estate and are able to make a significant time commitment, you can join the Committee and be responsible for your own region. Or, if you have less time and experience, you could work with one of the committee members to investigate leads in your own area. At this time, assisting with the land search is one of the most important ways you can contribute to KHTI.