If you're even a relatively new Second Life user, you've probably heard a lot about Second Life land. There's also a good chance you've heard some conflicting information.

But how do you know what to believe when it comes to Second Life land? Stop searching, your answer is here. This article will tackle the major myths about virtual real estate in SL.

Myth #1 - You can only have land in Second Life if you have a premium account

FALSE. You can only own Second Life mainland if you have a premium account. This is because in owning mainland, you must pay tier in USD each month to Linden Lab directly. And they charge premium fees for this. However, you do not need to have a premium account to own land on a private estate, such as Solace Beach.

Myth #2 - If you buy private estate, you'll get scammed out of your money

FALSE. While there are indeed horror stories about people paying up a lot of tier in advance and then finding their sim to be gone the next day and the sim owner to have gone as well, these cases are few and far between and are easily avoided. In the first instance, to be on the safe side, you should check out anyone you intend to buy land from. Is it a one man band with just one or two sims? Or is it an established Second Life real estate company with many, many sims? If it is the latter, then the chances are that they already have a good number of residents and you should be able to find out the names of some of these residents by flying around the sims they own. Ask the residents of their experiences of the real estate group. Holding land with a known Second Life land company gives you added peace of mind.

Myth # 3 - You don't get full land rights on Private Estate

FALSE. If you go to company such a Solace beach Estate, which 'sells' the parcels for a nominal 99L fee, the parcel transfers into your ownership. This means that, unlike with a lot of rental land, you have full control of the 'About Land' panel! This includes, but is in no way limited to, changing the title, the description, who can build or run scripts there and what radio station plays on the land.

And there we have it, three of the common Second Life land myths busted.

Still got questions? Well why not IM me, Josue Habana, in world. With two years' experience in Second Life real estate, I will be able to answer any questions you might have about the land buying system!