This article answers some general frequently asked questions about Estates and Private Regions.
Perhaps you have an idea for a huge project that you want to realize
and you need a lot of open space to build. Maybe you and a group of
friends and colleagues are looking for a gathering place that can
expand as your community grows. Or maybe you have visions of a world
under your own control, where you add land with each increase of your
population.
In general, Estate ownership is an excellent choice for those who:
- Desire to acquire a large amount of land easily
- Wish to enjoy land ownership separate from the ever-changing Second Life mainland
- Want to build and control their Second Life experience without adjacent neighbors
- Require more land controls than those provided on the mainland
- Want to name the Region their land is in
How much will it cost?
Read the quick FAQ covering Estate billing and ownership here.
Some residents with older Regions pay a lower, grandfathered, tier
fee. For more information about Estate pricing changes, please see the Estate pricing change FAQ.
We offer a discount to verified real-world educators and academic
institutions (i.e. universities and schools) or 501(c)3 non-profit
organizations that will be using the Regions to support their
organization's official work. For those organizations, the setup and
creation fee is US$980 and US$150 a month for maintenance. All
educational and non-profit Estate orders can be placed from the Estate order page.
How long will it take?
Usually, Estates will be delivered in
about 10 business days of placing your order. Please note that in some
circumstances it may take longer.
Can I have a custom design?
You can upload your very own .raw file in the Estate tools. There are specific parameters for this -- please see the .RAW File Format article for further help.
Can a group own and use an Estate?
Estate owners can deed out
the land on their Estate to a group. The actual ownership is not
conveyed to the group (you still own the Estate) and group members
cannot pay for the Estate by contributing land allocations. The owner
(you) will always be billed the full Estate monthly payment no matter
how the group land is set up. Read more about Estates and groups here.
What can I name my Estate?
Estate names must be no more than three words, with a total of less
than 20 characters, including the space. You may not use the words
"SL", "Second Life" or "Linden Lab" in the Estate name. All names must
contain only alphanumeric characters; no punctuation, please. The name
cannot be a real life city name. If you decide to change it later,
there's a US$50 charge.
Can I include multiple Regions in my Estate?
Yes. Estate-level tools make it convenient to manage multiple
Regions, too. If you have three Regions (A, B and C) in an Estate
called Z, then to get to each of them you'll still need to teleport to
those Regions by name. But if you wanted to, you could ban someone from
the Z Estate, which will keep them from getting to any of Z's Regions.
Also you could set the day/night cycle by Estate, so all your islands
have night at the same time.
How do I place an order?
The easiest and best way to place and order is through the Land Store.
If you have problems using the land store, you can contact the
Concierge. All educational and non-profit Estate orders can be placed
from this Estate order page.
What happens if my credit card payment is denied?
If your
account is in arrears, for either monthly fees or membership fees, your
Estate may be disabled until your account is restored to good standing.
Once your account is back in active status, you may need to contact the
concierge office to enable your Estate if it's down. No refunds will be
given for time lost from accessing the Estate.
What if I don't want my Estate anymore?
You might consider
transferring it to another person (see below). If you instead decide to
simply terminate the ownership of the Estate, please contact us with
your Second Life name and the name of the Region.
Can I transfer my Estate?
Estates are transferable by the original owner to another Second
Life resident. The billing will continue on the same schedule and buyer
will be billed for the full amount of the next month's payment. The
cost of transfer is US$100 and will be billed to the seller. This
payment is for the backend work by Linden Lab, which includes:
- Changing settings
- Billing transfer
- Changing the name
- Returning the Estate to original terraform (if desired)
The Estate can only be transferred as a single parcel. Any transfer
of funds, whether in L$ or US$, must be handled between the original
owner and the new owner. Linden Lab is unable to provide billing
support, or to enforce any payment agreements between you and the new
owner.
Before we're able to initiate a transfer, we'll need written
confirmation (in the form of support tickets) from both the buyer and
the seller. If you would like to transfer your Estate, both parties
should submit an appropriate support ticket. Include the name of the
Region in your ticket, along with the words "Estate transfer". Read this article for more details.
Can I sell a parcel on my Estate to someone else?
Yes; parcels can be sold to other residents, but you remain
responsible for the monthly payments. You can make arrangements for
these new parcel owners to pay you for use of the Estate, but that's
between you and the other residents. Many Estate owners use the
Estate's Covenant to explain their payment structure.
What is the prim allowance for an Estate?
The prim allowance for an Estate is the same as any other Region: 15,000.
Can I choose where my Estate is placed on the map?
By using the Land Store, you may chose your Estate placement. If you
already own an Estate and want to purchase another, you may request the
Estates be connected when it is first created for no extra charge.
Please be aware it is dependent upon the flexibility of the map whether
or not this will be possible. Also, we'll probably need to move the
Estate as the world expands.
Can I change the terrain texture on my Estate?
Estate owners are able to change the texture on their land by using the Ground Textures tab in the Region/Estate window.
Can I terraform my Estate?
You can terraform your Estate plus or minus 100 meters.
Can I move my Estate?
Yes, you can request your Estate to be joined with another person's Estate or with another one of your own Estates. See this article for more details.
How do I allow others to post events for my Estate?
Estate
owners are allowed to post events on their Estate by default if the
Estate is visible. If you would like other residents to have the same
ability, simply add them to your Allow list in the Estate tab of the Region/Estate window.
What other controls do I have?
Plenty. See this article on the Region/Estate window for more details.
Someone mentioned a "rollback" to me; what is that?
Get the right information regarding Estates and rollbacks here.
I've heard about "openspaces" or "voids" -- what are those?
Openspaces are low-prim Regions and can be purchased in four-packs only, by existing Estate owners. Read more about openspaces here.
Who should I contact if I have any questions or additional request for my Estate?
Submit a support ticket using the Region Issues ticket type.
