What counts and what does not
Counts: frontage on a public road, or an easement recorded in the chain of title granting passage with defined location and terms. Does not count: habit, kindness, “it has always been this way,” or a gate the neighbor has never locked — yet.
Easements themselves deserve reading, not just confirming: width, permitted uses, maintenance obligations, and utility rights vary, and the differences surface exactly when you build, log, or quarrel.
When access is imperfect
Imperfect access is negotiable access: easements can be formalized with cooperative neighbors (motivated sellers help motivate them), title companies can insure documented solutions, and prices can reflect unresolved questions. What imperfect access cannot be is ignored.
True landlocked parcels — no legal access at all — trade at deep discounts for good reason; the legal paths to creating access exist but are neither cheap, quick, nor guaranteed. Buy them only with eyes fully open.
Local rule of thumb: If the right to drive home is not recorded, you do not own it — you borrow it.