It's a nice idea for house hunting gardeners, but I've yet to see it come up on any MLS listings :-) There are agencies that map local geology, including soil conditions, but I doubt they get detailed enough to single out a specific piece of property. But you should be able to get a sense of the overall soil composition of that area. While this can be helpful, there are many variables involved that can make even small plots within a larger area unique.

You could always have a soil survey done, but that's a big expense just to confirm a purchase of a second home.

Here is a link that might be useful: soil maps

Gardengal is right on. Use the web soil survey found at the link above and just follow the directions for finding a potential home address, choosing it as an area of interest, and then selecting the soil map tab. Potential soils with their abundance and properties will be listed. You can find the surface soil texture in the series name listed, ex: Atkins silt loam. Silt loam being the surface texture. Consult the textural triangle for clast size distribution of a given textural class. Subsurface soil texture can be found within the series description.

perennialfan273,

Since you have access to the specific property in question, suggest that you obtain permission from the realtor to take several 3/4 quart samples of the soil for simple Jar Tests from the area you anticipate locating a garden.
Google: 'soil jar test' (link below) - view choices, then choose the instructions you prefer to follow.

Recommend that you duplicate the test at several levels (depths) of soil that will comprise the root zone depth of plants you intend to grow (2' should be sufficient), and a post-hole digger is the recommended tool.

Take the several quart jars home with you to await the period recommended for settling time. This will answer your question regarding clay/silt/sand compostition, and give you an indication of the amount (%) of organic matter in the soil (material that floats).

Also suggest that you take an additional quart of soil mixed from various depths, to submit a sample to your state soil analysis lab (through your county agricultural extension service) for a report of Routine (N,P,K) + Micronutrient values, which should also provide a pH reading and Conductivity (indication of salt content) with recommendations of what/how much of what, to add for growing vegetables in that soil.

Robert

Here is a link that might be useful: Soil Jar Testing

Soil is composed of minerals that determine the makeup of that soil and a soil type with a lot of very small particles will be a clay type of soil, and there is nothing wrong with clay soils provided you get sufficient levels of organic matter in them. The Soil Conservation Service office in the area you are looking will have soil classification information, but don't reject any property simply because the soil is predominately clay.

I used to hate having clay. But since I've been following this forum for quite a few years and hearing of the many problems with sandy soil, I've learned to appreciate my clay. You just have to learn how to work with it then it's not so bad!

Karen

As Karen said, "You just have to learn how to work with it then it's not so bad!" With the exception of loam all other soil types have problems unless you add sufficient quantities of organic matter to them, and the only problem with many soil types is the lack of organic matter in them.

Or stated another way: "The only problem with them is the management, or lack thereof, by the gardener"?

Karen

Clay soil is not bad. For one thing it's got a lot of nutrients. Just needs drainage.
And I read somewhere that if the soil is red clay it's got good aeration.
My main worry when we were house-hunting was making sure that there were no chemical or potential chemical pollutants in the property. And radon.

When you locate a property you can look up it's soil type at the NSCS site. I have about 10 types on my land.