A Little about the opensim world
If you don't know, there is a whole virtual world outside of SecondLife (SL). Here is my feeble attempt to explain. While SecondLife is owned by a big company, the OpenSim is made up of people owning their very own SL-type worlds. The owners of these "worlds" are called grid owners. There are hundreds of grids. There is no cost to become part of a particular grid. Just like in SL, people can also own land through the particular grid they belong to.
There are some particular benefits to being part of the OpenSim. One is that land is super cheap to buy compared to SL. Almost everyone can afford a basic plot of land for almost nothing. For instance, for about $5-10 USD a month give or take a couple of dollars depending on which grid you chose - you can get a full SL size sim with full rights. Imagine getting 4 SL size sims for about $20 USD a month with 15,000 prim, or 9 SL size sims and 50,000 prim for about $25 USD a month. It's true! These prices vary from grid owner to grid owner, but you can get the idea. Another benefit is there are no upload or download fees as in SL. It's a builder's heaven. Many things are free including skins, shapes, clothes, and houses. You can also buy items as well through the Kitely market.
There are downsides. One is that all these grids are not directly connected to one another. SL is one huge grid owned by a big company. Opensim is a bunch of people-owned grids and you have to work a bit harder at getting around compared to SL. It's easily done once you know how. Probably the most complained about issue is that while the benefits are super, there are less people overall. And, it is not quite as advanced as SL in many things. However, more advanced in certain things. All in all, you will find people friendly and willing to help you get started.
There are always deals going for land in Opensim. Here is where you can find out the latest:
https://opensimworld.com/land
If you are totally new to Opensim you might want to hook up with some of the bigger grids as they have more people around that can be of help.