The first land I bought in SL was  a parcel on a rather hilly area. I became friendly with the neighbor next door, who had much more experience than I  did. I had a store and two homes on the land, one for me and one for my daughter. (I expanded my land holdings adjacent).   I think I put more holes in this land than Doan's has little liver pills. My neighbor was nice enough to keep smoothing out the transition between his land and mine.  

Some time after, I discovered the select land feature in the terraforming section of the viewer.  Things got better but that first hilly parcel was a nightmare.