Mini Homes and Cheap California
Acreage.
Recently I have
been spending quite a bit of time checking out cheap acreage in other parts of
the United States. As well I have also
been checking out mini homes with square footages as small as 100 sq. ft.
complete with a working bath and a loft bed. These seem to be the trend as
people want to be able to move right in on a location and be able to set up
shop, so to speak. These places are
ideal for a second get away and in some cases people are actually living in
these on a full time basis.
A tiny house being one that has less than
say 500 sq. ft. has an advantage over a much larger house in the fact that if
designed properly is more efficient and has less impact on our natural
resources, is easier to pay for, and has less time of construction, and offers
the flexibility of allowing you to pick up and move elsewhere. I doubt if one
would want to raise a family in one but for the empty nesters it may be a
solution to their housing problems as the old family house has now become too
large to manage since the kids flew the coop.
Coupled with a
parcel of cheap land, one could easily see that this may be an option for
someone my age to have a piece of the American dream of owning your own slice
of heaven. I have found quite a few sites
that offer cheap parcels of land with as much as 10 acres for less than 15000. I
have found forested parcels in Oregon for less than 10000 for 3 acres. Also I have
found desert land in Nevada in parcels of 10 acres or more for less than 10000.
Of course with desert land water is always a problem, but mowing the grass isn’t
, as there is none. But solar and living off the grid is definitely an option
in these areas. Caution must always be exercised when buying land in an area
you are not familiar with as local zoning laws sometimes prohibit or require
you to have a minimum size house, before issuing you a permit. Always check
local zoning laws to make sure your needs for housing are met appropriately.
Besides just
searching through your browser, you should also check through craigslist or a
similar free ad agency that offers real estate for sale. This will give you an
idea of how much property is worth in the area you are trying to purchase land from.
Real estate companies may or may not also be a source of information. Some are
just trying to sell and some have good intentions of trying to sell you what you
need. Look at the disclosures they are listing as a source of information as to
the possible pitfalls of doing what you want in that area. It is also important
to look at the value of the land being improved versus unimproved as a
reference to how important your investment in that land should be. Also before I
would invest in any land I can’t see I would have to plan a visit and take a
good look at what I am buying as well as the surrounding area. Consider it part
of the cost of buying the parcel whether you buy or not. Also check out the realtor
or the individual selling the property to assure right to sell the land
described.
The ideal
scenario I am looking for is a piece of property with a small building a pre-approved
septic and possibly a well with good water. I would accept less if the land was
the right price and the location was one I wanted to be in. Some place I could move a tiny house I would
build here and transport to the site and set up in a matter of hours. Something
I could tow across the country if necessary and pull it right onto the place I intend
to build at and be able to live out of this tiny house until I have better accommodations
I could afford. Also this tiny house would serve as a means to take all I wanted
to go with me when I left. Meaning it would also be used to convey those things
I hold dearly, as I make my way across the country to my new destination
wherever it may be.
When considering something like this, the
most important thing to do is research everything. Including you. Knowing how
little space you really need is going to be the deal breaker here as well as how
much you can afford. It doesn’t have to be expensive and if well planned could
easily last you the rest of your life, allowing you the flexibility of living
without a high mortgage or paying exorbitant renting and heating costs. This would
allow you the opportunity to enjoy your retirement in the way you should, free
from worry of debt.
I will provide
you with a couple of links and hopefully you will take a few minutes to check
them out and think a little outside the box. If you like the rain and the cold
this may still be an option in our area. Lately with the oil field I have seen
a trend to living in fifth wheel campers in RV parks and also I have seen
people moving campers in on property that wasn’t an official campsite before. I
have to question where all this waste goes, but apparently they must be allowed
to do it in this area, so living in one of these tiny houses in this area is
not out of the question I would assume. Assume being the key words here as you
should check with local authorities before doing anything like moving a camper
in on a piece of property and just setting up. The expense of removing it will
be all yours as well as any clean up that can be expected from such an
adventure. The property is yours to do with only as long as you pay taxes and
obey rules, no matter where you live here in the land of the free and the
brave.
As much as I like
the people in this area and family, at some point I need to move on as I have
very little to hold me here after some future life events happen. I desire to
be free of the farm and of the responsibility of perpetuating it on. I have no
kids and currently have no one in my life but my dog babe. I know as long as I live
here on the farm, there is always work to do and things that need to be done. I
would rather choose how to live my life than let my life chose for me. Thus is
the desire to move on. How it will all work out is still up in the air. But it is
a challenge I am looking forward to.
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