Cris
Finding Affordable Homestead Land
Have you been dreaming of moving out of the city for a while? Do you want a simpler life out in the country? Have you looked into finding affordable homestead land? I know we sure did, for many years, and it just seemed impossible. Being a single income family, every bit of land that would allow a commute to work was just completely out of our price range.
There are tons of resources available to find affordable land online. The problem was that none of them were close to where we live now. Open to moving to a different state, we started researching to figure out what one would be the best state to start a homestead. We also considered how much land do you need for a homestead.
There are several companies out there that invest in, buy up and subdivide large plots of land. They do owner financing, so you don’t even need good credit to buy form them. The prices are quite attractive, but make sure you read the fine print. Many come with a list of rules that must be followed.
Affordable Land Problems
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. One company that advertises cheap land has several covenants listed as “investment protection” such as where you can place your house. They even tell you what type of house you allowed to build specific to what it can look like. I’m sorry, if I’m paying that kind of money, I don’t want those kinds of rules.
Other companies sell “recreational land” that you can use for weekend camping and hunting but can’t actually build on. Even after the property is paid off, there are still rules that you have to follow such as fencing requirements and livestock restrictions. Again, if I’m paying $40,000.00 or more for a piece of property, and I want a goat, I’m going to get one.
Popular real estate websites give you the opportunity to search the entire country looking for land. Use filters to state things like 10+ acres and max of $50,000, you will find some land out there. The issue is that sure its 15 acres for $35,000, but the land is literally a mountain, and you can’t farm a mountain side very easily. Other things to look out for is flood potential, tornado potential, wildfire potential, availability of water, possibility of year-round access, etc.
Don’t get taken advantage of. Do diligent research on any piece of land you might be interested in. Get a reliable realtor to take you to the property and show you around and answer your questions. There is of course, a list of what not to do when buying homestead land and jumping on a nice price is definitely on that list.
Good Land is Still Out There
Some states do still have good land available at a descent price. You may not be too picky about the restrictions that come with the land. If an adventure is what you are looking for, you might find just the right piece a little bit farther in the country than you were originally imagining.
Make a list of what you want and take your time searching. Ask the important questions to yourself to determine what is important in finding land and starting a homestead. What qualities in land can you be flexible on, and what can you not live without? If you need a paved driveway only 15 minutes from town, then you should be prepared to pay a bit more for it.
We do prefer to be about 45 minutes to an hour away from large cities. A small town within 20 minutes is great to have at least some access to amenities. It’s the isolation and privacy we are looking for, the relaxing piece of mind that you truly do live off the land.
How to Actually find Affordable Land to Homestead
Well, your internet search led you here, so I’m sure your tech savvy self can find the right websites to locate land. A few that I have searched over the years are Zillow, Land Watch, BillyLand, For Sale by Owner, and Ozark Land. There are other possibilities as well but beware of scams out there on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. They do have a lot of good viable listings, just check the sources really well before sending any money.
If you do come across one of those companies that subdivides land, read the restrictions and covenants thoroughly. Be absolutely sure you can build what you want, where you want. Make sure you can have what livestock you want or be able to live inside those restrictions. Also check local and state building codes when considering property, some things do require permits.
Be sure to check and double check historic weather patterns. You don’t want your newly planted field washed away by a hurricane after all. Figure out if there are municipal water, electric and sewer available even if you plan on going off grid. It’s nice to have a backup if you need one.
We were fortunate to have relatives on the other side of the country to help in selecting land. Now the groundwork is being laid to head back east to get away from our Urban Homestead and go live off our land for real.