A few sheep (or sometimes just planting pine trees) and an agricultural exemption would handle a lot of that.property taxes
A few sheep (or sometimes just planting pine trees) and an agricultural exemption would handle a lot of that.property taxes
my dad let cows graze on our land in virginia...made 10 acres 45 minutes outside DC cheap...A few sheep (or sometimes just planting pine trees) and an agricultural exemption would handle a lot of that.
I can figure out what the property taxes will be on my own. I was hoping to find someone on here (considering what an eclectic group we are) who has experience with this type of living and the difficulties or expenses that come along with it. Hence the thread title and discussion.Well, a large chunk of this thread turned into a debate over costs, and the cost of electricity is likely a fraction of what property taxes are on 15 acres, I'm assuming. That's why I bring it up. I find it very hard to believe he can't find a similar lot of land/house with electricity. Costs would be a wash, with the added benefit of not worrying about whether or not you have the power you need for day to day activities.
The priority is to maximize our quality of life while not going broke.I think the OP needs to list out his priorities in order and go from there. If you ask me if I want 15 acres of land and no electricity or 13 acres of land with electricity for the same price...well, the answer is pretty clear to me.
Hur ya go:And back to your other point....if "off the grid" is not connected to most utilities...am I "off the grid" because I have a well and septic system? Because when I pay $X,XXX a year in property taxes, I sure as hell feel "on the grid".
Someone gets the point!Whatever, call it what you want. Some people would see it as inconvenience and would rather live downtown in a tiny condo with a postage stamp yard. Others would see that as hell and would rather get a nice chunk of land with a lot of potential at a down point in the market. Pluses and minuses to either approach, just gotta figure out what works best for you for the near future.
Is that cow $hit or giant meth scabs littering the landscape?
Very possible.Based on all these pictures, I think we have very different ideas of "quality of life".
Ahh... Wilderness... Isolation....I love not seeing my neighbors, nature, peace and quiet, yada yada yada just as much as anyone else.
However, I also love porn.
FWIW, I have an extensive collection of Oui magazines, which if you flip the pages quickly, makes a crude but effective cartoon movie. However, it does take quite a bit of dexterity to make everything work in concert.I love not seeing my neighbors, nature, peace and quiet, yada yada yada just as much as anyone else.
However, I also love porn.
Out of curiosity - how much are they asking for the place in the first post?Very possible.
I used to spend my summers living in a tent in the Sierras for 3 months at a time so I could be a climbing guide. Those were some of the best days of my life.
The crappier house was definitely a no go on account of the flat, sh!tty land it is on and the work that we would need to do.
230k but its been on the market for ~1 yr so i think we can get it for lessOut of curiosity - how much are they asking for the place in the first post?
thx some interesting stuff on there. i have also been perusing a few forums about off the grid livingrockofullr....check this blog...off grid cabin in upper peninsula of michigan..
all things i am considering.I would be hesitant. One, it ties your ability to live comfortably to the price of fossil fuels. While this is try for everybody, it really makes you pay at the pump if you are running a generator to do laundry. Even if it is propane.
I also think that anybody who adds 30min to their commute by choice must suck at math. I figured out how much of an equivalent per hour raise I would get if I cut 1hr and 40mi off my commute a day. It's a lot.
There are a lot of things that you take for granted that require quantities of electricity that only comes from a grid or large generator. Laundry being one of them. Then there is the whole say good bye to broadband thing.