Monolithic Dome Home 600 sq ft 1.5 acre of land, East Texas

Howdy,

My dad and I built this place in 2004 by hand. I moved to Appalachia some ten years ago and owner financed it to someone who was more or less of the permie persuasion- but her personal life didn't go well and through circumstance the place is back in my care (and now needs A LOT of care). Looking to get it into the right hands, this time for good.

In its prime there were:
300 fruit trees: loquat, kumquat, satsuma, different mulberries, clementines, pumelos- citrus galore, along with pears, figs, elaeagnus, paw paws
Muscadine, schuppernong grapes
Multiple varieties of clumping bamboo
Taro, hyacinth, water culantro, groundnut, stachus aphynis, lotus
and so on

7 small ponds, one larger one about 1/4 acre with terraces and fruit trees, a 10x10 structure overlooking it
An earth bermed "food vault" 10x16 building with green roof, no windows for cool storage
Outdoor kitchen with large covered porch
600 sq ft concrete monolithic dome home with loft, bathroom underneath, bermed so not visible from above or the street, with woodstove, large sliding glass door front, overhanging concrete lip with two little pools- cave style.
6,000 gallon tank, grundfos solar pump, well at the top of the hill (all systems gravity), as well as city water and power available
Front fenced with tall chain link, but totally invisible due to elaeagnus and grape. Really cool slice of secret paradise.

Between the neglect of the former occupant and the freeze a couple years ago, I would say 1/3 of the plants remain. The outdoor kitchen scarcely remains, the bathroom in the dome seems to have stopped functioning, the bamboo has died and been left as the worst kind of trellis for the grapes, the ponds save for the big one are undetectable, and there is, tragically, a few years' of household trash accumulating.

The property is in a developing neighborhood, still has no restrictions, but is part of a growing area. Lake Conroe is less than 5 miles away, along with the national forest. Houston is an hour away.

My hope is to find someone who has the means to return this little sanctuary to its intended state of sufficiency, haven, biodiversity, and home.
I am open to financing to someone again (as I prefer someone who can be at home there and really tend the land and realize that having time and having much money don't always go together), but of course would be relieved to have a cash offer so that I can work more deeply on my own projects in Eastern Tennessee.

I am also open to advice for how to proceed here, as I feel stretched thin for working on it much myself considering it is so far away, but also don't want to leave it empty for long.

Welcoming your questions and interest, requesting any helpful tips.
With Gratitude,
Tiffany

Hi Tiffany. Welcome to permies! Your property sounds like it has lots of potential and I'm sure you will have people who are interested.

One of the big things here on permies is that Paul and the team have set up what they call SKIP, or skills to inherit property. The idea is to have a whole bunch of tutorials to show people how to do all sorts of homesteading skills. Participants can then post photos showing that they have done each one as they work through.
This is to show that they are able to be good stewards to properties for people who have them and do not have any anyone to inherit them. They call the property owners "Otis".

Since you are willing to consider financing to get the right person for this place, you might want to take a look at the list of SKIP participants and see if there are any that look like they could be a good fit for you and your place.

Here is a link to the intro page that explains the program and it has steps you, as a possible Otis, can take from there. Hopefully, you will find a good match!
All about SKIP

Sorry to hear! Sounds like you had something really special going there. It reminds me of a ferrocement dome I saw on YouTube once. Guy was in Texas also. Maybe it was you?

What is the dome made out of? Are we talking ferrocement? Cob? Aircrete? If cob, is there an overhang on the roof that prevents rain from washing the cob away?

The 6000 gallon tank: I'm guessing this is the septic tank? Or a cistern?

Do you know why the bathroom isn't working? Did the pipes freeze/burst? Are they clogged?

What's a ballpark price you would want for it?

Tiffany Ashley wrote:Howdy,

My dad and I built this place in 2004 by hand. I moved to Appalachia some ten years ago and owner financed it to someone who was more or less of the permie persuasion- but her personal life didn't go well and through circumstance the place is back in my care (and now needs A LOT of care). Looking to get it into the right hands, this time for good.

In its prime there were:
300 fruit trees: loquat, kumquat, satsuma, different mulberries, clementines, pumelos- citrus galore, along with pears, figs, elaeagnus, paw paws
Muscadine, schuppernong grapes
Multiple varieties of clumping bamboo
Taro, hyacinth, water culantro, groundnut, stachus aphynis, lotus
and so on

7 small ponds, one larger one about 1/4 acre with terraces and fruit trees, a 10x10 structure overlooking it
An earth bermed "food vault" 10x16 building with green roof, no windows for cool storage
Outdoor kitchen with large covered porch
600 sq ft concrete monolithic dome home with loft, bathroom underneath, bermed so not visible from above or the street, with woodstove, large sliding glass door front, overhanging concrete lip with two little pools- cave style.
6,000 gallon tank, grundfos solar pump, well at the top of the hill (all systems gravity), as well as city water and power available
Front fenced with tall chain link, but totally invisible due to elaeagnus and grape. Really cool slice of secret paradise.

Between the neglect of the former occupant and the freeze a couple years ago, I would say 1/3 of the plants remain. The outdoor kitchen scarcely remains, the bathroom in the dome seems to have stopped functioning, the bamboo has died and been left as the worst kind of trellis for the grapes, the ponds save for the big one are undetectable, and there is, tragically, a few years' of household trash accumulating.

The property is in a developing neighborhood, still has no restrictions, but is part of a growing area. Lake Conroe is less than 5 miles away, along with the national forest. Houston is an hour away.

My hope is to find someone who has the means to return this little sanctuary to its intended state of sufficiency, haven, biodiversity, and home.
I am open to financing to someone again (as I prefer someone who can be at home there and really tend the land and realize that having time and having much money don't always go together), but of course would be relieved to have a cash offer so that I can work more deeply on my own projects in Eastern Tennessee.

I am also open to advice for how to proceed here, as I feel stretched thin for working on it much myself considering it is so far away, but also don't want to leave it empty for long.

Welcoming your questions and interest, requesting any helpful tips.
With Gratitude,
Tiffany

Do you have any pictures by chance? If not, maybe this fall or so I can make it down there and check it out if it's still for sale.