Best areas to homestead

So I'm now unemployed without any savings, and there's not any good opportunities for me job-wise in the area I'm living now.  Rather than moving simply for a job that I don't really want long-term but could provide money to save to buy property, perhaps it would be wiser to move closer to where I'd like to live long-term, and then find some sort of employment there, even if it's not exactly the same as what I've traditionally done for work.

But that leads me to a conundrum - I'm really not sure where I want to end up long-term!  I'd like a place where I can one day own 10+ acres of land, build my own home using the resources available in the area, live off the grid and raise vegetables, fruits, animals, and a family.  Preferably with little regulation in terms of building requirements and homeschooling laws.  Preferably with low property taxes.  Preferably with some other folks around that are into the same sorts of lifestyle choices.

I'm sure there's not one right answer for everyone, but I wanted to ask folks to share which areas they felt were best and why.

Best wishes!

Back in the mid-90's I knew I needed to leave my job and decided to pick a place to homestead rather than a place with a good job.  Sound familiar?  I'm sure we're not the only ones to get that idea.

Anyhow, what I did was made a long list of things I wanted in my new home: no building codes, cheap land, low taxes, some winter but not a lot, enough rain that I could garden without irrigation.  It was a much longer list than that.  I then sorted the list from most importand to least and then picked out the things that were area specific and what what lot specific.  I.e. a wide area would fit my climate requirements, a smaller one the building codes and such, but I'd have to look site-by-site for things like solar access and no flooding.

Doing a good deal of web searching and talking to people quickly had me centering in on the Ozarks, with a preference for Missouri over Arkansas.  I bought 50 acres near Ava, Mo and have never regretted it.  I love this area and it had met most of my needs.  That isn't to say it doesn't have problems, but no place is perfect.

I know it is not for everyone, but check out Alaska.  As far as no building codes, building from natural resources, plentiful game and fish it is a good choice.  It has unique challenges.  Winter is one draw back.  Summer is amazing so much daylight lots of good growing weather.    Off the grid could be hard depending on what you would consider doing without.  There are still plenty of self reliant people.  The market up there is wide open for Alaska Grown produce, meat, and eggs.  Almost all of that comes from somewhere else and many people want a fresher source.  I know that's true in the lower 48, just not to the same extent.  It is very far away.  That is a big part of why I'm still not up there.  Most of my family is East Coast based.

What do you think the dangers of moving out of the states? Land around central america is still cheaper then North America for now. Say, saving enough money to buy the land, buy a small rv, or camper/mobile home, and enough resources/money if you will, to live for a year, six months at the least. Use the land, plant and get set up in the way of a more permanent shelter and self sufficient lifestyle. Hopefully start getting yield before your resources run out.
Granted, one would have to research the hell out of the place they are thinking of moving. It is a chance shot growing on unfamiliar dirt and unfamiliar weather conditions. It could always be treated with a complete organic fertilizer.
Just wondering, pondering the thought. Any of your thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks

lukofthedraw wrote:
What do you think the dangers of moving out of the states?

I moved from Las Vegas to Australia. Unfortunately, real estate is incredibly expensive here, and they have a housing bubble, even worse than the US, and it has not burst yet!

I'm patiently waiting for prices to come down.

New Zealand is a better option: good soils, good rainfall, and according to scientists, it will not dry up with global warming the way the south western US is (Lake Mead is in real trouble, for instance).

Stromatolite wrote:
New Zealand is a better option: good soils, good rainfall, and according to scientists, it will not dry up with global warming the way the south western US is (Lake Mead is in real trouble, for instance).

NZ would be good, but you have all those hobbits getting underfoot.

I understand you can get a deal on land in the Mordor region.  The volcanic eruption put down a lot of fertile soil and really brought down the orc population.  And I'd stay away from the topic of rocket mass heaters with the ents; they seem to be touchy on the subject.

Actually I know of one permaculturalist who moved from the US to New Zealand. I emailed him a few times.

His name is Steve Solomon and he has written an excellent book (which I own) called
Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times

I have his email address if anyone wants it

I am currently reading Gardening when it counts. It has a lot of great ideas and good information in it. I thought I read the guy was from Tazmania though? No matter, I am thinking Belize. A melting pot of cultures, good cheap tropical land, lots of freedoms, and gardening all year round!

The Missouri Ozarks is the place to be! Land is cheap and abundant. There are lots of like-minded folks who are truly decent people willing to help friends anytime they can. There are only a few counties with building restrictions, and several with none at all! If you're interested, I can give you some info to start your search in the area.

-Mike Snyder

vibrantenergies wrote:
The Missouri Ozarks is the place to be! Land is cheap and abundant. There are lots of like-minded folks who are truly decent people willing to help friends anytime they can. There are only a few counties with building restrictions, and several with none at all! If you're interested, I can give you some info to start your search in the area.

-Mike Snyder

You're right, my bad, he is in Tasmania. Too cold for me!

Blimmin hobbits!
Don't come here for a bargain: land prices in NZ are insane.
Joel Salatin did a workshop here a while ago and told us about farmers in his area literally giving their land away.
That would NEVER happen here! We're a little place with a big (dirty and inefficient) agricultural sector and arable land is in short supply.
Swoope, Virginia sounds nice...

I would like to see some info on Ozarks land or where to get started searching.  I have tried a few search engines for real estate and they have left me not too thrilled.  So any insight on Ozark property would be awesome.

Longsnowsm

I don't want this to sound like spam, but I happen to run the Ozark-Homestead list on yahoo.  We've been talking a lot about permaculture the last few days too.  The list is a good place to ask about particular parts of the Ozarks, and to start getting to know people from the area.  If anybody has any specific questions, I'll try to answere them.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ozark-homestead

I bought my land at ozarkland.com

It's beautiful as is most of the land they offer. It's perfect for people who would rather use their savings for a well, a driveway, a house, and other improvements to the place. Also, most of the counties in the Ozarks have no building codes, so the sky's the limit!

Let me know if you have any other questions.

-Mike

morealestate.net

That is where we found our land.

Have you ever thought about Florida? I garden all year long. It takes a while to get used to it. But in the northern area there seems to be a nice amount of land at 3,000 an acre and up. The heat can get bad. But if you want to go solar we are the sunshine state. It is easy to drill wells and rain catchment is a good idea. You do have to ammend the soil. Lots of good stuff with Florida! I was hoping to move to the mountians in North Georgia but it is too far from family and I am comfortable with the planting seasons here.

Speaking for my own preference I think I would like to focus on the USDA Hardiness Zones 6 and 7.  Going too far south and the heat during the summer is challenging.  So I am focusing on trying to split the difference between too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter, and trying to get the best growing environment possible in a possible homestead location.  So the Ozarks actually is quite interesting.  It makes it tough when you are not close so that you can go look to see what is there.  Nobody hardly ever mentions of there is a good southern exposure, or just how sloped the land is etc.  So this is tough to do without taking a road trip.

Longsnowsm

ecopepper wrote:
Have you ever thought about Florida? I garden all year long. It takes a while to get used to it. But in the northern area there seems to be a nice amount of land at 3,000 an acre and up. The heat can get bad. But if you want to go solar we are the sunshine state. It is easy to drill wells and rain catchment is a good idea. You do have to ammend the soil. Lots of good stuff with Florida! I was hoping to move to the mountians in North Georgia but it is too far from family and I am comfortable with the planting seasons here.

I have been looking at north Florida for a few years, there or southern Alabama. What can you tell me about the codes and other challenges? I currently live in a corner of the Ozarks and it is ideal except for the cold winters. It was 2 degrees last night!

I like looking for land at Landwatch.

http://www.landwatch.com/

I know the closer to a city you have major code issues in Florida. I would definately look into the areas and the codes. Swannee river area is beautiful and unicorp. for the most part. There is a folk music festival there twice a year.

This seems to be a very old stream of discussion, but I'm wondering if there is any follow-up available, such as:

Have any of you decided to build using any of these techniques?  

Do you have any lessons learned?  

Do you have any recommendations on which counties in the northern half of GA are most willing to approve alternative building options with the least amount of trouble?

paul homestead wrote:I don't want this to sound like spam, but I happen to run the Ozark-Homestead list on yahoo.  We've been talking a lot about permaculture the last few days too.   The list is a good place to ask about particular parts of the Ozarks, and to start getting to know people from the area.   If anybody has any specific questions, I'll try to answere them.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ozark-homestead

You know I hit that link above and it is not there anymore, So Paul, do you still have it $100 for a acre? and is it in forested lands still? And is there plenty of Rain and water there? Do you have anything against people with high religious beliefs and morals living there? Reason I was asking is I have a ton of ideas and I want to try as many as you will let me? I like Geodesic Dome Homes and Green houses. I like Earth Bag homes and I like cord wood homes and I Love underground homes. I like Earthship style homes also. I have researched many and Well I am somewhat disabled and honestly I do not know how long I have to live as I am soon turning 61. I figure if you still have that excavator on you property there I could use that and keep from having a heart attack. I have to have a mailing address where ever I go so do you have that there? IN the US Navy I was a aviation's electronics tech. and I worked 8 years as a furniture repair tech for Levitz Furniture. My grandad and dad where both mechanics so I had to learn that also. I have owned my own businesses in House Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning and a Janitorial Business in the past. I can do just about whatever I set my mind too. I even made my wife's and my weeding rings with the lost wax process. My disability is my only draw back but I figure start small and work up on the home front and mainly grow organically. I have ideas on Vertical Wind Generator that is state of the art ideas. Do you get good winds there. I also know some on other things. IN school I was first in county and second in state of Texas in a Scholastic Art Contest. To me is was more like doodling but my teacher made me finish my doodle and it won those awards. I also play the guitar somewhat. I don't have much of a good ear for music but I am good with musical patterns to make it sound like I do. I mostly play for myself. I need to know exactly where your place is so I can see if there is a store and post office near by and etc.? I know about the Humanure Toilet system and I know about Hempcrete. Are you allowed to grow Industrial Hemp on that land or in that state for that matter? I needed it to experiment with making Hemp Plastics also as well as Hempcrete for building with. I need the fiber and the hurd of the plant for those things. I need the seeds for protein and I need the seeds for essential oils such as Omega 3 & 6 which Hemp seeds provide in abundance.  I do not get high or do drugs. I do have MS which I think if I can grow organic foods and such, that may take it away from me. I usually keep pretty much to myself but I like to have company ever so often. Am I suitable to live on your property for that $100 a acre thing? Is it going to be an issue if I use some of the trees there to build my underground home with? I saw a bunch of trees. And do you have a acre with a north facing slope or south facing slope and water to the property? Water is my largest concern of all the necessities I need. I also need wind and naturally sunshine to take care of my electrical power needs for the underground home. I will be growing on the roof of my house also. I studied all kinds of techniques of alternative construction but I never got the land to do them on. So if I pay $500 can I get 5 acres and will it be mine or still yours. What also really kind of has me worried is you said to one person on one of the forums that if he wants to leave he can and if he wants to stay he can. Can we leave and come back like for shopping for things we need at the stores or are we suppose to stay there permanently and once we leave the property we lose the acre or how does this work? Oh you told him you also can ask him to leave if you want. That is what had me the most worried about doing this there? I don't want to settle in then after I built the place up all nice and cozy to live in be told I have to leave? Is that land going to be in my name or yours is what is kind of bothering me. I mean I want to do this but I don't want it taken away from me if I build it and I don't mind helping others to build theirs also but, I have one priority that comes first in my life and that is my service to my God and his Son. I need to know where it is at, first and foremost so that I can make my religious meetings. I need to see if they are local to you or do I have to drive 30 miles 5 days a week to do that or not? So I need a legit address to type in to see the closest place to meet with my spiritual brothers and sisters there?