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Established perma-homestead for sale in Virginia

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 3 months ago

98 remote acres of cert organic and cert Biodynamic off-grid homestead in VA
*Main House
1800s reclaimed log home with 2 original stone fireplaces, moved from WV and rebuilt in 2001
An addition through a screened dog trot built in 2010. Total 4 bed and 3.5 baths
* 2, 2 bedroom grey water cottages, furnished
* 2 barn’s; one with 4 stalls & a processing room + workshop
*Large shop ( currently blacksmith shop/forge)
*2, 14’-72’ hoop houses
* 1 screened pavilion
* Hundreds of mature fruit trees & berry bushes
* 2 large stocked ponds
* 5 Frog/pocket ponds
* .5 miles on small forest river
* Boulder laiden creek bisects property
* 12 month spring
*3 deep drilled wells
*2, 1800+ potable water holding tanks
* Forest filled with wild edibles, medicinals, herbs and mushrooms
* Young pasture, berms with swales & fruit trees
* multiple acres formally terraced with swales and fruit trees
$949,000

Please send pm for additional information. Educated realtors are welcome to inquire also.

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Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

I like...

posted 3 months ago

Bump

Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Judith Browning

Posts: 6576

Location: Arkansas Ozarks zone 7 alluvial,black,deep loam/clay with few rocks, wonderful creek bottom!

680

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posted 3 months ago

Marianne, your place is so beautiful and amazingly productive!

Are you keeping a part of it to live on or near by?

"We're all just walking each other home." -Ram Dass
"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder."-Rumi
“When it is understood that one loses joy and happiness in the attempt to possess them, the essence of natural farming will be realized. The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.”
― Masanobu Fukuoka, The One-Straw Revolution

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 3 months ago

Judith!! I hope you are well. We are not keeping part; it all works too well together. Its time for us to downsize and we will move to a 10-20 acre spot. We are now in our 60s and want to slow down a bit.
Thanks for asking. Yes, it is a really a magical place that has supported people for millennium according to all of the native artifacts we find. It has supported many for the 20 years we've been here but it is time to pass it along to other like minded folks.

Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Dave Burton

gardener

Posts: 1458

Location: Greater Houston, TX US Hardy:9a Annual Precipitation: 44.78" Wind:13.23mph Temperature:42.5-95F

283

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posted 2 months ago

I do wonder if maybe a cooperative of sorts, landtrust, ecovillage, or some sort of many people working together and sharing the finances would be interested in purchasing your property. Because the amount of land and price is most definitely going to hard for just one person to handle.

Edit: Expanding on this idea, maybe there could be a scheme like 95 people contribute $10,00 each or 950 people donate $1,000 each or some other variation or some range of people/money/time ratios. I'm not entirely sure how this would work, but there is probably a way (or multiple ways) out there to make it easier for this property to move into hands that can be trusted to keep it running and make it an even better place more awesome place as they become the new stewards/owners.

"Alea iacta est!" ~Julius Caesar / Welcome to Permies! / Need Help? / Opportunities and Travel Ideas

Tj Jefferson

pollinator

Posts: 539

Location: Virginia USDA 7a/b

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posted 2 months ago

Marianne,

Have you considered alternate financing on this? Something like a private mortgage? The reason I am saying that is that we were shopping for a place a few years ago, but the mortgage we could get was largely on the house with a couple thousand per acre, especially outside a metro area. So we ended up with a larger house than we wanted because we kind of got the property for a modest amount. Your property would be largely valued for mortgage purposes on the house and acreage.

Some alternate scheme might be more likely to bring in the type of person you clearly have built this place to support. If you have considered it you might add that into your post. Lovely place!

Standing on the shoulders of giants. Giants with dirt under their nails

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

Thank you both for your input. Yes, multiple people, a group makes a lot of sense. There is plenty of room and 8 proper bedrooms between the cottages and the main house. There is also a very large room in the upper barn that could totally be a bunk room. We have had as many as 7 long term wwoofers/interns here at 1 time and plenty of private space for all of us.
We could do a private mortgage for a portion, but unfortunately not more than 25% of it. I am too old to live in my truck at this point. Lol
We did meet with a good local guy that proposed a much higher list price and proudly mentioned marketing it as a high end hunt camp. Obviously, the conversation ended. I am adamant that smart earth friendly people continue the work and love of this place.
Thank you so much for your thoughts and good ideas. Please keep them coming.
M

Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

I like...

posted 2 months ago

Bump

Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Dale Hodgins

gardener

Posts: 7564

Location: Victoria British Columbia-Canada

483

posted 2 months ago

It's nice to see a real estate ad that doesn't hide from the price. It's right there for everybody to see, so that people who can afford it and keep looking and those who could never afford it can move on. In most cases, they send us hunting for that simple information. Thank you.

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

I am right there with you Dale. Makes me crazy when marketers confuse a hook with a time waster! Thank you

Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Kevin Young

Posts: 49

Location: Del Rio, TX

posted 2 months ago

Dave Burton wrote:Expanding on this idea, maybe there could be a scheme like 95 people contribute $10,00 each or 950 people donate $1,000 each or some other variation or some range of people/money/time ratios.

I think this is a great idea. It then becomes a question of organizing the right group and determining how they will function. Some people may be able to contribute more financially while others may be able to go live there and donate work. There are all kinds of challenges to making this kind of idea work, but I would be interested in joining with a group of 50-100 people. Or, it could simply be divided into 1,000 shares and people are allowed to buy as many shares as they want (perhaps up to a certain limit per person), with number of shares held being proportional to voting rights or % of profits (unless there is a better way to manage all that). Shares could be bought and sold or traded however people wish. I think it should be cash only, so the entire property is bought outright. Whether the buyers establish themselves as a corporation or a non-profit or some other sort of group would have to be worked out. How many people would be living there and under what agreements would have to be worked out, as well as how to generate and use income, etc . . . so many possibilities, and so many logistics!

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

You can easily do a LLC. This is a working farm so people need to be living here. It can comfortably sleep up to 16 (8 bedrooms) and both of the cottages are staying furnished. Wouldnt it be nice if there was a major silent partner and the rest of the investors worked the farm to make a living? So many possibilities! It can also bring in money from workshops which it has done for years.

Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

This is a pic of the inside of what I call the Upper Cottage. This is a pretty place not to mention truly magical.

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Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

Here is a picture from a few years ago of the last major earthworks. The greener area is formally terraced with 1' deep swales, bermed and fruit trees planted on the berms. To help with perspective, the terraces are 18' apart and the level cart path and swale is 14' wide. The larger pond is stocked to provide fish emulsion when pumped into the swales.
The newer area is gently swaled and bermed for silvo pasture and is now also planted with fruit trees and mulberries. There is a 5 stall barn adjacent to the pasture area.

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Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

Upper cottage and barn. these structures and planting are not shown in the dated google earth picture.

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Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Sarah Koster

Posts: 137

Location: SW Ohio

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posted 2 months ago

Wow, it's gorgeous. Times like these when being a millionaire would come in handy.

You can see with only one eye open, but you'll probably run into things and stub your toe. The big picture matters.

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

Thanks for all of your direction and input! I just took the plunge and listed this on Zillow. If anyone know someone of like mind, or a group that may be interested, please pass this along.
M
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/919-Gilbert-Ln-Victoria-VA-23974/235981808_zpid/?fullpage=true&view=public

Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Angel Beallamissio

Posts: 2

posted 2 months ago

Hello Marianne,

I am a gardener, love permaculture and have did many of the homesteading type things for many years. I have been a long time lurker and now due to your post finally signed up.

I am interested in perhaps purchasing your property and was wondering if you could tell me why you are moving on from it? Also could you give me some information on the ponds, and why they don't appear clear, it could just be something I am not understanding from your property perhaps? It is truly beautiful and magical. I appreciate all your skills, talent and all you have done to it over the years.

I have looked at the pics here, any information I could find elsewhere, your site, now zillow and google earth. I could not find one though of the property lines in relation to the neighbors property from google earth, do you happen to have one?

Thank you all for the wonderful site.

Angel

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

Hi Angel
First and foremost, welcome and thank you!
I sent a pm to you. Below is the property plat. Explaination is via message.
Thank you again
Marianne

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Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

I finally pulled up google earth and in fact that shot is a couple years old. The upper area, shown in google earth, was new earthworks & where the "upper barn and cottage" are now. The ponds up there were recent, in that picture, hence the color. I have a woman coming in a couple weeks to do a drone video and shots to show current pics. I will post asap.

Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Angel Beallamissio

Posts: 2

posted 2 months ago

Marianne,

Thank you so much for your information, help, getting back right away and message. Please forgive my delay, as things came up for family to deal with. The property is wonderful and will perhaps fit our needs. It is indeed beautiful and magical.

I am working details and will be in touch.

Angel

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

Thank you so much Angel. Lord knows I understand family things. We will be tied up for the next week-ish. After.that, I would love for you to come down, hang out and walk about with me. Would love to know you regardless.
M

Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

Bump

Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Nicole Alderman

master steward

Posts: 6281

Location: Pacific Northwest

1887

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posted 2 months ago

Wow, Marianne, your place is gorgeous! It reminds me of King Solomon's gardens, "I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. "

It has got to be so hard to think about selling it, and wondering what will become of it. I think about my grandparents' home, and how they have put 63 years of work into it, with all their perennials and their lovingly tended garden and their home full of memories...and wonder what will become of it when it eventually goes up for sale.

It's just so hard. I hope you find the perfect buyer for your lovely land. ♥

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Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

Thanks so much. Your comments are beyond gracious. I know the place will find the right people to carry on. I hope to have some drone footage within a week.
Will certainly keep everyone updated and certainly appreciate all of the help in finding the right match

Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

I finally have some drone pics!! We had 10" of rain from Michael so the river is muddied. Makes it easy to see if nothing else.

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Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 2 months ago

Some further out

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Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

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posted 1 month ago

It is listed. I know this place will find the right folks. I would so appreciate my fellow permies sharing it to those that would continue this dream. Thanks!!!

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/919-Gilbert-Ln-Victoria-VA-23974/235981808_zpid/?view=public

Marianne

check us out @ www.cricketscove.net

Marianne Cicala

gardener

Posts: 723

Location: south central VA 7B

I like...