Four Acres and a Dream

 

Our Homestead Journey 

False Start

Thirteen years ago my family and I left the big city in search of a less hectic lifestyle. We wanted more space, more privacy and independence. A few years earlier we purchased an acre of land down south. I won’t go into details but I will say a lack of knowledge and experience prevented us from building and moving on to that property. 

Fast forward to early 2023 our initial instincts of moving on to our own land turned out to be correct. The government decided to build a six lane overpass right over our quiet little community. Those who were not forced to move decided it was time to go anyway. With construction literally outside our front door we knew what we had to do. 

This time we were prepared. Our original dream was not big enough. We needed more than the one acre we had purchased all those years ago. 

If you or someone you know is planning on buying or building a homestead here are a few basic things that I want to pass on.  Before moving down south I was a real estate agent. I knew about mineral rights and easements. You may own your land but do you have access to it? Do you own what’s under the ground? We checked the zoning laws to see if there were any building restrictions or what livestock we could bring on the property. Are you limited as to how many structures you can build. Living next to a lake or stream sounds great but living in a flood zone could be a nightmare not to mention the flood insurance you are required to pay each year.  Do you have cell service? Do your homework. Don’t be afraid to ask your real estate agent questions, that is what they get paid for. 

One of the biggest advantages we had was vision. People have a tendency to look for the perfect piece of land. The property we brought had been on the market for 9 months. It was right after covid when the market was red hot.  The seller who is now also one of our new neighbors had just reduced the price. My wife and I immediately saw value in what some would see as a disadvantage. The land would need to be cleared. Dozens of trees would need to be cut down. Great!  Having a fireplace and a firepit were on our must have list so four and a half acres of firewood was a bonus. 

I think the biggest set back for potential buyers was that half of the property was on the lower level with on easy access. 

Roughly two months after we brought the property we had a road put in that connected the top and bottom half of the property. 

There was also debris like car and truck tires and old scrap metal which we turned into a positive by hauling it off to the junkyard for cash. After doing a little research I found a place that took old tires on the first Friday of each month. 

Future Post

Cell service

Trash removal

Live stock

Gardens

Predators