help--wood vs. propane

[Thoughthound]

Looking at land to buy and here's the situation . . .

(This assumes I'm comparing apples to apples when comparing parcels.)

40 acres with plenty of wood for fuel ($142k price) vs 12 acres with no woods ($70k). The 12 acres costs half what the 40 acres costs. But I really don't need 40 acres.

And on paper it seems as though the 12 acres and heating with propane will cost less in the long run, even if propane doubled in price tomorrow.

And living in Iowa, I could also heat with corn.

Is there something I have missed? Can anyone see why, if I don't need 40 acres, I should purchase the 40 acres with woods instead of 12 acres?

[brosil]

It's odd to me that the 12 costs less than the 40. Around here the 12 would probably cost more. You can always rent out the land you don't use ( at least around here). How farmable is it? Are you planning on raising cattle?
Personally, I'd go for the 40 if I could afford it. More options.

[seedspreader]

Originally Posted by Thoughthound

Looking at land to buy and here's the situation . . .

(This assumes I'm comparing apples to apples when comparing parcels.)

40 acres with plenty of wood for fuel ($142k price) vs 12 acres with no woods ($70k). The 12 acres costs half what the 40 acres costs. But I really don't need 40 acres.

And on paper it seems as though the 12 acres and heating with propane will cost less in the long run, even if propane doubled in price tomorrow.

And living in Iowa, I could also heat with corn.

Is there something I have missed? Can anyone see why, if I don't need 40 acres, I should purchase the 40 acres with woods instead of 12 acres?

Gee whiz, more land is always better in my opinion. If you have the money to buy the 40 who says that you won't want to harvest a little lumber later, take down a tree or two for a special building project, try your hand at sugaring, etc. It's not likely, but what happens if there is no propane available for a period of time? I just look at it as a self-sufficiency benefit.

You really have to ask yourself, what MIGHT you want to do in the future. If it's just a "country home", go for the 12 acres. If you are looking to build a homestead... More land is a good thing.

[michiganfarmer]

Originally Posted by ZealYouthGuy

Gee whiz, more land is always better in my opinion. If you have the money to buy the 40 who says that you won't want to harvest a little lumber later, take down a tree or two for a special building project, try your hand at sugaring, etc. It's not likely, but what happens if there is no propane available for a period of time? I just look at it as a self-sufficiency benefit.

You really have to ask yourself, what MIGHT you want to do in the future. If it's just a "country home", go for the 12 acres. If you are looking to build a homestead... More land is a good thing.

...and all that wood, heat for life. That is an awfull lot of money, but there is a lot 40 acres of hardwoods can offer a homesteader

[WisJim]

If you build a very well insulated home, with modest passive solar features and designed for your site, you should need very little outside fuel for heating, so the source of the fuel should be of minimal concern.

[stanb999]

Remember that land is like money in the bank and more is always better.

P.S. you could just subdivide if you don't like all the land in the future. Sounds like you could make four 10 acre lots and make money on it if you want.

[babysteps]

I'm with the others on this. The 40 for $142 is a good deal. Those 40 c. could really be a great homestead if you are a "do it yourself" kind of family. Gosh if I was building and had a good site I'd do like the others say and put all the solar stuff in it I could. Read up on passive solar and put solar heaters in and get you a wood stove maybe even a woodcook stove. Build yourself a big workshop when you get the chance and if you are staying for a long time you'll save yourself some money doing things your self and not only that you will build yourself a life you can take great pride in!

babysteps