Is there any good land priced low enough?

urbanfarmer · #1 07/04/06, 03:12 PM

If so, where is it? I've been looking in Northern Alabama, East Texas, and
part of Arkansas.

Good land has gone UP. If it's on a road and has water with decent soil, it is already $5000 an acre, and land at that price is often already marked sold.

Poor land, poor access, no water, rocky crap, land with problems is the only land that is affordable.

And, where ever I finally move toi, the property taxes must be low there.

Any others looking for land, but disgusted because it is too expensive or you can't find what is in your dreams?

I don't care if there is employment nearby, I can make it on my own. So remote is good for some of us. But if someone has a job, they can pay higher prices for their land too.

Is it too late, should we, the living poor, give up and quit?
If you say it's not too late, where should we be looking?

Freeholder · #2 07/04/06, 03:45 PM

My advise is to be patient and wait another year or two -- I think the real estate boom is over, it's just starting to pop in some areas, and other areas are still selling like hot-cakes, but not for much longer. If you have the money set aside, in another year or two you should start seeing prices come down.

Kathleen

pcdreams · #3 07/04/06, 03:52 PM

missouri has reasonable land. We just picked up some nice land (21 acres that use to be a farm) for about 1800 acre.. About 20 miles to smaller towns and about 60 to Springfield.

So its around.. Difficult to find but isn't anything worth having?

Deb862 · #4 07/04/06, 04:06 PM

As I said in another post, I can really understand where you are coming from. We have been looking at properties and I personally cannot believe what they are asking for these crappy places. As you said, we've seen it all recently in our search: Land on wrong side of mountain with absolutely no southern exposure, severe water problems, land disputes, serious drainage issues, properties that were created in shapes that make you say, "what the heck were they thinking?" Here in NY, there are a ton of properties that have quite a few acres that were subdivided to be only 150-200' wide! An example would be the 15 acres that was something like 200 x 3000 (not exact but you get the point). If I'm buying 15 acres, I'd like a little more privacy than that, especially paying these prices.

Then there are the houses! This we are a little more flexible on cause most times you can change a house; you really can't change land. Even so, I have been appalled at the condition some of these people put their homes on the market in! I would be embarrassed to put my home up for sale and have lots of people come walking through with my house looking trashy, smelling of animal urine, etc. And can you believe, all of the properties I am speaking about have been priced between $150-$210K!!!

Very frustrating and depressing.

The Paw · #5 07/04/06, 04:26 PM

This last year I bought 155 acres for $50,000. It is 85 cultivated acres, 70 acres pasture and bush with a pond and small creek. It is within an hour of a major city, and there is paved road right up to it. There is no house or building on the property yet, but some fencing.

Okay, there is a catch. It's in Canada (specifically Manitoba)

Half the year it is under snow, and the mosquitoes are not to be believed. If you can deal with those three drawbacks, it's all good....

Jerngen · #6 07/04/06, 04:30 PM

Good land commands a premium price no matter where you go. For those of us who are poorer, you just have to figure out what you have to work with and what your absolute priorities are (a list of 2 or 3 things, not 5 or more). Then you need to make the land work for you!

SteveD(TX) · #7 07/04/06, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueJuniperFarm

My advise is to be patient and wait another year or two -- I think the real estate boom is over, it's just starting to pop in some areas, and other areas are still selling like hot-cakes, but not for much longer. If you have the money set aside, in another year or two you should start seeing prices come down.

Kathleen

My advice would be to do the opposite. For the most part, rural land has not experienced the "bubble" that many urban markets have. I watch r.e. prices and trends for a living. Next year, and the year after, and the year after - the rural land you looked at this year will probably cost you more. The longer you wait, the more you will pay. Count on it.

**Terri** · #8 07/04/06, 05:32 PM

Yes, finding affordable property was one of the major stumbling blocks. I found it VERY helpfull to narrow the search by going on-line. Realty companies do not sell property for less than what they think they can get for it, so if you see something affordable on-line it would be good to check out the area.

I like www.unitedcountry.com

Here is an interesting property: http://www.unitedcountry.com/ucforms/uconline/uconline/searchNS/Search_View_Selected_Property.asp?SID=30014352&Lcn t=&Action=Edit&Item=563147&Page=1&Office='42055'

Also, HUD can make the down payment VERY small, though they only loan on houses not land. We were lucky enough to find a house with an acre of land. HUD said that since the house alone was worth the asking price that we could get a loan through them.

Yes, the least expensive properties DO have something wrong with them, but it might be something you can manage. The house that we bought was too far out of town for most people so that was what decreased the price. Of COURSE that made me very happy!

mrglock27 · #9 07/04/06, 06:11 PM

Okanogan county, Washington $1000 to $1500 an acre for 20 acre lots. Nice land lots of trees. My friend has 2 20 acre lots both heavily forested, 1 has a little creak, tons and tons of deer a few moose, I saw a herd of about 20 elk there one time. He's at about 4,000 ft. it's snow from nov. to april. His neighbor hit water at 300 ft. with his well. It's about 5 miles south of the canadian border. Right by Molson, WA.

donsgal · #10 07/04/06, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueJuniperFarm

My advise is to be patient and wait another year or two -- I think the real estate boom is over, it's just starting to pop in some areas, and other areas are still selling like hot-cakes, but not for much longer. If you have the money set aside, in another year or two you should start seeing prices come down.

Kathleen

While it might be true that the real estate boom is coming to an end (I think so -I HOPE so), you will find that it has very little bearing on the price of raw land.

Land, traditionally, maintains its value in any real estate market. Whereas the houses that are now selling for $250,000 might sell for considerably lower, chances are that the land selling for $3,000 - $5,000 per acre will not be significantly impacted by an "adjustment" to the real estate market. Now, that having been said, the land that is selling for $10,000 - $20,000 per acre might start selling 10 percent lower, but that is still VERY EXPENSIVE in my opinion.

I don't know that waiting is a good thing. Personally, when it comes to afforadable raw land, I think it is only going to continue to increase in price, regardless of what the housing market does.

donsgal

donsgal · #11 07/04/06, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pcdreams

missouri has reasonable land. We just picked up some nice land (21 acres that use to be a farm) for about 1800 acre.. About 20 miles to smaller towns and about 60 to Springfield.

So its around.. Difficult to find but isn't anything worth having?

Yes, Texas county around Licking and Houston; Wright county around Ava and Marshfield, and whatever county Bonne Terre is in

. The thing to do is contact local (non-franchise) realtors that specialize in homesteading type properties. If using a realtor DEMAND to see ALL listings from $0 up to your maximum dollar amount. Don't give the person a range like $20,000 - $30,000 because you will miss the real bargains and people who are just looking to get out. Always offer them SIGNIFICANTLY less than what they are asking (people are shooting for the moon these days!).

I'm told that Arkansas has some reasonable land too. Of course, it depends on what you consider "good land". If you are looking for 40 acres of pure, flat, cropland, you won't find it in Arkansas (at least not Northern Arkansas).

Donsgal

donsgal · #12 07/04/06, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Paw

This last year I bought 155 acres for $50,000. It is 85 cultivated acres, 70 acres pasture and bush with a pond and small creek. It is within an hour of a major city, and there is paved road right up to it. There is no house or building on the property yet, but some fencing.

Okay, there is a catch. It's in Canada (specifically Manitoba)

Half the year it is under snow, and the mosquitoes are not to be believed. If you can deal with those three drawbacks, it's all good....

Mosquitoes? Hey, what about those black flies? I'd take mosquitoes over them any day. And hey, bears? what about the bears?

donsgal

Farmer Willy · #13 07/04/06, 07:39 PM

Sorry, no good land around here either. I'd try further west or north or up north east or someplace. When you find it maybe you can let the other folks looking know where it is so they can get them some also so they won't be wasting their time looking around here for it since there isn't any here. Honest.

LagoVistaFarm · #14 07/04/06, 07:48 PM

How much land? What is your idea of good?

Mountaineer · #15 07/04/06, 08:03 PM

Don't forget cheap land that includes a 1 hour commute to work each day is not really worth it, depending on your situation.
I set my commute goal at 45 MAX and ended up with a 25 minute commute.
I say this because chances are you're going to need a job to fund everything. Gas is expensive too and adds up fast.

urbanfarmer · #16 07/04/06, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LagoVistaFarm

How much land? What is your idea of good?

20 acres less than $2000 an acre, deep rich soil, few or no rocks, good water, on a county maintained road not requiring a 4 wheel drive to access.
What else, trees.

Property taxes should be reasonable.

I still need to save back enough money to build a shelter for animals and self.

It's a dilemma. Sigh...

paulaswolfpack · #17 07/04/06, 08:05 PM

Several lots for sale around here owner finaice, hes tired of taking care of rentals not that he ever did to much anyway,I think he only owns a total of about 100 acres, but slowly trying to sell off. my taxes last year on 10 acres was $5.00 I called the tax office they said not a mistake so who iam I to aurge.

urbanfarmer · #18 07/04/06, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Farmer Joe

Don't forget cheap land that includes a 1 hour commute to work each day is not really worth it, depending on your situation.
I set my commute goal at 45 MAX and ended up with a 25 minute commute.
I say this because chances are you're going to need a job to fund everything. Gas is expensive too and adds up fast.

I don't plan to work for an employer anymore. I do make some money online plus a pension. So I don't need to worry about commuting unless it is to
go to a doctor occasionally or something similar like that....

mtman · #19 07/04/06, 08:13 PM

our neighbor is selling 75 acres for 150k house barn and 2 ponds.
60 in pasture and 15 in woods

dezeeuwgoats · #20 07/04/06, 08:50 PM

I'm looking at a major relocation myself. I live in Queen Creek, Arizona - land has shot up from $25k an acre four years ago - to $300K+ an acre today. While we bought a fixer-upper, offering far lower than the asking price - we are now being surrounded by $900K homes, er castles, um, mcmansions?

I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Boo, hoo". Dh and I started a successful business fourteen years ago, right out of highschool. If we move - we start all over - or go back to school, or work for someone else. We've got three sons aged 12, 10, and 6.

So yes, land anywhere else looks cheap to us. It's a matter of perspective. Not sure how to change jobs when you are self-employed, and have never done anything else.

Niki