Looking for homesteading advice or experience

[hannahsmom1]

Ok, so me and my fiance are moving to Maine. Our dream and goal is to buy property and become self sufficient. We found a few places within our budget and we were thinking about buying land outright and placing a small mobile home on it and slowly building our own place. I have a couple questions though. First, how does property tax work? We are planning something between 3 and 6 acres. Do they charge tax by acre or condition of land or location? Also, Maine has a $10,000 tax exempt for homesteaders. So what qualifies as a homestead?

This is our 'plan'. It may need some work and adjusting but it's a beginning. We want to be more self sufficient. So we want to buy our land outright so no payments as well as a mobile home or camper. We want solar panels, planning on using a wood stove (I love wood stoves) and plan on growing our own food and such. I make decent money in NH right now training selling cloth diapers and wipes and all natural laundry soap. I have experience in gardening and livestock care as long as its a foot tall or under lol but have done plenty of research. So I was wondering if anyone else could give me tips and if any homesteaders here live in Maine and could give me some advice! Thanks!!


Edit- Also any advice on solar panels! I need the low down nitty gritty in spoken in dumb terms for me

[Usingmyrights]

I don't know about Maine, but in FL its based on land value plus improvements. Land value is dependent on size, location, zoning, usability, etc. Improvements would be structures, water, elec, septic, etc. To get homestead exemtion here, the property merely has to be your primary residence. Don't know if this helps at all, but will hopefully point you in the right direction.

[woodsy]

What part of maine? North, central, south, east or west? Maybe this will help on the homestead exemption part, we use it.
Taxes in some areas are terrible, others not so bad, depends on the town.

The Maine Homestead Exemption: Tax Relief for Maine Homeowners|Pine Tree Legal Assistance|Free legal help for people with low incomes

Here the acreage is taxed separately from the buildings , so much per acre and so much for buildings.

Also some towns will tax you on personal property such as tractors, boats, RVs etc.

edit: there are some other property tax relief programs for lower income homes at the above link on the right side of page in green..

[meanwhile]

Look down in the Alternative Energy area to read up on Solar.

Also, go here: BuildItSolar: Solar energy projects for Do It Yourselfers to save money and reduce pollution

Set aside a whole day to read from the build it yourself Solar site. So much information!

Good luck.

[SparkyMaine]

I'm in the midcoast Maine area (though rural, away from the coast). The taxes in my town (and the few other Maine towns I've lived in) are based on the tax value (determined by the assessor?) of the total property, which includes the land and buildings. Each town sets its own tax rate, and that rate is applied to the tax value to come up with the tax amount. As woodsy said, it all depends on where you are - generally the rural areas are less, the suburban and urban areas more, as would be expected. That said, there are certainly some rural 'yuppie' areas that are beautiful, but also $$.

Regarding the homestead exemption, it really has nothing to do with homesteading. Once you've lived at your primary residence for a year, that property is eligible for the $10,000 exemption, which essentially reduces the tax value of your property by $10,000. If you're living in one of the expensive areas, it's a drop in the bucket. But, if you're in a mobile home on 3 to 6 acres in a rural, low-tax town, the $10,000 exemption can certainly make a difference.

Good luck!!

[agmantoo]

Many states have property tax agriculture deferrals for land use. Where I live requires 10 acres for farm and 20 acres for forestry. Those acre amounts do not include the the house lot. If Maine has something similar I would want enough land to qualify for the deferral. An example of the deferral is as follows.....40 acres of land on a paved road near a large town is valued at $8000 per acre or $320,000. Pasture land is valued based on production here at $400 per acre or $16000. The difference in the deferred property tax and the market value tax can be significant over time.

[7thswan]

First off,you better make sure you area will allow you to live in another structure/trailer/camper ect. on your land while building your "home".

[hannahsmom1]

its central Maine. 20-30 minutes from Bangor. how would I findout if I a allowed to live in a camper while building? also I want to do everything right so I enter want to rush it.


Posted from Homesteadingtoday.com App for Android

[ET1 SS]

Originally Posted by hannahsmom1

Ok, so me and my fiance are moving to Maine. Our dream and goal is to buy property and become self sufficient. We found a few places within our budget and we were thinking about buying land outright and placing a small mobile home on it and slowly building our own place.

That is a very popular way to do things.

... I have a couple questions though. First, how does property tax work?

Each organized town has a mil-rate, it gets multiplied against the assessed value.

... We are planning something between 3 and 6 acres. Do they charge tax by acre or condition of land or location? Also, Maine has a $10,000 tax exempt for homesteaders. So what qualifies as a homestead?

Taxes are by assessed value, unless you are in a tax program.

Tree-Growth, Open-space, Farm, working waterfront are all programs that set you taxes at a lower rate. Most of my land is in treegrowth, so it gets taxed at $1.05 per acre.

'Homestead' is simply that you sign saying you live here now.

... This is our 'plan'. It may need some work and adjusting but it's a beginning. We want to be more self sufficient. So we want to buy our land outright so no payments as well as a mobile home or camper. We want solar panels, planning on using a wood stove (I love wood stoves) and plan on growing our own food and such. I make decent money in NH right now training selling cloth diapers and wipes and all natural laundry soap. I have experience in gardening and livestock care as long as its a foot tall or under lol but have done plenty of research. So I was wondering if anyone else could give me tips and if any homesteaders here live in Maine and could give me some advice! Thanks!!

Welcome.

Your are planning on what many of us are doing.

I recommend more land.

An absolute MUST is the Common Ground Fair. 21 - 23 September. Go for all three days.

The Common Ground Country Fair

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association > The Fair > Schedule of Events

... Edit- Also any advice on solar panels! I need the low down nitty gritty in spoken in dumb terms for me

I am installing our solar-power this summer, now !

[ET1 SS]

Originally Posted by 7thswan

First off,you better make sure you area will allow you to live in another structure/trailer/camper ect. on your land while building your "home".

Maine does.

[ET1 SS]

Originally Posted by hannahsmom1

its central Maine. 20-30 minutes from Bangor. how would I findout if I a allowed to live in a camper while building? also I want to do everything right so I enter want to rush it.

hmm, I live 25 minutes North of Bangor.

Are you looking at an unorganized town? Or an organized town? 52% of Maine towns are unorganized.

Organized means they have a charter, and selectmen, town clerks on salary, some towns have building inspectors [fortunately most do not]. All these folk on salary means taxes are higher.

Unorganized towns have no charter, and nobody on salary. We pay taxes directly to the state. The state may have inspectors, but they rarely go outside of Augusta.

My building permit came with it's own 'Certificate of inspection and completion' When I finish construction, I inspect and I sign saying it is inspected.

Our town burned it's town charter in 1938, so we are unorganized now. through-out Maine eight towns have burned their charters, to lower their taxes.

In Maine, 'camps' are very popular. In our township about 1/3 or more of the properties are used only for camps.

Folks in the cities often own a 'camp' in the woods, they can go to on the weekends. These camps may be a camper, a trailer, a log cabin on blocks, a yurt, etc.

Some organized towns get hinky about camps. They NEED tax money, so they find ways to tax you.

Unorganized towns don't care. We do not pay enough taxes to care.

Some camps are lived in all summer long. Some camps get lived in year-round. Some camps go years without anyone visiting them.

I parked a motorhome on my land, and I lived in it when I started building my house. The motorhome has never moved since. Nobody has said anything about it.

[hannahsmom1]

Originally Posted by ET1 SS

hmm, I live 25 minutes North of Bangor.

Are you looking at an unorganized town? Or an organized town? 52% of Maine towns are unorganized.

Organized means they have a charter, and selectmen, town clerks on salary, some towns have building inspectors [fortunately most do not]. All these folk on salary means taxes are higher.

Unorganized towns have no charter, and nobody on salary. We pay taxes directly to the state. The state may have inspectors, but they rarely go outside of Augusta.

My building permit came with it's own 'Certificate of inspection and completion' When I finish construction, I inspect and I sign saying it is inspected.

Our town burned it's town charter in 1938, so we are unorganized now. through-out Maine eight towns have burned their charters, to lower their taxes.

In Maine, 'camps' are very popular. In our township about 1/3 or more of the properties are used only for camps.

Folks in the cities often own a 'camp' in the woods, they can go to on the weekends. These camps may be a camper, a trailer, a log cabin on blocks, a yurt, etc.

Some organized towns get hinky about camps. They NEED tax money, so they find ways to tax you.

Unorganized towns don't care. We do not pay enough taxes to care.

Some camps are lived in all summer long. Some camps get lived in year-round. Some camps go years without anyone visiting them.

I parked a motorhome on my land, and I lived in it when I started building my house. The motorhome has never moved since. Nobody has said anything about it.

I am looking around the newport, pittsfield, corinna area. I honestly don't want tons of land. I want just enough for a small home big enough for myself and my family, outside animals with the biggest being maybe one cow and the rest smaller and a garden. I know I am young and have kids but there HAS to be a way I can do this. I just need to know how everyone esle started. Did you start like I want to or a different way?

[hannahsmom1]

An absolute MUST is the Common Ground Fair. 21 - 23 September. Go for all three days.

The Common Ground Country Fair

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association > The Fair > Schedule of Events





Yay! I am GOING to this fair!! Thank you so much!!! Have you been before?

[ET1 SS]

Originally Posted by hannahsmom1

... . Did you start like I want to or a different way?

We want to be more self sufficient. - check

We bought our land outright - check

We bought a really old motorhome and lived in it while building a house.

We are doing solar panels, it took us a few years to get to this point.

We use a wood stove for our heat. We have a wood cookstove [long story but it does not work].

We grow our own food [well, wait some years 60%, some years 80% of our food].

Maine has a lot of homesteaders.



You are welcome to come visit and to see what we have done. What we still plan to do.

You really MUST attend the Common Ground Fair. I can not explain it fully.

It is focused on: off-grid, sustainable, DIY, organic, alternative health, herbs, grow your own food, use livestock as draft animals, ... It is a hippy fair.

We live in a forest. The tax-program we are in requires that most of it stay forest. So we modify what we do so forest is cool with us.

We can not grow enough wheat for bread, but we can grow beans. So my Dw found she can make beans into flour. So she has been developing recipes each year for things she can make with home-grown beans. Each year she does a kitchen demo at the Common Ground Fair using bean flour. One year it was breads and pizza crust. Then she added snack crackers and oatmeal cookies. All this is wheat/gluten free. This year fruit [blueberry/elderberry] tarts.

If you want a 'off-grid / sustainable / DIY / organical / alternative health / herbs / grow your own food / draft animal lifestyle; then come to Maine, and do the Common Ground Fair with us.

[ET1 SS]

Originally Posted by hannahsmom1

... Yay! I am GOING to this fair!! Thank you so much!!! Have you been before?

We go every year.

I first found it in 2005. I have not missed a year since. I go for all three days. I do not camp there, I must tend livestock at home, so I commute.

My Dw only goes on the days that she has her demos. She likes the workshops, but one day of sitting in workshops is too much for her.

To me, my GOD the workshops! Want to learn about grafting grape vines? spend an hour with a guy who has a vineyard. Want to learn basic beekeeping? spend an hour with a professional beekeeper. Livestock medicine? training draft animals? How to make snowshoes? mushroom foraging?

I go each year with a notebook, pencils and a coffee thermos. 9am to 4pm, I go to polish homesteading skills each hour.

If you pay their membership fee then your family goes in free all three days, and we can go inside before they open the gates in the morning [warning there is always a huge crowd of tourists]. City people wanting to buy the trinkets.

[hannahsmom1]

Originally Posted by ET1 SS

We go every year.

I first found it in 2005. I have not missed a year since. I go for all three days. I do not camp there, I must tend livestock at home, so I commute.

My Dw only goes on the days that she has her demos. She likes the workshops, but one day of sitting in workshops is too much for her.

To me, my GOD the workshops! Want to learn about grafting grape vines? spend an hour with a guy who has a vineyard. Want to learn basic beekeeping? spend an hour with a professional beekeeper. Livestock medicine? training draft animals? How to make snowshoes? mushroom foraging?

I go each year with a notebook, pencils and a coffee thermos. 9am to 4pm, I go to polish homesteading skills each hour.

If you pay their membership fee then your family goes in free all three days, and we can go inside before they open the gates in the morning [warning there is always a huge crowd of tourists]. City people wanting to buy the trinkets.

i dont consider myself a tourist. i was born in dover foxcroft and raised around newport. Where are you located? We won't be able to invest in this fully until we get up there and get situated. So we are aiming for next year. but were staying with my mom for a bit and she already started with chickens, rabbits and such.

[ET1 SS]

Originally Posted by hannahsmom1

i dont consider myself a tourist. i was born in dover foxcroft and raised around newport.

I did not mean you.

There are a bunch of organic farmers in Maine, and some that are off-grid, folks doing all of these things.

With 10 to 15 workshops going on each hour, and maybe 20 people attending each workshop, you tend to see a lot of the same people moving from workshop to workshop all day. Folks who want to learn these skills. [Which is GREAT!] But math says that 'we' form maybe 200 to 400 people.

The Fair sees 18,000 to 20,000 people each day. So clearly while you and I go there to learn homesteading skills, most people that attend the fair, go instead to buy trinkets.

You can buy flour from a vendor who harvests wheat using horse-teams. It draws tourists.

... Where are you located?

Argyle.

... We won't be able to invest in this fully until we get up there and get situated. So we are aiming for next year. but were staying with my mom for a bit and she already started with chickens, rabbits and such.

I understand.

I recommend you look at places in any of the Unorganized Towns, rather than the Organized Towns.

[hannahsmom1]

Originally Posted by ET1 SS

I did not mean you.

There are a bunch of organic farmers in Maine, and some that are off-grid, folks doing all of these things.

With 10 to 15 workshops going on each hour, and maybe 20 people attending each workshop, you tend to see a lot of the same people moving from workshop to workshop all day. Folks who want to learn these skills. [Which is GREAT!] But math says that 'we' form maybe 200 to 400 people.

The Fair sees 18,000 to 20,000 people each day. So clearly while you and I go there to learn homesteading skills, most people that attend the fair, go instead to buy trinkets.

You can buy flour from a vendor who harvests wheat using horse-teams. It draws tourists.





Argyle.





I understand.

I recommend you look at places in any of the Unorganized Towns, rather than the Organized Towns.

How do I find out which town is organized and which are not? Do you have a facebook? Or pictures of of your place? Ive never heard of Argyle before lol

[ET1 SS]

Originally Posted by hannahsmom1

How do I find out which town is organized and which are not? Do you have a facebook? Or pictures of of your place? Ive never heard of Argyle before lol

No town office, no town clerk, no town website.

We have one maintained road. Last year we got a stop sign at the intersection of the one side road, that side road has never been maintained or plowed. Next year the county plans to have funding to begin maintaining that side road.

We have one store-front business, a gun smith.

Mainers often recognize our town name, because I-95 passes through our peat bog, and they see a sign for the bog on the interstate. But very few can actually tell you where it is. When we tell people where we live, we often hear "I have passed through it before, but do not remember where it was".

The state's dot-GOV website has a map which shows their grid or 'plate' of where all townships are located. At one time they were all numbered. When a town become organized they name it, otherwise they still use the numbering system. In the case of towns that burn their charters, we keep our town name.

The majority of Maine towns are Unorganized [having lower population-density]. The greater population-density is nearer the coast [Eastern] and Southern. Having higher population-density Coastal and Southern Maine is mostly organized towns with higher taxes. Lower population-density is generally inland [Western] and Northern.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by hannahsmom1

I am looking around the newport, pittsfield, corinna area. I honestly don't want tons of land. I want just enough for a small home big enough for myself and my family, outside animals with the biggest being maybe one cow and the rest smaller and a garden. I know I am young and have kids but there HAS to be a way I can do this. I just need to know how everyone esle started. Did you start like I want to or a different way?

Your cow will need a companion animal, if not another cow. We don't have cattle, but have read and been told this.

ET1 SS .. what kind of beans do you grind for flour, very cool.