Where to move to be rural?

[perennial]

I live on the east coast in a suburb. We have 41,000 people in a city of 15 sq. miles. It's AWFUL. Everything is very expensive here. Hubby works 5 minutes from the house and I'm able to be at home.

I haven't been down town in 3 months - I go shopping every six weeks and and try to do errands less often.

On a positive note, we do have a lot of "services" here - hospital 4 minutes away, good schools, local Y and the ocean. But hubby's money comes in and goes out.

I have a veggie garden and am going to expand that next year and I'm baking everything and working on not buying any processed food. I'm also thinking before I buy things that have been "marketed" to me.

We have a plan to pay the mortgage down and save until we figure out where we want to move rural and also what we can do to earn money. I'm thinking of starting a soap business - art soap. Hubby is still trying to figure out what he wants to do, he'd like to do something different. Because we have kids, we do want to be rural, but within a reasonable distance to a hospital. I know I have to have electricity(hubby's interested in solar) and a flush toilet. I don't want to live in a development - NOT! I don't want a "fancy" house just one in a quiet area with lots of land.

If anyone knows anything about the following areas, I would love to hear:

Mountains of North Carolina
Blue Ridge area of Virginia
Montana

We want to live in a climate that is slightly warmer than the northeast at winter, but NOT hot, not lots and lots of people. We like to kayak, so water would be nice - lake o.k.

We will be taking our first family vacation next year and have thought about going to montana - not sure - have to check cost. We decided that where ever we go we wanted it to be a place we are considering moving.

[caroline00]

National Scenic Riverways area here in MO, as long as your kayak is the short variety Texas County, Shannon County, Howell County

but everyone and her sister here makes soap to sell... Internet selling might work

[perennial]

Thanks. I'll have to investigate on-line. Not set on the soap. My true gift is baking bread, bagels, and deserts. Here in my state, laws are very strict about home-based baking businesses - not worth doing here. Maybe a separate space if we move rural????

brural

[perennial]

I just almost fell over - i looked at what dude ranches cost in montana 1300-1700 per person for a week - NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

I think maybe a cabin rental. Any ideas for me.

also left out wyoming from above places to go rural

thanks,

brural

[Cyngbaeld]

Montana and Wyoming don't have particularly warm winters. And any land you can afford will not be close to anything. Not to jobs or likely to hospital or shopping. Be real lucky to have water, phone or power. Same goes for most of colorado.

[foxpawz]

Brural, do I have a place for you. Rural 58 acres with 10-12 acre private lake.Quiet, serene. 2 houses. Really pretty land.South central Virginia.

[perennial]

do you have pictures or an on-line place to look? what town/county?

brural

[Nomad]

I've heard this area is nice. I believe it is somewhat tourist driven, so maybe a soap business like you described would be a good venture.

http://www.floydvirginia.com/index.html


Nomad

[uncle Will in In.]

There are places in Montana where the sun sets between your house and your mail box on the public road. If you don't have your own Tomcat you pussy cat won't have kittens. That's rural.

[foxpawz]

Originally Posted by brural

do you have pictures or an on-line place to look? what town/county?

brural

I assume you were talking to me. Halifax County halfway between Danville, Va and South Boston.

[Cyngbaeld]

Uncle Will, the furthest I ever lived from the mailbox was 6 miles. That was in colorado.

[Nina]

Might want to consider the lower half of West Virginia if you're looking for inexpensive land prices.

[perennial]

Foxpawz,

I have my virginia gazaetter out is the property on Bannister Lake? I'm curious. Is it listed with a broker online?
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My hubby would probably want to live somewhat near the blue ridge parkway as that is my his favorite dream road for his motorcyle. If it weren't for the kids, I think he might already be living there in a tent or cave so he wouldn't miss a moment's riding!

I know it's important to live at about 3500 elevation because he was there in june and it was very hot in the valleys he said, but the ridge was nice and cool.

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Any particular areas in west va that are beautiful and untouched?

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thanks for all your suggestions

[EasyDay]

Consider property (and other) tax rates while you're shopping around. I live in Virginia, and they tax us to death. We pay personal property taxes on vehicles and such that other states don't bother with.

Taxes are lower in North Carolina than Virginia, or you can do what we did. Check out the ozarks of AR. Cost of living is very low, taxes are minimal (I pay $104 a year for 80 acres). We'll move back there permanently in a 1 1/2 yrs or so.

Just do me a favor, if you find you like the ozarks, don't spread the word because I don't want developers to move in any time soon!

[perennial]

I live in Taxachusetts!!! My real estate taxes for not even 3/4 acre with an 1800 sq. foot house is 3700.00 a year, plus another 700-800.00 for water/sewer, new garbage fee $100 yr. and our taxes are going up soon in 2005. We also pay excise tax on vehicles and very, very high insurance premiums on them as well. My hubby will be practically packing when that first increased tax bill comes.

Don't worry, about me telling developers. I want to move to a place that is undeveloped and will stay that way for a long time. I don't want to hear someone else's lawnmower or weedwacker again - thankfully winter is coming. We are squished in our city and I DON'T want to move to a huge house in the country in an area where they bulldozed trees down and layed pavement (GROSS).
I noticed there were tons of new housing developments and gated communities (not for me) in NW North Carolina - any areas where this isn't so?

How is development in VA near the mountains?.

What kind of weather do they have in the ozarks? Any certain area I should look in -

thanks for your advice

brural

[EasyDay]

brural,
I shopped around in the Shenendoah valley of Virginia (Blue Ridge Parkway provides BEAUTIFUL views!) Developmental stage is diverse, depending on location. There are some great smaller towns, but land is expensive around them. There are larger towns (small cities) if you need nearby employment or have medical concerns. And then there are areas where you can buy 7000+ acres in one whack.

In the areas I looked, most somewhat rural land ran around $7000-$10,000 an acre, and that was 7-8 years ago. I found some for $4000, but the undergrowth was so thick that it would cost a fortune even get in to clear some.

My family is from Mississippi County, Arkansas, and that's how I fell in love with the Ozarks. We purchased our 80 acres about 5 years ago for less than $900/acre, and that was higher priced than a lot of what I looked at. To give you some idea about what I got for my money, visit my website at www.rushingtrail.com to see pics. (Excuse the messy house, we're still working on it.)

I also have a link to Mountain View, AR on my homepage. Go there to see what the area is like. It's God's country, for sure!!!

I hope you like it!

[Soap]

Originally Posted by brural

IWe have a plan to pay the mortgage down and save until we figure out where we want to move rural and also what we can do to earn money. I'm thinking of starting a soap business - art soap. Hubby is still trying to figure out what he wants to do, he'd like to do something different.

Making soap is great, making a living by making soap is really hard to do. I am part of an internet soap makers group w/ 1600 members and most folks can sell enough soap to pay for their soapmaking habit, but not for much else. Yes, there are some very successful soapmakers, but it is a hard career. They travel to craft shows every weekend, do internet sales, do corporate accounts, sell to B&B's ... going the whole 9 yards to make a living. Yes, beautiful soap, beautiful packaged soap will sell for more, but then you are not selling to the large percentage of the US population who buys 3 bars of Ivory for 99 cents.

Don't want to discourage, but do encourage you to have a back-up plan.
soap

[Corgitails]

You might like the southeastern part of Missouri, aroudn Cape Girardeau. That's where I am now and I really love it!


Cait

[Rita]

We love the area we are in on the Cumberland Plateau (elev. about 2900') We are always 5-l0 degrees cooler than Nashville. We paid $700 per acre 6 years ago. Bought 80 acres. The taxes on l300 sq. ft. house and cabin and land are $630 a year. We are selling the house and 7 acres but plan to stay in the area. Our son just bought 20 acres and he wants us to move near him. It's hilly but very pretty in this area. Check out Monterey or Crossville. Rita

[foxpawz]

*-----------------------9B
.........+rural, no pictures and no real estate listing. We are almost on the NC border. We have just recently been thinking about going to a smaller place. Not as young as we once were and no longer need this much acreage. Wherever you go I wish you luck.