I'm looking for a reality check.
We're making a decision whether to buy 160 acres of a neighbor's property here in California. It's generally steep terrain, on a river, with 3 or 4 established buildings/homes, a very small orchard and an ancient and tiny vineyard. No utilities of any kind. The nearest full-time neighbor by road, is probably a good 4 dirt-road miles away. It's an hour to the nearest town and that town doesn't have a stoplight (although you DO have to slow down.)
We can't move there for the next 4 or 5 years at the request of our youngest son. This wouldn't be a problem, but the land is on a railroad line (defunct) and strangers sometimes walk in along the line and break/steal things from the buildings.
So, I thought what we need is someone who likes the middle of beautiful nowhere, wants to homestead and would be willing to trade scaring off strangers (dogs?) and help with care and maintenance of the buildings/space for the right to live in one of the buildings and homestead on part of the land.
Of money, there'd be little to none, unless we can come up with a way to create it. If the land makes money and the homesteader materially helps with that, then they'd have a share, of course. Ranching's a possibility, as is fishing tourism or even a railroad-buff-ghost-town sort of a thing. Someone once suggested a retreat center, as it's so remote. I kind of like that idea.
So, give me the reality. Would this be attractive to folks who want to homestead but maybe can't afford their own land, or would I have an ice cube's chance in he!! of finding someone decent? What should I look out for, or look for?
The likelihood of finding someone compatible with this situation will greatly help us decide to go for the land. If folks think it's highly unlikely, then that'll likewise be taken into consideration.
Let the advice fly! :yeeha:
We're making a decision whether to buy 160 acres of a neighbor's property here in California. It's generally steep terrain, on a river, with 3 or 4 established buildings/homes, a very small orchard and an ancient and tiny vineyard. No utilities of any kind. The nearest full-time neighbor by road, is probably a good 4 dirt-road miles away. It's an hour to the nearest town and that town doesn't have a stoplight (although you DO have to slow down.)
We can't move there for the next 4 or 5 years at the request of our youngest son. This wouldn't be a problem, but the land is on a railroad line (defunct) and strangers sometimes walk in along the line and break/steal things from the buildings.
So, I thought what we need is someone who likes the middle of beautiful nowhere, wants to homestead and would be willing to trade scaring off strangers (dogs?) and help with care and maintenance of the buildings/space for the right to live in one of the buildings and homestead on part of the land.
Of money, there'd be little to none, unless we can come up with a way to create it. If the land makes money and the homesteader materially helps with that, then they'd have a share, of course. Ranching's a possibility, as is fishing tourism or even a railroad-buff-ghost-town sort of a thing. Someone once suggested a retreat center, as it's so remote. I kind of like that idea.
So, give me the reality. Would this be attractive to folks who want to homestead but maybe can't afford their own land, or would I have an ice cube's chance in he!! of finding someone decent? What should I look out for, or look for?
The likelihood of finding someone compatible with this situation will greatly help us decide to go for the land. If folks think it's highly unlikely, then that'll likewise be taken into consideration.
Let the advice fly! :yeeha: