Joined
·
22 Posts
Hi folks, Iâve been lurking for a couple of years - just reading and watching. But now Iâm thinkinâ that current events (both in my personal Small Picture and in the general Big Picture) indicate the Time has come. More on my main question in a second, first let me unload this for your information and my own mulling. Skip to the bottom if you want - Iâm feeling long winded and have planned and thought on this many years.
Hereâs our situation:
Currently my wife and I live in an old farmhouse on an acre in Cent Ca. We garden about ¼ of the acre, trees and vines on about a ¼, chickens, rabbits, pond, and kids (human kind) on the rest. I have always thought we would move to a small place in a much more affordable and sustainable area since I was little. We've collected tools and skills, in fact my wife Susan has always worked at home; kids, husband, sewing, cooking, baking, sheâs more prepared and ready than me.
Small Picture
We have 3 children all grown with families; one son, his wife and 2 little ones stationed for at least 4 more years at least in Oklahoma City, oldest daughter, her daughter and husband stationed (more or less permanently) near Killen, TX. My wife and I miss them greatly. Finally, our youngest daughter and her 2 babies are now living with us and she is ready for a change - for obvious reasons.
Iâm a graphic designer, last year my partner (in a VERY small advertising agency) decided he wanted less responsibility, so we fired our employees and dissolved our business. The employees we let go all seem to be doing well after starting their own businesses. Thatâs a relief - I felt very guilty dropping that big (you know what) on them.
I decided I would work at home to see how things went and give us time to revise our future plans. Unfortunately, without the the extra revenue generated by those employees, Iâm afraid I wonât be able to make ends meet in the long run, especially my huge mortgage - we were planning to pay it off as fast as possible. Of course now that I only have a 1.5 month old business (not a 10 year old one) I doubt my ability to refinance - even if we decided to stay here - which I think we won't.
In addition to having collected LOTS of tools and various skills, our resources include approx. $80k - $100k in home equity, $20k as operating capitol for my business, $30k savings (not including small 401kâs), and the ability to reliably generate $2k-$3k per month from just about anywhere in the world with a computer and internet connection. Of course âout-of-sight and out-of-mindâ may erode the income from existing clients - hopefully they can be replaced with new clients closer to our new area. That is, until one or more of the Big Picture events below eliminate that income.
Big Picture
Iâm not trying to start an argument here on these points â itâs just MY assessment of possible conditions over the next 5 â 10 years â hopefully never and I certainly hope not sooner.
Oil Peak! Maybe already happened but surely in the next few years.
Real Estate Bubble + Trillion-dollar Federal Budget plus Current Account deficit + Dollar Collapse = Massive defaults by individuals, businesses and govtâs (Maybe never or maybe tomorrow)
Flavor of the week environmental, warfare, biological or terrorist threat (IMHO, a distant third to the above)
Now the question! In light of our assets (hard and otherwise), the desire to be close to our family and the idea of eventually becoming as self-reliant as possible, could I have your opinion as to a suitable region within say 3 - 4 hours drive from both Oklahoma City and Killen TX? A wish list might include; distance and prevailing wind isolation from both urban centers and mil targets, a 10-acre woodlot (or suitable area to develop one), maybe 10 ac of pasture, 10 to 20 of arable land (eventually) and possibly a pond. Any type of habitable home and outbuildings would be fine (in a previous life I was a carpenter and then a general contractor), of course Susan wants an early Victorian (she of course is flexable! Existing power and wells/septic would also make her extremely happy.
Thanks in advance for the responses and sorry for the novel!
Mike
Hereâs our situation:
Currently my wife and I live in an old farmhouse on an acre in Cent Ca. We garden about ¼ of the acre, trees and vines on about a ¼, chickens, rabbits, pond, and kids (human kind) on the rest. I have always thought we would move to a small place in a much more affordable and sustainable area since I was little. We've collected tools and skills, in fact my wife Susan has always worked at home; kids, husband, sewing, cooking, baking, sheâs more prepared and ready than me.
Small Picture
We have 3 children all grown with families; one son, his wife and 2 little ones stationed for at least 4 more years at least in Oklahoma City, oldest daughter, her daughter and husband stationed (more or less permanently) near Killen, TX. My wife and I miss them greatly. Finally, our youngest daughter and her 2 babies are now living with us and she is ready for a change - for obvious reasons.
Iâm a graphic designer, last year my partner (in a VERY small advertising agency) decided he wanted less responsibility, so we fired our employees and dissolved our business. The employees we let go all seem to be doing well after starting their own businesses. Thatâs a relief - I felt very guilty dropping that big (you know what) on them.
I decided I would work at home to see how things went and give us time to revise our future plans. Unfortunately, without the the extra revenue generated by those employees, Iâm afraid I wonât be able to make ends meet in the long run, especially my huge mortgage - we were planning to pay it off as fast as possible. Of course now that I only have a 1.5 month old business (not a 10 year old one) I doubt my ability to refinance - even if we decided to stay here - which I think we won't.
In addition to having collected LOTS of tools and various skills, our resources include approx. $80k - $100k in home equity, $20k as operating capitol for my business, $30k savings (not including small 401kâs), and the ability to reliably generate $2k-$3k per month from just about anywhere in the world with a computer and internet connection. Of course âout-of-sight and out-of-mindâ may erode the income from existing clients - hopefully they can be replaced with new clients closer to our new area. That is, until one or more of the Big Picture events below eliminate that income.
Big Picture
Iâm not trying to start an argument here on these points â itâs just MY assessment of possible conditions over the next 5 â 10 years â hopefully never and I certainly hope not sooner.
Oil Peak! Maybe already happened but surely in the next few years.
Real Estate Bubble + Trillion-dollar Federal Budget plus Current Account deficit + Dollar Collapse = Massive defaults by individuals, businesses and govtâs (Maybe never or maybe tomorrow)
Flavor of the week environmental, warfare, biological or terrorist threat (IMHO, a distant third to the above)
Now the question! In light of our assets (hard and otherwise), the desire to be close to our family and the idea of eventually becoming as self-reliant as possible, could I have your opinion as to a suitable region within say 3 - 4 hours drive from both Oklahoma City and Killen TX? A wish list might include; distance and prevailing wind isolation from both urban centers and mil targets, a 10-acre woodlot (or suitable area to develop one), maybe 10 ac of pasture, 10 to 20 of arable land (eventually) and possibly a pond. Any type of habitable home and outbuildings would be fine (in a previous life I was a carpenter and then a general contractor), of course Susan wants an early Victorian (she of course is flexable! Existing power and wells/septic would also make her extremely happy.
Thanks in advance for the responses and sorry for the novel!
Mike
