I'd like to purchase some acreage in Southern Missouri with a small home or cabin, at least 20 acres with trees. I'm not really a homesteader but I anticipate terrible conditions in America in the coming years and want to have a place that is off grid, private and secluded where I will not be as dependent on the infrastructure which I think will collapse. I have looked at the real estate sites on the internet and I have the feeling that those prices are really inflated. I have a good budget, around 130K to do this, which is way more than I think is needed, and would spend that much if it was a larger acreage. I'm living in Central Texas now and this crowded place is not where I want to be WTSHTF. Any Ideas from the Ozarks?
Your comment about inflated prices is very interesting. All buyers feel the same way, even before they know what the price is. All sellers feel like they should have a little more for the property. That's just part of life. Good luck with your search.
That's why I picked the land I did in Vanzant, MO. I guess I'm not the only one who foresees major troubles ahead. I can put you in touch with the guy I bought from if you'd like. He deals in lots of Ozark properties.
Thanks for the replies. edcopp, Developers will buy say seven hundred acres for $400 and acre and without making any improvements other than a bulldozer road will split it up into 20 acre tracts and sell it for $900 an acre. This really seems like a ripoff. I can sympathyze with folks who make a lot of improvements and expect to make a reasonable return though. Critter183, Not sure where Vanzant is... Does your broker have a website? I hope I can find a property for sale that does not involve a broker, but that's just a matter of chance. Do you have any knowledge of recent sales in your area and what one can expect to pay? Brokers will usually act like it's a bargain then after you buy you find out what someone else paid.
My guy is just an investor I guess you'd say. He buys large tracts, subdivides them, sells them for a profit... he finances if you want it, he's pretty flexible. Vanzant is south central MO, in the Ozarks. Very rural, out of the way. he'd be better able to answer your questions though. I'll send him e-mail to see if he has a website, or if he minds me passing his e-mail along to you. I'm sure he won't, just a courtesy. Stay well, Jim
Rose wrote: I can recommend Norman Cozort at United Country Realty in Thayer, MO. ---------------------------------------- I found our new homestead (a little over 20 acres, nice land, hilltop with a wonderful westerly view- 1/2 wooded 1/2 meadows, house, barn, pond, outbuilding, storm cellar) via Norman's website. Spent a couple months looking online at Ozarks listings. Saw this one and instantly knew it was perfect for us. We are located between Thayer and Alton. We paid 55K for it. We have now been here several months, love the area, the locals are friendly as they can be, we feel like we have finally come home. susie
WOW! Great replies. Thanks. I found Norman's site and am reading it: http://www.thayer-mo-realestate.com/ Rose, that's a better deal than anything I've found on the internet so far! Y'all did well. Here in central Texas they'd want $199,000 for a place like that or more if it's really nice.
My guy has a site, but it's not much of one. Right now he has a place, 85 acres, with a new cabin, don't know the price. It's a real nice area. http://www.starlakeinvestments.com/ His name is Ed and his e-mail is star_lake@yahoo.com
I have 85 acres with a new Amish built cabin near Houston, Missouri in south central Missouri. My e-mail address is star_lake@yahoo.com. Thanks, Ed
"I anticipate terrible conditions in America in the coming years and want to have a place that is off grid, private and secluded where I will not be as dependent on the infrastructure which I think will collapse." Sorry to butt in but exactly what do you see happening? im broke so cannot join your speculation; but have a feeling that things arent right. wondering what im going to do in the near and far future.
inc, I also feel the same. With all that's going on, I have no confidence in the stability of this country or our government. The middle east fiasco will probably end blowing up in all our faces, yet "we the people" (maybe I should say "sheeple") have no control over it. It may very well turn into another world war for all we know. Me and DW started preparing long ago, just in case, and we feel that we are prepared as far as power and supplies go. What does have me concerned is our home. While it is set up with solar power, it's not secluded enough, being too close to the road for my liking. Our land is fully paid for and goes from the center of the road, crosses a creek (with several springs that feed into the creek), up to the highest part of a mountaintop ridge, and down the other side a short bit. There is an old logging road that goes back to the foot of the mountain. Some pretty steep terrain back there beyond the end of the logging trail. We always wanted to build a site-built home way back from the road so it couldn't be seen. For the time being we bought a singlewide to live in until we built a more permanent structure. Then I developed congestive heart failure and the associated complications, and all plans to build went on hold. I really hate to see all that nice woodland going to waste, was even tempted to tunnel a home into the side of the mountain. It's solid rock (granite), so it would be a lot of work. There's an old closed granite mine on the other side of the mountain ridge about a half mile west of me, so I know the stuff can be tunneled into. Bob
There are some strategic advantages to being close to the road. I wouldn't mind it much, if it was a lightly traveled road. In fact, where I am now, I am right on top of the road, and it's nice. Nothing comes and goes without me knowing it when I'm around. If trouble can see you, you can see trouble coming. Stay well, Jim
inc, Since I retired 5 years ago I've spent quite a lot of time reading and trying to answer all the questions mass media leaves unanswered and it has led me to be somewhat of a doom and gloomer. I'm certain that what 99% of the masses believe simply is not what's going on. I don't want to get into all that on this thread but may exchange notes with others on the subject on another thread later. I would imagine that many here have similar ideas based on their motivation to be self-sufficient and prepared. If not on an analytical level at least on an intuitive or instinctive level. BobBoyce, I can identify with your desire for more seclusion. If you have a well and septic already installed near your home it seems re-locating would be a pain. Sorry to hear about your heart condition. I hope your trust in "conventional" medicine is akin to your trust in government. They always seem convinced that more pills of every kind is the solution to everything. Sometimes they're right and sometimes they're brainwashed by the pharmaceutical companies. It doesn't sound like your place would be a "target" just because it can be seen by the road. My thoughts on that would be to park your vehicles out of sight to make it hard on anyone who cases your place for burglary. They will drive by and see lights on but no car, then when they drive by again they will see no light on but will wonder if a car is there and they don't see it. Also, if they do approach the house, it might happen when you're home and they would just pretend to be lost, at which point you have a description of them, giving them a reason not to return. I intend to be off the grid, too. I think WTSHTF the grid will collapse regularly. I got a lot of ideas about preparedness from this site: http://waltonfeed.com/sitemap.html
Thanks, ChemE. With that price differential I might be inclined to find a larger tract. If you are planning 20 years out you are probably more optimistic about the future than I am. I would consider buying a tract without improvements but I've heard it isn't easy to get things built quickly and I don't want to do it all myself again. It doesn't make sense to me that in an area that doesn't have many job opportunities it would be difficult to find carpenters and such but that's what I hear. I guess they get used to the laid back lifestyle and don't get baited by materialism as much as they do where I live.
Norris, have you noticed how many approaching disasters have been headed off over the years? About 75%, I would say. There is a really good chance that the coming problems will be avoided, too. No guarenttes, though. Some of those appraching major problems HAVE hit. My advice would be to get a place that you could get to in less than a days drive. If you need it, it will be there. You can reach it relatively quickly. If you DON'T need it, you can enjoy it. A little cabin in the woods would be a lovely place to spend a few quiet days.
Norris, I don't know how set your are about settling in MO but in N. Central Arkansas (still in the Ozarks) you can find land from between 900 an acre to 3500 an acre. We have 7 acre with a creek, pond and 800 sq ft cabin for about 2200 an acre.
