Researching, State by state, Tax and Zoning laws

I know that I did not include Alaska, but I would be willing to look at South East Alaska.
I have not yet set foot anywhere in Alaska, but I will check it out before laying money down anywhere else.

I have had several friends over the years who have lived in various areas tell me much about it, and from what I have heard and read... South East "Might" work.

My biggest concern would be the travel/distance issue.
Now if we were really remote in say the upper panhandle of Idaho, and wanted (or had to) to say drive to a medium size city for....shopping, dinner out, a larger hospital, whatever...
Well, a 2 or 3 hour drive (or less) would probably get us there should the need arrise.

Now assume the homestead is in S.E. Alaska...
I am going to need a float plane and hope for good weather.
Could we manage? Sure, as others before us have and are doing, so could we, but it will be a little harder sell for the family I imagine.

Of course on the plus side, hopefully there will be less riff-raff, as the population density is much lower.

Of course I am just starting the paper/internet research part of this plan, so nothing is written in stone as of yet.

If Western Montana proves to be too cost prohibitive, then Montana will probabaly get totally scratched as the Eastern side is too cold.
I know that many Hollywood types, and associated ilk have been buying up large parcels for years...and turning their new towns into smaller versions of the sewers they left, as in Kalifornia.

Can you blame them? If you were raised as a cannibal, and killing and eating your villages enemies was the norm, how much luck do you suppose that anyone would have changing your lifelong eating habits...?

Clearly a whole different post, but suffice it to say that I will simply be looking to avoid any such areas.

And this potential conflict of interest brings me to mention something as a "what if".

There is a couple living on Denman Island off of Vancouver Island BC (if I remember correctly) that pretty much have (now after much work) created a sustainable site that I would be proud to own.
Their site is Rawgainique.com and I mention this because their property was an old gravel pit when they bought it (cheap) and on the coast, and pretty remote with no utilities etc...

Not the sort of place most people would look for...
But to see what they have turned it into with some very creative ideas...wow!
And it seems pretty remote and quiet and peacefull etc.

Now I am not really looking to move to Canada, but I bring this up for a point.
I am not sure about the tax or zoning on Vancouver Island where Rawganique.com is, but Canada is not on the list anyway.
However, I mentioned them because the location is good as in remote, and the land was (they said) cheap, and they have a great year round growing climate with gardens and greenhouses, and plenty of good clean water.
AND a bonus: being on or close to salt water means food from the sea, and boating and those good things that being near the sea bring.

Did I say S.E. Alaska was to be included, yeah well double that if I could find a place similar to the cheap old gravel pit from Rawgainique with cheap taxes, no building permits and remote.

Of course tax and zoning issues are what I asked about, but also important (to me) is finding someplace where we are "Less" likely to be overrun by cannibals from Kalifornia or any major urban sprawl in my lifetime.

A lofty goal, to be sure, but hey I have to try.

Thanks for the response so far.
And just to make certain I touch on all the questions:
Alaska, Yes.
Septic tanks, No won't be using one.
Oregon, because of the liberal majority in the greater Portland area... probably not going to make the short list.
Wyoming, pretty much everything I have seen or heard about it looks promising.
Building permits, to be avoided if at all possible. Would actually prefer that the tax assesor knew nothing about nothing.
Just a piece of property that even a fly over would not likely reveal any upgrades. Maybe permit a barn or outbuilding of some kind.
Less is more. The less the "Man" knows, the better I like it.

Tony

shawnlee said:

I had both of those requirements and I ended up in Kansas.


Tax on 5 acres with a house ,mobile home and giant round top is 100 bucks a year.........also they laughed at me when I asked about a building permit.

Click to expand...

County by county on zoning/building codes in Kansas. I have friend in KS living in east end KS about half way up. She bought 80A long before I knew her, no building codes, wide open. Maybe 5 years ago, bingo, zoning and building codes and strictly enforced almost over night. She'd procrastinated too long. So just because its old way of doing things when you buy, doesnt mean its going to be that way when you want to build. Areas without zoning and building codes enforced is shinking fast. Not long until you will have to find a 3rd world country if you want freedom to do what you want on your own land out in rural areas. And it doesnt help that confinement feed operations and gravel pits and such nuisance buisinesses try to locate to these remaining free areas to avoid jumping through hoops and this puts pressure on local officials to zone just to be able to protect existing residents.