[blue8ewe]

I cant tell if it has not sunk in or Im in shock or the reality of the TONS of work it is going to take.
Im just calm and fine.
I thought I would be grinning all over the place. Giddy. Child like at finnaly getting my dream.
I have literally dreamed my whole life of land, cows, sheep, chickens, mountains. We move in a month. We can lease, rent by the month, lease purchase, owner finance, traditional finance. Which ever we choose. We can live there and rent till we decide. It has garbage to be removed. Home site sits on 40, in the middle of 800. The land will be subdivided. Its in the middle of the mountains with maintained access year round. Barn, great workshop and garage.some fencing that needs fixing. For the first year we will be the only ones on the entire place and can use it all. Creeks, ponds artesian well/spring. Pump house.
Other such stuff.
The house is OK. Not big enough for us but that is not a deal breaker.
No good stuff growing. The previous owners have dont next to nothing with it in a long time.
It is going to be WORK! The only thing that bothers me is the thought of all those people moving in. But it is the mountains and they are not cheep. It will likely be many people that will have vacation places. And leave in the winter. The restrictions are next to none. No more than 3 non working vehicles, no trailer living, no more than 5 head for every 10 acres. BUT horses and cows are a few more possibly. ( I would not put more than that anyway, its mainly to keep people from haveing more than what is handle able)
All good right?

 

[Seeria]

HEH Congrats and yeehhhawww! Keep us posted.

 

[Beltane]

It sounds wonderful!

I am suprised that they have restrictions on the number of vehicles and animals though...We are very congested compared to where you just purchased but since we are zoned agricultural there is no limit to the number of animals or vehicles we can have. We do have zoning regulations though...mainly so the neighbor doesn't decide to put up a billboard or something.

Best of luck to you and please keep us posted. It sounds so exciting! :dance:

 

[Dixielee]

If you have 40 wooded acres, you can seclude yourself pretty well. We have 40 and can't see any of our neighbors. Many of them do just use it as a week end/vacation place. There are only 4 full time residents on our 2 mile long road, so I wouldn't worry about that.

I would be concerned about the 5 head/10 acre rule. Does that include goats? You can raise a lot of goats safely on 10 acres. I would not want to bank my future and my homestead on that restriction. What about chickens? Rabbits? Other poultry? Can you have a pig or two? That restriction would bother me.

Now the non running vehicles....that would cramp my husband style! He loves old cars. I don't know how many we have because several years ago, I had him bulldoze a section over the hill where I can't see it, and he moved his treasure, my junk over there and can go visit it anytime he wants, and I can't see it. It works for both of us.

Just be careful before you put any serious money into it. Make sure the restrictions are something you can live with forever if needed. Would hate to see your vacationing neighbors complain and get restrictions against your early morning rooster wake up calls.

 

[knight88]

Be sure that access is available, "land locked" property isn't worth much. Here in AZ it is against the law to sell land locked property. It sounds like you have found a real treasure, good luck...

 

[Jenn]

Congratulations! Remember or know now if you didn't already that achieving a long awaited goal is a bit of a letdown- anticipation and planning has been so lovely that accomplishment and then having that be over, and actually going from the rosy golden fantasy to the sweaty hard work to be done, is a letdown. As a perfect example consider having a [first] baby (if the pregnancy is not so horrendous as to prevent much thinking about the coming baby).

So now parcel the work to be done into accomplishable not demoralizing chunks, and have a new rosy vision of some smaller future event to plan and look for.... if you have any time!

 

[HomesteadBaker]

When I feel overwhelmed by "all that needs done", I make lists. Daily lists of what needs doing on that day, sometimes I finish it all and start on the next day's list.... sometimes things get carried over to the next day. That way, you don't have to focus on the big picture all the time, but focus on smaller tasks that eventually complete the big picture.

It works for me.

Kitty

 

[littlebird]

Congratulations!

A month huh? That's when we'll be at our new place (ihopeihopeihope). We might need a couple of peers who are going through the same things and the same amounts of work, for support.

It seems like an overwhelming set of new things to keep track of, but the lists get me through as well.

Good luck to you and yours, and take everything one day at a time.

LB

 

[stonykill]

as others have stated, with 40 acres you can seclude ourself well. We own 30, and other than my parents on 5 acres next door, we are secluded from all neighbors. My only concern would be the vacation neighbors. Not sure about where you are, but around here its the weekenders that screw everything up for us locals. Build multimillion dollar homes that raise our taxes, complain about every noise from chainsaws to tractors, bring their city life with them, and basically try to make the country theirs, not as we simple folk like it. That would be my concern, moving there, and 5 years down the road being surrounded by annoying citiots.

 

[Mid Tn Mama]

Boy do you have a sweet situation. If it were me, I'd get in on the ground floor and offer my services to manage the properties there that get built as summer properties. I did that for awhile and it's not hard. You may want to get bonded, learn how to do simple handyman repairs. Cleaning the houses alone is 25$/hr and you can take your kids with you.

Then I'd grow a market garden for those folks when they come in for the weekend. Start painting your sign now!

If you can't stop progress, you might as well profit from it.

 

[Tricky Grama]

Blu8ewe-

Maybe you are 'unsettled' b/c you haven't decided what to do yet? When you are firm about whether you'll lease/rent/buy/finance/etc, maybe it will seem more 'yours'?

We have 20 'restricted' ac (don't live there yet) & I think that's great...no one w/trash, broken down trailers, wrecked cars (the post w/the ones out of sight wouldn't bother me). It also prevents someone from buying 10 ac & dividing it into 1/2 ac plots for tract homes! Horrors! I think you can get around the how-many-head thing b/c you'll have 40 ac. Wouldn't be prudent to have 40 hogs on 5 ac, huh.

Don't be overwhelmed w/work...go day by day & just so many projects per week, do like HomesteadBaker said. Congrats & keep us posted!

Patty

 

[Nancy]

Make a list of priorities and work from the house out. At least that's what we did. Been here 20 years and there is always something to do somewhere. Enjoy the journey!

 

[MarleneS]

Change is scary -- and the realization that a dream has been met is even scarier - because now you have to prove yourself worthy, and there is always that "what now" feeling once a goal is met....it's all okay. And you will be just fine once you have actually made the move and there is nothing left to do but to jump in with both feet.

Just take your time and enjoy each and every (or as many as humanly possible) moment.

Think how fortunate you are with being able to live there before you decide how much of a financial long term committement you will make. Most people do not get such an opportunity.

Hugs,
Marlene

 

[blue8ewe]

I think you all hit it well. What now? is right. So much now.
I do like the restrictions. It will help keep things nice.
We can have all the chickens, rabbits, horses ETC we want. She stated it is to keep people from haveing 40 cats and 20 dogs running amuck. And stated that we can have more goats (sheep for us, dont like goats) then the stated head per 10AC.
The parcels are not cheep by far! And that will keep many from buying. It will be the half million type or higher.
And the idea about being in the right place, I had already thought about providing services to the newcommers. It could be great for my older children. One of them already cleans house for people so for her that would be great.
The restrictions protect us also. The newcomers cant get our livestock reduced or complain. It all written in to allow such animals.
We dont eat pork so we wont want pigs but if we did we could.
We dont have forest. We do have trees but the woods are around us. They are logging that as we speak. Selectively.
But we can plant and we will. LOTS of trees. We are young enough that we can watch the benefit. LOL
The views are magnificent! We have deer, elk, moose, grouse, turkey, cougar, bobcat. The latter two I dont care much for and we will need a good dog or two.
And yes, it is a bit unsettling not knowing how to proceed (buy, lease ETC) but we will be able to live there and enjoy the life while we figure it out.

Thank you all so much. Your insight and haveing been there have helped settle my tummy a bit. I have a lot to do. Pack, find phone, Internet, Drs, school, grocery stores, call everyone and LTK, sell the puppies, find couple bunk beds ( only one bedroom :stars: ) CLEAN that house (yuck) and so much more going on my list.
Ill post back as I can. I know I'll need tons of support and advice.

 

[texican]

Which mountains... you mention elk, so I assume it's west of the Mississippi.

 

[donsgal]

I cant tell if it has not sunk in or Im in shock or the reality of the TONS of work it is going to take.
Im just calm and fine.
I thought I would be grinning all over the place. Giddy. Child like at finnaly getting my dream.
I have literally dreamed my whole life of land, cows, sheep, chickens, mountains. We move in a month. We can lease, rent by the month, lease purchase, owner finance, traditional finance. Which ever we choose. We can live there and rent till we decide. It has garbage to be removed. Home site sits on 40, in the middle of 800. The land will be subdivided. Its in the middle of the mountains with maintained access year round. Barn, great workshop and garage.some fencing that needs fixing. For the first year we will be the only ones on the entire place and can use it all. Creeks, ponds artesian well/spring. Pump house.
Other such stuff.
The house is OK. Not big enough for us but that is not a deal breaker.
No good stuff growing. The previous owners have dont next to nothing with it in a long time.
It is going to be WORK! The only thing that bothers me is the thought of all those people moving in. But it is the mountains and they are not cheep. It will likely be many people that will have vacation places. And leave in the winter. The restrictions are next to none. No more than 3 non working vehicles, no trailer living, no more than 5 head for every 10 acres. BUT horses and cows are a few more possibly. ( I would not put more than that anyway, its mainly to keep people from haveing more than what is handle able)
All good right?

No trailer living (I assume they mean mobile home). Buncha snobs.

donsgal

 

[RoseGarden]

I just read the opening post, and not all the replies, but I experienced the same feeling the four times I bought land. All hyped up and ready to go, and when I actually sat down to sign papers and arrange the bank draft, it was like, 'ok, so that's done, big whoop.' I guess the build up is more exciting and when it's all said and done and you've signed on the line, it's anticlimactic. Why that is, I don't know. Felt the same feeling when I sold two of my properties too, all excited about getting the money and then nothing. I had the money, big whoop. :shrug:

 

[blue8ewe]

Which mountains... you mention elk, so I assume it's west of the Mississippi.

Rockies

 

[blue8ewe]

No trailer living (I assume they mean mobile home). Buncha snobs.

donsgal

LOL No, she means "trailer". You know junked out piece of garbage?
She is fine with modular homes. (thats the fancy word for them now)
There is actualy a "trailer" on our part right now. It is under her "grand father clause".
By the looks of it we are thinking to get her to haul it off. Its a rat trap, roach hotel, and hornets nest and there was someone liveing in it.
We were going to put the kids in it till we actualy walked through it.
Floor is all warped up. Chimny flew looks as though it would catch fire. Kitchen is beyond use. Gag me!

Its the second time in a week that we have seen the worst possable liveing quarters of someone. We helped clear a barn (realy nothing more than a few boards left standiing) the house next to it looked unbelievable. It smelled of wild animal scat, urin, rotting boards, the celing was actualy down in some places, the kitchen sink had not worked in years and looked like it had been out side for all those years. She had just moved out a few weeks pryer.
I guess I have a hard time understanding how people live like that. Even poor people could be clean. And each of them had animals. The one we are moveing to has a hutch with at least a foot of poo IN the hutch! How can a rabbit live in such filth?
We will be burning much of the "stuff" left behind. I just want it cleaned up.
I have an idea about stripping the inside of the trailer but I wonder if it would be worth the effort.

 

[Scrounger]

Yeah - I was kinda "disillusioned" at first, when we bought our place. It was great to have to land, but it was going to be a LOT of work bescause the prior owner (relative) had let the place go to (a very warm place). I have managed to clear back the weed trees and get a hay mow going. I work at it little, by little, and will eventually get it back into shape. That's half the fun!