what states have homesteading

None have what I think you are thinking about, but you can do everything you suggested in several states. Most often it requires a down payment and you become a payment paying property owner.

 

Uncle Wil, what states would that be? The ones listed in the poll? Or are there others?

 

I 'spect he means any state that has private property ownership and a bank that'll loan money on a mortgage.

 

Land is still available for well under $1000 per acre for small (1 to 2 acre) lots, if you look in the right places.

Hint: Look for inexpensive property with a high probabality of finding shallow groundwater (under 100 feet).

 

as far as i know there is no state or nation giving free land in exchange for improvements. It may be working some of the farm welfare programs are almost the equivelant. If you go where nobody wants to live you can get cheap land it probably means no work anywhere near and little or no farming value. often it will not be tillable or have water. the cheapest land may be to find tax forclosure sales but if the land has much value for farming or development the locals will bid it up to close to value, sometimes even over value if it adjoins their operation as most farmers tend to expand or die.

 

There is good land available inexpensively with water. Look in the northeastern Nevada area, along I-80 near Elko and Montillo in particular. That area is in the "great basin", where rain water that falls there doesn't leave. Groundwater at 50 feet is not unusual there.

Don't ever give-up searching for your dream, and don't become a slave to a mortgage!

 

You'll have better luck at ebay. Go to the landfinder page and select the state you want:

http://pages.ebay.com/realestate/land.html

 

There is no homesteading anywhere in the US, the program was shutdown years ago. Cheap land is cheap because no one wants it. It is either unfit for agriculture , in a terminally depressed area, or miles and tens of thousands of dollars away from services such as access roads. If you don't have an independant income, you are not going to find cheap land and a job to support it.

 

Absolutely untrue. As I said in a previous post, NE Nevada has lots of great deals on property. Take the town Elko for example. There is work in the area, shallow groundwater and property can be purchased inexpensively. Here is an ebay auction to illustrate what I mean:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15841&item=4319708758&rd=1

At the time of this post the auction has three days left and the bid price is at $775. I would expect this auction to close for no more than $1200 for this 1 acre lot, and maybe it will close for under $1000. I am familiar with this subdivision. The location has power available and it is freeway close, just over 10 miles from town. Larger lots are available for much less $/acre prices.

That auction is not unusual for the area. There are a variety of similar bargains available in NE Nevada.

 

I was in nevada once they have some skinny cows out there. there is a cattle gaurd on ech side of the state and i think they graze 10 head on a good year what is rainfall under 10 inches in a wet year? I would look at any land on e-bay before buying it as e-bay is notorious as a dumping ground for items you can't sell if they see them. Also do your own checking for road acess utility availability taxes or other fees and potential to grow anything as i never see the word tillable on those land auctions so if you intend to plant anything beware it is not rock or chalk or totally barren in some way.

 

You should look at ANY land before buying, regardless if it was found at eBay, in a newspaper or through a realtor. The same is true for researching the property yourself. That just makes sense.

I have visited that lot location and the access roads are good. The first 10 miles are on I-80, then 2 miles of paved road, and finally about 1/2 mile of well-groomed gravel road. Not bad for a rural lot.

Your climate description is more typical of southern Nevada than northern Nevada. Rainfall in Elko averages over 10 inches. It is true that most agriculture in the area is done with irrigation, but that is offset with shallow groundwater.

Your analysis seems to be based more on some prejudice towards eBay than based on fact. Don't assume that a property os bad just because it is listed at eBay.

 

True enough, these kinds of lots aren't going to make everyone happy. If you are looking for heavily wooded areage, for example, then this wouldn't be right for you.

However, this land does address the posibility of an inexpensive place to start a modern homestead, free from mortgages without having to save a small fortune.

 

i understand what you are saying the term homesteading does not really mean what it used to or does it? the old meaning of giving a parcel in exchange for specified improvements is gone in the USA as far as i know. I am not sure but i have never heard of any other more developing nations offering that either.. Most see it as meaning the ability to develop a new property build up some improvements sometimes turn some new sod and plant some new plants.