RE: [Homesteadingfamily] Just wanted to introduce myself :)

Hey Tracy,

Avoid VA. Prices are exorbitant. I live outside of F'burg. Avoid the
eastern part of the state. It's worse than living in LA or Dallas or
Atlanta. We've looked in MO, OH, KY, TN, WV, VA, NC, MD & PA for land for
the last 8 months. VA and WV has horrendous taxes. For instance, my 2002
corolla costs me $68 twice a year to drive. Hubby's aunt lives outside of
Charleston, WV and they buy EVERYTHING in OH. Taxes are horrible. Their RV
isn't registered in WV because of taxes. WV also pays more in gas. When we
drove through 2 weeks ago the gas was up to 50 cents higher than VA or KY.

We just purchased some land in KY. I know a guy in OH with good prices, BUT
the land is straight up or straight down. Mostly purchased by deer hunters.
If you want that type of land, I've got a name & number. You can contact me
off line.

If you want a fixer upper and your budget is 70K, then you really want a
good 20% of that for repairs. Solar is expensive, but it's a long term
investment. I've owned two "fixer-uppers" and they require work, time and
MONEY. Plumbing could run 5K, electrical (by parish standards) could go
10K+, heating & cooling, etc. That doesn't include insulation, windows,
etc. What if you have a fireplace/wood stove. You will need to have it
cleaned and checked before you can use it.

I was shocked by the expense when I bought my first house. I would
recommend finding a Buyer's Agent, not a realtor. A Buyers Agent works for
the buyer. My 2nd home was bought w/one. He showed me cracks in the
outside brick which showed that part of the house was settling; when we went
inside he showed me the effects..2 baths on that side of house were slow to
drain. House was sinking and crushing the pipes which was causing water to
back-up. That would have cost thousands to repair! Plus some wiring issues
and roof damage in attic.

Point is, find someone you can trust and do your research. We have the
internet to help with neighborhoods, crime rates, income levels, etc. So
much more than I had back in the late 80s/mid-90s.

Look at sites with your head, when you visit the sites then look w/your
heart. We looked at dozens of places in so many states. We picked, wrote
our lists (this list helped, I still have them if you need them) and went to
look at land. 90% were do-able when we drove up, but never touched the
list. When we drove up to the KY property, we both felt 'this is it.' We
then saw it covered almost all our points. We just spent a week there (two
weeks ago) and found out by being 900' up it's VERY windy! J

Oh, one thing we did learn - make sure you have mineral rights. WV, parts
of OH/VA/PA don't allow it because of coal and natural gas. Even if you
don't have it on your land, they hold the rights and there is nothing you
can do to get them. Plus they have right of way.

It was quite eye-opening, enlightening to go land/house hunting here. Took
gleam and sheen off the strawberry glasses. BUT, we've found out ideal
spot, even has a few small caves on it! Now the fun part, starting to prep.
We live 8 hours away (that's pulling a pop-up!) so visits will be limited,
but we will start planting nut/fruit trees and digging the pond.

Jeanne

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