tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8618599153266591841.post863556528919576126..comments2014-05-05T03:48:35.492-04:00Comments on PotterVilla Academy: The Price of Free LandMatthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05301468731066790829noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8618599153266591841.post-52083827770343907622009-04-14T17:20:00.000-04:002009-04-14T17:20:00.000-04:00Thanks for stopping by!
Currently, we're still do...Thanks for stopping by!<br /><br />Currently, we're still doing all our 'farming' on the folk's 1.5 acre residential plot not far outside of town. I personally am not much of a farmer, but somewhere along the line I caught the land bug. It seems like a farm would be a really great place to raise kids, too. That would be the end, but the means... <br /><br />My dream would be to have 160 acres somewhere in southern Michigan. That would run, based on current market values (at least the ones I've heard the most reciently :-)), anywhere from $350,000 to $500,000--depending on how good of land it is. If I started saving $35,000 a year (that's reasonably the most I could expect to stash, after God and government), it would take me 10 to 15 years to have saved enough to make the purchase. <br /><br />If I start saving at that rate when I am 18 (which starts in a couple months, and that's being pretty optimistic), I would be in my 40's by the time I had that land. Assuming that I'll want to get married before then, there will have to be an interim step. Whether that would be a small house on a little land, or a rental (probably impractical for that length of time), or whatever else.<br /><br />Anyway, God will provide. :-)<br /><br />Thanks for the excellent advice! <br /><br />Blessings,<br /><br />JonathanJonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14564021244803727408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8618599153266591841.post-89900821221965785612009-04-12T17:45:00.000-04:002009-04-12T17:45:00.000-04:00On the real estate taxes I used to resent the 87% ...On the real estate taxes I used to resent the 87% that went to our local school system which I have a very low opinion of. Then I calculated what it would cost to maintain our road myself and realized I was getting a heck of a deal! Made me feel better although some years it was still a stretch to save up the cash for the taxes.<BR/><BR/>Keep saving and get some land as soon as possible if you are renting now. Look for 'for-sale-by-owner' and get owner financing if possible if you don't have enough to buy with cash. That at least keeps some of the middlemen out of the equation. Then build a home yourself. We built our cottage for under $7,000. Think small. It goes faster that way too. We did it out of concrete so it is durable and low maintenance in addition to having the thermal mass to make it energy efficient. Look for salvage materials for windows, doors, etc.<BR/><BR/>The good thing about being landed is when times are tough it is easier to fall back into a sustaining mode - something that is very hard to do in the urban areas.<BR/><BR/>On the TeraByte drive, the good news is they get cheaper every month.<BR/><BR/>Be in business for yourself if at all possible. It may take multiple lines of business but it is not just rewarding, it's more secure.<BR/><BR/>By the way, I paid for our land by doing programming, web and graphics like you along with some inventing. Keep at it.<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/><BR/>-Walter<BR/>Sugar Mountain Farm<BR/>in VermontWalter Jeffrieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12720110642967540506noreply@blogger.com