Just Curious - How many acres?

[John W]

I search the internet for land, and was just curious how many acres people are planning to build on. I keep thinking absolute minimum 10, except if I can find a nice, cheap lake plot of 5. Would love 40+, but start getting into big dollars. Any thoughts anybody?

[Shark]

Usually limited by $$ available :)

Out first lot was only 2.7 acres.

Next one planning at least 10.

[loghousenut]

We have 6 acres with Govt. land on 2 sides. It's not bad and only 7 minutes to town... 35 minutes to the Muffin Store.

For 10 years before we bought this place, I lived rent free on 140 acres that was 1-1/2 miles to the nearest neighbor. That was a hard act to follow but I couldn't afford to own the place.

[JAK]

I have 5.5 acres with 50+ 100 ft pines and many hard woods one guy Owens 350 acres next to me uses for hunt club very secluded. I'm trying to get another five acres so I can have farm status for tax purpose . 15 min to nearest town.

[eagle]

I have 26 acres, I made sure it was big enough so I couldn't see or hear my neighbors. I can see one but I loved the property so we went for it.

[cooper]

I have 5.5 acres with 50+ 100 ft pines and many hard woods one guy Owens 350 acres next to me uses for hunt club very secluded. I'm trying to get another five acres so I can have farm status for tax purpose . 15 min to nearest town.

What's the deal with farm status?

[oldtrapper]

Different zoning equals different tax rates and regulations.

IMO, you just have to look at the actual acres. I live on 200 acres of prairie with a neighbor on 120. I am pretty well in the center of my property and the neighbor looks like right next door. One can hear the dogs and roosters. I have seen five acre pieces in the woods and hills that feel very private.

[BoFuller]

We have 40 acres that all wooded. We are building right in the middle. It's quiet, but that's relative. It's so quiet that we can hear a vehicle coming down the road about 2 miles away.
Actually we are trying to locate the owner of the 40 acre parcel next to us to see if they are willing to sell. After a couple years, the original 40 don't look so big anymore. :)

[cooper]

It all really depends on what you're after. You could probably get away with an acre if the site was right and had enough room to work. You can take privacy and seclusion as far as you like, but I think it gets old after a while when you're too far out in the sticks, unless that's your thing. I did it for a while in Montana / Wyoming, and its really nice, but takes lots of work and planning. When you need something and the store is 2 hrs round trip it can be frustrating.

I've found I really like being close to town, while still able to do just about anything without bothering my neighbors. I have 7.5 acres bordered by national forest on two sides, and roads on the other two, and I think its plenty. I might think otherwise if the public land wasnt there. I do hear cars, but it doesn't bother me, because the town is only 5 minutes away.

[Mosseyme]

We started out in about 1995 looking for 5-10 acres out in the middle of the national forest somewhere.

[eagle]

We started out in about 1995 looking for 5-10 acres out in the middle of the national forest somewhere. Even saw a 5-6 acre piece in a high elevated valley with running water, marshland and pond in Colorado. Access by 4 wheeler, snowmobile or helicopter. We ended up in 1999 with 225 acres with ridge top, valley with full time running creek all the way over 3000 feet down the valley, multiple springs, a nice valley with a little garden and fruit tree space. We had to enlist other family members to make the buy.
We have 27 acres that we are building on, another 28 acres adjoining it that are free and clear. Then over 100 acres in retirement trust and then brother has his acreage We also have national forest land on two ends That place sounds beautiful, I'm jealous!

[travman]

I always liked the idea of "rural", but not "remote". A place where you can pee or shoot right off the back porch, but still be commutable to a job in or near town. 5-10 treed acres seems about right to me. Only trouble is, I have seen "advertised" land for around $4000 an acre 10 miles out of town in Eastern Wa and I wanna pay cash for that land if possible. Where can I find that $1000 - $2000 per acre and still have city access......and a decent job market?

[Mosseyme]

West Virginia

[John W]

I search the Lands Of ... sites in several states. landsofnewyork.com etc. They're in all the states. Lots of land for sale. New York has some of the most gorgeous and cheapest land. Taxes are low until you build your house on it. So Travman, look at those sites. Easy search engine.

[eagle]

I search the Lands Of ... sites in several states. landsofnewyork.com etc. They're in all the states. Lots of land for sale. New York has some of the most gorgeous and cheapest land. Taxes are low until you build your house on it. So Travman, look at those sites. Easy search engine.
When you consider the really cheap cost of NY land, I think it is still worth it after you build and pay the taxes.When I bought my 900sqft house on 26 acres it was rolled together but I estimated the property was about 7-800 an acre.

[blane]

We live on 3.5 acres surrounded by an 18 acre tract behind us with a 2.5 acre lot my neighbor keeps for horses and on one side another 50 acre tract used for horses as well. We can't see any neighbors where we are. So if you find the right place it doesn't take much. I may buy the 2.5 tract one day if my neighbor ever wants to sell but for me it is perfect.

[rreidnauer]

Found my near perfect 9.8 acres within 25 minutes of two cities and less than 7 minutes to the county courthouse for a little under $1k/acre. And it was a private sale found on Craigslist!

[luncheatr]

I ended up picking up 31 acres, and my brother got a 36 acre lot next to mine. Picked Virginia as the site for the homestead. Being from NY, specifically the city area, i was more concerned with leaving NY then i was with where i ended up. But did do some research. Local laws, regulations, ordinances, codes, etc...Seemed like a good a spot as any. Wasnt looking for high traffic busy areas. Gave up the good paying job, traffic, the headache, politics, and BS for a different lifestyle, and hopefully a new destiny. Its been a good time so far. I can be happy pretty much anywhere theres open space, air, and lotsa wooded land in between.

[thoner7]

You guys building in NY must be out in the sticks. My search is across a 4 county area, anywhere within a 45min drive of Rochester, and buildable 20 acre tracts are well over 100 grand. I may end up spending more for my land than I do on the house.

And property taxes will likely be $10,000+ . Any house assessed for over 200,000 carries a tax burden like that, and when your land is costing 6 figures, its hard to stay under that 200….

[eagle]

cattaraugus county, probably at least an hour and a half from rochester. I haven't check numbers in a long time, things may have changed.

[John W]

Yes, cheap NY land is out in the sticks. There are a good many properties that are $1,000 per acre or less, even some with water. And yes, I've heard taxes go way up after a house is built on it. Almost like paying a mortgage. I mean, what's the point, if you're going to be paying $700 or $800 a month in taxes with no mortgage?

[rreidnauer]

Yea, NY got pretty quickly ommitted from my search criteria. While I could find plenty of land that I could afford to buy, none of it I could afford to keep. I expect my taxes to be around $600~700/year once the house is done, here in central PA.

[WNYcabinplannin]

I got my land in ny, 6.8 acres with a good woodtex shed and initial driveway in for 22.5 so 3-ish an acre. I'm an hour from Rochester, I'm very close to Canandaigua lake, which passed Lake Tahoe about 10 years ago for the most expensive lake in the country for a foot of frontage.
They have me under assessed, because most of the other log homes in the area are pretty campy and kit like. My taxes are under 2000 a year for school and property.
The taxes are going up everywhere, because of mandated Medicare/Cade/whatever costs

[thoner7]

That's unbelievable fletcher, the raw land I'm finding for sale has property taxes around that figure.

I would rather not be that far away though because it will be my full time place

[rocklock]

I bought 2 1/2 acres in Washington that is bound by dense forest and a large 10 acre pond. I can not see or hear my neighbors. Because I have built within the wetlands the area that I am allowed to develop is limited... My taxes are about a dollar per thousand which is expensive to me... My taxes in Hawaii are just a fraction... I have appealed my evaluation twice in the last two years and won. In fact, the County Assessor sent me a note lowering my land assessment before my appeal, which I used in my appeal.

In my entire life I have appealed assessments three times in my life, and won every time...

[luncheatr]

Thats precisely why i never looked for land by near when i lived in NY. I lived and worked too near the city, and it seemed counterproductive to build a minimum of hour and a half outside the city to attempt to have a semblance of more rural life, and yet still work there. So, the only option was a complete lifestyle change to go with the scenery change. Besides, NY for me was never worth the price of admission. Left a good paying job, but, 'convenience' isnt cheap.

[WNYcabinplannin]

Everybody's answer on how much land they need would be different. Proximity to work/hospitals/distance from urban blight- and 100 other variables are unique to each person and state. I halved my income when I moved to upstate ny from SF,Ca in 99 but I quartered my COL. My cabin is a 2nd home for a while. If I moved there now it's be the same again (1/2inc, 1/4COL).
I just think everyone has to be thorough with their pro/con lists for where they're looking so they're not surprised later.

[project]

I have 60 acres in the mountains and working a deal on 1000 that joins it.!i grew up on 1200 acres and the smallest place I have ever lived on is just under 400 so to me 60 acres is pretty small but I have friends that have always lived in the city and 3 acres is more than they want to take care of.

[pastormichael]

My family and I are looking for at least 10 acres in Wyoming to build our cabin. So looking forward to buying land and building!!

[Kola]

I proudly and passionately have 26+ acres high in the Rockies of CO, got it for $3000 per acre back in 2006, an owner finance deal. I got three more years and the sucker is paid off. We have open graze up here so if you leave your gates open or don't fence in all your land the cows are free to munch away. It gives us "agricultural status" and we get a huge tax break on property/land. I pay 8 bucks a year for property taxes and folks with houses, well and septic pay about $400-600 per year. The county has been trying to take it away but we (and I ) keep fighting the jackasses. As long as we find ranchers who want to use our land for grazing we get the tax break. They usually drop off about 100 head of cattle in April and round them up and out in October. Moo.

I may be getting some estate money soon and buy the chunk of land directly next to me, another 25 acres with a working well for $89k. My dream is to have 100 acres in CO....and a have a real home with a few luxuries (running water, etc)....and maybe a lady companion...and maybe a kid or two...and maybe a concrete bomb-proofed bunker like Rod's...lol

[rreidnauer]

Come on Kola. Don't exagerrate. My basement isn't bomb proof. . . . . . . just highly bomb resistant. :D

[loghousenut]

and maybe a lady companion...and maybe a kid or two...and maybe a concrete bomb-proofed bunker like Rod's...lol

Ah, the tender trap. Slavery is always welcomed by some. First a few extra acres to defend... Then a bigger garden and running water... Then comes warmth and companionship and the concrete bunker.

Perhaps this belongs in the "Are we really free?" thread.




PS... I think you deserve it as much as anyone I know Kola. Go at it!

[Len]

We would have liked at least 10 acres, but found a beautiful property of 5.1 acres (4 acres in forest). Since it met our criteria, we bought it. It only takes 10 minutes to drive to town, but feels a lot further out. I'll be buying very few logs when I build, as I can log most of what I need right off our property. There are a lot of clear Cedar trees, too. I figure I'll only sell a few truckloads as I just want to thin, not clear cut the place. There is a mill a few doors down, so I'll have some lumber cut out of some of them. Location, log home trees, good water, and privacy were most important to us both. My wife wants more space to garden, but is doing some permaculture type of method since I had to berm around our fruit trees. Turns out there was fill used to build up some areas on the property, many years ago.

[DanBlue]

That's unbelievable fletcher, the raw land I'm finding for sale has property taxes around that figure.

I would rather not be that far away though because it will be my full time place


I just closed last week on a 8.6 acre plot with spring fed brook (actually rapidly running water over stones, like a large creek..runs year round) land is full of serious hard and soft woods timber, etc..I paid $21,900.00 and my taxes are about $700 per year...I believe in Oneida County (that's where the land is) you pay like 10-15% of the homes assessed value so if my future log home is assessed at $140,00.00, ( I would imagine the needle will land about there) I can certainly live with property taxes in the $2,000.00 +/- every tear....

If anyone has any insight into this, I would certainly appreciate it.

[spiralsands]

Dan, There is a book called "Your low tax dream Home" that has many suggestions on how to keep your initial assessment low as you build. It was very enlightening. I have 23.5 acres over in Fulton, as you know, and I pay about 450 in the spring for property tax and another 450 in the fall for school tax. You also may want to find out what kind of discounts you can get from either the county or the state. Veterans get property tax breaks in some counties and if you have an agri business you can get state tax breaks. Agri business can be anything from selling pinecones you grow on your trees, to raising cattle, or growing lavender.

[Mrs. Len]

I just closed last week on a 8.6 acre plot with spring fed brook (actually rapidly running water over stones, like a large creek..runs year round) land is full of serious hard and soft woods timber, etc..I paid $21,900.00 and my taxes are about $700 per year...I believe in Oneida County (that's where the land is) you pay like 10-15% of the homes assessed value so if my future log home is assessed at $140,00.00, ( I would imagine the needle will land about there) I can certainly live with property taxes in the $2,000.00 +/- every tear....

If anyone has any insight into this, I would certainly appreciate it.

Great news, congratulations! Looks like spiralsands nailed it, so you should be covered :cool:


Dan, There is a book called "Your low tax dream Home" that has many suggestions on how to keep your initial assessment low as you build. It was very enlightening. I have 23.5 acres over in Fulton, as you know, and I pay about 450 in the spring for property tax and another 450 in the fall for school tax. You also may want to find out what kind of discounts you can get from either the county or the state. Veterans get property tax breaks in some counties and if you have an agri business you can get state tax breaks. Agri business can be anything from selling pinecones you grow on your trees, to raising cattle, or growing lavender.

Great advice, spiralsands, and funny you mentioned "Lavender!" I went to Home Depot about a week ago and they had their Lavender plants on sale. I couldn't pass up .88 and .01 for them, so bought quite a few of them. Our last property was a licensed nursery and I sold all sorts of plants, seeds, and even natural Comfrey products (mailed them with no sales at our property). I also taught gardening and homesteading based classes (those are sure popular). You now have me thinking that collecting all my cones isn't such a bad idea... I went in to a local herb and tea shop a few months ago. While browsing the wide variety of choices they have, I noticed dried organic Horsetail (medicinal use). We have an area on our property with thousands of them! Looks like a good book to add to our library (Your Low Tax Dream Home), thanks!

[spiralsands]

Lori, doing that kind of agri business is what I hoped for out there at Winterwood. Because of a mouse issue, I recently started making my own mint essence. I have 2 kinds of mint at my house in Cicero and jarred up both to see which works the best. But mint essence can also be used in cooking and is very popular around the holidays. My Cicero yard is also overrun with wild grapes and old muscadine grapes from a past farmer. I've been spending too much time on the Cicero house and not enough putting in fruit trees and berry bushes at Winterwood like the original plan called for. Fruit trees take a few years to mature so I thought I would get a head start but I'm SO behind. But herbs grow quickly. I have sage and parsley growing like crazy in the yard and they are perennials so they come back on their own. I'm still figuring out this NY climate and haven't had much luck with the rosemary bushes yet. They're having a hard time surviving winter. I would really enjoy that kind of business. I would find it very relaxing. No more stressing out when air traffic controllers get scared and no more certifying air traffic safety....

When I first came here to NY 4 years ago, there were a lot of ads on Craigslist from people selling chickens and rabbits they grew and processed. There is a BIG market for "farm to table" foods in NY.

[Mrs. Len]

Lori, doing that kind of agri business is what I hoped for out there at Winterwood. Because of a mouse issue, I recently started making my own mint essence. I have 2 kinds of mint at my house in Cicero and jarred up both to see which works the best. But mint essence can also be used in cooking and is very popular around the holidays. My Cicero yard is also overrun with wild grapes and old muscadine grapes from a past farmer. I've been spending too much time on the Cicero house and not enough putting in fruit trees and berry bushes at Winterwood like the original plan called for. Fruit trees take a few years to mature so I thought I would get a head start but I'm SO behind. But herbs grow quickly. I have sage and parsley growing like crazy in the yard and they are perennials so they come back on their own. I'm still figuring out this NY climate and haven't had much luck with the rosemary bushes yet. They're having a hard time surviving winter. I would really enjoy that kind of business. I would find it very relaxing. No more stressing out when air traffic controllers get scared and no more certifying air traffic safety....

When I first came here to NY 4 years ago, there were a lot of ads on Craigslist from people selling chickens and rabbits they grew and processed. There is a BIG market for "farm to table" foods in NY.

Frances, you will absolutely love running an agri business! You got it, establish your niche and go for it... I so enjoyed it. While our current property doesn't have a garden area yet, I had 3,000 sq feet of raised beds at our last property. In the next two weeks, I will be digging up quite an assortment of edible perennials, herbs, etc... I figure they can live in pots until next Spring. One of our former neighbors brought his backhoe to our last property, dug up 11 of our fruit trees for us, and Len moved them. Of those 11, all survived, and 6 even bore us fruit (what is more remarkable is we moved them in full bloom)! For 10 years, Len and I have had fruit/veggie/herb gardens. We grow most of our own fruits/veggies and fish, crab, shrimp, etc... Last year, I canned over 400 jars of food. This included fruits, veggies, and meats (Venison, Pork, Chicken, Salmon, soups, sauces, etc...). I also dehydrate fruits/veggies, and herbs. Right now, I feel almost like a fish out of water without my garden! However, I will satisfy myself with pot gardening for the time being.

Since you mentioned fruit trees, you are not too late this year. If you can still dig a hole, you can still plant a tree. When we buy fruit trees, we buy the biggest healthiest ones we can find at local nurseries only. Often, you can buy them already bearing fruit, so you get quite a head-start. I bought beautiful 4 year old blueberry bushes for only $10 each a few weeks ago. Now, is when you will get the best deals on fruit trees, bushes, etc..., as they are on sale just about everywhere.

If you don't have all the written resources needed, yet, let me know. I can recommend what I consider the best books on gardening, propagating, etc...

[Mrs. Len]

For spiralsands:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10639602_10153116840384156_138778314006798265_n.jp g?oh=4d35de6a24ca05a403279194755ebf9c&oe=54BB9B17&__gda__=1424513405_0c820795e06cef91a62a3b1baf24e51 2
Bartlett Pears from a tree moved in full bloom, planted when late in the Spring of 2014 (wrong time to move), bermed by me, mulched heavily with Comfrey, and watered regularly.

[spiralsands]

Those are beauties!!

After I bought my property, I told my dad about it and he suggested starting an orchard and planting it so the deer wouldn't chew it up. I can see deer tracks all over the front field right now because it wasn't cut this year. That's one reason I didn't put anything in yet. The deer will probably chew everything down to the nubs here. At my Cicero house, the rabbits chew everything up. They love the berry bark and the bark of the cherry trees. NY gardening is a little different than what I was used to.

I canned stuff for the first time last year. I made a green tomato relish with all the tomatoes I would have lost at first frost.

[thoner7]

what the the rules for qualifying as an agri business is NY?

[Mrs. Len]

Those are beauties!!

After I bought my property, I told my dad about it and he suggested starting an orchard and planting it so the deer wouldn't chew it up. I can see deer tracks all over the front field right now because it wasn't cut this year. That's one reason I didn't put anything in yet. The deer will probably chew everything down to the nubs here. At my Cicero house, the rabbits chew everything up. They love the berry bark and the bark of the cherry trees. NY gardening is a little different than what I was used to.

I canned stuff for the first time last year. I made a green tomato relish with all the tomatoes I would have lost at first frost.

Good for you on the canning and that relish sounds tasty! I hot water bath and obviously pressure can. On the latter, I highly recommend All American. These babies are more energy efficient and the best out there (in my opinion). I have used different canners, too. For dehydrators, I would recommend an Excalibur (if you don't have one...).

For deer/rabbits and such, here is what we did. Len encircled each fruit tree, fairly close to the ends of the outer branches, with welded wire fencing. It is made more tightly at the bottom, which is the type to buy. By encircling your trees, you have made it impossible for deer to clear the fence! They won't jump into what they can't jump out of... What I am showing is temporary, but it would work very well for you, too. Later, a split rail with wire below would do the trick...

https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/1505060_10153178609869156_1172676635459406957_n.jp g?oh=b1379cefe62dcbdecf94259c2c7b0832&oe=54B42EC2

[DanBlue]

Dan, There is a book called "Your low tax dream Home" that has many suggestions on how to keep your initial assessment low as you build. It was very enlightening. I have 23.5 acres over in Fulton, as you know, and I pay about 450 in the spring for property tax and another 450 in the fall for school tax. You also may want to find out what kind of discounts you can get from either the county or the state. Veterans get property tax breaks in some counties and if you have an agri business you can get state tax breaks. Agri business can be anything from selling pinecones you grow on your trees, to raising cattle, or growing lavender.


This is great info spiralsands..Thank you kindly! I plan to pick this book up asap!

[DanBlue]

Thank you kindly spiralsands! I plan to pick this book up asap!

[edkemper]

For spiralsands:
Bartlett Pears from a tree moved in full bloom, planted when late in the Spring of 2014 (wrong time to move), bermed by me, mulched heavily with Comfrey, and watered regularly.

I have been provided with almost 100# of apples, pears, plums, corn, squash, tomatoes, etc. that have dropped from my neighbors gardens in the city. We have dumped them on a spot over a 3 week period on our property. Every visit there are obviously fewer and fewer left. We were trying to give the wildlife a place with food that was safe during hunting season.

It costs me more in taxes for a fairly modest modular home on a quarter acre in the city than it does for a few hundred rural acres. However that will change once we get the house and a few outbuildings built.

[DanBlue]

Yes, cheap NY land is out in the sticks. There are a good many properties that are $1,000 per acre or less, even some with water. And yes, I've heard taxes go way up after a house is built on it. Almost like paying a mortgage. I mean, what's the point, if you're going to be paying $700 or $800 a month in taxes with no mortgage?

This is important for folks to understand...I laid out exactly what I planned to build to the tax assessor for the town of Florence where I bought my land, and he was very transparent with me and said he couldn't imagine I would pay more than $1,400.00 per year in property taxes prior to taking advantage of any number of farming tax credits, etc... Taxes in the Tug Hill region of NY will not cost a homesteader $9,600.00 per year....nowhere close. I'd be fine if I ended up paying 3k per year or more to be honest, because I have the most amazing wildlife, lakes, fishing, hunting and old growth forrest surrounding me that one could imagine...Not to mention the timber and running spring fed stream on my land...Everything I could have imagined that I wanted as a resource came to me when I purchased this land in NY..I'm 40 miles directly north of Syracuse, and I feel like I'm alone in the wilderness when I'm out on my land...it is truly amazing.

How could the land I bought be in the sticks when I'm 10 minutes from the town of Camden, Tractor Supply Store, restaurants, shopping, freakin' Dunkin Donuts, organic groceries, etc..etc..10 minutes from the Salmon River Reservoir and about 25 minutes from Lake Oneida!

All I can tell everyone here is that I'm a pretty observant guy, and I travel around this country often...I'm telling you now, that the area I'm in in NY is clean, clean, clean. The community cares about preserving the area, and folks are engaged. It's a homesteader's dream for certain..especially if you like boating, serious fishing & hunting, and being able to pick out most every star at night in one of the most brightly lit skies I've ever seen...

I would imagine I could find this absolute slice of heaven somewhere else..I would LOVE to be in Washington state or Idaho or Colorado, but those parts of the country are simply not practical for me where I currently live and work, and trying to make that work would be a logistical, expensive nightmare.

Sorry to sound as if I'm venting, but the implication is that taxes are $700-$800 per month for a homesteader in NY state.. what are these numbers based on? Land and cabins in the Hamptons?

Thanks for the platform everyone!

[spiralsands]

Some people just don't want to pay any property tax or school taxes. I lived 20 years in Florida and the schools there ROT. You know why? All the northern retirees moving there are people who put their own kids through good schools in areas where the school taxes were higher. Then they go to FL and vote down all school improvements so YOUR kid has to go to high schools where they teach world geography with maps from the cold war era. (True story...my daughter...Countryside High School, Clearwater. And in my case, I moved there as a junior in high school and when I was going to my first day of class, I was handed an old textbook that looked strangely familiar. It was the same history textbook that I used in 8th grade in New York. Now I was using it 3 years later in 11th grade in Florida.) If your kids are smart, too bad. High school cannot afford to teach calculus or higher math so good luck to them in their first year at university. The first year of community college in Florida is mostly remedial for Florida high school graduates who never learned math and writing.

Here where I live in NY, my property taxes are higher, but I get a lot more services for paying them. I used to have to pay out-of-pocket for many of the same services, like water, sewer and garbage, in Florida and that was totally out of control. If I added what I paid annually for water sewer and garbage in Florida and then compared it to what my total New York property taxes are for a nice house in a beautiful neighborhood on 8/10 of an acre, it would show you that it is cheaper for me to live in New York. Even my utilities are cheaper here. That was a nice surprise.

I think I've mentioned in other threads that my car insurance here is half the Florida rate and my home owner's insurance is 1/5th the Florida rate. So let the myths live on and let the haters stay out or move south.

[DanBlue]

Spiralsands,

I was 10 years in Altamonte Springs and 1 year in Ft. Lauderdale... one year I spent in Clark County (Las Vegas) Nevada..Actually lived at the MGM Grand Hotel for that year...interesting stories for a different time...

Yes, the big Florida "Hoodwink" I am very familiar..PA is good at the ole' hoodwink business as well...they are masters at it here in PA!!!

You start living in these states, buy a house etc etc, expecting one thing then slowly you start noticing everything your touching for services is EXPENSIVE...chip a little here, chip a little there...services are very expensive once one adds it all up...I call it the "stuff you have to do to be a citizen" the State gets your money by a "slow roll" like boiling a frog in the hot water trick...you throw him in the luke warm water then he slowly drifts off as the water simmers then boils....I never did the math but I could "feel" it big time when I was in Florida, and I feel it in PA worse than Florida...We've been in PA for 3 years now and these boys are certainly using the Florida handbook..a little chip here, a little chip there...It's stuff that the States aren't necessarily transparent about, and they know it....Freedom?? Yea right!

Below is Forbes list of most corrupt states in the Union..sadly, my birth State of Kentucky, and the State I was raised in Tennessee made the list...I was not surprised AT ALL to see Pennsylvania on this list..Amazed Florida didn't rank higher.....I sure don't see NY on here...thank you very much!



1. Mississippi
2. Louisiana
3. Tennessee
4. Illinois
5. Pennsylvania
6. Alabama
7. Alaska
8. South Dakota
9. Kentucky
10. Florida

[Blondie]

I have fifteen acres about twenty seven miles from town. Will need to put in a water well but he water level is 50 ft so no problem. I will run the inline water pump on solar power without a battery. So that water is only pumped when the sun shines. After trying to deal win the whacko power company...I have purchased enough in solar panels to run the TV, computer, lights and frig/deep freeze. Septic systems are running around 6k right now.

Blondie

[thoner7]

I really have to disagree with the NY taxes. I have been looking for land near Rochester. I was/am looking at a lot in the town of Bristol. So I checked out the neighboring homes assessed values and taxes.

3 bed, 2 bath, 2625 square ft. Assessed for 278,000. Yearly taxes 8500.

Another, built in 2006, 3 bed, 3 bath, 2000 sf. Assessed for 323,000. Yearly Taxes 9900.

This is a 40 minute drive outside of Rochester. This would be Well water, septic, and no garbage pick up. Oh, and this lot happens to be on a gravel road.

I am scared to death of the taxes here, and how fast they go UP.

[rreidnauer]

I have fifteen acres about twenty seven miles from town. Will need to put in a water well but he water level is 50 ft so no problem. I will run the inline water pump on solar power without a battery. So that water is only pumped when the sun shines. After trying to deal win the whacko power company...I have purchased enough in solar panels to run the TV, computer, lights and frig/deep freeze. Septic systems are running around 6k right now.

BlondieThat was my original plan too Blondie. A low volume, no battery, solar welpump to fill a cistern. Then a simple demand pump beyond. (unless I would have found land with sufficient slope to do a gravity pressurized system) But the area I'm at has more than sufficient rainfall to bypass the wellpump portion.

[DanBlue]

I really have to disagree with the NY taxes. I have been looking for land near Rochester. I was/am looking at a lot in the town of Bristol. So I checked out the neighboring homes assessed values and taxes.

3 bed, 2 bath, 2625 square ft. Assessed for 278,000. Yearly taxes 8500.

Another, built in 2006, 3 bed, 3 bath, 2000 sf. Assessed for 323,000. Yearly Taxes 9900.

This is a 40 minute drive outside of Rochester. This would be Well water, septic, and no garbage pick up. Oh, and this lot happens to be on a gravel road.

I am scared to death of the taxes here, and how fast they go UP.

Yes thoner7, I would absolutely agree with you under that sceneiro you've outlined above..but Your talking about homes above a quarter of a million dollars assessed!! I don't believe there is one of those within 30 miles of Florence NY!!..Perhaps I'm wrong, but I'm building in "Land & Camps" country, hunting cabins, fishing cabins, etc...the different counties throughout NY I've learned have huge differences in the % of taxes they collect..I don't know how the counties above compare to Oneida where my land is... Remember, I'm building a small vacation home on my land.. likely no bigger than 18 X 18, so I am correct on what I will pay in taxes..I'm not lost on it. The median household income for Oneida County is about 46k per year, so I believe the residences reflect that. If they don't, then these people are fools to build big houses...I just never planned on building anything near 2600 sq. ft. for my land cabin....Thanks for the response!

[thoner7]

Yea I know, but this is going to be my full time residence. 3 beds and 2000 sf isnt that much. This is Ontario County, which is significantly lower than Monroe or Wayne, and slightly less than Livingston county as far as tax rates go. Ontario country gets a lot of funding from a race track.

[DanBlue]

Hello thoner7,

I see...Interesting point about the race track as I just posted something recently about casino gaming, and how 20 years ago most US states would have said "We will never allow casino gaming in our state..period!" and now it's the rule not the exception..almost every state in the Union has casino gaming..the states will get the revenue by hook or by crook, and they will change tax legislation on a dime...it could (and will) happen everywhere I believe...I was also making the point about land located around the Marcellus Shale, and how I promised myself I would not buy land anywhere near that drama regardless if I owned the mineral rights or not...These folks that are homesteading in PA & West Virginia where the Marcellus Shale is located all pay about one dollar in property taxes per year, but boy oh boy look out when the state (or the Feds) come in and appropriate that land for drilling due to a "National Security" concerns. That gas is valuable, and the powers that be will take it if they want it, regardless of what a deed say, etc...They will drill sideways under your land to get it if desired...This is all a big "if", but I wouldn't even take the remote chance by buying land in this area....


Are you like me in that you're looking for land reasonabley close to where you currently live and work? I would love to have land out in Idaho, Colorado, or Washington State, but it just isn't logistically feasible...My land in NY has more of the resources available than I could have even imagined anywhere, and it's only about 3.5 hours drive from my home in the Lehigh Valley area of PA, so the taxes part of the equation for me is not an issue..It's really, really clean up there as well...really clean, and the community really cares about conservation of the forests, wetlands, wildlife, etc...that stuff matters to me....

I do plan to take advantage of the farming tax credits...perhaps a christmas tree farm...about 2 acres of my 8.6 is pretty much an open field, so it would be perfect for that..low maintenance proposition, etc..and fun to do (I hope) :)

[edkemper]

Over the last 35+ years we've seen an astronomical drop in the income tax rate of the top earners and a fairly equal increase in the cost to the rest of us mostly in property taxes to make up for the loss in income taxes due to the loss of the middle class. Someone has to pay for the programs and services.

Back when I grew up property taxes paid for quality schools that were "free." Now the property taxes are expected to pay for a lot more than they used to cover.