Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

[Mini Horses]

OK ...so this is the TX prop that is split by a road & you toured on the 4 wheeler?

I think it had well/septic on the section across road? Hey, maybe you can rent it out for a double wide?

I'm sorry the KY didn't work out. Long trip to disappointment. It just sounded sooo perfect. Dang it, they didn't say it was on a mountain! Hope the TX property is a place you feel you want to own....not just "a place to be".

 

[Green Acres Farm]

That is why I will NEVER EVER live in Florida! No offense but there is nothing that could make me suffer through that heat!

Completely agree! Not my choice, though. It rains all the time in winter, too, which is awful, but it doesn't snow, because it is too humid- which doesn't make sense to me. I used to live in Tennessee, then North Carolina and miss the snow and dryness there.

 

[Latestarter]

Yes, the property I put the offer on is the one that has 10 acres on one side and the home and 30 acres on the other side.

 

[Bruce]

And it rains in Florida a LOT more during hurricanes Been humid here too. Not as hot as those farther south fortunately. I read people saying it got down to 90 and they could finally do something. When it gets up to 90 here with humidity, we all just dissolve.

Sorry the REA for the KY property was so loose with the "marketing" Joe. I always wonder what people like that are thinking. Maybe someone will show up and NOT notice they need to be a mountain goat to walk around? One of the reasons DD2 didn't go to Colgate was because of the "hilly" terrain. Spouse went with her so I don't know just how much up and down there is. The other reason is that Colgate doesn't give Merit scholarships. You either have to be very well off or very poor to go there.

But as disappointing (and expensive in time and stress on your body) as that trip was, it is good to know that you didn't make a mistake by jumping on the TX property without seeing the KY property first.

Thanks for the "man hug"

 

[Latestarter]

The REA was very apologetic. She said that's what they consider rolling. I guess further east they have "real" mountains... These might not have been high, but they definitely had the shape... as in STEEP! A 60 degree angle slope is the same no matter the altitude... I told her it was OK. I was glad that I at least got to eyeball it and won't have to 2nd guess or have possible regrets. The TX property was quite acceptable even if not "perfect"... It has a lot of potential. I'm gonna need to spend some bucks when I get there, but I know this going in.

 

[babsbag]

Sorry about KY but as you said, at least you won't always say "what if". My land is not level at all and we grow rocks. I am always looking for a semi level spot to build something and it makes me crazy. I have 5 acres and no room for a pig pen that isn't on the side of a mountain or literally in my back yard. Also no place for pasture as irrigation won't stay where I put it. It is very frustrating to say the least. But I have a great view and I am above the winter fog line most of the time so it does have its upside.

Hope the Texas land works out for you.

 

[misfitmorgan]

If you could just do michigan...i just found out there is a place up for sale a block from us.

105 Acres with 5 outbuildings, and a 2 bedroom house/1200sqft for $169,000 been listed for 10 months...around here you could probly get it for 155k.

We seriously want it ourselves but we have already done so much work to the place we are on and we wouldnt have time to make it winter ready for the animals.

 

[Latestarter]

For many years I dreamed about winning the lottery and buying a huge western ranch... you know thousands (even tens of thousands) of acres. https://www.mirrranchgroup.com/ranches/cielo-vista-ranch/ <---If I only had ~105 million but I'd wager I could get it for 90 Major issue though is the entire central area of that property is in a conservation easement I would/could NEVER willingly give the govt control over my property!

When I was younger (we're talking late 70's), I owned a 16 acre piece of wooded property in Maine that I was going to build a cedar log home on. I had even gone so far as to order the log home kit from Ward Log Homes http://www.wardcedarloghomes.com/ Then I got change of station orders to leave Maine and head to Norfolk, VA to join the crew of the USS J F Kennedy, CV67. I had to cancel the kit, plans, and eventually sold that land (gave that maine-iac wife a divorce, raised all those kids myself, retired from the Navy).

That 16 acres seemed soooooooo small. In the past year or so, I've come to question my need/desire for thousands of acres... I mean, how would/could I possibly "protect/possess" it, keep others from using it, hunting/poaching on it, etc? I'd need a full time police force... Kinda know how those British barons must have felt... (starving) serfs killing the king's deer and all that... Anyway, over the past couple of weeks I got the chance to walk a couple of 40 acre tracts and you know what? as long as they are surround by equal or greater lot sizes, I'm fine with that It's more than enough for what I want/am able to do. For most of what I want to do, 10-15 acres would probably work fine. And taking proper care of 10-15 acres and animals would be pretty much a full time job for me.

I don't want to run a huge operation/herd of cattle or anything... just a few (10-20?) goats and maybe 5-10 sheep, a couple of pigs in rotation (rotation into my freezer! ), some chickens (and turkeys?) for meat and eggs, have a garden for veggies, and enough room to breathe and have a little privacy from neighbors, and be able to shoot my guns and hunt a little on my property. Added plus if there was a pond on the property big enough to have some fish in it. But HAD to have water available.

So when I started this new home search I set the bar at 10 acres or greater, and a price range of 160K or less. The property I have the offer on is 39.9 acres, fully perimeter fenced with 5 strands of barbed wire (SO glad that's done!), and with several fenced pastures that I can start out with. There are the 2 parcels, 10-12 acres on one side of the road and the remainder on the other side. Both sides have wells, septic systems and electric available. I will have to finish fencing off the entrance and gating the main property entrance so I can let the dogs run and keep them on the property. I'll also need to run hot wire around the perimeter for the same reason. Then I'm going to need to build a "barn" and or run out shelter for the animals to come, and a chicken coop, and a pig pen. There'll be plenty to do! For now I intend to just leave the smaller parcel as it is... Maybe I'll split it & put the male goats/sheep over there to keep them from the ladies... Not sure yet. After I "own" it, I may sub-divide and put a home up over there and sell it off.

I'm sure I'll spend the rest of my life working that 40 acres trying to turn it into all my dreams in a small package I know right now I have no intention of moving again. This will be the 2nd to last one. The final one will be... well... final if you catch my drift...

 

[Mini Horses]

,.....all my dreams in a small package .....

Ahhhh, aren't dreams great? Yep, my 15 acres is ALLLLLL that I want to take care of -- but, not all that I want then there is the "reality check" and I think of where & how I need to reduce some of the herd to save some work time. Gardens can be a lot of work, didn't even get one in this year. 2 hogs to market at end of month, leaves me to wonder why I am going to deal with 2 preg ones -- then piglets --- downsizing didn't work.

I am selling 6 or 7 young bucks from this yrs kidding. New hens from "wouldn't it be cute" broody hen hatching will lay soon. Don't need eggs or hens BUT, sooo cute.

Worked all AM in this high humidity, in for couple hrs, then back out. Always lots to do. There ARE days I wonder why I am still doing this.


YES -- that "small package of dreams" you will have in those 40 acres will soon FEEL like 1,000. But you will enjoy it & that matters.

 

[misfitmorgan]

i guess one of the big differences i always seem to overlook is that everyone doesnt want to do traditional farming. We do, so more land is always good. Livestock is always good, property for crops/hay is always good, etc. So the hobby farm thing is a bit beyond me i think, not to say its bad or i look down on it or any of that. It's just not something im interested in, our goal is to be farmers and make our income off of farming. We are young and might change our minds later(i doubt it) but for now this is what we want and have always wanted. So basically i should be able to see that as much as im not into hobby farming many others are not into traditional or commercial farming either.

I hope you get the 40 acres your looking at, it's a new adventure for you and im sure everything will work out for you.