Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

[Latestarter]

Sounds to me like you basically got the property for the land value... There's going to need to be a pretty substantial additional investment of funds to get it back to an ideal living situation... If I were 20 years younger, I'd have considered something like that, though with the home in that shape and a single wide, I don't think I could have found decent financing. Wish you the best of success with it though!

 

[Mike CHS]

Latestarter - I do seriously think this was a meant to be home for you. I got a seriously good deal on our place but we have put a pot of money into it not to mention a ton of sweat equity. I'm glad we did what we did but I think you have the potential to get set to get livestock about the time we are and we have been at it for 3 1/2 years.

 

[misfitmorgan]

I must have gotten super lucky with my place, I know it's rough, but it's a little over 10 acres, spring fed pond (drained, just need to put the earth dam back), lots of really nice grass, small barn (old dairy farm), partly wooded, but mostly grass, BIG house (needs a TON of work though, ceiling has fallen in in one bedroom and bathroom no longer exists), and a singlewide trailer (no power or water to it, but that could be changed) for just over $50,000

Sounds like ours 20 acres, tons of work, falling apart trailer...but old dairy barn and some outbuildings...for $45,000

 

[babsbag]

@Latestarter, I completely agree about being young and buying a fixer upper. We had a fixer in the city and "fixed" it for 23 years. It was a great home but boy oh boy was it a lot of work. Before that we had built a house so I insisted when we moved that we either buy already built or buy a manufactured home. I was NOT building another house, ever. We put in the laminate flooring (which I hate), tiled the kitchen back splash, installed the wood stove, and built the garage, the rest was done. There is enough to do on acreage without having to focus on the roof over your head too.

 

[greybeard]

I went the other way. Acquired the property first, cleared it, had a house built, fenced and cross fenced, then fence some more, then built the grass farm, built the working pens, and then put cattle on it, then came the outbuildings. Mostly did it that way so if something happened to me at any stage along the way after the house was finished, wife would have a nice place to live no matter what. I do not regret it.

 

[Latestarter]

Thankfully (or not - depending on your viewpoint) I no longer have a wife to worry about. It's just me, which has good and bad sides... I really don't have to worry about providing for a surviving spouse. Whatever there is left when I'm gone will go to my kids, and what they choose to do with it is up to them. I'll obviously try to do things in a manner to leave them something of value as if there's no value for them, how could there be any for me? At the same time, I have nobody to help share the load, work, successes, failures, and life in general. But I've made some friends locally there and that will suffice

 

[Baymule]

Joe, God is blessing you in abundance! There will be bumps along the way, but the hand of God is assisting you as you make this move. There is something I call The Attitude Of Gratitude. The way is works is right when everything blows up in your face and poo rains down all over you, step back, take a deep breath and spend 10 minutes thanking God for everything that is right in your life. After you've done that, scrape the poo off and thank God for the extra fertilizer! Then get on with what ever you are doing. You will go from grumpy/angry to smiling and happy.

 

[babsbag]

My grandma used to tell me "I have the same clothes to get glad in that I had to get mad in."

Attitude is more important than we realize.

 

[Mini Horses]

I so agree, even tho we are "living our dream" (ain't it a shame we have to be so old to start!??) it is nice to have someone to share with -- the ups/downs, encouragement, general input, our joy & frustration....like you, I do this alone. So the forum "family" is a nice place to vent & share. Most of them are in similar situations -- not necessarily loners -- so they understand how the frustration and pleasure works during & after a loooong day of labor & sweat, the good birth of a kid, the loss of a lamb, the hatching of chickens. They understand and support.

Even at great distance, sometimes you can feel them next to you. It helps. Now I would probably do more with another to share & I do not mean a husband/wife, just a good friend or neighbor, or child, grandchild -- a person there on a fairly regular basis to look, pull a weed, help hang a gate, etc. Not interested in much more, I do enjoy the benefits of being my own boss & making MY own schedule, no $$ questions or dirty laundry. (I do miss my hubby who was a jewel and shared my passions)

Now, if someone could just clean my house while I finish fencing, it would be great!My late DH hired a maid & helped me fence!

 

[babsbag]

I can say from experience that the frustration of having that significant other and still doing it alone is a lot more frustrating than doing it by ourselves in the first place. Only I get the dirty laundry and dirty dishes. I get help on occasion and I can get it if I beg but usually with an attitude attached so most of the time I just go it alone. They are gone most of the week anyways so it works...barely. But I did convince them to help me build a dairy...