Starting over... a hard decision.

[Deberosa]

I've been working at building Deberosa for 5 years now. Kurt's been here for three. We are just to the point that a good 80 percent of our food comes from the homestead. And then they ship my job to India. WHy is it that I had to prove I was a citizen to get a job but it can be shipped to India? I am still struggling with that. Completed lots of high dollar project but none of it mattered...

Once I get beyond that we have to figure what to do. Jobs are not plentiful, and I have a specialized skill. Making alot of money would be easy - go into consulting and be on the road three quarters of the time.... Or there is an opportunity in Radford,VA which is about as stable as I could get - my boss who also got canned starts there in Feb and wants me to join her. I know and trust her and know I would be very successful at that job... BUt Radford, VA is about as far from the Olympic Peninsula as you can get!

If we sold out we could get an even larger homestead in that area after checking the market but what about neighbors and all of the trees, berries, grapes, kiwi, herbs etc. etc. that will just start producing here this year??? We would be starting over... And all of those tools, machines, etc. etc. that I've carefully collects would not be able to be transported that long a distance. THe livestock would have to be restarted... How does one make such a huge move? What to take and what to sell???

Is this worth it? Or should I hit the road for a while? It's a very hard decision. Especially since I would be close enough to family to provide them with meat (within a days' drive)... And to think I was so close that I could almost have told them to stick it and live my own life. Not quite there.

I haven't been on - the bits of bickering here seem petty when each of us is going to be confronted with our own version of this SHTF I am totally convinced of it...

Anyhow - Southwest VA - is it a good location? Kurt has already checked out hunting, concealed carry, and his license, all are reasonable - especially the hunting compared to western Washington!!! Taxes are low and many places in the 20-40 acre range much cheaper than what I could sell my current homestead for...

[bee_pipes]

Good to see you back Deb. That's a tough pill to swallow. It's an opportunity - maybe pay off Deberosa and get a new place with no note on it? But the intangibles - moving away from family, leaving behind all your work, the stuff you can't move. Maybe on the road for a year or two to get debt free and stay put? When do you want to stop working outside the homestead anyway? One year, five years, ten?

This is a big decision and definitely rates as much time as you can take to mull over the pros & cons.

I grew up in Northern Virginia - about as different from the rest of the state as you can get. The Old Dominion can be a pain in the butt when it comes to taxes and weird, antiquated regs, but a lot of people thrive there. Water is usually not as much as a problem as it is in the west, and the mountains are drop dead gorgeous. The climate is lush - harder to get stuff not to grow. It gets real muggy in the summer and cold in the winter, but beats New England or the midwest for severity of winters.

Good to hear from you.

Regards,
Pat

[CarolAnn]

Deb - wonderful to hear from you again!

I can't tell for sure, but it sounds like you have two very good choices to pick from! So many folks are trapped (or so they believe) with no choices at all for their futures - I know you'll pick the best for you and your family and it will work out well whichever one you choose.

My reasoning? It's my belief that good things come to those who believe, who dream and who strive to bring those good dreams into being. That's what you've been doing all along, and even though some of the details change - you've got the overall picture very clearly, and the spirit to carry you through it.

[Terri]

It might come down to emotional factors. Personally, as long as I have my little acre, I do not want to move again. I have been poor a couple of times, but, I just do not want to move!

So, for us, *IF* we could stay we would! Even if we would be more prosperous elsewhere.

Then again, you might not agree!

[sbemt456]

Deb really glad you are posting again. I was just sitting here wondering what happened to some of the nice knowledgeable folks that were on when I joined. Just trust your own abilities and heart to take you where you will prosper.

Prayers and blessings from Kentucky.

stella

[MooseToo]

they say that one way to make God laugh is to make firm plans - sanity requires flexibility and i am confident you'll handle any decision you make -

[flatwater]

I'm with moose.
flatwater

[TSJ]

I went and did a county search at Pulaski County Virgina property at landsofvirginia.com. It looks pretty darn nice. But then I don't live on the Olympic pennisula either.

[jen_in_southtexas]

Great to see you again and nice chatting with you the other evening. I know you are having some tough decisions to make but it will come to you and just do what you think is best. Take this time to think things through.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

-jen

[Deberosa]

Thanks everyone. I checked out that link and found even more places than when I looked at the other link I had. Seems we would have our pick if this place were sold. Hmmm. Now to get moved... How does one move a tractor and equipment? We have two pickups with canopies, one is a big Ford with a trailer hitch.

I guess one can only do the best they can and hope the rest works out.

[DM]

Thanks everyone. *I checked out that link and found even more places than when I looked at the other link I had. *Seems we would have our pick if this place were sold. *Hmmm. *Now to get moved... *How does one move a tractor and equipment? *We have two pickups with canopies, one is a big Ford with a trailer hitch. *

I guess one can only do the best they can and hope the rest works out.

Deb,

When i moved 4,500 miles from Alaska, i made a few trips doing it. Man, what a haul!! I had been there 25 years, so you know i had junk to move... lol

You aren't going near that far, so you can do it! "IF" that's what you really want to do.

In my case, it's what i really wanted, so i got it done, and you can too!! I've never regretted the move, it was a good one for me.

DM

PS, You can store your tractor and equipment here (leave the keys) untill you decide... :) :D ;D 8)

[MooseToo]

folks who move a lot have learned that the easiest thing to transport over long distances is cash - sell it where you are leaving and buy it where you settle -

[Deberosa]

*Deb,

*When i moved 4,500 miles from Alaska, *i made a few trips doing it. *Man, what a haul!! *I had been there 25 years, so you know i had junk to move... *lol

*You aren't going near that far, so you can do it! *"IF" that's what you really want to do.

*In my case, it's what i really wanted, so i got it done, and you can too!! *I've never regretted the move, it was a good one for me.

*DM

*PS, *You can store your tractor and equipment here (leave the keys) untill you decide... * :) *:D *;D *8)


A simple solution to a big problem! Moose, I would but I think I would only get pennies on the dollar for what I have in this market and then have to pay full price on the other side...

BUT, stretching out the move is very interesting. I am sure my friend with 40 acres down the road would "store" my tractor for free till I can get it moved! That may work with alot of the big stuff - Have another friend who would "store" my Kubota lawn tractor too! They could keep it till we got settled and came back to claim it! Hmmm. Then maybe one storage unit for all of the other stuff temporarily... Flying back and driving a U-haul once a year would be alot cheaper than trying to buy all of this stuff new....

[TSJ]

I had my son's car hauled from Ft Lewis in Washington to Houston, TX when he was sent overseas to S. Korea. While it wasn't exactly cheap it was fairly reasonable, <$1000.00(?? can't remember exactly). I'll bet you can get your tractor (if it is not a huge Iowa cornfield big iron type tractor) and your pickup moved for less than $4,000. If that is too much, you can space it out and move one during one year and one the next year if your neighbors don't mind letting them park for that long.

[DM]

A simple solution to a big problem! *Moose, I would but I think I would only get pennies on the dollar for what I have in this market and then have to pay full price on the other side...

BUT, stretching out the move is very interesting. *I am sure my friend with 40 acres down the road would "store" my tractor for free till I can get it moved! *That may work with alot of the big stuff - Have another friend who would "store" my Kubota lawn tractor too! *They could keep it till we got settled and came back to claim it! *Hmmm. *Then maybe one storage unit for all of the other stuff temporarily... *Flying back and driving a U-haul once a year would be alot cheaper than trying to buy all of this stuff new....




How much does it pay? I might move a load for you... lol

When i moved from Alaska, i back hauled a full trailor load of rough cut cherry lumber i had in my barn here... lol Then i sold it to an architect there who was building a new house, and he paid me to turn it into cabinets, trim ect. all the next winter. That worked out great for that trip but a person isn't always that lucky...

DM

[flatwater]

Heres a thought , Pile up everything you have on an old flatbed pickup with a rocking chair strapped on the very top. then when you get there they will think your just moving in from Oklahoma and won't think your a foriener coming in to jack the land prices up. Damn I'm smart.

[Deberosa]

You guys are a riot! *ANd DM *- I may be contacting you! ;-) *Consider price of Uhaul one way, mileage, gas, motels, etc. etc. you may just have a job. *;-) Just don't get lost on the way with my tractor. ;-)

My boss e-mailed me real estate ads all day today. *I think she wants me to apply for that job. ;-)

[rivahmom]

VA is beautiful and the southwestern section is my favorite area but we are highly regulated in this state (which is why I'm leaving ASAP). You need permits for just about everything. There is also alot of taxes and licensing depending on your career choice. Beware of cheap property here. Some lots don't perk and it will cost a lot of extra money and time getting the permits and putting in an alternate system. You also have to watch out because many places are considered a Chesapeake Watershed which means more permits and regulation in order to build or farm. There is very little industry in that part of VA so research alternate employment options. I really can't compare VA to your location completley but I have lived in Cali and would choose VA over it anyday. Good luck.