Where is the land? The land without restrictions?

[kainnation]

I am wondering where I might be able to find inexpensive land without restrictions. I found 5 acres of mountain land for $6300.... problem there is the covenants don't allow more than dogs, cats, horses or aquariums. How do I get around this? I fell in love with that 5 acres! Everything else I can find within two hours of me is all plains land with restrictions on 10 acres of 2 animals ie a goat and a cow.

I obviously need more. What can be done about this? The whole point of me taking this step and buying land with cash is to become debt free and self sufficient. How can I do that with the man all over me?

[Deberosa]

Where are you located? Places are out there, but don't make the mistake of thinking you will be able to get around or change covenants. Or even think that they will stay the same! That happenned to me - once they have covenants they seem to always get more restrictive. Look at county land. Around here it's pretty open where you can find places without restrictions but not sure about your area. You may need to relocate...

For me, when I saw my place was across the road from a salvage yard I was happy! The operation doesn't bother me a bit but I can be assured the restrictoins can't get to bad as long as they stay in business! ;-) Now I had co-workers at the time that were also looking for land and when they found out where I bought said they looked at it also - and refused to live across from a salvage yard. Based on my knowledge of that co-worker (yuppie all the way!) I am also pretty assured that others like him will look elsewhere for a place. Even better!

I guess what I am trying to get across is adjust your standards and your expectations - think outside the box when looking at a property. It's those kinds of places that make excellent homesteads in my opinion if you want to get away from "the man". ;-)

[ASG]

Depends on how far you want to be from civilization. Only "restrictions" on my land are state laws on distances between outhouses/septics and water sources and structures (which you'd have to be foolish to not follow anyways), and there are narrow access easements on the very edges that can't be built on. That's it, other than that, anything goes, and no permits are needed for anything...

[beekeeper]

Not many restrictions here either.

No hunting within 100 yards of anyone else' house.

Anything with a 'permanent' foundation must have a building permit [stone or concrete]. Any temporary structure [anything without a stone or concrete foundation] needs no permit.

Forest land sells for $300 per acre. With maintained paved roads; power / phone / DSL at the pavement, all within easy access of the freeway.

[logansackett]

okay you 2 quit braggin and spill it. where are you guys at, what state? 300 per acre sounds pretty dang good to me, I only want 5.

[ASG]

Mine was $550 an acre, but there's no taxes on it...unorganized area in Alaska...

[logansackett]

Alaska was a dream of mine 20 years ago, but it may be a little too far off the grid for me now. Maybe I'm getting soft in my middle age.

[walls0stone]

BUT IT"S TOUGHER IN ALASKA! ;D

[msta999]

Alaska was a dream of mine 20 years ago, but it may be a little too far off the grid for me now. Maybe I'm getting soft in my middle age.


Just go up to Icy Bay (SE AK). There are homes sitting there vacant. Been there since after WWII, but still look sound. There are a few squatters there now. There is also a couple there who have lived up there for over 20 years. He Rents cabins to hunters during the season and a little gold panning for other money. His wife does crafts and stuff along with gardening and such.

[beekeeper]

oops, I am in Maine.

We do have land taxes though. I have been paying $1.05 per acre per year.

[EarthMother]

I am in Missouri and we have no restrictions I know of. I am 5 miles from town and 30 from a major tourist area. We built new and bought no permits. Land is over a $1000 an acre. I wish it wasn't so much. I can live my life on my place as I want too. Well as long as I don't break state and federal laws. :)

[megdesmik]

Wow, wish I could find something here without restrictions as well. We live in a VERY small town (one redlight) out in the boonies. Even though I've seen people in 'town' with horses in their backyards, I can't seem to find ANY land that isn't restricted, even the land further out in the boonies and land here is going upwards of 15 - 20,000 per acre! I'm in Benton Tn

[beekeeper]

Sorry, not for no $3k/acre.

[walls0stone]

were is the land?

[walls0stone]

I love it, they are now paying $2,500 an acre for gas lease (5 year lease) That means that they pay you 2,500 an acre, each year...and even if they don't drill...they pay. You still own the land ect. if they drill, you get way way more than that every month!!!!! so it's justtice... since 78, they have messed with farmers and now we can keep our homes and make a living. drilling 2 more wells this week in my county alone... so push for natural gas cars!

[wy0mn]

Restrictions aren't all bad. As much as I like the forum membership here I still wouldn't want a pontooned outhouse upstream of me, from any of you!

Some jackass wanted to buy property next to me and make a pit for dirtbikes to race! Right out in the middle of Natures best! He was convinced by mutual threats to pull his head out and weigh the costs.
My uber-remote property came with covenants, I was worried about them at first, re-read them and laughed. They weren't written by anyone with any legal training! Loopholes my arse, I couldn't find the solid parts.
We have a 'given' law & covenant. We are so far out that if you piss off your neighbors its a 'given' that you'll have a random lightning strike...
We have a house in Medicine Bow. No traffic lights, no cop, magistrate, nor constable & our Judge is leaving. The Carbon County Sheriff told people to their faces that there was nothing that could make him respond to this place!
The Albany County Sheriffs department probably isn't even aware of the existance of the road my other property lies on. Its a standing joke that we even have a 'County' Sheriff, since he himself can't seem to find his way outside the Laramie City limits!

[walls0stone]

like the way you do things. little brats were running cars on this road after it was redone. Sure I was a fuzz-nutt once to but cars aint' toys and I got children. So we told the boys we'd start crushing cars with the 550 JD (bulldozer)
father in law was fussing over it, he's from Scranton Pa...but here, we wash our own laundry.

[Cowgirl]

Illinois here.

I have a few acres and no restrictions at all on livestock. I have horses, goats, and chickens. We're talking about getting a couple of pigs, but that's a back burner project as we've got a few irons in the fire! We can have whatever we want, though.

We are surrounded by forest, with plentiful game, and we can harvest firewood for heating.

The soil is excellent and the climate is great for growing food, so we are able to produce much of our needs here - vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, meat, dairy. This is also a good area for rainwater catchment to supplement your well. The wells in our area are excellent. No worries about "water rights" around here.

There are some restrictions. You can't drill a well in the middle of your septic field. :P I don't view that as a bad thing, though, and some people are stupid enough to do it and then not mention it to the next person who buys the property.

We don't really have an enforced building code here in this very rural area. That's good for the builder who knows what he or she is doing and doesn't want to wait for an inspector to check out what you are doing before you move to the next step. But it is buyer beware too - you'd best know something about safe building practices (electrical, plumbing, construction) if you are buying a place that is already built, or hire a home inspector who knows and who is thorough (some are better than others).