Finally underway! My upstate NY 20 x 40 off-grid gets started

[AdironDoc]

That toilet is awfull close to the wall isnt it? No way my big butt could use it. Lol

Not much room for the "reach around", I know! Of course, I went from, "no toilet, let's use the old steaming port-a-can". After assessing its condition as teeming with tiny wiggling creepy crawlers, it changed to, "let's just dig a hole", to finally, "anything inside will do!". In a 16 x 24 space, even this tiny bano takes a chunk out of the living area. On the bright side, if you're drunk, it's impossible to fall down while you're standing at my loo!

[AdironDoc]

Re: tax assessors

The neighbors always know.  No matter how remote you think you are.  And they talk.  It's not like there are a dozen things going on.  It is also in their best interest to let the assessor know.  They pay their fair share for infrastructure and they want an out of towner (who has the money to build in a recession) to pay up too.


Looks great.  The weather must be changing there now.

Darned straight! They "caught wind" that some construction was underway. Meanwhile, nobody else around has even a permit to show. Plus, they assess at what you pay for the land.  As the large lot was sliced into 6 pieces, I get assessed on each, not the original larger. I way overpaid and now they have assessed the land's new value at an additional 25% above that? Not in their dreams is it worth that. I asked the assessor how they came to that, they said they "ballpark" it. (bigger fool theory?) That's over $5K per year on raw land. I called the town assessor again today and shared my feelings. They agreed to consolidate back all the pieces and reassess next year. Why do I feel like I'm paying more than anyone in town? It's enough to scare us city folk off! I thought highway robbery went out with stagecoaches!

[nysono]

Darned straight! They "caught wind" that some construction was underway. Meanwhile, nobody else around has even a permit to show. Plus, they assess at what you pay for the land.  As the large lot was sliced into 6 pieces, I get assessed on each, not the original larger. I way overpaid and now they have assessed the land's new value at an additional 25% above that? Not in their dreams is it worth that. I asked the assessor how they came to that, they said they "ballpark" it. (bigger fool theory?) That's over $5K per year on raw land. I called the town assessor again today and shared my feelings. They agreed to consolidate back all the pieces and reassess next year. Why do I feel like I'm paying more than anyone in town? It's enough to scare us city folk off! I thought highway robbery went out with stagecoaches!

As I said in my post, gotta love NY, not even dinner or a kiss........I figure I have a year tops before they bend me over.  I really like the looks of all the pine and will be doing similar next year.  I have til 10/15 (muzzleloader opens)  to insulate and get gas lines/electric lines in.  After season opens all bets are off for me

[CjAl]

$5k a year isnt a tax bill, thats a mortgage. Thats why i left WI.

[Squirl]

Wow.  I have only a few hundred on 8 acres.  They recently raised my assesment value to 50% over what I paid in an arms length transaction just the year before.  At the same time, they "lowered taxes" by lowering the rate.  So I paid the same amount.

I know you are going off grid.  Make sure they don't tax you on that.

http://dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=NY27F&re=1&ee=1

http://dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=NY07F&re=1&ee=1

[CjAl]

Squirl thats the move they pulled.on.us in WI. NEXT THING YOU KNOW THE RATE WILL START MOVING BACK UP. Its easier for them to.move the rate up then.it is to raise the values.without people freaking out. So they.justify the value.increase with the rate drop but thats short lived. In the 7yr i owned my place in WI my taxes went from $1200 to almost $5k and i was in the lightest tax area in southern wi

i would fight any value.increase with all i had. Afterall property values are dropping like a rock.  My house.is.worth half what it was in 06 when i bought it. The banks wont accept short sales she they are likely to get it back

[duncanshannon]

I wanted to buy a place on a beautiful 20 acres in SW Wisconsin (just SSE of ellsworth) but the taxes were 4k a year and that was just too much.

house/land was $150k IIRC.

[CjAl]

Must have been a while ago at that price. My place was between monroe and new glaurus. Bought it in 01 for $140k. Barely touched it and sold it in 07 for $250k.  It was over 100 yo and on ten acres

[AdironDoc]

Squirl, thanks a bunch for the links. That's good stuff for someone going off-grid!

I note it odd that on the 15 year exemption, there's the clause that allows local municipalities to allow or disallow the exemption. "the law is a local option exemption, meaning that local governments are permitted decide whether or not to allow it." That's a bit like giving a kid the choice of whether to do extra-credit homework or not. As for the energy conservation improvements exemption, it notes  the eligibility to be
"Amount:100% of the value added to the residence by the improvements". I wonder how this is determined. At the very least, it should be equal to the value of all the things we've bought and installed? Has anyone had trouble making these exemptions, incentives and rebates stick?

When I asked a solar guy about my camp, he wasn't sure whether a second residence or recreation property qualified since, out on Long Island at least, power company and local incentives extend only to principle residence. State incentives may well be different. One way or another, I'm gonna push these taxes down.

[nysono]

good luck, you will surely need it.  A bit frosty up here this morning, getting to be that time of year!!

[AdironDoc]

good luck, you will surely need it.  A bit frosty up here this morning, getting to be that time of year!!

Got a frost warning on my phone weather app. Guess you're gearin' up for muzzle loading now and won't hear from you in a while? 

[nysono]

Got a frost warning on my phone weather app. Guess you're gearin' up for muzzle loading now and won't hear from you in a while?  

Oh Ill be here, this is how I pass time between pt's at work.....My weekend work at the camp will slow considerably but weeknight work will continue.

[AdironDoc]

The rain was almost non-stop this weekend but I kept busy. I dug a 50 ft trench at the main camp between my solar panel rack and the house. I hate ditch digging when there's roots and the wet clay hangs on the shovel. Anyway, there's a 52ft run of 1" PVC conduit from house to where I'll mount a weatherproof splice box. I've decided to place the charge controller, inverter and batteries in the basement. I want to be able to use the remote on/off for the inverter when I turn in for the night. Batteries will be in a plastic storage container with a dryer hose up and out through the basement wall to get rid of an off-gassing hydrogen. Putting the inverter in the house means the 50ft run is low voltage so no need to dig the trench too deeply.

The two panels will fit on the rack of 4x4's and butt up against firring strips all around. Metal clips around the edges will hold them down. The rack faces true south at around a 40 degree angle. I still want to brace it diagonally to prevent wobble.



The two panels will fit on the rack of 4x4's and butt up against firring strips all around. Metal clips around the edges will hold them down. The rack faces true south at around a 40 degree angle. I still want to brace it diagonally to prevent wobble.



Also spent a few hours building and raising a slightly smaller structure... 

[AdironDoc]

Finally wrapping things up for the guest cabin. Here's how it looked when I got it.



Last time, I was able to get 2x12's up across what was the open cathedral area. Braced up, got plywood up this time. Gone was the scary ladder. Up went a set of poor man's stairs in different orientation.
Plywood floors covered. Pine boards up over insulation. The eaves are still vented and each time the wind blows, I feel the draft.



It's dark now at the opposite end of loft. Instead of a window, I'm thinking of putting a small door in. Since the roof and horizontal beams continue 8ft beyond the exterior wall, there's a perfect place to hang some 2 bys for a small veranda outside the loft area.

Since the ceiling is high, it doesn't feel any smaller after the cathedral area was closed up. Actually, I think it's cozier.



Next time I'm up, I'll begin the insulation in the rafters. The small 1.4gpm Eccotemp on-demand heater was a disappointment and was impossible to keep at a steady temperature. Scalding or icy. No in-between. Will swap it for my larger unit and see what happens.

[nysono]

very nice, love the kitchen cabinets, we think we are doing the same, both lowes and hd carry them here just have to measure and pick them up......when the wallets a bit thicker.  Yes it was a nasty weekend weather wise, I did manage to get some hunting in though, I was done at 830 sat morning, nice little 125# (dressed) 4 pt in the freezer as of tonight.  My brother had a great opportunity at a 8pt saturday evening but rain and black powder dont do well together.....pop goes the cap no big bang from the pellets kinda makes ya upset.  We didnt get much done at camp this weekend, some clean up and buttoning up for the winter ahead.

[beckhamk]

Where did you get your cabinets?

[AdironDoc]

Where did you get your cabinets?

Got the cabinets at Lowe's in Utica. Seems not all Lowe's carry them in stock. Never seen them down on Long Island. Guess the look is a bit much for city folks!  Steve, in the last post, noted that Home Depots in upstate NY carry them too.

Steve, I'm jealous you bagged something the first day of the season! I was considering taking up black powder, but can't justify the expense for what would amount to an extra weekend twice the year. Not yet anyway. For now we'll just have to live vicariously through you

G

[MountainDon]

Blackpowder is a whole lot of fun though too. That is if it's the old side lock type of muzzleloader.. One of my addictions. 

[metolent]

wow, very cool!  I can't imagine working on two places concurrently...   but they both look great!

We are thinking of going with those same hickory cabinets from Lowe's or HD as well. 

[AdironDoc]

wow, very cool!  I can't imagine working on two places concurrently...   but they both look great!

We are thinking of going with those same hickory cabinets from Lowe's or HD as well. 

I liked the rough and heavily knotted look. In fact, the center of a few knots have deep grooves and indentations. Each was very different and among the same cabinets, some were smoother and more regular. I chose the rougher. My friend from the city had a look at a closeup photo and asked if I had gotten any money off due to the "damage". 

[AdironDoc]

Just as the temps dropped into the 20's, the stovepipe and roof collar were in! Though the 2x6's in the walls aren't insulated yet, there's enough R-factor in the foam insulation in the roof and behind the siding to keep some heat in. In contrast, there's plenty of insulation in the walls of the guest cabin and knotty pine boards, but with the roof open, the balloon framing lets the heat slip out. Running out of propane at midnight didn't help either! 

Wood stove is 22 inches from wall. Heat shield on bottom and top result in manufacturer clearance much closer, but better safe than sorry. Wall will also be sheetrocked, spacers set, wonderboard installed, and engineered river rocks set in place.



I gave the camp a nickname. Same as mine up here.


Guest camp got a stove (a birthday gift) in anticipation of power this season. I guess that will also mean reliable hot water, heat, and the like.


A beautiful sight just behind the guest camp. I set myself up not far off.


Beats any day at work!


Best view in the house:


Water collection runs from steel roof to rainbarrel, to intake of pump, through filter, to shower/toilet.


50Watts. Luckily, house faces almost exactly true south.

[AdironDoc]

Thanksgiving weekend. Insulated behind woodstove, put up 5/8" Type X sheetrock, vapor barrier, lattice of 1.5" steel studs and duraraock bolted with 6" lag screws into 2x6 studs. That leaves an open 3" space behind the durarock board. The space is vented from bottom and open on top. Scratch coat was not as easy as I thought but went fairly well. How the cultured stones, some weighing a few pounds will adhere after being "buttered" escapes me. Well, guess I'll have to see for myself next week. For now, back to my day job.








Next week:

[nysono]

very nice.....will be doing similar next summer behind our stove only will be flat stone from our land.....I think thats all that grows there.  Got any meat in the freezer yet?
Steve

[AdironDoc]

Thanks Steve. Unfortunately, nothing in the freezer. I have one week left unless I buy a muzzle loader. Plenty scat, tracks, and roadkill. From the stand and blind, nothing. Cams, nothing. I know they wait for my truck to leave, then they sit around my fire ring drinking my beer.

I bought the Stonecraft from Lowes at around $50 a box. got three boxes total, so not bad. Only drawback is if you really look closely, you can tell. Also, there are very light chalky scratches on the surfaces from shipping. I'm not sure how to cover that or smooth that out. I may mix some small real stones from the creek to fill the larger gaps and add some realism. After I finished, I realized an error I made. The tarpaper I used as a vapor barrier should have been over the durarock cement board. I was thinking, keep the paper away from heat. I set it against the sheetrock, 3 inches behind the durarock. It should have been used as a bond breaker just behind the lath. Hopefully it ends up having little impact on anything.

Good luck on the final weeks hunting. I'm always looking for more photos in your thread. BTW, I was up in Boonville buying a lamp I found on CraigsList. You're not far from there I gather?

Cheers,
Glenn

[nysono]

Good luck on the final weeks hunting. I'm always looking for more photos in your thread. BTW, I was up in Boonville buying a lamp I found on CraigsList. You're not far from there I gather?

Cheers,
Glenn
[/quote]

Im about 45 minutes to an hour from boonville, or so....Hunting has been poor for us this year too.  The weather has been against us since day one I believe.  Our family did manage to put 6 in the freezers so far but it has been very tough