Looking for land in the Southeast

Started by anniesfire, April 21, 2005, 02:13:46 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

anniesfire

My husband and I are looking for land in the southeast .We are in Alabama and we are looking for an acre or 2 in North Alabama.There are non to be found that  no one wants to sell separately.Any one knows?We don't require much but we want to live half off the grid.So can anyone tell me rules and regulations? Annie

glenn-k

Rules and regs vary from place to place.  Living off grid is for me. ;D


Amanda_931

So much of Alabama is owned by timber/paper companies it may be difficult to find land for sale.

Actually, as far as I can tell, the timber/paper companies, e.g. Champion International, are always buying and selling property, often in largish quantities, although I looked at some 16 acre pieces that were being sold by a timber company before I bought here--got a truly awful case of chigger bites, as I itched, I wasn't surprised that the agent wouldn't come out and show me the land.  

Despite the fact that Wayne County Tennessee (over the border from the Shoals area, Lauderdale county) has lots of Timber/paper owned land just like the rural areas of Alabama, it's barely possible that you'd have better luck up here--this may be true all along the border.

But 3-8 acre lots are pretty widely available here, and biggish parcels of 150 or more acres.  But Mr. In-Between is hard to mess with.  

(it's a song)

United Country Real Estate is not big at all in Alabama.  It's all over the place up here, two offices in the most sparcely populated county in Tennessee,  for instance.  Might not be the right people to buy from/through, but you would get an idea of what to expect.


anniesfire

Thanks,we were looking for something anything really .Alabama is my home state and I figured I wouldn't find anything here. Any time you like a place :P thats what happens.I love Tennessee it's really nice there.Ancestral home too.I don't think hubby would like it tho.I'm still gonna look and see if we can find anything (1 to 2 acres).I would even take something like a trailer that needs remodeling. Got to get out of this city.LOL I'd would like to get away with as little as possible.

anniesfire

Hey Glenn could you tell me what kinda setup you have for living off the grid.My husband is not too kosher on the idea cause he likes electric. We  have a freezer and this computer that we like to be on (business) and I have NO idea where to look.The solar thing I have researched(cost Money)and the water is abundant here(how to store water is no problem). I want to spend as little as we can to save extra money.Got any suggestions????


glenn-k

#5
We have a 1KW Bergey wind generator and 1320 watts of solar panels now.  4KW Trace sine wave inverter so can use normal appliances - 8 L16 storage batteries and a small diesel generator for backup.

I think a modest off grid setup would cost around $12000 to put together- I've been doing mine a piece at a time.  It depends on how much you do yourself and how much you want to do with it.  We do nearly all we want but watch wasting it especially in the winter.  Now we have excess power we use to pump water rather than burn off to keep from overcharging the batteries.

We usually run 2 computers, printer, DSL and wireless router, print server, phones, refrigerator, freezer, coffee maker, lights as necessary, water pump, occasionally a small welder, table saw, compressor, skill saw, hot tub filter, electric jack hammer, etc.  If we get short on power we can kick on the generator but usually doesn't happen in summer.  

You do have to maintain it- you don't pay the electric company but you do become it. ;D

If you have water in good quantity with some good elevation, you could also go hydro-electric.  

My guess is a guy who doesn't mind paying the electric company won't like making his own.  I love it but then again, I'm crazy. :)

anniesfire

Glenn thanks for the reply
Hubby is not mechanically inclined and even with the research I have done has been a little at a time .We had on planning to do this a little at a time.My husband was worried and mainly concern with water and electric.We use now a kerosene heater during the winter which we have to cause we have no other heat in this house.We use every now and then oil lamps for saving some on electric.If you don't mind I would like to print out your comment and keep it in my files for later looking over.

I have a brother for helping on constuction of the cabin but we just have to find the right  piece of land :-/  I have a list already started for the plans and I want to add to them.Any help from anyone will greatly be appreciated and get some of this stress off.

glenn-k

Please feel free to do so.  Always willing to help.  There is a lot of information on the internet regarding solar power.  Much is written so people without experience can understand it, if they have the desire to learn.  Glenn

Amanda_931

Prices for land do go down, sometimes way down, per acre as you go up in size.

And privacy goes up.

Chances are pretty good that a wind generator will not be worth it in this part of the country.  Unless you buy a place with a good solid mast already installed.   (Actually I heard of a place like that for sale in Giles County, I think the wind system was not working, never had very well, and it was quite a while ago)

Mini-hydro takes its place as the fairly inexpensive way to generate.   Not for me, but I've run into a couple of people around here who have them, one part time, one full time.  (my springs and streams are down at the bottom of my property, although the ram pump king swears that I could use a ram pump--but he hasn't seen that spring during the summer droughts)

The area down near the Coon Hound Cemetery has wonderful gushing springs that would be perfect.  (Near Red Bay Alabama, south of U.S. 72 not far from the Mississippi border.)


anniesfire

I hope so on the land prices but the southeast is building up with all the new car manufacturing places coming in. Before it was the north but prices in the south are cheaper for the car dealerships.Now the price of land has skyrocketed here. How is Tennessee on their taxes mainly state and federal?Here they tax you for everything and its getting worse.

I also am looking for some unrestricted land and no time limit to build and you can put what you want on it. Thanks for the replies. :)

Amanda_931

Have to go with what the real estate agent says or take a look at the deed for what restrictions might or might not apply.  Timber and mineral rights can  be sold separately from the land.  If you have a small lot in a town, they'll probably get upset if you don't keep it mowed.

My understanding is that most places have codes.  Not every place enforces them.  Including a lot of places in rural Tennessee.

Tennessee is not on the list of no-state-income tax people, but it taxes only out-of-state interest.--e.g., a savings account in an Alabama bank.

For most of us, our tax bill would be less if we did have a state income tax, for our sales tax is over 9%.  Friends up in the northern part of the state try very hard to do most of their grocery shopping in Kentucky, which does not tax food.  We tax that at maybe a percentage point less than the regular sales tax.

anniesfire

We have just about decided on New Mexico Tennessee is a little over the top. I have found some listing in N.M. with no  restrictions and time limit to build. Here we have these already put together 14x30 buildings which is about the same size as a small trailer and you put what you want in it. They run about 4800.00.This is what we were looking at cause its just my husband and I and our 2 dogs.

As far as water and electric I checked in one county and found if you are using it as a hunting or camping type cabin you can use the woods but if you are going to live in it you have to have a water source for flushing and bathing. Some counties here (in poor populated areas) its just water.Or a septic system. And they have water but no electric.Blah blah blah with the codes LOL.

I am realizing there is no place yet I can find(Glenn?)that will allow you to live completely off the grid here in the south.Electric Yes Water No.So this is my delema on this subject. We are trying to find a warm state(not Florida either) that has more sun and less rain.So there it is anybody got an idea???Not southern california either.


glenn-k

I use my solar power to pump water- springs are another possible low cost source if they are kept clean and the water is potable.

anniesfire

A water pump is already on my list with a few other ideas.Mainly now its just the land to get started with. ;D


jonseyhay

Come over here,
we have a warm state That's definitely not in Florida or, Southern California. About 300 days sunshine, hardly any rain, really good beer, the odd goanna for the barbie, and the pollies don't bother us much (to hot for those ratbags out here) What more could you want.
jonesy
 ;D

anniesfire

Thanks but you didnt tell me where you were duh me LOL

glenn-k

#16
Jonesy's in Australia.  If you use his advice be advised that you have to turn it all upside down for it to work up here.   Had any other interesting critters on the barbie lately, Jonesy ???

While trying to figure out what a polly is I came across a ratcatcher and don't know what it is.  I assume after another sleep you might tell me? ;D

anniesfire


glenn-k

#18
I am quite sure that most of them are not as smart as a kangaroo. ;D  I think some of the pollies would go good on the barbie though.

anniesfire



jonseyhay

Hi Anniesfire,
 Sorry about forgetting to tell you where we are but I see my old mate Glenn has fixed that.  It's only a short bike ride but you would probably want to pack a sandwich.

You got it Glenn,
Most of them aren't as smart as a kangaroo. Don't know if you would want to chuck one on the barbie though, to tough I would think. Having said all that, there must have been the odd bright one about. After all, they did manage to build themselves a nice underground house in Canberra.
jonesy  ;)
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=pollies&btnG=Google+Search&meta=cr%3DcountryAU

afternoonwillow

the reason Jonsey doesn't have that much rain is cause I get it all here in Northern Ca...but, it's easier to go off grid here with the wind/solar/etc...it's the cost of the land I can't handle....if I could find something in the price range...I might stay...but...as for
alabama...have you looked near
robertsville/robertsdale...sorry...meds....close to florida...nice folks...land isn't outrageous....I have friends there who have only propane generators and love it....bad weather is the threat of hurricanes of which there have been too many lately.....but...

Amanda Pope

Thanks I haven't thought of south but we are from florida anyway.It might be nice to go south instead of north. I'll take a look at that and see what I can find Thanks!!!

Amanda Pope

Hey Glenn-well how  does southern California grab ya?We couldn't find a cotton pickin thing here.I have a friend in Cali and she is hoppin to have me come out, I know  we would have to watch out for wildfires LOL but.......Do you know of any thing with a low price???We are kinda like hippies!!!
                 Thanks Amanda

Chuckca

#24
Prices in CA are high...we live in central CA...the area is considered to be AFFORDABLE by CA standards....right now....the least expensive home in my sub-division (320 homes) for sale is $390,000....the highest is $525,000...these are average homes on lots that range from 7300 - 8500 sq ft....decent land is getting hard to find....when you do get something that meets your needs....it's very expensive....

Southern  CA is 2-3 times more expensive :(