Ok everyone I agree with you all! We live in the city and my husband brings home 24,000 a year. We rent, 50.00 a week in groceries if we are lucky, No car note, No Long Dist on phone, no cable, Hell we dont even drink sodas or buy chips. But my problem is I know that in the country we can live on less.But it is getting there!! As honest and hardworking as we are I dont see people lining up to give us a break. The few who are willing to help us still want around 10,000 down. I have never even seen 10,000 dollars in one place. Hehe We have no credit and we don't have rich parents. THe only way we can figure it out is for Michael( mu husband ) to go back to school for 2 years on computers and get a job making 40-50,000 a year and then in 2 to 3 years have enough saved to buy our land. If anyone has any better Ideas please send them, or if you have land or know someone who can help us in E.Tennessee,Arkansas,Mississippi somewhere down here please let me know. I can't figure out a better way!!!

:@( Jennifer

-- Jennifer (jenniferthf@aol.com), March 04, 2002

Answers

You are going to find the difference in living on a homestead is where you spend your money. We don't spend much on groceries as we raise most of our food and can it. Its much better eating but how much cheaper questionable. Today we are hauling straw for the gardens already $67 dollars and today two loads atanother 186 dollars. buying seed hauling compost and manure, tiller repairs, tractor fuel, how about a used small tractor $6,000 now lets keep them up. I am not trying to discourage you just be real in your expectations. True if you cut back to no power, no phone, no car no modern conviences you will not need much money but most do not want to step that far back. House payments rent are still about the same, cars cost the same, utilities about the same. You have cut expenses about as far as you can and I congratulate you on that most people just can't do that. I belive I swapped email about some land we had for sale and remember the phrases you use. Is there anyway you could get a job even a part time at a fast food resturant if you put it away would add up pretty fast and you have already shown you can budget and handle money much better than most people any age much much better than most young. I worked two jobs for years to get my dream started and was 45 when I finally found the farm of my dreams that matched my savings. I worked another 10 years living at or below the poverty level to get it to where I could live on it, have the equipment needed to operate, and be able to retire and enjoy it. You can too its not easy but you can do it. Living on a homestead is not necessarly cheaper, its sure not easier on the body, but is it worth it yes yes a thousand times yes

-- David in North Al (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), March 04, 2002.

Hello Jennifer,

It sounds like you are heading in the right direction, except for the computer part. It is true that out in Silicone Valley and a few other places that people make a lot of money from home working on their computers but, they work practically around the clock and become more of a slave to their work than if they worked a regular job.

Most of us are happy to make a few extra dollars doing stuff like writing, selling on Ebay, etc. Some even make a small living out of repairing other peoples' computers or such but, in REALITY you will find living in the country very few jobs.

Many people I know commute very far everyday or live near their jobs in the city until they have enough money to pay for the farm. In the few years that I have been struggling to work at home I have only found that the computer supplements ones income but, does not substain it.

I have a host of writers in the region that I live in that make do with an occasional book being published but, they are all getting social security or disability and that is what usually pays the bills.

Those that have jobs work very hard and spend their free time, if there is such a thing in the country, trying to make more money with the resources that they have at hand.

My suggestion is to focus on areas that are near the cities for a piece of property. This of course will be more expensive than if you live in the more isolated areas. As land prices are higher the closer you are to the cities. Around here land is roughly $1000 per acre. Over in Springfield, Mo which is about three hours away, land is roughly $3000 an acre. BUT, there is more opportunity to work in that area and thus more money--more higher selling prices.

Melitza and I have tried to figure it all out ourselves. Fortunately, we saved for several years while working decent jobs and when we got here we paid cash for everything. Now, since work is scarce we rely on the "little" supplements like selling on Ebay or having yard sales. I work as a handyman too but, in winter that comes to a halt as does most of the work in the area.

I am not trying to disillusion you into moving to the country and I hope that you will alway keep your goals in front of you but, seriously expecting to make a lot of money is a novelty in most cases.

However, all is not lost!

The way we started out was as caretakers of a writer,s property. We bought an old RV and put our possessions into storage. We used this to have a base of operation to look for land and to build our own house. We did all that in a short time and moved onto the land immediately.

We planted gardens, trees, and started raising chickens as soon as we could. These things supplement our foodstuffs and believe me we do everything to keep them going. We built the needed out buildings and THEN proceeded with our house construction. We did it all by ourselves instead of spending money on a construction company. This works here in the county that we live in since there is no building requirements from the government.

You may not have to go to this extreme but, we had to because of the limited amount of money that we had to work with and the fact that we knew that we would probably never get a decent job again because of location.

It all sounds very romantic and it is but, there is a tough side to this and it is just a matter of perserverance as to whether or not one is capable of the changes.

I hope that it all works out well for you and that you will find the means to produce such a large amount of money but, please learn more skills than just computers in the event that your skills in that field are not applicable to the area you chose. Skills in carpentry/woodworking, mechanics, farming and husbandry, logging, and other land related occupations are far better for anyone who wants to STAY living in the country for a long time.

Sincerely,

Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), March 04, 2002.

There is someone (thing) ready to give you a break. You should check out the first time homeowner's loans where you only have to put down a small amount. These are federal government loans. Also, it has been discussed elsewhere: the rural homeowner loans. You should be able to buy a piece of land for less than 10,000 down if you can meet the payments. You may have to buy a smaller home but it can be done. You must start taking those drives out in the country and keep it up.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), March 04, 2002.

Jennifer and Ann,

Thank you for actually giving her an answer Ann. Jennifer, we are in the same boat, Same bills, same problem. The difference between us and the people who have told you just to keep trying is, YEARS. To live in the city now, desiring to be a homesteader, is hard!!!! Not work your fingers to the bone hard, but YOUR NERVES ARE FRAZZELED, hard. Shootings, robberies, rape, and other crime, not to mention traffic ,the noise and price gouging..... I completely understand how you feel. I sympathize with you , and want you to know, I am praying for you and your family. If you find out anything , PLEASE email me... Thank you and god bless, Kristean

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), March 04, 2002.

Try not to be discouraged! One option that I didn't see mentioned was finding something that had owner financing. I'm no real estate wiz by any means but I have bought several homes with either 100% owner financing or the owner willing to carry a 2nd mortgage that will cover the down payment. The house I'm living in now is owner financed. It is a 10 year old 3 bedroom 2 bath on 10 acres with a two car garage. It was no money down. I did have to give a higher percent interest rate. It was 8 %

If you truly want a place of your own it's out there.... all you have to do is keep praying and looking.

-- Ken in Maine (Kenjan@pivot.net), March 04, 2002.

You don't always need a ton of money to get a place you can homestead. Not in your area (Ohio), but I have five acres for sale, all tillable, with an old fixer-upper house, surrounded by farmland and a horse farm, $22,500 on a land contract, 10% down. I'm sure there are deals like this in the areas where you are looking - it just requires some shopping skills to find them. But I like your idea to save money before you leap, as long as your current situation is not intolerable.

You should be able to buy bare land from a land subdivider in your area on a land contract too, if you do not need a big place. Lots of posts in the archives about these places, pluses and minuses, but plenty of people get to the country that way.

Good luck!

-- Scott McAlpine (scottmcalpine@juno.com), March 04, 2002.

Jennifer, here are a couple Ideas. # 1 dont rent buy! Buy a older fixer upper were you live now[ there are a lot of great loans for first time buyers].Fix up the house and homestead in it, most places will let you have a couple hens but no roosters.buy a copy of the Integral urban house as it has wonderfull ideas for homesteading in the city.Plant a large garden!Raise rabbits for manure or meat.You can homestead any were.# 2 go back to work, if you have children go to night school and find a trade you can do at home[ medical transcription is good or day care ect]and save your money to get a better place. In a couple of years refinance your house or sell it and get your land then.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), March 04, 2002.

Hello Jennifer,

My husband and I both work from home, last fall both of us quit our jobs and have a home based business. This is just a suggestion to start today for your finanical freedom like we did. Goto www.richmelody.com and check out our web site and also meet us there.

-- Suzi R. Earhart (barrelnut@alltel.net), March 05, 2002.

Be very wary of ways to make money from home in rural areas. If it was as easy as some make it sound no one would live in the city. Living in a rural area is not really cheaper especially if you try to live the same lifestyle as you did before. The miles to and from things are greater and add to the cost. Be careful of the areas you think of moving to. Many are trendy areas that are very expensive as you are paying for the popular scenery. I live in E.TN and can tell you that there are opportunities here if you look for them. The local trading paper for this area is the Trading Post and they do have listings on line. You can also check the Kingsport Times and the Rogersville Review. They both have web sites and list real estate. There was a mobile home on a couple of acres on the radio swap shop today and the person was willing to hold the note.

-- Emil in TN (eprisco@usit.net), March 05, 2002.

Can it be in Kentucky, Jennifer? You can get 10 acres and a mobile home here out in the country for about 30 to 40K with 2K down. Tons of Land Companys have contract for deeds, don't need no credit. It's allright, that's the way I got my first farm here. Just make the payments, register the deed at the courthouse, and it's all yours. Louisville is only 1 hour north, and there are lots of factory jobs in E-Town down here. We maybe will get the new Hundyai plant in E- Town, 2000 jobs, sure hope so. You can do it now, you don't have to send him back to school or wait years and years. The longer you wait, the more land goes up in price. I just can't see throwing all that rent money out the window for 4 years.

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), March 06, 2002.

Definitely take a second job just to sock it away. Work on getting credit. If it is because of a bad credit history, work on improving it. Even owner-financing folks do a credit check. Can the two of you clean offices on a weekend? Wash windows? Mow lawns? Do small engine repair? Wash cars for people? Run an errand service for the elderly? Home sit for the elderly?

Start doing one extra thing each day to save or make money. EACH day decide that this is what you will do. Put the $5 bill you have in your pocket in the bank or cook an especially lowcost meal, fix up that old rocker you scrounged and advertise it for sale at a profit, etc. Take a masonry class or other trade class at your local tech school. Work in that field. I have seen women's construction classes being offered in several states for free to low-income women. I have an extended family member that did this and is working for herself now.

Unfortunately there are not a lot of entry-level jobs at that salary range, but if you earned $18,000 per year, he would only have to earn $32,000. Are either of you interested in the military-ever think of the Reserves or National Guard? Not for me anymore, but you can earn a nice second income from this and most employers support the time needed.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), March 06, 2002.

Definately get a second job. Just put it all away, and when you see the savings grow it will motivate you even more. Try to get the cheapest housing possible for now. You should be able to save $10,000 within a year or two. Then search for land where you want to live, even run an ad in the local paper, go to the county at the recorders office to search for property, and contact the owners. Sometimes using a realtor is OK but normally it is not the least expensive. Shop,Shop, Shop,the more land you see the better. If you can find land without a realestate agent involved offer 10% down, 3- 4K on a $30,000 piece of property. Better if it has a well, and in my county one MAJOR importance is the perc and mantle report, it says what type of septic system will be permitted. Don't give up, it's worth the struggle, because one day it will be paid off and you will be living in the place you love.

-- Esther (realestatez@hotmail.com), March 16, 2002.