Hi Everyone! I fear my hopes may have been dashed!! We currently live in SC and just purchased 77 beautyful acres of land in s. middle TN. There is a spring fed pond and 2 other creeks. Rolling hills....Its great and we can't wait to get there. Its undeveloped but we can get water and elec. We plan to build ourselves. I told the realitor that we have a 22 ft. camper that we are planning on bringing up there and having water and elec. hooked up so that we can visit for a week or so at a time and build.(We plan on leaving the camper). She told me that this won't be a good idea, because the locals will vandalize our stuff. According to her, people have been hunting and riding 4-wheelers on this property for a long time and aren't too happy being told they can't do these things anymore. She has offered us the use of her personal lot 5 miles away for free as long as we need, but this just isn't the same. And if the camper won't be safe will the barn that we plan to build and the startings of the house?? We are as country as the locals there but they don't know that and I'm prepared for the time that its going to take for them to get used to us. But what about until that time??? Have any of you gone through this?? My husband thinks the realitor is over reacting and that everything will be fine. I'd like to think so but would hate to work so hard only to have someone mess it up during our absence. Thanks in advance for any replies...

-- Michelle Thomas (mpthomas83@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002

Answers

Seriously, I would listen to the realtor. She has no reason to lie about something like that and knows the local population better than you do. I would start by posting the old trespassers will be prosecuted (or shot-depending on how militant you are) signs everywhere. I think you would be OK if someone lived on the property full time but if they are that vandelous and rowdy...they might do it to your house you are building too. i hope not. good luck.

-- Najia (najia274@yahoo.com), May 10, 2002.

Hi Michelle:

I know we have conversed before about the area you are moving to. The sherriff one county over from you recently busted someone who was stealing truckloads of building supplies and lumber from houses being built without anyone living nearby.

You don't have to be afraid to live here like some places I lived, but you have to protect your belongings,lock outbuildings...--esp if your barn, etc.. is hidden from the street. This is a big problem with vacation homes in the mountains, btw.

I do know someone who keeps an old trailer on their property up there that they use for hunting and I don't think they have had problems.

You seem to have a very nice realtor who is going above and beyond to see that you are not disappointed. She isn't handing you a line, she has probably had folks with mountain property that they only use now and again get burned.

-- Ann Markson in s. mid TN (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

Do not put up new posted signs this will brand you as real donkeywell if you get my drift no sense in making folks mad right off the bat. Anyone who will vandalize won't pay any attention to the signs anyway. Go talk to some of the locals such as older farmers,local store owners and the such,be nice don't say much and agree with just about everything they say.Mention your plans and hint around about the chance anyone would bother anything.If you get a few of these guys and gals on your side everything will work alot better for you.Also if they have cows or goats or whatever mention what good stock they have and mabe they would part with some when you're ready to get yours.Money talks! Good luck.

-- Gary (burnett_gary@msn.com), May 10, 2002.

We definately don't want to make anyone mad before we even get a chance to move. I'm sure that once they get to know us they'll accept us. And I really don't blame thier hesitancy. I'm told that most of the locals were born and raised on this mountain and most have't ventured to far away. They might think were yuppies or something..lol!! Our original plan was to build THEN move. I guess we'll have to create plan "B". Thanks All....ps. Ann, its good to hear from you!

-- Michelle Thomas (mpthomas83@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

I'd expect the worst Michelle and not leave anything unattended that you can't stomach to lose. I'd ease yourself into the place if you're not going to be there fulltime yet. Instead of blocking off access to everything, do it in stages, discretely and non-challenging. Once you're settled in and can protect your property, close it all off. They'll get over it.

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

Maybe I live in a Fairy Tale World here but I don't know if I would want to live someplace that you couldn't leave your belongings out in fear of someone stealing them !! Maybe I have been spoiled where we live. Don't even give it a thought. Sure...we have had some homes robbed in the past but nothing to make you want to lock yourselves in at night. Maybe I would introduce myself to the locals in the area and then show them around the place and get them talking about themselves etc. The more they get to know you the less likely I would think they would bother your belongings and maybe even look out for them. Introduce yourselves also to the owners in town. I take for granted it is a small town. I do wish you luck. I will be going south in a couple of weeks myself to look at real estate and that is something that I will keep in mind when moving. Might just look around and come up with the idea that "there's no place like home, Dorothy". Good Luck !!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), May 10, 2002.

I thought that was what insurance was for. If you pay the insurance Co. they are suppose to replace what is stolen or burnt. Talk to your local law and get a big club.

-- Mel Kelly (melkelly@webtv.net), May 10, 2002.

Just a thought here Michelle, but it seems only common sense to wait until you can move onto the property and then do your building. You are dealing with(alas)human nature here and let's face it, it aint good! Even out where we are where we haven't seen our keys since we bought the place, I notice that whenever Weyerhauser has equipment up in the forest they have a guard with a dog staying in a little trailor nearby. Just common sense. LQ

-- Little Quacker in OR (carouselxing@juno.com), May 10, 2002.

You all have given great advice! After talking about it I think we will take the realitor up on her offer to use her lot to park our camper. She and her partner are the only realitors in the past 5 yrs. that have been nice and honest. Anyway, we'll just go visit alot over the next year to let the folks get to know us. Because we will be wanting to purchas new livestock and such. And we have met some of the people in the area. We liked all of them and they seemed to like us as well. I guess leaving unkept stuff is just asking for trouble. DH is leaving tomorrow to go down for a visit. It is a small community. It won't take long for them to notice 'the new commers'. We are going to prepare a place to park our camper while we're there. We'll just move it back to the safe lot before we leave. I'll keep yall posted. Thanks so much!!! Michelle.

-- Michelle Thomas (mpthomas83@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

Hi, Maybe you should consider putting an old trailer on your property and a nice one somewhere else. We are building now, but have lived out of a 50's type 26' trailer for almost ten years. We cook and shower in the trailer and attached an enclosed porch for the family room, eating area.(It has a wood stove). We have a one room cabin,(really a bedroom, with TV, coffee pot and small wall furnace) hidden in the trees, and the outhouse near by. Maybe you can advertise for a caretaker, free rent(maybe a few chores), must own their own trailer. If it doesn't work out, hitch it up to the truck and haul it off the property. It could be a student or a retired person... just a thought...

-- lacyj (hillharmony@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

Another thought, I'd get to know my neighbors, first, their the ones that WILL REALLY WATCH your property...stay away from the trespassers, remember...THEY TRESPASS, they aren't going to respect, your stuff, (or, at least, not ALL of them) It only takes one bad one, to mess up YOUR Plans. Sometimes, you can get a rider on your house or renters insurance to cover the new property. Insurance may be cheaper, that way...

-- lacyj (hillharmony@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

you have been given some very good advice. Meet the neighbors and take lots of butter. lol. Try to attend some kind of community get- together. Let it be known if you don't mind people on your property until you get settled. Just not such and such place, so no one will get hurt, what with you building and the construction and all. If the folks have lived there all their lives, chances are parents and grands have too. Those are the ones that rule. Get to know everyone before going to the sherrif. Going there first will label you as a trouble-maker. I'd pull the camper to the property when I was there and off when I leave until you get the feel of what to expect. Good luck.

-- Robin Downing (Southpawrobin1@aol.com), May 10, 2002.

I once took a Social Psychology course in college, in which the professor said "Get someone to do you a favor, and they'll be your friend for life." I've never forgotten that and have found it to be very true. Don't just talk to the neighbors - ask them for help. It doesn't have to be anything major or strenuous. Maybe you could have them advise you on where you ought to put in the garden, or suggest a place to buy supplies. The point is to get them over to your place and get them to put some "stake" in it. If they feel like they've been useful to you and the place, they'll have a more proprietary feeling toward you and yours. When you aren't there, they'll watch the place for you because it will be as though they are tending to their own interests.

And it won't hurt to share a cold beer or some lemonade while you talk either! Good luck!

-- Deborah Stephenson (wonkaandgypsy@hotmail.com), May 11, 2002.

I would simply wait until I was ready to move there and start building before moving the camper there. That will also give you the incintive to get there quicker! They will likely not bother things as much if someone is living there.

Even back in the 1960's when my late father was still alive, he had things stolen from homes he was building in rural Alabama....So it's not a new thing.

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), May 11, 2002.

My brother had a trailer on some rural property and lost his power pole. Next time he came back all the siding was missing from the trailer. Broke his heart.

-- ed (edfrhes@aol.com), May 11, 2002.

You're right Suzy, not being able to build yet will encourage us to get there faster. I'd go tomorrow but DH is a little more level headed than me. I'm the adventuras type. But we will visit on a regular basis and not leave the camper there. It won't be as much fun but its necessary I'm affraid. We too planned on building a family room onto the front of the camper. Its only 22ft. and theres 5 of us...... I'm hard-headed and I'm determined to be there by the first of Spring, 2003! We'll see.........

-- Michelle Thomas (mpthomas83@hotmail.com), May 11, 2002.

Theft can happen anywhere. A few bad apples and all that. I have rural neighbors and friends who have had cinder blocks stolen, a fence stolen (it is now in concrete) and gas taken from their cars. Out of site seems to be the key issue.

Even though you own the property now, it has been 'theirs' via trespassing, so you are the interloper until known. I agree with Gary and Dave that not posting signs is a good plan. The consensus out here is that that is ok after you are known a bit. Still helping and being helped is the most valuable. Listening to sage advice and being grateful for it goes a long way to making friends.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), May 12, 2002.

How long is "a long time"? Sounds like someone has the makings of an "easement" onto your property, and your agent should have told you about it. You may need to talk to the zoning department. Might have been a deal to walk away from....if that agent was worried enough to tell you these things, that would have been sufficient to put me right off that property. You may still be able to recind the sale because of this issue.

As to insurance, if you are not living there full time, you are only going to be able to get fire insurance at best, not stuff insurance. Not to mention you don't want people hooking up to your electric and water when you're not there and running up your bill.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), May 12, 2002.