I Need Help On Buying Property...

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Yes, we have children already, 3 of them and trying for number 4... But we homeschool so the school system isn't an issue for us BUT homeschooling laws are so that is something I am looking into whenever I think of a place to live....

Boy do I know all about BAD neighbors. We had NIGHTMARE neighbors last year who lived right next door to us and HATED kids and animals. They would threaten bodily harm, they called child services on us and made up lies, called animal control and same thing, called our children horrible cuss words anytime they were outside playing, etc. It was the worst time of my life so far.

Our want and plan is to look for around 35 acres and get our home site as much in the middle of that as we can. We are looking for privacy first and foremost.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Oh and we're in NO rush. We can take as much time as we need.
My biggest concern right now is what type of land I should be looking for, outside of the acerage we want.
What are red flags that a place is bad? I imagine I will be needing things like soil samples and that right? Since we plan to do large veggie gardens, an orchard area, and all that.
What a nightmare to buy your eden and not be able to grow anything!

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Quote:
Thanks so much for the pic!

THIS is what I love about Dome houses, NO TWO ARE THE SAME! I have never seen one up on stilts, how neat!

 

[Rosalind]

I would not worry so much about the soil samples. Everywhere you go in New England, the soil is only fit to grow rocks.

Just kidding! I have a big veggie garden and orchard. But any place you buy land, unless there is some sort of horrible town restriction, you will be able to garden. The town restrictions can be tough though--not allowed to cut down trees, not allowed to do anything at all within howevermany feet of wetland, requires re-surveying to determine wetland borders, etc. Ideally you want something that has been surveyed; not everything has been, as some title deeds go all the way back to Colonial times. Surveying does not cost too too much, I think, you may even be able to get the seller to do it for you or knock the cost off the selling price.

In that regard, be sure you've got disclosures on any and all easements. I found out about a year after purchasing my property that there was an easement for the local land preservation folks to go down and check the conservation land behind my house for, I dunno, the rare Northeastern Beerswiller or something. In reality it's way easier for them to cut across my backyard, and I know their field biologist, so she knows to latch the gates behind her and stuff. But it's a bit of a bad shock to come home to a strange truck in your driveway and some random person dragging odd bits of equipment through your yard. When I mentioned it to the previous owners, they said, "Oh yeah...I forgot to tell them we sold the place...They might want you to do stuff for them once in a while." Uh, excuse the heck out of me? A warning would have been nice?

Also check on how much it will cost to run power lines, if you will require them. It can get bloody expensive. You may find it's cheaper to go solar--it can be done, even in New England. We have a local radio station that is 100% solar powered, and those places use a lot of power. But then you're looking at another building code exemption from the town. And where there are power lines, there will have to be an easement for the power company, in which you can plant nothing that you don't want to be crushed, smashed and stomped by the power company's maintenance crew. Weirdly, if you plan to use town water/sewer, it is cheaper to have those lines installed over several days with excavation subcontracted than to have the power company spend one afternoon running a piece of cable 30 feet. In the event that you go solar but use town power as a backup, bear in mind that New England tends to have crummy rules about selling the power back--my civil engineer told me that any power you generate by small-scale means (solar, wind, geothermal) in most New England states can be put back ON the grid, but it will basically be donated for free. Other states actually pay you back for power put on the grid from your own setup.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Quote:
NO kidding!!

Thanks so much for all the info!!! My, I was right to come pick the brains of my fellow chicken keepers!