In those famous words (and scratchy voice) of Peter Brady... "It's time to change!"
Yes, I still don't know where I am really heading, and I'm still not any closer to buying any land. I am in the need to make a move. Sometime in the next coming weeks I will be leaving Florida and heading out "west" somewhere, well, maybe west by northwest??? I am still trying to find the balance of reasonable priced land, with a safe, clean area, and good employment. Like all the problems in my life right now, I notice that I can usually have two out of three things.
I ended up having a Hernia surgery on Aug. 6th, 2009 and although the surgery went well, I am still moving slow and have yet to return to work of any kind. So trying to make any move right now is both needed and at the same time hard. Most of the money I had set aside for land purchase or living expense has been used to keep myself fed, etc while recovering from my surgery.
Since I missed the 2009 hail season, and 2010 season doesn't start until at least February I am going to have to go and find "something" to do, "somewhere" until I either get some hail work or find a new career.
I feel weird about this point in my life, on one hand it's scary as hell to not know where you are heading and the fact that you are almost out of money, but on the other hand, it's kind of a blessing that this economy and my bad health as given me a chance to "start over." Part of me wants to dust myself off and get right back into the game and another part of me is thinking stop and take a look around, live on the cheap for awhile and don't be in a rush to get back into the rat race.
While recovering from my surgery I had a lot of time to sit and think about what I am looking for. I have always been the kind of person who has some kind of dream or goal, and although I am not completely lost for a direction, I am finding it harder to stay excited about any of my goals in these difficult times. So as of this point in time, I feel no big move is the best. I will take this opportunity to continue to check out different states, towns, etc and when I find something I like, then I will take the next step. So it's off to the Northwest or West somewhere. Depending on the weather, I am thinking about spending some time in Jackson,WY and then if it's too costly to make anything happen I can make my way to the west coast from there.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Land, Land everywhere!
Well, my plans to get up to Iowa to look at some properties got set back by that little thing called a "job." I ended up needing to go do some hail work, and now I'm almost finished packing my house, but with no idea to where I'm heading!
I'm putting my belonging in storage and so now the push is on to get out there and narrow my search for land! A funny thing happens when you start really looking, well, it's more like a couple of things happen when you get down to it.
One, all the great "deals" you use to find just about every day, well, they're all gone. Which reminds me of a quote by Donald Trump, he was quoted as saying that "the deal of a life-time comes around about once a week." I find this to be both true and false. The deals are out there, but everything that glitters is not gold! So you need to look harder.
So the other thing that happened once I really set out to find a deal, was I started finding a lot of great places. I started talking with people about different areas in the country and each one has a different area with it's own pro's and con's.
I have found some amazing deals on land in areas like OK, KS and MO. Places that I have never thought much of before. And with the real estate market like it is, there are some special deals to be made with people who are willing to "owner finance" or help out in other ways so they can get out from under the payments.
Sad reality of this market is people need to leave the places they dreamed about, so they can move to an area where they can find employment. I have seen real estate ad's from Colorado to Kentucky from people just about begging someone to buy their home so they can move closer to their new job.
So what has changed in my search? Iowa is not on top of my list as of right now. I took a closer look at the climate and choose to look a little farther south. One area that has a good balance of cheap land, good location for my job, and room to grow, is around the Ozarks in Missouri. Or more or less the general area where OK and KS meets south west Missouri. The area has good prices for someone starting out who's looking for a larger track of land. There's some hidden gems, and some not so great lots for sale, but the area in general looks like it could work well for both my Hail work, and if I want to add livestock. Not to mention the better wind and solar possibilities in OK and KS.
Another area that I have had my eye on since my childhood is Eastern Kentucky. I remember my parent's dreaming of one day owning horses in the Blue Grass State. Now I drive through the area any time I need to get from my home in Florida to wherever the hail storms are and keep telling myself to check out the area "some day." Land is not as cheap in KY, pretty, but not as cheap, but I did find that the houses are a better bargain. $50,000 buys a pretty nice house in some of the smaller towns around Danville,KY. So the general area is back on my list.
Hopefully my job will work out so I can drive through the area again, but maybe take a couple of days to look around. Then I can come back at the end of my season to really pin point my search efforts.
Too many great places in this country to live!
I'm putting my belonging in storage and so now the push is on to get out there and narrow my search for land! A funny thing happens when you start really looking, well, it's more like a couple of things happen when you get down to it.
One, all the great "deals" you use to find just about every day, well, they're all gone. Which reminds me of a quote by Donald Trump, he was quoted as saying that "the deal of a life-time comes around about once a week." I find this to be both true and false. The deals are out there, but everything that glitters is not gold! So you need to look harder.
So the other thing that happened once I really set out to find a deal, was I started finding a lot of great places. I started talking with people about different areas in the country and each one has a different area with it's own pro's and con's.
I have found some amazing deals on land in areas like OK, KS and MO. Places that I have never thought much of before. And with the real estate market like it is, there are some special deals to be made with people who are willing to "owner finance" or help out in other ways so they can get out from under the payments.
Sad reality of this market is people need to leave the places they dreamed about, so they can move to an area where they can find employment. I have seen real estate ad's from Colorado to Kentucky from people just about begging someone to buy their home so they can move closer to their new job.
So what has changed in my search? Iowa is not on top of my list as of right now. I took a closer look at the climate and choose to look a little farther south. One area that has a good balance of cheap land, good location for my job, and room to grow, is around the Ozarks in Missouri. Or more or less the general area where OK and KS meets south west Missouri. The area has good prices for someone starting out who's looking for a larger track of land. There's some hidden gems, and some not so great lots for sale, but the area in general looks like it could work well for both my Hail work, and if I want to add livestock. Not to mention the better wind and solar possibilities in OK and KS.
Another area that I have had my eye on since my childhood is Eastern Kentucky. I remember my parent's dreaming of one day owning horses in the Blue Grass State. Now I drive through the area any time I need to get from my home in Florida to wherever the hail storms are and keep telling myself to check out the area "some day." Land is not as cheap in KY, pretty, but not as cheap, but I did find that the houses are a better bargain. $50,000 buys a pretty nice house in some of the smaller towns around Danville,KY. So the general area is back on my list.
Hopefully my job will work out so I can drive through the area again, but maybe take a couple of days to look around. Then I can come back at the end of my season to really pin point my search efforts.
Too many great places in this country to live!
Trade you my sister for that PB&J?
We've all done it at one time or another, but it's making a bigger come back. I'm talking about bartering or trading goods and services without using money.
I was talking to a Farmer / Rancher friend of mine the other day about the way this economy is going and how people are dealing with it. Something that both he and I have noticed more lately is people are getting back to bartering more. My friend said he has been trading goods and services for years, but now he's seeing more people doing it.
It's even making the headlines, companies like BestBuy are setting up their stores to "deal." One article I read talked about how each BestBuy store now has a computer system that gives the store manager the lowest price they can offer an item for. Not only for sales, or normal prices, but to make a deal with a customer right on the spot.
They're asking people to make them an offer. It's not to say that you will be able to get that 50" Plasma TV for $1, but they are saying that if you're willing to ask, you can get a lot of little "extras" at no or low cost. If you're buying that new computer, you're going to need things like USB cords, or a case for a laptop, these are things that the manager has the power to give to you for free, just for buying something you were going to buy anyway.
So get out there and make a deal! Just don't try to trade your little sister or brother for a pet frog or something!
I was talking to a Farmer / Rancher friend of mine the other day about the way this economy is going and how people are dealing with it. Something that both he and I have noticed more lately is people are getting back to bartering more. My friend said he has been trading goods and services for years, but now he's seeing more people doing it.
It's even making the headlines, companies like BestBuy are setting up their stores to "deal." One article I read talked about how each BestBuy store now has a computer system that gives the store manager the lowest price they can offer an item for. Not only for sales, or normal prices, but to make a deal with a customer right on the spot.
They're asking people to make them an offer. It's not to say that you will be able to get that 50" Plasma TV for $1, but they are saying that if you're willing to ask, you can get a lot of little "extras" at no or low cost. If you're buying that new computer, you're going to need things like USB cords, or a case for a laptop, these are things that the manager has the power to give to you for free, just for buying something you were going to buy anyway.
So get out there and make a deal! Just don't try to trade your little sister or brother for a pet frog or something!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Searching for property
In the next few days I will be heading up to Iowa to look at some different areas. I have read a couple of different articles about how the Midwest has some of the most reasonable land / home prices, and since I am originally from Illinois, I know I would feel right at home there.
Iowa has it's Pro's and Con's just like every area. I have seen some good prices on land / homes, sadly to say, even more now after the 2008 Iowa Flood. At this time I am seeing a lot of homes on the market with flood damage, or that have been gutted and cleaned up, but not rehabbed.
The sad state of the housing market is not what brings me to the Iowa, but more of the location for work. I travel by vehicle with my business, and Iowa puts me just about within a day's drive to most of the areas I would need to visit. So far this major "Pro" makes it worth dealing with all the cost of dealing with cold winters. Higher heating fuel cost, needing warmer winter clothes, etc, all add up when trying to live on a tight budget. BUT, I am going to have to really look closer at the Pro's and Con's of building in the area if I find something I like. The fact that I will mostly be building in the winter months may add too many delays and higher costs, thus off-setting the benefits of the cheaper land???
Iowa has it's Pro's and Con's just like every area. I have seen some good prices on land / homes, sadly to say, even more now after the 2008 Iowa Flood. At this time I am seeing a lot of homes on the market with flood damage, or that have been gutted and cleaned up, but not rehabbed.
The sad state of the housing market is not what brings me to the Iowa, but more of the location for work. I travel by vehicle with my business, and Iowa puts me just about within a day's drive to most of the areas I would need to visit. So far this major "Pro" makes it worth dealing with all the cost of dealing with cold winters. Higher heating fuel cost, needing warmer winter clothes, etc, all add up when trying to live on a tight budget. BUT, I am going to have to really look closer at the Pro's and Con's of building in the area if I find something I like. The fact that I will mostly be building in the winter months may add too many delays and higher costs, thus off-setting the benefits of the cheaper land???
Thursday, April 2, 2009
A Magazine I like
Even though I want to build a house Off The Grid, I am not so much the type to get into home steading. I still enjoy reading a magazine called Grit. I wanted to mention this, for the people who might not have taken the time to check out their website. Besides the useful articles, their real estate section (most of the time) has a pretty good list of cheaper land for sale.
I will write a more detailed post in the near future to share some of the many real estate websites I visit in my search for land or cabins / houses for sale.
I will write a more detailed post in the near future to share some of the many real estate websites I visit in my search for land or cabins / houses for sale.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Small House information
To see just how little space some people need to live, check out small-house-society. I believe this guy is living in a house that has about 80 square feet. I really like the fact that he has gone to this extreme to show the rest of the would we don't need thousands of square feet to live in.
I will try to locate some of the information I have seen on homes in Japan to show some great examples of how to maximize living space. Simple designs, like using small sinks that people in America would only see used in a Dentist's office or in an airplane's washroom can save a lot of space. For now, here's a look at apartment rentals in Japan.
Just one of the many areas of a home that can be reduced in size and not feel like too much was taken away.
I will try to locate some of the information I have seen on homes in Japan to show some great examples of how to maximize living space. Simple designs, like using small sinks that people in America would only see used in a Dentist's office or in an airplane's washroom can save a lot of space. For now, here's a look at apartment rentals in Japan.
Just one of the many areas of a home that can be reduced in size and not feel like too much was taken away.
Monday, March 30, 2009
The Design Ideas
The concept behind the design is to build the house only as big as it needs to be to remain livable. Some people will argue that "livable" needs to be 10,000 square feet. That's fine for them, but for me, I don't see the need for that much space.
I really like the concept of "micro-houses" or "tiny-homes." But, I think they missed something simple, the houses I have seen do a great job at showing people you don't have to build thousands of square feet to have everything you need under one roof. I think if you take the mirco-house concept, and marry it to the design of some of the homes in Hawaii or Honduras by using the outdoors as living space you wouldn't look like you're living in a tool shed.
Each area of the country has to deal with different weather factors so there's no "perfect" design for all climates. Here in Florida, (before the real estate boom) people use to build smaller homes and then wrap them with a porch or sun-rooms. Their taxes were based on the part of the house that had A/C, but after you open a set of large sliding patio doors your living room area doubled. Down side being that it gets very hot in the sun-rooms, and your A/C unit has to work extra hard to cool all that extra space. Not as big of a deal if you plan ahead when installing the HVAC system.
I like the way the Hawaiians take advantage of their weather by not using A/C, they have the bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen under the roof of the "house", but again by opening up doors and windows they use the patios or deck space as their living room.
From what I have seen, the design isn't limited to warm weather areas. I have seen with a little planning, using passive solar heat in the form of a sun-room in a cold weather climate allows an "outdoor" space to be used in the middle of a Colorado winter. And there's something to be said about outdoor fireplaces too! Not a bad way to spend an evening with a loved one on a cool mountain evening.
So the basic design I am leaning towards is a small, single level, open floor plan, timber-frame (hybrid) living area with two bedrooms, and wrapping most of the house with an enclosed porch. I know the extra windows add a lot of cost, but the benefit would be the porch area is space I don't have to heat or cool every day, but if I need the extra space, I'll be able to open up the main living area.
Plus, from the houses I have seen where people are living in cold climates and were using passive solar, building the "outdoor space" with concrete, brick, or stone stored the heat through-out the day, and used it to radiate back into the home at night. One thing some people didn't count on, was that solar space took the brunt of the cold wind / weather, so their "exterior" walls didn't need to work so hard to keep the house warm in freezing weather. Some commented on how they could sit in the porch area in the middle of winter on a sunny day and be very comfortable.
As time goes on I will refine my house design based on what area of the country I end up choosing. The design I would use in Colorado is completely different from what I am thinking about if I stay in the southeast. But I do know whatever I build, it's not going to be more then 1000 sq ft. Realistically it'll be around 650-700 sq ft, not including the porch area.
I will add updates to the design as time goes on and add details on the different materials I am building with.
I really like the concept of "micro-houses" or "tiny-homes." But, I think they missed something simple, the houses I have seen do a great job at showing people you don't have to build thousands of square feet to have everything you need under one roof. I think if you take the mirco-house concept, and marry it to the design of some of the homes in Hawaii or Honduras by using the outdoors as living space you wouldn't look like you're living in a tool shed.
Each area of the country has to deal with different weather factors so there's no "perfect" design for all climates. Here in Florida, (before the real estate boom) people use to build smaller homes and then wrap them with a porch or sun-rooms. Their taxes were based on the part of the house that had A/C, but after you open a set of large sliding patio doors your living room area doubled. Down side being that it gets very hot in the sun-rooms, and your A/C unit has to work extra hard to cool all that extra space. Not as big of a deal if you plan ahead when installing the HVAC system.
I like the way the Hawaiians take advantage of their weather by not using A/C, they have the bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen under the roof of the "house", but again by opening up doors and windows they use the patios or deck space as their living room.
From what I have seen, the design isn't limited to warm weather areas. I have seen with a little planning, using passive solar heat in the form of a sun-room in a cold weather climate allows an "outdoor" space to be used in the middle of a Colorado winter. And there's something to be said about outdoor fireplaces too! Not a bad way to spend an evening with a loved one on a cool mountain evening.
So the basic design I am leaning towards is a small, single level, open floor plan, timber-frame (hybrid) living area with two bedrooms, and wrapping most of the house with an enclosed porch. I know the extra windows add a lot of cost, but the benefit would be the porch area is space I don't have to heat or cool every day, but if I need the extra space, I'll be able to open up the main living area.
Plus, from the houses I have seen where people are living in cold climates and were using passive solar, building the "outdoor space" with concrete, brick, or stone stored the heat through-out the day, and used it to radiate back into the home at night. One thing some people didn't count on, was that solar space took the brunt of the cold wind / weather, so their "exterior" walls didn't need to work so hard to keep the house warm in freezing weather. Some commented on how they could sit in the porch area in the middle of winter on a sunny day and be very comfortable.
As time goes on I will refine my house design based on what area of the country I end up choosing. The design I would use in Colorado is completely different from what I am thinking about if I stay in the southeast. But I do know whatever I build, it's not going to be more then 1000 sq ft. Realistically it'll be around 650-700 sq ft, not including the porch area.
I will add updates to the design as time goes on and add details on the different materials I am building with.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Location, Location, Location
The one thing I have going for me when it comes to this build is I travel for work, so I don't need to be located in any one town or by an airport, etc. Of course I have locations I would prefer, but if there is a location that has a greater benefits I will look into just about anywhere.
Some of the areas or towns that are making my short list;
1) The general north to south area from Casper,WY to the Boulder,CO area.
And from a little west of Rocky Mtn Nat. Park, to just about I-25 in Colorado
2) Parts of Oklahoma
3) The Smokey Mtn Nat. Park area, prefer the NC. side, maybe to the south of Hendersonville,NC.
4) Still haven't ruled out states like Northern Wisconsin, (great wooded lots, cheaper prices, but out of the way for travel, short building season) or Iowa (good central locations for Interstate travel, but shorter building season.)
Some of the factors that I use to rate a location are;
1) I work mostly in the summer, so I will be building mostly in the fall / winter.
2) Price, taxes, etc
3) Building code,
4) Location of building supplies, etc.
5) Resale value
Some of the areas or towns that are making my short list;
1) The general north to south area from Casper,WY to the Boulder,CO area.
And from a little west of Rocky Mtn Nat. Park, to just about I-25 in Colorado
2) Parts of Oklahoma
3) The Smokey Mtn Nat. Park area, prefer the NC. side, maybe to the south of Hendersonville,NC.
4) Still haven't ruled out states like Northern Wisconsin, (great wooded lots, cheaper prices, but out of the way for travel, short building season) or Iowa (good central locations for Interstate travel, but shorter building season.)
Some of the factors that I use to rate a location are;
1) I work mostly in the summer, so I will be building mostly in the fall / winter.
2) Price, taxes, etc
3) Building code,
4) Location of building supplies, etc.
5) Resale value
The List Keeps Growing
Since I am on such I tight budget for this build, I have tried to think of most of the steps involved and get a basic idea of the cost. Some of the steps I have been looking into include;
Location, Land purchase
Design
Site work
Building Permits
Well - drill
Septic system
Electric - Solar & Wind
Foundation
Timber-frame (hybrid) packages
Insulation - many different options
Roofing - SIP panels, faux slate shingles
Walls - SIPs or stick framing
Siding -
Windows -
Plumbing - Pex tubing, solar heater or LP Gas / Tankless
Toilets - composting, low or no water systems
HVAC - radiant floor heat
Interior items
Flooring - concrete, bamboo, ???
Wall finishes - ???
Cabinets -
Appliances -
Lighting -
Furniture -
Location, Land purchase
Design
Site work
Building Permits
Well - drill
Septic system
Electric - Solar & Wind
Foundation
Timber-frame (hybrid) packages
Insulation - many different options
Roofing - SIP panels, faux slate shingles
Walls - SIPs or stick framing
Siding -
Windows -
Plumbing - Pex tubing, solar heater or LP Gas / Tankless
Toilets - composting, low or no water systems
HVAC - radiant floor heat
Interior items
Flooring - concrete, bamboo, ???
Wall finishes - ???
Cabinets -
Appliances -
Lighting -
Furniture -
My dream turns into My Jounrey
The dream has been to build a small Timber-Frame house off the grid by myself. The plan is to build this home with a small foot-print and as Eco-friendly as possible. Like so many other people these days, money is very tight so the small foot-print of this home serves many functions. One, I need to build small to fit my budget. Two, it has to be a size that I can build in a reasonable time frame by myself or with minimal help. Three, I want to show people that you don't need to build big to have something nice. And Four, I would like to build it to LEED standards, making a small impact on the environment and resources.
Like so many others, for years I have viewed websites, read books or magazines, clipped out ideas for floor plans, products, or locations. When I travel I am always looking and thinking "this would be a great place to build," but the years go by and the house has remained just "A Dream."
Time to turn this Dream into reality!
Like so many others, for years I have viewed websites, read books or magazines, clipped out ideas for floor plans, products, or locations. When I travel I am always looking and thinking "this would be a great place to build," but the years go by and the house has remained just "A Dream."
Time to turn this Dream into reality!
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