Any advice on what I need to know about country living/owning property?

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I have 40 acres of rocks and trees on my hillside home for wayward dogs and noxious weeds. I Love it. I have about 20 vehicles in my salvage yard that nobody can see from the road. I built and maintain my house and other buildings all together about 5500 square feet if you combine the three buildings. My living quarters are only 1200 square feet, but I have a 12x20 deck just outside my bedroom on the upper story equipped with a hammock and a scenic vista. Covered porch below the deck with my grill and a couple porch swings. Stargazing is pretty good, I got a real good look at Jupiter a while back with my shitty telescope, and there is always the moon. The house/shop is insulated well and my utilities are cheap, wood heat with electric back up.

The best thing I have purchased for the upkeep of my yard/forest has been my Kubota bx24. It mows 5 feet wide, has a backhoe, box blade, weed sprayer, front loader, 4' bush hog, and garden tiller. The attachments are easy to take off and on once you figure it out, I don't know how I got along without it. Its kind of a mini tractor. It has 4 wheel drive and you can lock the rear differential with a foot pedal, sips diesel... It only holds 6 gallons or so and I only fill it up a few times a year- and I use the crap out of it. I made some ripper teeth for the bucket and can make some nice paths through the jungle with that and my little bush hog. You can dig holes to plant trees, dig ditches (about 5 feet deep), maintain the driveway, move rocks, pick up stuff and dump it somewhere else, level ground, move dead vehicles around, push brush piles, on and on blah blah blah.

Deer, rabbits, possums, coyotes, squirrels, all sorts of birds (even hummingbirds), frogs, turtles, snakes, lizards, bugs... lots of bugs everywhere. I'm in constant battle with the pack rats in my junk yard, but I think I'm winning right now. By the way if anyone needs something from a 70s 80s or 90s dodge truck I might have it.

I cant speak for you but living out in the sticks is great. I bought the place about 12 years ago and its been non stop ever since, always something needs done. Many times I have taken vacations from work just to stay home and work on my projects and dream up new ones. I hope I will never have to live in a town again, I am a happy man... except for the colon cancer, that sucks, but I'm winning against that too!
 
Like everyone else says - water/well. I don't get why your brother in law pays for water if he has a well? (Maybe hes making payments on it) My well dried up a few years ago, cost over 8 grand and I had the electrical part myself. Water smells somtimes.
Property Tax has been a *****- $1800 in 2005 now it's $5700. Acre and a half.
How far is your work commute? Mine's 100m a day some months I drive over 3000 miles when we go 7 days.
Paying to patch and regravel roads and driveway is drag too.
But the view is nice and I'm surrounded by farm land that's not mine.
I just walked outside and took these two pics, back yard, front yard. Life is all about trade offs. Depends on what you want.

20190827_165711.jpg


20190827_165811.jpg
 
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hemi71x said:
Then in my opinion, that's a stupid reply to the op's question.
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Lighten up dude, it was a joke. Just having a little fun.
Sorry if it ruffled your feathers.
I guess they dont Snipe hunt in the big city.
 
512Stroker said:
Lighten up dude, it was a joke. Just having a little fun.
Sorry if it ruffled your feathers.
I guess they dont Snipe hunt in the big city.
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I replied as i never knew it was to be a "joke"
And no they don't snipe in the big city of Sacramento, or where i grew up, or lived in other parts of the world.
Some of us don't use, have the vocabulary, that others may have in other parts of the states.
Enough said on the matter?
 
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Closest town/shopping/fast food for us is 20 miles. Get used to stopping on the way home to get everything you need (adding time to the commute) because you ain't going back out.
But seriously if you're just getting married you may want think about are you close enough that the in-laws go home or far enough that they stay when they visit. Lol!
 
Not sure how zoning is there, but here “garage space” is determined by lot size. Over 5 acres is agricultural and you can build what you want. I had 2.6 acres and was at the max with about 1300 sq ft. That fills up fast when you consider cars, truck, motorcycle, riding mower, kids bikes, shelving for stuff, etc.
 
The biggest concern I would have is the neighbors, they can make or break your happiness.

My wifes small farm left to here by her parents, is 16 acres, I have not even been there for 4 years, I cannot stand her cousin that lives behind it and the trash boyfriends his daughters have.
If it is not bolted down, it got stolen, including the farm tractor out of the barn.

My small farm 84 acres, is a pleasure to visit, I go up there every weekend, just to check on things, I swear you could leave the doors unlocked and nothing would be bothered.

The small farms are in different county's, but the people around it make all the difference in the world.
 
hemi71x said:
I replied as i never knew it was to be a "joke"
And no they don't snipe in the big city of Sacramento, or where i grew up, or lived in other parts of the world.
Some of us don't use, have the vocabulary, that others may have in other parts of the states.
Enough said on the matter?
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It was a joke, Jim. Knowing your lack of a sense of humor, it is not a surprise that the joke never made it to you.
You have other attributes, sure, but humor is not one of them.
 
I got nothing to add that hasn't been said.

I will say on the first of next month, im leaving the city and moving back to the country and boy i cant wait!

It will add a little bit to my commute but i dont care. 7 acres, horses, 2 min to the lake and not IN THE CITY!!!

:thumbsup:
 
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Kern Dog said:
It was a joke, Jim. Knowing your lack of a sense of humor, it is not a surprise that the joke never made it to you.
You have other attributes, sure, but humor is not one of them.
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My sense of humor hasn't got anything to do with the "joke" that the respondent replied about.
I didn't "get it" as i grew up in a different part of the world that he did, and never heard of it before.
And what's wrong with that, never hearing of it before?
Answer me that?

That "joke" backfired on him, and it didn't have anything constructive, beneficial, to do with the question the op asked about, in the first place.

I gave a factual reply in the regards to fire insurance, and that's what the op is asking for, good responses, and not jokesters making stupid replies.
 
B'cuda said:
Like everyone else says - water/well. I don't get why your brother in law pays for water if he has a well? (Maybe hes making payments on it) My well dried up a few years ago, cost over 8 grand and I had the electrical part myself. Water smells somtimes.
Property Tax has been a *****- $1800 in 2005 now it's $5700. Acre and a half.
How far is your work commute? Mine's 100m a day some months I drive over 3000 miles when we go 7 days.
Paying to patch and regravel roads and driveway is drag too.
But the view is nice and I'm surrounded by farm land that's not mine.
I just walked outside and took these two pics, back yard, front yard. Life is all about trade offs. Depends on want you want.

View attachment 1715385516

View attachment 1715385517
Click to expand...
We reduce our land taxes with livestock, cattle, goats, sheep, whatever.
 
hemi71x said:
My sense of humor hasn't got anything to do with the "joke" that the respondent replied about.
I didn't "get it" as i grew up in a different part of the world that he did, and never heard of it before.
And what's wrong with that, never hearing of it before?
Answer me that?

That "joke" backfired on him, and it didn't have anything constructive, beneficial, to do with the question the op asked about, in the first place.

I gave a factual reply in the regards to fire insurance, and that's what the op is asking for, good responses, and not jokesters making stupid replies.
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Here's another "stupid reply" for ya.
You fell in it face first big city Boy. LMAO
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
512Stroker said:
Here's another "stupid reply" for ya.
You fell in it face first big city Boy. LMAO
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
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Then I'll say it again.
Your stupid reply had nothing to do with the question that the op asked about.
What the heck made you reply with your "joke" in the first place, if you didn't have anything constructive to say, from the get go?
 
hemi71x said:
Then I'll say it again.
Your stupid reply had nothing to do with the question that the op asked about.
What the heck made you reply with your "joke" in the first place, if you didn't have anything constructive to say, from the get go?
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Here's another one
Living on the left coast your opinion means very little to those of us that live in the real world.
I can go on and on but you are just a sore loser that cant enjoy a good laugh.
Bye
 
ESP47 said:
I currently own a home in the city but I'm going to be getting married next year and we're planning on buying ourselves a nicer home. I'm looking to possibly move to Auburn California which is like a small city but still very much country.

In our price range there are some homes that come with an acre, up to 5 acres or so. I'd just like some room to move around and some room for a shop if needed. Maybe a garden or just some wiggle room or whatever. I don't have a use for multiple acres but lets just say we find our dream house and it's on 3 acres. Most of property is going to look something like this with more trees thrown in.

View attachment 1715385460

I know a lot of you guys live a little further out in the country, what are some things I need to know about? I don't want to spend all my free time tending to the property (obviously some is required) and I'm guessing there are some hidden expenses and surprises that come with a home like this over one in the city with a normal sized front and back yard. That type of landscape seems somewhat maintenance free but I could just be ignorant. Any warnings or "you should consider this" before I get serious about looking for a new house in this area?
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One other important thing.
Hundreds of people, usually farmers have lost everything because an endangered animal or insect is found on your property.
 
512Stroker said:
Here's another one
Living on the left coast your opinion means very little to those of us that live in the real world.
I can go on and on but you are just a sore loser that cant enjoy a good laugh.
Bye
Click to expand...
So being a hillbilly in the woods of MO makes you a better person, than me?
Well then, la d da, good for you.
I made a choice to live here, when i discharged from the USAF, as it's lots better than the city, that i grew up in CT.
I'm a sore loser because i don't get YOUR scene of humor? Really?
 
greymouser7 said:
One other important thing.
Hundreds of people, usually farmers have lost everything because an endangered animal or insect is found on your property.
Click to expand...

We lost 15 miles of County road due to Fish & Game finding a salamander in the creek that the county was worried was going to wash out the bridge because the salamander habitat was encroaching on the bridge and the Feds would not allow the encroaching vegetation to be cut back. To make it even less logical it was one of the ways in and out of Vandenberg AFB.
 
We moved onto 10 acres about 15 years ago and will NEVER go back as long as our health holds. A lot more work but worth it. Ours has a half acre pond that add so much dimension. Waterfowl, bass bluegill bullfrogs croaking and every season shows a new face. We use the daylights out of our atv's and the grandkids have a blast. We put in a few fruit trees and altho we mow 3.5 acres it takes about 1 1/2 hours which is a fine time rocking out without a care.
 
hemi71x said:
So being a hillbilly in the woods of MO makes you a better person, than me?
Well then, la d da, good for you.
I made a choice to live here, when i discharged from the USAF, as it's lots better than the city, that i grew up in CT.
I'm a sore loser because i don't get YOUR scene of humor? Really?
Click to expand...
Thanks for your service to our GREAT Country and the Freedom of Speech.
 
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