buying a base station piece of land

[offroad]

was wondering about what people have done about buying a piece of land. &nbsp;does it make sense to do that? &nbsp;was thinking three months in the fall and three months in the spring in the carolinas would be perfect for base station living. thinking rent is $3500 for six months in rv parks. can you buy a piece of land for less than this per year in costs?<br><br>read that someone was paying $600 yearly for the RV space they own.

 

[Cubey]

My problem with that is that cheap land is going to be pretty isolated which I wouldn't like. For the cost of gas back and forth to a large city constantly... and the hassle.. I may as well pay RV spot rent.

 

[offroad]

Cubey - that's a very sensible comment. Commuting to the city is a concern. Shopping for the perfect location near places u would want to be is a concern.

 

[AltTransBikes]

That is a quandary I ponder frequently but have no ready answer.<br><br>As much as I tell myself partnerships don't work out, it sure could make sense for a group purchase under joint ownership, kind of an intentional community of nomads.

 

[ontheroadagain]

haha... ya in the 70's they were called communes.<br><br>Are there states that are friendly to by a plot of land and just parking on it with an RV.<br><br>I'm pretty sure MA is against any such use

 

[sparky1]

find some farmer ?// property owner who wants some one there, when they aren't---(i'm on) small cabin web site many cabin owners have stated they would love to protect their place cheaply,&nbsp;they just want someone there to protect interests. &amp; not destroy it.<BR><BR>I take care of a farm near me.pays 300.oo in the summer to keep grass cut. i check for mail in the box.&amp; walk around the house couple times a month.<BR>sparky1.in s.Va.

 

[Les H]

The basic answer is YES, there is cheap land out there. The more complex issues involve zoning and codes ( well, septic, electric, etc) And, as noted, WHERE is just as important. That gorgeous 1/2 acre on the side of a mountain in N Carolina may be completely inacessable during heavy rain or snow. What are the taxation? What improvements can you make without a permit? How anal is the local jurisdiction? Find the land, then do LOTS of homework. Here in N E Alabama, there are no building codes---- much to my dismay at times. But you can live in a camper, tin shack, or any other structure you like or can afford. 1 acre w water and power goes about 10k here.And a campsite with water, sewer and electric runs $350 and up a month.

 

[rokguy]

<EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">I think a cheap land base is a good idea.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">After years travelling I found NOTHING stays the same. That great little freecamp is overun or closed, that RV park closed cause they got a great deal to sell and develop or that cheap rent you were getting skyrockets or turns into a rip off.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Thats the reason I&nbsp;bought an (offgrid) acre of land in a little (pop 800) country town 100 miles from a capital city. My little town has all the services you would ever need, what I particularly like about it is its too far away to live for the city commuter which keeps the land tax valuations down. ($450AU per year last 8 years).</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">This town is located just off a major freeway and has a 4 scheduled a day train service to and from the big smoke.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">If you can afford it find something similar in the U.S it would be a great way to future proof youself.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">I have found it is saving me alot of cash cause I can store stuff there safely and saves carting stuff around in my trucks giving me better fuel savings + less wear and tear.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Geoff</SPAN></STRONG></EM>

 

[Cubey]

<em><strong><span style="color: #888888;">Thats the reason I&nbsp;bought an (offgrid) acre of land in a little (pop 800) country town 100 miles from a capital city. My little town has all the services you would ever need, what I particularly like about it is its too far away to live for the city commuter </span></strong></em>

<br><br>I currently live just outside the city limit of a town of about 800-850. It's about 15 miles to a city of about 70k population... but even that is too far for my tastes... and the city is also too small for my liking. <br><br>You can get gas, a limited selection of groceries, a bit of hardware and tools, some cheap over the counter medicines and household items (cleaning stuff, cheap junky clothes, general merchandise, etc) but that's it here locally.<br><br>It's easy to rack up 40-50 miles round trip to the city if you run around town to different places throughout. I hate living 15 miles from the nearest auto parts store. <br><br>Sure, it's nice sometimes being just a mile from the post office and every other store here locally (the majority of the commercial part of town is along a stretch of about 1/2 mile on the main road through.. all spread out) but I end up spending an hour or two going to the city to just go to a few places. The majority of the stores are 18-20 miles from me.<br><br>I guess I am an oddball on this forum. It seems most want to be in a tiny home (rv, vehicle) in isolated backwoods areas. I'm just the opposite as far as everyday living. Give me a busy urban area with lots to do besides yard work! I love getting away to the county for camping or perhaps even a short time living there (maybe a month or two?) but to live there full time year in and year out? No thanks.<br><br>Having a motorhome, I will be able to be choosey where I want to live.

 

[RAILROADGREEN]

offroad, great question, here is&nbsp;my two cents, after some homework. (why own land) when you can boondock for free, you can rent here in california an airzona desesrt for around $180.00 for seven months from ltve land guys&nbsp;. i think it stand for long term vaction something or other little help on this. no taxs no zone codes or septic worries. i talk to this old guy an he been do this now ten years&nbsp;. he live in a great big old class a,he payed $5,000 for it in 2003 so he said!!&nbsp;&nbsp;he keep it in&nbsp;storage&nbsp;in yuma, during the summer months. at fifty dollar a month. the rest of the year he live at the ltve land, by the hot spring in holtville california. for the summer months he travel to san diego and live in the marina parken lot , he likes backtoping in diego!! to many doing it for cops to mess with. and besides all the camp ground are full during the summer in san diego&nbsp;, so liven is easy he said. he told me that the 34'&nbsp;motorhome is a 1983&nbsp;an it only has 30,000 miles on it when he bought it. after own it for ten YEARS he has put a wopping 3100 miles on it, an live on or under $10,000 year. he told Me HE&nbsp;save money ever year do this at 11,000 a YEAR.WHAT HE GETS IN SS PENIONS. HAT OFF TO HIM. HE IS 87 YEARS OLD AN STILL LIVING ON HIS OWN TERMS. DRIVING AROUND IN HIS OLD BEAT UP MINIE VAN THAT HE LIVE IN AT THE BEACH.&nbsp; (MY OUESTION CAN YOU DO IT CHEAPER THAN HE DOES IT, AN IF SO CAN YOU SHARE&nbsp; THE MONEY NUMBERS WITH US?&nbsp; FELLOW TRAVELER GARY

 

[owl]

&nbsp; I firmly believe you are going to see the Federal government come down on folks living on public land semi permanently. They are already closing off some of the roads here in the west. Many are buying a suitable small piece of ground and boondocking on it in Az. Nv. Ut. Or. Wash. Id. even Ca. I'm pretty sure there is no perfect answer for everyone. How you live will ultimately be determined by you and to some degree the government. You younger folks will find out what we older already know. Your life and lifestyle will undergo many changes over time, some good, some bad. Roll with it, expect it and you will find you will be much more content.

 

[blkjak]

<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>i was going to have a place in the mountains ....</strong></span><br><br><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>however the cost of gas to be active was calculated to be over my monthly budget ....</strong></span><br><br><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>i now have a small cheap shop in town ....</strong></span><br><br><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>blkjak ....</strong></span></p>

 

[ice_maiden]

I was going to travel and live in my van until I had a couple of set backs and the price of gas started rising.&nbsp; Now I have a 36ft 5'er on 1.5 acres, five miles outside of a small town.&nbsp; I could not be happier here. I like to travel and did so for many years in the concession business, but I like to just be still too. Ultimately living in an RV on a small plot of land is cheaper than gas if you can afford the initial investment.&nbsp; My "rent" (taxes) are 178.00 a year equaling about 15.00 a month.&nbsp; <br><br>I did not buy junk land.. I researched foreclosed land... I paid just a bit more than junk land but not much.&nbsp; And there were some pieces that could be bought for less than junk land... I just liked where this piece was located so I had to top someone else's offer.

 

[rokguy]

<EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Good idea ice_maiden,</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Having the RV to move around and having the plot is where you get the best of both worlds, especially were it is somewhere you like to be. As you say it doesn't have to be scrap land and it doesn't have to be flash either just somewhere to call a base for your travels.<BR></SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">A land base is really useful when it comes to crowded holiday weekends (happy Easter) and Christmas holidays, it is useful having somewhere to disappear back to. Most regular householders go on holidays at these times where as we don't.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">I used to hate looking for a place over Christmas when every man and his dog was travelling, the price of gas was high and the cost of staying somewhere nice (charged more than doubled) was taken advantage of plus the crowds when you did find a place to stay.<BR>I find it actually saves me money in the long run cause it also gives me a place to do my truck's preventive maintanence so I don't have any nasty surprizes out on the road.&nbsp;&nbsp;</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888"><BR>Geoff (back at base (at the moment))</SPAN></STRONG></EM>

 

[Spirituallifetime]

<span id="post_message_1277348082">was wondering about what people have done about buying a piece of land. &nbsp;does it make sense to do that?</span>

<br><br>I have been doing this for many years in northern Nevada. Paid about $13000 (500 down and 150 per month) for 5 acres with power to the property and 30 amp (had power company put in 50&nbsp;amp) hookup at the power pole and gravel pad to park rv on and septic in also.&nbsp;It may make sense for some but not all. Getting in and out in the winter with snow can be a challenge and going to town is about 30 miles with the higher gas prices had to limit trips to town and have a trucking job that lets me park the truck nearby so I don't have to drive far to go to work. I find that rvs are cold in the winter and hot in summer, need to put up outdoor shade if there are no trees to sit under. Taxes on land with no buildings are usually low, here in Nevada under $100 for the property I am on.

 

[highdesertranger]

people don't connect Nevada with snow but northern Nevada in winter can get hammered.&nbsp; after all Nevada means snowy place and&nbsp;sierra Nevada = high snowy place.&nbsp; but I love it.&nbsp; consider Nevada the perfect place for a home base type of property.&nbsp; however it can be very harsh weather wise.&nbsp; highdesertranger

 

[offroad]

Railroadgreen - you just sparked and incredible good idea.&nbsp; MARINA PARKING LOT.&nbsp; There are literally hundreds of these places around.&nbsp; More so than the RV campgrounds.&nbsp; the whole marina boat community is all about storage of boats, and launching the boats, and parking a car somewhere, while you are off boating.&nbsp; Wonder how hard it would be to rent a space for a month or three, while you are "planning on your boat purchase"&nbsp; many of these boat folks have their boats dry docked, and they live on them while they work on them.&nbsp; Cities have dozens of marinas, with boat storage.&nbsp; <BR><BR>have to talk to some folks and get to know what the lifestyle is like at this FIXER UP boat yard marinas.<BR><BR>

 

[rokguy]

<EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Nice try offroad but most marina's have security parking where they check your vehicle every night.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">The boatyard idea is not real good either cause first you need to own a boat in the yard !&nbsp;(which you can live on anyway) Most boatyards will not allow you to park within the working yard area along side your boat due to fire hazards (welding, painting, chemicals etc)</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">There was a yard downunder who had people buying old wrecks and putting them in their yard with no intention of fixing them up to sail etc just for the cheap accomodation but a fire and insurance put paid to that.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">When I live aboard I park my motorhome in the secure parking at the marina but I've been told not to stay in my motorhome overnight there.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">P.S Most self fixer upper boatyards will charge a liveaboard fee ashore.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Geoff</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Pictured S.V Felix ashore while I was carrying out some mods and now I store and work on her on my land.</SPAN></STRONG></EM>

 

[wagoneer]

I am going to be near Sparks/Reno looking at some land/cabin 05/20/2013 to 05/28/2013<br>camping with my two boys at &nbsp;Washoe State Park. Got 40k ( i think)

 

[RAILROADGREEN]

hey offroad, alot of poeple live in marina parking,more so during the summer.what alot of them do,is buy a state beach park pass.good for a year at $180.00 a year or $50.00 a year if you are 62 are older.they hang out at the state (beachs) park.pass is good for any state beach in california.during the day 6:00am to 10<img src="/images/boards/smilies/redface.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">opm and at night go stay at marina parking. or were ever they can!!hpoe this help ya. gary&nbsp;