Home base idea

[Ryannis]

At present I am living in a stick n bricks house, it does not belong to me. Am trying to look ahead, plan ahead. Here is my idea.

In some way or form I will probably be around the area I live at now though the year, even full timing. Tons of family, we are pretty close, and my daughter live here. Area I live is western Oklahoma. (yes, I know, oh yee!!! *insert sarcasm*)

Won't be able to fulltime on the road for a while (saving up some $$), barring something severe happening. But there is that possibility I may have to fulltime live in my RV but still work here. Since our area has extremes in the weather, lucky me, here is what I'm aiming for: buy some land, which will serve as a home base, taxes in Oklahoma are cheap. Offgrid. Either a barn already on it or pole barn built. Barn can provide shelter from wind and sun, roof to divert rainwater for use plus carry solar for electric. Extreme colds I thought of maybe a wood stove inside barn to heat the area around the RV. Composting toilet or outhouse for regular use in or near barn to not need to dump black tanks as often or dig up a septic system. Grey water diverted outside or to water any plants.

Hope to have that set up in the next year or two. Would be nice to find a piece of land with an aging barn already on it, well already drilled for water would be awesome!!! Would have to commute to work until I can hit the road.

And then, someday down the road, I can hit the road, haha... Would still have this home base, and be able to come back to it in between places and for holidays or visiting and such. Would be free parking with just small yearly taxes (like $50-$100 a year for land with no dwelling). Is a barn a dwelling?? So far my readings have said it isn't, in that it wouldn't have water and sewer hookups and such. Of course, will check with county for codes. From the air, would look like a barn is only thing on the property. How would they know I have an RV parked inside??

Anyways... good, bad, ugly.. thoughts?

 

[wagoneer]

I say go for it. the only hang-up I see is these rural areas always look to fatten the purse so they will look for any way to hit you up for more money. It sounds a bit too romantic but why not?

 

[LongInTheTooth]

Hmmm I know pole bldgs don't usually require permits to build simply bcuz they are not "dwellings" ...well, except for 4-legged friends etc. over the years I've often thot of doing something similar but actually living in the pole bldg while I built a slipform stone house. Now that I'm going to be van dwelling and moving who-knows-where once I graduate, I don't know where the road will lead me! It's terribly exciting, the unknown, isn't it? What a grand adventure life is!!

---

They don't have foundations so they aren't considered permanent structures

 

[Zil]

Check the zoning law and construction codes in whatever area you are looking into. Some forbid camper living and others also have occupancy codes. Some areas are wide open, but not many.

 

[akrvbob]

The one flaw in your plan is your neighbors. The county may not figure out what you are doing, but your neighbors will. All too often they are busy-bodies who will report you to the county and then your screwed.

Since you aren't committed to the area long-term, here are two other possibilities:

1) Run an ad looking to rent a space and utilities either in someones driveway or on someones rural acreage. It's very likely you can find something that works for you.
2) Put the RV into an RV park, If you pay by the month, 6 months or even by the year you can probably get a pretty cheap space.

Just some thoughts, Bob

 

[PastTense]

Doesn't western Oklahoma have some rural areas of declining population? If so you may simply be able to buy a house in a small town quite cheaply and live in it--using the RV only when traveling.

 

[Donedirtcheap]

Along the lines of what Bob said, you have to know what the rules are or you are building on sand. It all depends on the area but often times they want you to get a building permit to put in wells and septic systems. A building permit as in its part of the process of building a dwelling that meets code. They will often want to see the actual house plans with different elevation drawings.

My best guess is that you could find property with a pole barn and it may have elec and septic. Again it depends on the area you are in. If a pole barn is sitting there with well and septic you would need to find out if they were in the process of building a house also and their plans changed or what happened.

A lot of this stuff can vary as as I had property in Michigan at one time and the type of code that I described above was in place yet you would see people living in old rv's and the township supervisors property was totally ghetto but they would come down on someone who had a wading type walmart pool in their back yard but didn't have a four foot high fence around it with a locked gate. There might not be a neighbor for a 1/4 mile but someones kid wasn't watched and drown in a town a 100 miles away so they were on a crusade.

Another very big issue that you will run into is that as Bob and others said they will be calling the county on you because you are an outsider. They can literally have a junk yard on their property with blue tarps on the roof but they will come down on you because your driveway culvert is 3 inches to shallow or deep. You aren't part of the club.

I bought a lake lot and they thought they were going to run me off when I had it surveyed and found the neighbors propane tanks and driveway were on my side of the line. The neighbors on each side had extra privacy, a place to let the dog run, a place to blow all their leaves and dump fallen tree branches. They were pissed when I showed up but I didn't go anywhere and they are both dead now. Being a nice guy and all I haven't pissed on their graves.

You mentioned home base. I have known several people that have used properties seasonally and were ripped off all the time. The fine upstanding back slapping smiling in yer face neighbors know exactly when you are coming and going. When 1/2 of the population is on assistance and sitting at home and their water heater goes out or the lawn mower blows, guess who's house gets broke into. Not stereotyping anyone but that is just how it works.

I worked in an area of southern Mich where a lot of people were from down south and would buy property down south because they had relations down there. They usually had rv's that were constantly ripped and many just gave up and sold. You cant win when they own the game

I don't want to discourage you, perhaps just save you from some grief. It can be done but do your homework.

If buying land ALWAYS ALWAYS get:

Title insurance from a reputable company. Not bubbas brothers sister whatever. If you are buying from Century21 or Remax etc you shouldnt have a shady deal. If land contract do research on how it works and have a lawyer do it. I had one years ago and paid it off early and there are different ways it can be held. It was long ago so I can remember but I think a bank can hold it?

Get a survey and be there the day they do it to mark the exact spots with 8 foot long rerod driven all the way in the ground. Put some pipe markers in that are visible and if moved you can always use a metal detector to find the real ones. Run a string on all lines and put in multiple rods. YES your dear neighbors will move the stakes.

Perk test if septic systems used in the area. If it dont perk and needs an engineered field it can be big money. In some areas you will even find properties that are un build able because of new EPA rules. You say why can they sell them? Because they can and you can get stuck holding the bag.

Check with county records on well depths so you have some idea what it will cost. If you buy a property with a well check the county records as some do it yer selfer like me may have watched too may youtube videos and drilled it himself.

Be careful with well drillers as they have been know to sell a 120 foot well that are really 80 feet deep.

Check with the power company as there can be a wide price range when it comes to bringing service in. It can be hundreds or thousands.

Don't fall for the realtors BS that hes your bro and working for you. He's working for money and putting shoes on his kids feet just like anyone else and they will lie their asses off.

Good luck to you.

 

[RVTravel]

Good info donedirtcheap.

 

[Ryannis]

Lots of info guys, thanks!!!

Sounds like a fight to own anything, anymore. lol Why can't it be just as simple as buying, oh, say, an acre of land and doing what you want with that land? Land of the free, my hiney!

The rules are pretty relaxed here in rural western Oklahoma, thank goodness. However, it would take actually purchasing something to find out about your neighbors. Would be offgrid, so no utilities needed. And when I wasn't there, I'd be taking my 'house' with me, just leaving an empty structure.

Anyways, some good advice given, thanks!!!

 

[akrvbob]

I know several fulltimers who bought land in Northern Arizona. They brought in containers for winter storage and then went to the desert for winter thinking their stuff was safe. Someone came in with a generator and a grinder and cut the sides off like a sardine can and emptied them.

You may think being remote makes you safe but unless you have a big acreage I don't think it does.
Bob

 

[highdesertranger]

lots of good advice given on this thread. out west here there are several communities that would be glad to have you even in a rv. most of the thievery is from meth heads so stay away from areas that put up with them. highdesertranger

 

[Hereandthere]

most of the thievery is from meth heads so stay away from areas that put up with them. highdesertranger

How can you tell that? I'd really like to know!

 

[Hereandthere]

We've got a Rottie, and I've seen people back away from her, not knowing that she wanted to lean up against them and commune... but actually when she gets to barking, it IS formidable!

 

[Zil]

I would bet that 99% of serious addicts are not identifiable by appearance.

 

[user 2252]

I've been thinking about this home base idea too. Just a small piece of land to call my own. Need more research tho..............see you at the RTR!

 

[highdesertranger]

if you see someone that looks like a meth head they are not hard to pick out. granted they all don't look like that. that is a hard core user. here in so cal in the deserts they are everywhere. you can't get out in the sticks far enough. highdesertranger

 

[jonthebru]

You need a list of your property qualifications. How rural, what you need there, how long you will stay at this home base, do you want a shower and a flush toilet, etc.

http://www.mohavecounty.us/

Here is the website for Mohave County AZ. NW AZ area including the Arizona Strip which is an area I am interested in. The reason I post this is so you can find the page for the county you are thinking about. On these sites are all the rules of the county. If you don't know the lingo it is a real study but information is key.

http://ocwebserver7.co.otero.nm.us/Main_Page.php?Dept=home

Heres another one Otero county NM every county has a page like this, some more complete than others. Make sure you check any subdivision covenants to insure your land use is covered. Pretty much if you are going to build a residence you will need a septic system. An equipment barn may be the best bet. Make the plan get the permit build it. An important thing, taxes are assessed by the improvements you do. If you buy vacant land with low taxes and then develop a ranch or farm, your taxes may go up, maybe not, it depends on the location, etc.
Remember, I am not telling you what to do, just showing a couple of examples for research purposes.

 

[accrete]

...
2) Put the RV into an RV park, If you pay by the month, 6 months or even by the year you can probably get a pretty cheap space.

That is what my wife have been doing for the past ~3 years. We found a nice spot at an RV/Golf Resort about 4 miles from our place of work here on the Oregon Coast. It is a very nice and peaceful lifestyle and quite affordable. We have a great backyard and view. Do no yard work. Pay little (relatively speaking) for our _home_ (space rent and small rv payment). And near nothing for electric to heat/cook. When we did the math on what a piece of property with any legal structure and taxes were going to be paying it works out we are only paying about $200 a month for what we have.
That in our books is cheapRVliving
Thom

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

I was browsing ebay and a lot of the listings were mohave county

 

[akrvbob]

Be aware that Mojave County has strict permit requirements and if your neighbors call in they will enforce them. I have a friend who got some really cheap land, moved her van onto it, and her neighbors promptly reported her. Shel et the land go back to it's owner.
Bob