Fuel’s up, Land’s Down. To Buy or Not to Buy?

Heckla Junction ColoradoAs real estate prices drop, we keep thinking about where and when we want to buy. As much as we like this mobile lifestyle, we do want a piece of land where we can park the rig for a while and not have to pay rent. And we’ll need something to leverage when we’re old. So there are two ways we’re thinking of approaching a purchase whenever experts say prices are at rock bottom:

Property Idea 1: Buy two separate, smaller cheaper pieces of land (around 5 acres) in different regions of the country. Say, one piece in Colorado, and one near Luckenbach. Winter in Texas, summer in Colorado.

  • The advantage: Staying mobile, and keep on living an internet-based self employment lifestyle.
  • The disadvantage: Fuel prices. Moving around won’t be cheap. How long can we sustain a lifestyle like this?

Property Idea 2: Throw all our eggs into one larger piece of land, say an old ranch, that backs up to BLM or Forest Service property. Park the rig, settle down for a while, and utilize that land for some kind of outdoors-based business.

  • The advantage: We would have a larger piece of real estate that we could sell off little by little as we get older.
  • The disadvantage: Getting tied down again. Property taxes. Ugh!

I like to get other people’s ideas about situations like this. What would you do?

9 thoughts on “Fuel’s up, Land’s Down. To Buy or Not to Buy?”

  1. I am sorry. I don’t have any answers for you.

    For me, I am hoping that, when the time is right, I will find a place that I wont want to leave. Part of this adventure is seeing all the different areas of the country in order to find the perfect one.

    I am a bit of a foolish romantic….

    Best of luck to you in your decision.

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  2. don`t worry about your parents!, they can get old without you. as for “taxes” consider “infrastructure” !

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  3. I agree with Henry about location, especially when and if it becomes time to sell. Boondocks land adjacent to public land can be on the market a LONG time.

    What kind of weather and cultural amenities do you want?

    Will you want to be near aging parents at some point in the future?

    What will do you do about water? Putting in wells and such is expensive in remote locations.

    Since you haven’t found one place that says “stay here!!!” yet, do you think that you will find two?

    Should you have a clearer idea of what kind of business you would want to establish on your property before you buy?

    Just some random thoughts that come to mind while we sit here at the end of our two day heat wave watching the Giants game. It was 90F at in the shade at 11am yesterday morning out here in the Dow’s Prairie Banana Belt. All doors and windows now open at 9 pm. Climate change, anyone?

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  4. I’d go with A. While “moving around won’t be cheap” if you decide to stop moving around you could rent the other piece of land/house. Source of constant income. It gives you more freedom. Plus I think I’m a bit of a gypsy.

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  5. Hi! Both ideas sound good! You bring up valid points (both pro and con) that make it difficult to decide! But, I have always wanted to have two homes – one in the mountains and one by the beach. I think it would be the best of both worlds to have two homes and a self-employed lifestyle!
    Maybe buy the big ranch (but not as big as you originally planned) AND buy a much smaller, second property in the South?
    T

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  6. Been doing a little of that myself. I ended up with 5 acres outside Big Bend..strictly boondock land but I can park there free because it’s mine with no restrictions. I also have 1/2 acre lot in rural PA, close to where my hubby and I used to live. It also has no restrictions and can be used as a camp lot. So might end up just going between the two…but will continue to keep my eye open for ‘priced right’ opportunities (ie; CHEAP). LOL!!

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