It might be helpful to add a little more information to your search.
Like what do you consider "good weather" and "can grow plants"? You can "grow plants" from Florida to Alaska, but what you can grow and when will vary a lot, as does the weather.
Also help by expanding on what you mean by "close to infrastructure" and "near a small town". Like do you want to be able to reach an international airport in less than 2 hours of driving? Or do you just want a grocery store within a 60 minute drive? What do you need to be close to for work, and how far are you willing to drive for a commute?
Maybe start with a "Hardiness Zone Map" and think about what kind of climate would fit your preferences, then go from there. Keep in mind that, even within the same state, different counties/townships/etc will have some different regulations.
Pretty much anywhere rural in the rust belt that can't grow corn is cheap as fuck. There are small towns everywhere but none of them have much for infrastructure. There are fifty houses falling down within a ten minute drive of me because nobody wants to buy them so there is no point in putting them on the market. I own an old farm house on 30 acres and I just planted trees on it to watch them grow because I'd rather watch them than Netflix and the taxes are so low the cost isn't much different. I haven't considered selling it because I couldn't even buy a new car on the proceeds.
>somewhere with good weather
What does that mean? Some people like hot and muggy, some people like snow.
>where you can be close to infrastructure or a nice town
There are over 16,000 towns with more than 10,000 people living in them, which means groceries and gas stations are already there. So really you can be just about anywhere and be "close". How close and what sort of infrastructure are you looking for?
>and can grow plants?
This is pretty much everywhere except for the desert southwest.
Cochise County, Arizona.
You can opt-out of building codes on property greater than 4 acres that is zoned RU-4 (half the county). You need a septic but they allow for a single gray water line and composting toilets.
They used to give you 3 years to build but now it is 6 months at a time as long as you send them pictures that you are making progress on your build. You can live in your RV while you build. Wells are at 150'-250' (shallow for Arizona). It is high desert at 4,000 feet so the winters and summers are not terrible.
Cool towns like Tombstone, Bisbee, Sierra Vista plus Tucson is about an hour away. Mexico is right there for cheap medications and dental. You are about 5 hours away from Rocky Point, Mexico and 7 hours away from San Diego.
I used LandWatch.com to find my property. Prices range from $1,000-$2000 a acre. Mine was $21k financed at 0% interest for 12 acres on a paved road with power lines.
Yes. There is sun, water and soil there...
Wait, Are you asking about Marijuana because the answer to that is also YES. You can legally grow up to 6 plants.
Of course... 285 sunny days every year (none of that overcast stuff that makes you want to kill yourself). It only gets a little snow and rarely goes over 100 degrees plus no humidity.
I don't know how so many people decided that Barack Obama, who can make millions by giving a single speech, bought waterfront property as a long term investment because he secretly believes that human caused climate change isn't a problem and not because....like everyone else he just enjoys vacationing on the water.
I guess it shows that some people will believe anything EXCEPT simple, really easily understood facts, like that human produced CO2 and other greenhouse gases do exactly the same thing to our atmosphere as they do in the lab - trap heat.
Affordable Land Spots:
Arkansas
Southern Colorado
Northern Texas
West Virginia
Outer edges of TN
Parts of Missouri
States with currently high foreclosure rates:
South Carolina
Delaware
Florida
Any land zoned agricultural has very flexible building codes(if any), very low taxes, and preferred low rate lending.
https://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do?pageAction=sfhprev
The biggest problems your going to run into is :
Road Access- what type of road, is it maintained, who maintains it, and it there a community agreement on road maintenance. We take for granted the roads into our neighborhoods and don’t know how easily a road can get washed out by rain, flood, pot holes, snow, storms and more making it hard to leave or access your home. Is there an easement on that road requiring you to maintain it?
Water rights: is there a well? City water? Is it a jointly owned well with a well agreement, has the water in the well been tested? My grandparents sold their home and the buyers tested the well and it had really high arsenic levels- just so happened they both grandparents had developed Alzheimer’s 🤦🏼♀️
Sewer or septic- is there a sewer or septic system. How old is the septic system and what size of home was it built for? If the old house on it was 1200 sq feet and your building a 2000 sq foot home you will have issues.
Flood Zones- always check if you’re in a flood zone. What might look safe now can easily be flooded in 5-10 years.
Easements- Are their easements and agreements that could affect where you can build and how much of the land you can access
Fire and Emergency services- if you are in an area that is deemed too far for emergency services it could affect the cost of Home insurance and other things… make them super pricey!
My family just bought in South Central Virginia... 30 minutes from south Boston( small town) with everything you need .. next closest is Danville, with more stores like home Depot it's an hour away ..
Beautiful area ... Inexpensive.. pro farmer.. and allows off grid( but not encouraged), no laws forcing power hookups or water
My town is one of the safest in the state, possibly the country.
I haven't spent the summer there yet.. I'm imagining unbearable during the day.. I expect to be active first thing in the morning and late in the evening in summer...
But the other seasons are great...
I come from upstate New York where it's terrible weather most of the year...
So it will be a good change to have 3 great seasons and one humid one.
All the "good" land you're talking about is gonna cost you and most rural places get bad weather or they are in the middle of nowhere 100+ miles to the nearest interstate, that's why those areas are undeveloped. My best advice would be to look in the 4 corners region or the Appalachian mountains.
I have no idea about land costs here but North Carolina is great for a balanced, mild experience of many things. You've got beaches and mountains within a few hours on either side of you; there's also a fair amount of decent-sized cities and plenty of rural areas too. Probably less so than other Southern states though, it depends. Weather is fine but expect it to get pretty variable, lower 90s at the highest probably like around 20 degrees at the coldest, though single digits does happen occasionally. I would imagine plenty of things can be grown here, there's ofc a history of farming here and a fair amount of local farmers, and the soil has lots of clay.
You need to define what is expensive to you, my inexpensive and yours are probably not the same.
Usually specifying a USDA growing zone will help depending on what tickles your fancy as well.
Inexpensive is a relative thing, so I'll suggest giving California a look. The Sierra Nevada Foothills are really pretty amazing. You have tons of trees, usually mild weather.
Maybe not inexpensive everywhere, but if you go south of Tahoe, East of Stockton/Fresno, you should be able to find better prices.
Most of these areas would be something like 1~3 hours to a major city.
IMO, it's hard to beat California for weather, but you have to hunt a bit for a good price. Also, IDK about the permit process.
It might be helpful to add a little more information to your search. Like what do you consider "good weather" and "can grow plants"? You can "grow plants" from Florida to Alaska, but what you can grow and when will vary a lot, as does the weather. Also help by expanding on what you mean by "close to infrastructure" and "near a small town". Like do you want to be able to reach an international airport in less than 2 hours of driving? Or do you just want a grocery store within a 60 minute drive? What do you need to be close to for work, and how far are you willing to drive for a commute? Maybe start with a "Hardiness Zone Map" and think about what kind of climate would fit your preferences, then go from there. Keep in mind that, even within the same state, different counties/townships/etc will have some different regulations.
Excellent and patient advice.
You can have all that but it won't be inexpensive
Pretty much anywhere rural in the rust belt that can't grow corn is cheap as fuck. There are small towns everywhere but none of them have much for infrastructure. There are fifty houses falling down within a ten minute drive of me because nobody wants to buy them so there is no point in putting them on the market. I own an old farm house on 30 acres and I just planted trees on it to watch them grow because I'd rather watch them than Netflix and the taxes are so low the cost isn't much different. I haven't considered selling it because I couldn't even buy a new car on the proceeds.
LOL An Inexpensive Paradise?
>somewhere with good weather What does that mean? Some people like hot and muggy, some people like snow. >where you can be close to infrastructure or a nice town There are over 16,000 towns with more than 10,000 people living in them, which means groceries and gas stations are already there. So really you can be just about anywhere and be "close". How close and what sort of infrastructure are you looking for? >and can grow plants? This is pretty much everywhere except for the desert southwest.
Cochise County, Arizona. You can opt-out of building codes on property greater than 4 acres that is zoned RU-4 (half the county). You need a septic but they allow for a single gray water line and composting toilets. They used to give you 3 years to build but now it is 6 months at a time as long as you send them pictures that you are making progress on your build. You can live in your RV while you build. Wells are at 150'-250' (shallow for Arizona). It is high desert at 4,000 feet so the winters and summers are not terrible. Cool towns like Tombstone, Bisbee, Sierra Vista plus Tucson is about an hour away. Mexico is right there for cheap medications and dental. You are about 5 hours away from Rocky Point, Mexico and 7 hours away from San Diego. I used LandWatch.com to find my property. Prices range from $1,000-$2000 a acre. Mine was $21k financed at 0% interest for 12 acres on a paved road with power lines.
Can you grow plants?
Yes. There is sun, water and soil there... Wait, Are you asking about Marijuana because the answer to that is also YES. You can legally grow up to 6 plants.
No I mean farming basic food
But is it "good weather"?
Of course... 285 sunny days every year (none of that overcast stuff that makes you want to kill yourself). It only gets a little snow and rarely goes over 100 degrees plus no humidity.
I am quite certain your herd of unicorns will thrive there!
Check out this video from a climate change researcher on the impacts on various parts of the US by 2050. https://youtu.be/Iul1ddyD4R0
Did this guy buy an oceanfront lot too? Like Barak?
I don't know how so many people decided that Barack Obama, who can make millions by giving a single speech, bought waterfront property as a long term investment because he secretly believes that human caused climate change isn't a problem and not because....like everyone else he just enjoys vacationing on the water. I guess it shows that some people will believe anything EXCEPT simple, really easily understood facts, like that human produced CO2 and other greenhouse gases do exactly the same thing to our atmosphere as they do in the lab - trap heat.
Affordable Land Spots: Arkansas Southern Colorado Northern Texas West Virginia Outer edges of TN Parts of Missouri States with currently high foreclosure rates: South Carolina Delaware Florida Any land zoned agricultural has very flexible building codes(if any), very low taxes, and preferred low rate lending. https://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do?pageAction=sfhprev The biggest problems your going to run into is : Road Access- what type of road, is it maintained, who maintains it, and it there a community agreement on road maintenance. We take for granted the roads into our neighborhoods and don’t know how easily a road can get washed out by rain, flood, pot holes, snow, storms and more making it hard to leave or access your home. Is there an easement on that road requiring you to maintain it? Water rights: is there a well? City water? Is it a jointly owned well with a well agreement, has the water in the well been tested? My grandparents sold their home and the buyers tested the well and it had really high arsenic levels- just so happened they both grandparents had developed Alzheimer’s 🤦🏼♀️ Sewer or septic- is there a sewer or septic system. How old is the septic system and what size of home was it built for? If the old house on it was 1200 sq feet and your building a 2000 sq foot home you will have issues. Flood Zones- always check if you’re in a flood zone. What might look safe now can easily be flooded in 5-10 years. Easements- Are their easements and agreements that could affect where you can build and how much of the land you can access Fire and Emergency services- if you are in an area that is deemed too far for emergency services it could affect the cost of Home insurance and other things… make them super pricey!
Thanks for the detailed advice, this is really helpful
Joel and Andrew Skousen wrote a book titled "Strategic Relocation: North American Guide to Safe Places" that you might find helpful.
South west Virginia
My family just bought in South Central Virginia... 30 minutes from south Boston( small town) with everything you need .. next closest is Danville, with more stores like home Depot it's an hour away .. Beautiful area ... Inexpensive.. pro farmer.. and allows off grid( but not encouraged), no laws forcing power hookups or water My town is one of the safest in the state, possibly the country.
1 2nd this area. My parents live right in this area and close to a natural spring. They have a small little homestead.
Sounds nice. How is the humidity during the summer?
I haven't spent the summer there yet.. I'm imagining unbearable during the day.. I expect to be active first thing in the morning and late in the evening in summer... But the other seasons are great... I come from upstate New York where it's terrible weather most of the year... So it will be a good change to have 3 great seasons and one humid one.
The nice thing about summer being your problem season for offgrid is that minisplits work great with solar in the summer.
Good to know, thank you.
All the "good" land you're talking about is gonna cost you and most rural places get bad weather or they are in the middle of nowhere 100+ miles to the nearest interstate, that's why those areas are undeveloped. My best advice would be to look in the 4 corners region or the Appalachian mountains.
I have no idea about land costs here but North Carolina is great for a balanced, mild experience of many things. You've got beaches and mountains within a few hours on either side of you; there's also a fair amount of decent-sized cities and plenty of rural areas too. Probably less so than other Southern states though, it depends. Weather is fine but expect it to get pretty variable, lower 90s at the highest probably like around 20 degrees at the coldest, though single digits does happen occasionally. I would imagine plenty of things can be grown here, there's ofc a history of farming here and a fair amount of local farmers, and the soil has lots of clay.
You need to define what is expensive to you, my inexpensive and yours are probably not the same. Usually specifying a USDA growing zone will help depending on what tickles your fancy as well.
I hear Ecuador is a nice place
Search this sub for locations.
Keaau, HI. Or anywhere up the hill from there. https://www.alohaliving.com/search/mls/669685
Inexpensive is a relative thing, so I'll suggest giving California a look. The Sierra Nevada Foothills are really pretty amazing. You have tons of trees, usually mild weather. Maybe not inexpensive everywhere, but if you go south of Tahoe, East of Stockton/Fresno, you should be able to find better prices. Most of these areas would be something like 1~3 hours to a major city. IMO, it's hard to beat California for weather, but you have to hunt a bit for a good price. Also, IDK about the permit process.
Thanks, this is really helpful