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Title: Survival Strategy Advice Requested
Source:
Me
URL Source: [None]
Published: Feb 13, 2011
Author: Me
Post Date: 2011-02-13 14:55:09 by Critter
Keywords: survival, homesteading, farming, SHTF
Views: 1136
Comments: 40
I have a decision upcoming, and I'm finding it difficult to be objective about it. Currently I have 16 acres of unimproved land 1200 miles from here in southern Missouri. The reasons for buying there instead of here in NY were a) price, b) low taxes, c) warmer climate, d) no building codes or zoning laws in effect. My plan was to rent here in NY until ready to retire, all the while, building the homestead of my dreams as time and money allowed. I wanted to own everything free and clear come retirement. However, recent events here are making a move out of the city I am in, into the country nearby, a necessity. I have found two properties, one which I can easily afford, with a small ranch house and two acres of land. The other is the homestead of my dreams, already built, on 34 acres. The 2nd one is pricier, and I can just barely afford it now, and will be better able afford it in the next year or so. Business is very good and and getting better every day. The larger property has a three bedroom modular ranch with full basement, an extremely wide exterior entry to the basement, with heavy duty stairs, which makes moving heavy machinery in and out quite easy. excellent man cave. It has a detached steel garage/workshop, approximately 30X40. It has a ten stall steel stable building. 25 of the acres are cleared and electric fenced for horses. The rest is mostly cleared without fencing. There is very little standing timber on the land but it backs up to a heavily wooded hill/mountain. To survive in this area in a SHTF situation where commodities like oil and gas and propane are difficult to impossible to get, the place would need about 6 cords of firewood a season to heat. I would need 18 on 20 cords in reserve for long term survival. I will be getting older and of course, less able to cut and split firewood manually. If I get another 5 or 8 years of "normal" living before SHTF, then I can prepare it better for survival with solar heat, electric, wind power, set up to make bio diesel, etc. The cool thing about this property is that I can shoot almost 1/3 of a mile. That's what really excites me. lol I can come home and practice, practice, practice, in my own back yard. There's enough here to raise chickens, have horses, raise some dairy and beef. It's all set up and ready to go. The only thing that scares me is can I make it through the winters as an older gent in a pretty harsh climate. Temperatures can dip down to -20f at night and stay below zero for days or more. Poster Comment: I am soliciting advice from the objective thinkers here. Do I buy the small one and keep the dream homestead in southern MO alive, or go for the one that's close to my business, already built, and a sure thing? It's already built and survivable now. It's not ten years and 1200 miles away. What would you do? I should add that if things keep going as well as they are, I should be able to pay off the large NY property in about 10 years. Taxes as of now are $2600 a year. In MO, taxes on 16 acres are $25 a year.
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#21. To: Critter (#0)
(Edited)
My advice,which can be shared by anyone,talk to the owner,some modulars are built with 2x6 outer walls,most are 2x4 outer walls.Ask about the grade 'R' factor of the insulation.Ask about the crawl space,if it is think insulation...or if it is on a slab,consider geo-thermal heat.Go into the attic,take a good look at the insulation,it matters.Heating this modular,and heating your water(its a well I hope) will be your biggest priority.Just a few solar panels and a DC electric pump in the well,is something to consider.Think about a cistern,or at the very least put rain barrels at all gutter down spouts.LEARN to garden,it is fun and extremely prudent. The water source is critical,if you have to rely on the infrastructure,do not buy the place!
I would almost immediately build one of these for hot water and another to supplement heat, all run on dc solar powered pumps.
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Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestI am soliciting advice
#26. To: paddlefeet (#21)
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