we live in wisconsin one of the more higher taxed states. we are looking to buy some land to retire. will anyone please tell me where to buy resonably priced acres of some woods and rolling hills. we don't know if we want to still live in wisconsin[our children] or live in place where they easy on us old folks.

thank you, judy

-- judy brown (evergreens2000@hotmail.com), July 23, 2001

Answers

Come to Texas, we have cheap land with rolling hills and woods. You will have to share all the amenities with whiggers, blacks and hispanics. Oh joy, wait until this next depression hits, Texas is the place to be.

Just call me Stuck Billy.

-- Billy (nuto6776@geocities.com), July 23, 2001.

Look around southern Illinois and Indiana. Close enough to visit your kids when you want to, yet the winters won't be as severe.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), July 23, 2001.

Judy,

Don't just look at the cost of land, look at the overall cost of living. Generally, they tend to go together, but not always.

Money magazine online has a cost of living comparator which may prove helpful to you. Essentially, you list current income and location and it computes how much income you need to maintain the same lifestyle elsewhere. Alternately, if you know your retirement income you can list that and various retirement locales and it will compute the relative income level where you are now.

As to moving away from family, I might suggest you find an area you think you'll like and rent there for a year or so. That should give you time to see how you feel about the distance you've created. You'll get a better feel for the area if you want to stay and not be tied down to land if you elect to return to your family.

I wish you well in whatever you decide. I hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), July 23, 2001.

Judy, I recommend a book titled "Places Rated Almanac" by Savageau and Loftus It rates 351 metropolitan areas for a variety of factors including things like climate, job availability, cost of living and TAXES. Although the book focuses on metropolitan areas, the taxes part applies statewide for the most part. You can probably get the book on Amazon.

BTW, Billy, what's a "whigger"?

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), July 23, 2001.

hey Billy, you left out white trash and ignorant idiots that judge people by their skin color or culture.

-- somebody (something@somewhere.com), July 23, 2001.

Judy, you might want to consider MO or Northern Arkansas. We've been there twice looking at area. The weather is much nicer, the taxes much lower. (However, the gun laws much stricter than IN)The suggestion on renting makes a lot of sense to me. We ran into a lot of people who had moved to MO or ARK, and were moving back to be closer to their families. Now, I am looking at Tenn. The land is not as cheap as the other two states, but it is a closer drive to visit children, and (someday) grandchildren, and the climate is also better.

-- Judy C. Vaughan (whileaway3@cs.com), July 23, 2001.

Billy; Where's this cheap land at, we live in north central Texas and it's 25 to 30,000 and acre and that,s bare land! No amenities. And by the way, what's a "Whigger"?

-- vicky (bullride99@msn.com), July 23, 2001.

It's difficult to find a good homesteading site if you're on a tight budget - land prices have skyrocketed the past 7 years, actually becoming unreasonable. I'm wondering if the dot.com bust will help lower real estate prices (by many people selling their land to get cash) or actually increase the prices (by having many people relocate to find work). Guess we'll have to wait and see.

I've been looking around for a homestead, but there's not a lot out there, for the shoe-string budget person. Ohio and Indiana land isn't very cheap either. Southern Ohio is filled with reclaimed mining land or else land that has no mineral rights. That land runs ~ $4,000+ per acre. Central, North and Western Ohio, land runs $25,000+++ per acre.

From what I've researched in Indiana, land there is at least $10,000 per acre.

FWIW...

-- Deb Mc. (not@this.time.pls), July 23, 2001.

So what is a “reasonable” price for acerage anyway?

At least $10,000 an acre in Indiana? $30,000 in Texas? Hard to believe. I don’t know where you’re looking for this land, but downtown Dallas probably isn’t where you really want to be anyway.

Here in north central Wisconsin, $1,000/acre is pretty much the standard. Swamp land is a little bit less (lots of it) and rolling hills might cost you twice that (not much for hills, rolling or otherwise). My neighbor has a 40 acre parcel for sale with a decent woods on 30 of them, and an older trailer for $42,000.

On the other hand, 200 miles to the south (where the people are) crop land is 2,500+ and a nice parcel with trees and rolling hills will cost at least $5,000 an acre and possibly a good deal more.

And on the third hand, I recently saw a 60 x 200 foot lot in South Carolina with an asking price of $299,900. But it looked like a tough place to grow tomatoes. And the Madison area house in town I bought for $28,000 in 1985 was recently listed at $115,000 (and it’s still a dump) so I admit I might just be really out of touch when it comes to land prices.

So how about it folks, where is the “reasonable” land? I’ve been looking for it, and maybe it’s right here. Can anyone beat $1,000 an acre?

-- Dave (dbelanger@tds.net), July 23, 2001.

Gee...always thought the people in Texas were nice...There are bad apples in any race and hey.....let's leave out the name calling...we are suppose to be adults...Maybe this person would like to come to North Central PA. Land isn't too cheap....around 700 to 1000 an acre now but probably could find a nice fixer upper in a reasonable price range with a few acres to get stated in homesteading. I don't think you will find much name calling...at least not out loud. Good Luck !!

-- Helena Di Maio (windyacs@ptdprolog.net), July 23, 2001.

whigger = a white persom who acts like they are black.Sorry you asked

As for moving Northern NY is still cheap .If you have a pension you will do just fine .I am talking St Lawrence county, way North

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), July 23, 2001.

Here in North Alabama is where I decided to retire on my homestead. I have 100 acres with two houses total taxes 423 dollars a year. Acordding to one of the financial mags we are in the top 10 areas for cheapest living cost. Just enough winter to kill the bugs, one or two small snows usually gone in 24 hours each winter. The summers are pretty hot but except for the humiity they aren't that bad we don't even have air conditioning. We have been able to raise two crops in the gardens most years and have tomatoes untill November if we mulch and are lucky. No water problems you can catch more water from your roof than you can use. We are getting older and are dividing the farm up and have put half of it up for sale. The fifty acres and the house we are asking 120,000. we will finance with small down but would rather the buyer get his own financing. With bank financing we would be negotiable some what on the price. Thats a three bedroom, house for 35,000 and the land for 1750 per acre. Some wooded some open, pond, spring, even a cave Taxes probably around 325 per year. Shadow

-- Shadow (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), July 23, 2001.

Is KY to far away. There are some really nice places here, We also have a farm that we are thinging of putting up for sale. around 200 Acres @ 1500 per acre =300,000 It isn't too bad tax wise either. 500 per year. We have vary good soil and are close to lexington Ky, 35 miles. Lots of really nice people and the goverment agencys are helpful. There are smaller acreages near here also. Will check if interested. have learned all the good stuff,where to find things, sence moving here

-- Lexi Green (whitestone11@hotmail.com), July 24, 2001.

well here i go again, sent a post and this demon computer blipped it. Will try again. If KY isn't to far, there are some nice places here. If you want more info send e-mail. found all the real cheap places, things you need, sence moving here. Land varies in size and price. depends on what you are looking for. We may be putting our place up soon. I'ts 200 acres and taxes around 500.00 per year. if you want more info ,e-mail me.

-- Lexi Green (whitestone11@hotmail.com), July 24, 2001.

The Rio Grande Valley in deep south Texas has cheap land; unimproved brush land can go a cheap as $300.00 an acre. That is land with NO utilities. The climate is snow free during the winter (the past five years, it has probably had five or less nights in which it froze!); we have a large population of winter retirees who come here for the winter. The cool season reason from about November thru March.The rest of the time is temperate to HOT. Summer is extremely warm; 100 d. days very common, thru September. Mexico is nearby for cheap dental, medical, and automotive work. If you are tired of the snow and can take fearsome heat, give south Texas a look. Major city names are McAllen, Harlingen and Brownsville.

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), July 24, 2001.

Whoooeee, now I know what to call myself. I always did like those blacks. They got soul.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), July 24, 2001.

'acting black'= some naive persons stereotypical idea of how a dark skinned person is supposd to act.

-- somebody (something@somewhere.com), July 24, 2001.

Somebody , first off I was only answering a question asked .I also use a real name and addy so I have nothing to hide .The same could be said for someone acting like , a yuppy , indian ,polock , irishman.All colors and ethnic groups are known for something weather its dress , the way they act, talk ,eat , ect.For years people have made fun of Polish being dumb , Irish drinking beer and I think you can figure out the rest .No disrespect was ment , I was just answering a question.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), July 24, 2001.

Patty, I think you answered the wigger question very well, and in a nicer way than I have heard it used, as in a "White" "N****r" and I've heard it used as a greater put down or insult than the "N" word by blacks and hispanics. It doesn't push the "politically correct" word police buttons like the "N" word. So far any way.

-- Thumper (slrldr@aol.com), July 24, 2001.

Sorry for my bad spelling , it's been way to hot here and my brain is over heating!

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), July 24, 2001.

Don't look in NM. If you find cheap land, there's probably no water to go with it (or jobs). I'm having to look another 20 miles away from my work to find something that fits my poor lil' ol' one-person budget, and it's running about $10K for 5 acres with elec but no well... that's another $6K. Everything around me is chopped up into 1-2 acre parcels and it's starting to feel a little 'close'. Good luck. dh in nm

-- debra in nm (dhaden@nmtr.unm.edu), July 25, 2001.

Judy, northern NY state has low priced acreage.In the Adirondack mountains I've seen land priced as low as $300.00 per acre.I live in southeastern NY where land is anywhere from $1000.00 an acre up.Me and my wife are in the process of closing on 80 acres which were aquiring for about $1300.00 per acre.I think in most cases you get what you pay for.If your at all interested in NY State,send me an e-mail.I've found a lot of good sites on farms,rural acreage,etc. Mike

-- Mike in NY (embs@warwick.net), September 17, 2001.