Anyone have any luck buying small parcels out in the country? - Page 2

[mnnice]

Rural water is a system of pipes and water towers that serve rural areas just like manicipal water serves more urban/suburban area.  Pretty much my entire state I currently live in (SD) has rural water.  You do pay to have it hooked up with new construction and the fee varies depending on how far you are from the road.

[Ydolem]

Originally Posted by grahamsmom98 

We put in 30 solar panels last Fall and it cost us over $30,000.  We are not off the grid (we opted no batteries at this time) but Avista has to buy our power.  We are considering adding additional panels next Fall, probably another $20,000 worth.

So, check with your on-grid power company for costs before (or, in addition to) committing completely to solar. 

Make sure you have a qualified solar contractor that will stand behind their work and be there for follow-ups.  I can tell you the company we used (outside Spokane).  PM me if you are interested. 

Oh no. I didn't realize it could cost so much. Anyone here do it cheaper? We plan to have a yurt for the first year or two while we build our cob home. We plan to live as minimalistic as possible so I am hoping that we will not be using that much power. Perhaps we will not need so many panels. Solar power and solar panels are new to me and I have not started too much research yet. We planned on it costing a bit but not that much. :( We guessed around 5,000. And if we had to go without electricity for a bit we would.

[Ydolem]

Originally Posted by mnnice 

Rural water is a system of pipes and water towers that serve rural areas just like manicipal water serves more urban/suburban area.  Pretty much my entire state I currently live in (SD) has rural water.  You do pay to have it hooked up with new construction and the fee varies depending on how far you are from the road.

Hmmmm, I was unaware of this. :) I will keep this in mind as to inquire about it when we are searching for properties. We should be buying within the next few months. ~~Thanks!

[Peony]

Certain counties may have rural water. We live in one that had such a system when no one else around us did. The water tap were going for 15-20K.We really liked not having to deal with a well though! We looked at solar some time back, it was not cheap but it has been a while. 

[Thystle]

Originally Posted by greenmamato2 

Also - you might check out OzarkLand.com - they have a great program where they sell land without having to go through banks, and it is usually very affordable.  Normally I would be pretty skeptical about something like this, but I know someone who bought land through them and is currently living off the grid there now! :)

I just answered your pm.   ;)

I second greenmama, the Missouri Ozarks are VERY lush and quite "cheap" and not a desert (more water). Your money can go far, check out Ozarkland (yep know about him too) and browse United Country.

Unless ofcourse you are looking for that southwest vibe and then my answer in the pm stands!  ;)

[germin8]

We only need 2 solar panels... the bare minimum, we think. And, we use our washer & computer! We also have batteries. Panels are a couple thousand w/ varying prices manufacture to manufacture. Batteries are as much as solar panels... and depends if you will use blender, food processor, vaccuum, anything you plug into wall... that should help determine how many batteries you need & solar panels. Plus, you will need an inverter (true sine wave inverter). Then you need a generator for those cloudy days you don't get enough solar power (go w/ Honda, no doubt). Plus, how are you going to pump water out your well? You could use a hand pump...sounds like lots of work. Then you need the cables to run from generator to house/batteries to solar panels. Aluminum cable is cheaper. Copper prices vary, but it costs more in general... and don't have as much voltage loss. Oh, so much!

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Another option is to rent a place. I know someone who rented a place for 50 yrs and only pays about the price of a yearly property tax...but I think he maintains the place.

You need at least 10-20 acres if you plan to use your own wood for heat...