First a little background. Carlin and I have been living in my RV since he was born. It's currently parked on friends acreage Way out in the sticks. Last winter I took a live-in nanny job for the coldest months. This winter we rent bedspace in a friends computer room. I have a fairly portable home microbusiness selling games but have pretty much bled it dry. We have spent the last 4 years surviving on less than $10,000 annually, last year much less. The acreage is way out in the foothills, about 30 minutes from groceries/schools/library/park.
I signed my son up under his deadbeats SSDI benefits and Carlin now recieves $528 a month. The windfall came first, unanounced and totally unexpected. A check for $9680 for 18 months back pay from SSDI.
Full pantry, bills caught up, clothes for Carlin and socks and underwear for me. fixed the van up and a pizza night or two. I have $9000 left.
I would like to work on housing. My longgggg term goal is to be selfsufficient, just me and my boy. My own land and my own house, paid for, that no one can take away from me.
1) go back to the RV, fix the roof, floor, septic and brakes and give it some upgrades like solar panels and solar hot water. It's been vacant except for the mice all winter, and will need a reallllllly good scrubbing and no doubt some repairs before it is livable again. 'Rent' on my friends land is $100 plus 10 hours land labor a month.
2) buy a cheap mobile home in a trailer park with enough room to park the RV next to it. I've seen old tiny ones as low as $7000 with $350/month space rent.
3) buy a tiny parcel of unimproved land in the suburbs and drag the RV there. trailers come up for free on Craigslist often enough, just pay to move them. but need water/septic/electric and city permits.
I have spent the winter looking for work, but have figured out that I really don't want to work for someone else. I'd like to have enough space to really get my games going again.
My credit is poor, and without a steady paycheck I don't qualify for a standard mortgage or even a market rate appartment. I have looked into getting a fixer cottage and even a small one around here is running about $100,000. too much. My brother is willing to give me a $$ hand and I think he would co-sign or back a small loan to get into a $15,000 mobile home fixer.
I'm thinking along the lines of getting a mobile home, fixing it with sweat equity, pay the space rent with the SSDI, running my business to save for 'real' land. then I could move my improved mobile home onto my own land.
I guess I just need reassurance that my ideas are valid, and if you guys have any other ideas please feel free. Thanks for listening.
Bryanna
I can't decide. I can't make the first steps. I feel like I'm in quicksand.
I signed my son up under his deadbeats SSDI benefits and Carlin now recieves $528 a month. The windfall came first, unanounced and totally unexpected. A check for $9680 for 18 months back pay from SSDI.
Full pantry, bills caught up, clothes for Carlin and socks and underwear for me. fixed the van up and a pizza night or two. I have $9000 left.
I would like to work on housing. My longgggg term goal is to be selfsufficient, just me and my boy. My own land and my own house, paid for, that no one can take away from me.
1) go back to the RV, fix the roof, floor, septic and brakes and give it some upgrades like solar panels and solar hot water. It's been vacant except for the mice all winter, and will need a reallllllly good scrubbing and no doubt some repairs before it is livable again. 'Rent' on my friends land is $100 plus 10 hours land labor a month.
2) buy a cheap mobile home in a trailer park with enough room to park the RV next to it. I've seen old tiny ones as low as $7000 with $350/month space rent.
3) buy a tiny parcel of unimproved land in the suburbs and drag the RV there. trailers come up for free on Craigslist often enough, just pay to move them. but need water/septic/electric and city permits.
I have spent the winter looking for work, but have figured out that I really don't want to work for someone else. I'd like to have enough space to really get my games going again.
My credit is poor, and without a steady paycheck I don't qualify for a standard mortgage or even a market rate appartment. I have looked into getting a fixer cottage and even a small one around here is running about $100,000. too much. My brother is willing to give me a $$ hand and I think he would co-sign or back a small loan to get into a $15,000 mobile home fixer.
I'm thinking along the lines of getting a mobile home, fixing it with sweat equity, pay the space rent with the SSDI, running my business to save for 'real' land. then I could move my improved mobile home onto my own land.
I guess I just need reassurance that my ideas are valid, and if you guys have any other ideas please feel free. Thanks for listening.
Bryanna
I can't decide. I can't make the first steps. I feel like I'm in quicksand.
) and I could make an RV a year-round home, that is the option that would appeal most to me. Especially since it gives you a rural location, low rent, and, imo, the most self-sufficiency. You own the RV. You can live anywhere you park it.
: I think it would be worth it to fix up your rv and make it livable again. I would NOT buy a mobile home. As pp's have mentioned, they don't appreciate, in fact, most ppl lose money on them. I would fix up the rv and maybe try to find another area that's closer to town to park it, if that's what you want. If you wish to stay where it is now, I would try to do all errands that are in town maybe once a month so you don't have to waste gas getting there and back.
