# Need advice on Homesteading/BOL



## CGjennifer (Oct 9, 2016)

Hello everyone! I need advice some advice if you kindly would. I am still new to prepping and I am trying my best but need a little help thinking things through. I have been looking online to buy a plot of land through websites like landwatch and landandfarm. 

I am currently in NYC (an apartment prepper with 3 months supplies) however I am highly inclined to leave the city. It is not safe with the high risk of false flags, dense population, etc. I only have 5k in savings (no debt at all, all paid off this summer) and want to remain completely debt free. Would it be realistic / feasible to be able to buy a plot of land for under several thousand and build a cabin from scratch (no prefabs for me) to get my homestead going? 

I have no kids (just my immediate family), no husband (yet...), no debt, and 5k in savings, prepper trying to leave the city. What would be the best course of action?

Thank you for reading 😊 Have a blessed day!


----------



## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

all kinds of rural type guys out there looking for someone like you ....


----------



## OakOwl (Nov 7, 2016)

There is lots of YouTube and articles about women living off the grid.

http://www.off-grid.net/woman-living-off-grid/

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk


----------



## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

look around there are a truck load of small plots of land for sale all over new York state cheap. I would depending on the type of transportation you have (like do you own a car?) look in a 100-200 radius or further if that's what you think would be safest and go from there. oh and get a damn shotgun too.


----------



## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

You would probably be relegated to land way in upstate New York and getting there would be a huge consideration. To stay debt free and own a BOL outright with a small cabin on it is probably pretty unlikely at 5K. I would keep saving and look for a 5 acre wooded lot that is situated near water. Timnerland is usually cheaper than cleared, ridge land is cheaper than bottom land and be sure no one else owns the timber rights. You might be able to score that for around 1,000-2,000.00 per acre. You might be able to set yourself up quite well for between 15-20K.


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

CGjennifer said:


> Hello everyone! I need advice some advice if you kindly would. I am still new to prepping and I am trying my best but need a little help thinking things through. I have been looking online to buy a plot of land through websites like landwatch and landandfarm.
> 
> I am currently in NYC (an apartment prepper with 3 months supplies) however I am highly inclined to leave the city. It is not safe with the high risk of false flags, dense population, etc. I only have 5k in savings (no debt at all, all paid off this summer) and want to remain completely debt free. Would it be realistic / feasible to be able to buy a plot of land for under several thousand and build a cabin from scratch (no prefabs for me) to get my homestead going?
> 
> ...


First off, I'd suggest that any young lady NOT be looking for a husband on this forum, most of these guys are knuckleheads and neanderthals at best.

Second, keep saving. $5k is a good start but most banks may require up to 50% down on investment property should you choose to finance the land. If you decide to pay cash, I'm pretty sure you will need at least 5K per acre in NY.

Here is a nice little potential place in NY, its about 7K per acre.

Pompey, Onondaga County, New York land for sale - 3.41 acres at LandWatch.com


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Oh, if you should choose to continue your search for a spouse here, I'd suggest posting a picture of yourself in tasteful swimwear or some such nonsense.

Your friend, Slippy :vs_wave:


----------



## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

If you are set on staying in New York or the East coast, it's going to be difficult.

If you are willing to move either into the rural mid-south or west of the Mississippi, then options open up greatly.

Additionally, it would help to know what you intend to do to make a living (nothing specific, just something like "I'm a health care professional" or "I'm a teacher" or whatever), because if you go rural your options for work will be VERY limited and that needs to take first consideration.


----------



## pakrat (Nov 18, 2012)

Contrary to what one might think, it’s not difficult at all to find affordable rural land in New York State. I’m from Northern New York, near the Canadian border. This is the area north of Watertown. There are several old farms and parcels for sale up there. At one time there were hundreds of mom/pop family farms (400-600 acres). Many could not financially keep pace with the ever evolving agricultural and dairy regulations and fell into disuse. Larger successful farms bought out the bigger sections of tillable land and the old homes with smaller attach meadows and woodlots have gone up for sale. Most require a degree of upkeep, cleaning up and repair, but most are livable. The challenge is finding work and adapting to the longer winter season.

I would seek out employment (don’t even start without a job), rent a house trailer (it’s trailer park country) or apartment and work with a local realtor. Watertown, Gouverneur, Harrisville, Edwards, Canton, Fowler (the route 11 or 58 corridors) are all good towns to attempt to locate to while searching. If finding a husband is part of your goal, find a local guy – born and raised. Don’t hook up in the city and then try to re-educate. The city guy never fit in.


----------



## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

other states an option? or set on NY?


----------



## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

because I have a loser brother in Iowa with a big house, a good career, and ZERO options..lol


----------



## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Get into NE PA and maybe that works. Lots of people commute into the city from there. So getting there may be better if you have a slight heads up. Getting out of the city during a crisis may be difficult.


----------



## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

The more you head out into the country the land is cheaper , I my self would move to a southern state or mid west state . jmho .


----------



## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

CGjennifer said:


> Would it be realistic / feasible to be able to buy a plot of land for under several thousand and build a cabin from scratch (no prefabs for me) to get my homestead going?


Unless you have some serious carpentry skills and lots of vacation time, I'd say no. It takes a long time to build a cabin from scratch. You still have to pass all applicable zoning laws & inspections. Most folks would find the land & then put a cheap temporary (prefab) structure on it, so that you have a place to live while prepping the land & during construction.



CGjennifer said:


> What would be the best course of action?


You just have to give more info about your skill set & if you are limited to where you can live. If you are not tied to NY, I'd get as far away as possible. It is a lovely state but if you are prepping for a severe crisis, I think there are just too many people concentrated in that area. Also, IMO, areas with long cold winters make prepping all the harder. A longer growing season is always preferable to a shorter one. In north Mississippi, I can get a lot more crops in the ground than folks in NY. While your gardens are still too cold for planting, we are growing/harvesting greens & peas. When you start your cool season crops, we are already starting our corn & other summer crops. Of course it is very possible to be self sufficient up there. Just saying it is easier where it is warmer... especially for those not familiar with gardening.


----------



## Sonya (Oct 20, 2016)

As far as building a shelter on the cheap, might want to check out Mike Oehler's videos and book, the $50 underground house. If you wanted to go in that direction you would want to research before you bought a property, so you could get land with an appropriate hill etc...

It would be especially good in a cold climate like NY, and it would also double as a storm shelter, be very easy to heat since the ground temp stays the med average all year long, and even a ready made nuclear fallout shelter. If you could hire someone with a backhoe to do the digging it might be a fairly reasonable DIY project.


----------



## CGjennifer (Oct 9, 2016)

Medic33 said:


> look around there are a truck load of small plots of land for sale all over new York state cheap. I would depending on the type of transportation you have (like do you own a car?) look in a 100-200 radius or further if that's what you think would be safest and go from there. oh and get a damn shotgun too.


I have a small car that I want to trade in for a pickup truck for starters. I've done research on getting my own firearm the laws are draconian in regards to who can and what you can carry. They have done an excellent job of disarming city dwellers.


----------



## CGjennifer (Oct 9, 2016)

csi-tech said:


> You would probably be relegated to land way in upstate New York and getting there would be a huge consideration. To stay debt free and own a BOL outright with a small cabin on it is probably pretty unlikely at 5K. I would keep saving and look for a 5 acre wooded lot that is situated near water. Timnerland is usually cheaper than cleared, ridge land is cheaper than bottom land and be sure no one else owns the timber rights. You might be able to score that for around 1,000-2,000.00 per acre. You might be able to set yourself up quite well for between 15-20K.


I did not know about the different types of lands. Saving up more money sounds much better. I see these videos of people on youtube claiming that you can homestead for really cheap (i.e getting loans from banks). But cheap is relative when you begin to calculate the real logistics behind homesteading. It is not cheap especially if you want to try and pay cash for the majority of your expenses and property.


----------



## CGjennifer (Oct 9, 2016)

Salt-N-Pepper said:


> If you are set on staying in New York or the East coast, it's going to be difficult.
> 
> If you are willing to move either into the rural mid-south or west of the Mississippi, then options open up greatly.
> 
> Additionally, it would help to know what you intend to do to make a living (nothing specific, just something like "I'm a health care professional" or "I'm a teacher" or whatever), because if you go rural your options for work will be VERY limited and that needs to take first consideration.


I am open to the rural mid-south and have a background as a healthcare professional.


----------



## CGjennifer (Oct 9, 2016)

Sonya said:


> As far as building a shelter on the cheap, might want to check out Mike Oehler's videos and book, the $50 underground house. If you wanted to go in that direction you would want to research before you bought a property, so you could get land with an appropriate hill etc...
> 
> It would be especially good in a cold climate like NY, and it would also double as a storm shelter, be very easy to heat since the ground temp stays the med average all year long, and even a ready made nuclear fallout shelter. If you could hire someone with a backhoe to do the digging it might be a fairly reasonable DIY project.


Sonya, Thank you for this. It is very very helpful. Mike Oehler is genius. I am going to keep researching and looking into costs.


----------



## CGjennifer (Oct 9, 2016)

You are the real New Yorker! I went to Pottersville quite often by Route 9 (still about 2 hours away - Schroon Lake). My brother went to school there. I am very well aware of the longer winter season. I went up one May and it was still cold! 

Thank you for the ideas and suggestions. Sometimes there can be a hidden gem under your nose. I will be open and looking.


----------



## CGjennifer (Oct 9, 2016)

My brother and two uncles are carpenter's and my dad is an electrician. I can pay them in food and beer :laugh: My skill set is limited to gardening and the medical field however I am not afraid to use a power drill and a saw (I have done so before). The reason why I mentioned all my info before is to emphasize that I am not tied down at all to NY.

Thank you for the insight. Zoning laws and permits can definitely make the process much longer and cumbersome depending on where it is...



******* said:


> Unless you have some serious carpentry skills and lots of vacation time, I'd say no. It takes a long time to build a cabin from scratch. You still have to pass all applicable zoning laws & inspections. Most folks would find the land & then put a cheap temporary (prefab) structure on it, so that you have a place to live while prepping the land & during construction.
> 
> You just have to give more info about your skill set & if you are limited to where you can live. If you are not tied to NY, I'd get as far away as possible. It is a lovely state but if you are prepping for a severe crisis, I think there are just too many people concentrated in that area. Also, IMO, areas with long cold winters make prepping all the harder. A longer growing season is always preferable to a shorter one. In north Mississippi, I can get a lot more crops in the ground than folks in NY. While your gardens are still too cold for planting, we are growing/harvesting greens & peas. When you start your cool season crops, we are already starting our corn & other summer crops. Of course it is very possible to be self sufficient up there. Just saying it is easier where it is warmer... especially for those not familiar with gardening.


----------



## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

CGjennifer said:


> My brother and two uncles are carpenter's and my dad is an electrician. I can pay them in food and beer :laugh: My skill set is limited to gardening and the medical field however I am not afraid to use a power drill and a saw (I have done so before). The reason why I mentioned all my info before is to emphasize that I am not tied down at all to NY.
> 
> Thank you for the insight. Zoning laws and permits can definitely make the process much longer and cumbersome depending on where it is...


I can likely round up some additional help for you ..... if you can pay us in bourbon.


----------



## Sonya (Oct 20, 2016)

CGjennifer said:


> My brother and two uncles are carpenter's and my dad is an electrician. I can pay them in food and beer :laugh: My skill set is limited to gardening and the medical field however I am not afraid to use a power drill and a saw (I have done so before). The reason why I mentioned all my info before is to emphasize that I am not tied down at all to NY.
> 
> Thank you for the insight. Zoning laws and permits can definitely make the process much longer and cumbersome depending on where it is...


Using a power drill and a saw is a long way from having the skills to build a cabin. If you move to another state I would assume your father and uncles won't come with you.

If you are seriously thinking about building a self-sustaining homestead you might want to do more research and even volunteer to work on one if possible. In areas like NY, with long cold northern winters, just managing to chop enough firewood to survive winter would a hugely daunting task. Building cabins, plowing fields, harvesting crops, chopping wood etc... is very physically demanding work and not a one woman job.

Now a BOL that is prestocked with supplies to survive a winter, or maybe even a year, is doable for one person with planning.


----------



## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Slippy said:


> First off, I'd suggest that any young lady NOT be looking for a husband on this forum, most of these guys are knuckleheads and neanderthals at best.
> 
> Second, keep saving. $5k is a good start but most banks may require up to 50% down on investment property should you choose to finance the land. If you decide to pay cash, I'm pretty sure you will need at least 5K per acre in NY.


Dammit Slip, there you go calling me a knucklehead again. I want you to know that none of my last 5 ex wives thought I was a knucklehead.

Jenny, 5k is not enough to start a new life and fund a house on land you do not own yet. Save harder.



Sonya said:


> Using a power drill and a saw is a long way from having the skills to build a cabin. If you move to another state I would assume your father and uncles won't come with you.
> 
> If you are seriously thinking about building a self-sustaining homestead you might want to do more research and even volunteer to work on one if possible. In areas like NY, with long cold northern winters, just managing to chop enough firewood to survive winter would a hugely daunting task. Building cabins, plowing fields, harvesting crops, chopping wood etc... is very physically demanding work and not a one woman job.
> 
> Now a BOL that is prestocked with supplies to survive a winter, or maybe even a year, is doable for one person with planning.


Good advice ^^^^ take it.


----------



## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

A Watchman said:


> Dammit Slip, there you go calling me a knucklehead again. I want you to know that none of my last 5 ex wives thought I was a knucklehead.


Yea, it was all those other nasty names your ex's called ya. :vs_lol:


----------



## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

CGjennifer said:


> I am open to the rural mid-south and have a background as a healthcare professional.


That is where I live and the area is very gun friendly. I suggest finding property that is off the beaten track. You don't want to be anywhere near an evacuation route, where folks are fleeing the city. Then you would want to be off the road a bit, for added security. IMO, the absolute most important tool in staying safe during a severe crisis is to stay stealthy. For those of us that have to work, it is hard to live way, way out, so you have to compromise. As I tell folks, I live out in the country, off a rural road on the way to really nowhere, down a one way, narrow dead end lane. But even then, I'm still just an hour's drive from Memphis. Keep in mind, Memphis, for example has around .65 million folks where NYC has 8.4 million. Mississippi has around 3 million folks where New York has around 20 million. Tennessee has around 6.5 million. Point being, that high population up north will be looking for food & resources during a crisis.

Around this area, you don't need to be concerned with having nearby streams or rivers. There is a huge aquifer underground, so all one needs is a well. Most wells around us are a bit over 100' down but you hit water much sooner. As a prepper, I have multiple ways of getting water out of that well if the power is off long term.

My advise to anyone contemplating moving to a rural lifestyle is to immediately join the community. Go to church & get involved. Purchase from local shops... especially the farm supply folks.


----------

