[lgslgs]

A $78,000 property with an old house, a barn, a few other buildings of sorts, and possibly some kind of fencing.

At those prices, the property is most likely in the sort of rural area where you are going to have problems if you leave it unattended.

Property costs that low mean that the area is to at least some degree economically depressed. That means that it will end up being picked clean of any saleable scrap metal in a short time if it is left unattended.

Renting, and even occupying it yourself won't offer much security unless there is actually someone there a lot of the time, or the buildings are located in sight of decent neighbors who are there a lot of the time.


You've also got a good chance of the property being used for a meth lab, but that would be most likely from renters. Strangers using unoccupied properties for meth production is a lot less common.



Don't buy it unless you can accept that everything that's on the land right now will probably not be there of be in working condition when you are ready to occupy it at some date in the future. That includes any hardwood stands that a neighbor might encroach on timber if you aren't there.

If you like the piece of land so much that you can accept that, and then be able to be onsite for the duration of any future construction of a new houses (to keep from having building materials stolen), then go for it.

But if you only have 8,000 saved toward purchase now, it's going to be quite a while before you'd be able to save enough to leave your job and rebuild on that land. Worth it if the piece of land is really so important that you'd never want to lose it - and that should be based on terrain features and not just on emotional ties.

And certainly don't expect to buy a farm and be able to make a living off of it unless you've got some really good farming experience, a super thrifty lifestyle, and a savings account big enough to get you through several drought years.

BTW - how's the septic, wiring, plumbing and roof at that farm. I'm guessing they probably need work.

Sorry to be discouraging, but in our area the scrap metal thieve industry is a growth industry, and people who used to think they could leave town for a week come back to find their plumbing pipes ripped out and sold, and the rest of the house ruined. Not the place to be an absentee owner. And even having dad nearby to check the place is risky. We've got some of the places around here getting stripped while their owners are at work - just like we're getting car gas tanks drained when they are parked in front of houses with owners home!

One other thing, you aren't going to be able to sell that house without bringing it up to code in that county. Better check what theat means.


Lynda