I have mentioned various times that I want to own land; I have since I started prepping. The last few years, the “want” has gotten stronger for both Trudee (my wife) and I. This has led us to look for land various times and we have decided to look again, but more seriously this time. I thought I would share with you my reasons for wanting to move and what I am looking for, in case you find yourself in the same boat down the line.
If we find something now, we might purchase it and treat it as a BOL until we can move there full time and homestead.
Why I’m Looking
I live in a suburb of Minneapolis with a population of 62,000, give or take. The houses in my neighborhood are close enough together that if our neighbors are on their deck and our windows are open, we get to listen to their conversation, which leads to windows closing.
There are trees in my yard that are perfect for shading things but prohibitive to growing food. While I could cut them down, I don’t like where I live enough to want to stay for the rest of my life and can’t justify cutting down multiple tree’s for a few years of growing. Our city also has some ordinances against livestock and against other things that I would like to be able to do on property that I own.
What I’m Looking For
Right now we’re just defining what we want in land. Since this will be the place we’ll stay for the rest of our lives, we’re not willing to compromise. I’m sure I forgot some of what we’re looking for and probably haven’t thought of everything, but here is what I have so far.
I would like to have at least five acres; ideally there would be two acres of pasture land and three that are wooded. I want to use permaculture principles and turn two acres into a food forest. The pasture would need to have exposure to the southern sky most of the day. The soil in the pasture won’t need to be perfect but I don’t want all rocks either. There is a good chance we’ll have a sample tested.
I want some type of a body of water on the land. Living in Minnesota, it shouldn’t be too hard to find if I’m willing to pay for it. I would like to be able to have some livestock if we choose to in the future. I would also like to be able to build a berm and shoot if I want to.
Trudee and I have talked about different housing options in the event we find land with no structure on it. Ideally we would have a well and septic system. If there is no structure, we’ll have to put the well and septic system in, so there would be an added cost.
I want a small to mid-sized town. I really want to live in a place where we can get to know people and have community. I’m hoping to be able to work from home in the future, so we need high speed internet access for that, so that limits us some.
Resources For Finding Land
Whether you’re looking for a retreat, BOL or just a place to make a homestead, here are some places to help you find it.
United Country
The MLS Online
Land Watch
Survival Realty
SunSpring Properties
Lake Place Minnesota and Wisconsin only
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