Anyone move from the city to a ranch/farm? - day dreaming here...

[harley]

According to that site towncharts.com, my main metropolitan home area has a population density of 2600/sq.mi. This is about as high as I can stand.

My boonies home is at 240/sq.mi. This is about right, as the unincorporated town of 3000 is squeezed into a few miles of private land along the highway, which is surrounded by a national forest.

I looked up some other numbers for a feel of how other people live.

Manhattan: 71,434
San Francisco: 17,680
San Diego: 4,125
Los Angeles: 8,241
Long Beach: 9,313
Silver Spring 9,605

That last city in Maryland, just 6 miles from Washington DC, is where my best friend lives. I did not realize it is more crowded than Long Beach, CA, another town I visited often. His neighborhood is nicely wooded, and his backyard is visited by deer quite often. One would not realize the density is so high.

The part of Silver Spring that butts right up against DC is incredibly dense. I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't more like 15K. But outside the beltway are a lot of older neighborhoods that are much less dense. I suspect that brings the numbers down to the reported number.

As far as the deer, we're overrun with the critters. Especially in MD, which isn't very hunter friendly. Every year or so you hear of some idiot getting arrested for trying to shoot one in Rock Creek Park (downtown DC), often with a handgun.

 

[REWahoo]

One drawback, if you are a single female with a love of scary books and movies, living on acreage can be spooky at times. Once in a while I will just swear there are clowns and lunatics living out in the woods ��

^ What she said.

Shortly after moving out here we had a week of foggy weather, the thick, pea-soup variety where we never saw the sun. No lights visible at night, only a wall of black outside the windows. And dead quiet. Spooky.

Just reminded of another downside to living out here. While looking for a contractor to paint the exterior of our house, the first two I called said no thanks, they had plenty of business without driving 15 miles outside the city for a job.

 

[NW-Bound]

The part of Silver Spring that butts right up against DC is incredibly dense. I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't more like 15K. But outside the beltway are a lot of older neighborhoods that are much less dense. I suspect that brings the numbers down to the reported number.

As far as the deer, we're overrun with the critters. Especially in MD, which isn't very hunter friendly. Every year or so you hear of some idiot getting arrested for trying to shoot one in Rock Creek Park (downtown DC), often with a handgun.

You sound like someone who lives there.

Yes, I looked again at the map, and indeed my friend is on the north side of Silver Spring, and the distance to the White House is 13 miles, not 6 miles. It is a lot closer to I-370 than I-495. When I visited him in my RV a couple of years back, thought about parking it at [-] Rock Creek Park[/-] Cherry Hill Park, but was able to leave it at a dead-end street not too far from his home.

 

[Sarah in SC]

One drawback, if you are a single female with a love of scary books and movies, living on acreage can be spooky at times. Once in a while I will just swear there are clowns and lunatics living out in the woods


Wild Irish Rogue

I'm with you! My zip code density is 69, and the neighbors are pretty far away. And I'm very prone to reading or watching something scary and then being petrified. As DH is traveling more since he quit working, I'm very glad for the yard full of dogs and our roommate. I am not sure I could live here alone, honestly.

 

[Hermit]

The part of Silver Spring that butts right up against DC is incredibly dense. I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't more like 15K. But outside the beltway are a lot of older neighborhoods that are much less dense. I suspect that brings the numbers down to the reported number.

As far as the deer, we're overrun with the critters. Especially in MD, which isn't very hunter friendly. Every year or so you hear of some idiot getting arrested for trying to shoot one in Rock Creek Park (downtown DC), often with a handgun.

Funny you should mention Rock Creek Park. I was just complaining to a friend about the silly rules created by those inside the Beltway. I used Rock Creek Park as their idea of the boonies.

The local county government wants the kids camp to pave about 12 miles of road to get out here if a fairly small family ministry building is built. This is just in case there should ever be over 100 cars on that road in a day. I'm pretty sure this is driven by federal regulations. On a busy summer day you might pass 3 or 4 cars coming out this way. The population density by zip code here is 30/sq mi.

 

[dvalley]

OP here, I'm wondering what type of land/property should I be looking for if I wanted say 2 acres of land for a house, a large pole barn garage/workshop, a small garden and a few animals ? aren't they all zoned a certain way like Residential? Farm? Ranch etc?

 

[old woman]

I found 2.3 acres with a double wide mobile on a great fishing river with a barn and 5 car garage and chicken house. Chickens weren't a great idea we have 20 and 4 roosters and 3 babies and the neighbors have us watching their 3 hens. A stray cat had kittens in my boat. It is 27 miles to town and we need to be home morning and night for the chickens. I don't live there since I have my own house but he can't leave home without getting someone to watch the animals. He wanted me to move there with him but when he dies I would be 100 miles from home or anyone I know. Too lonely for an old woman so I will sell it when he dies. I do visit him a couple of weeks a month so I feel at home there but after a week am stir crazy.

 

[Ronstar]

OP here, I'm wondering what type of land/property should I be looking for if I wanted say 2 acres of land for a house, a large pole barn garage/workshop, a small garden and a few animals ? aren't they all zoned a certain way like Residential? Farm? Ranch etc?

In Illinois, the farming zoning classification is "Agriculture". Pole barns are allowed in Agricultural and also in some rural residential zoning districts, as well as commercial/industrial zoned districts. There are restrictions here as to the proximity of pole barns housing animals to property lines. And I believe the different zoning classifications have different limits as to pole barn size.

Counties/ states are different as to their zoning classifications and allowable uses. Your best bet is to get the zoning map and zoning ordinance of the area that you are interested in (probably from the county zoning office)

 

[dvalley]

Thanks, this is (from John Seymour's "Self sufficient life and how to live it") what I have in mind. Of course, I'm more into working on cars/woodworking etc than farming raising farm animals but do want to have that option open should I want to give that a try.

I've never looked into it before so wasn't sure how to even search for a property like that.

 

[NW-Bound]

Self-sufficiency is good but takes too much work. I tried to save enough money for my ER, so that I can just buy "stuff".

 

[Fedup]

I think it's fun while you are younger. But when you get a bit older, it's harder. I'm glad I'm not having a big lot to take care of, even though it's my dream.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[littleb]

This is a great site if you are interested in living on many acres or in the country. The people on the forum can answer your questions and advise you before you take the leap of buying the land.

Homesteading Today - getting back-to-the-land practicing sustainable, agricultural, ecologically sound, energy efficient, self-sufficient lifestyles

 

[haha]

Generally a bad idea. There is a reason farm country has been depopulating all over the world, for at least 100 years.

Ha

 

[FIREd]

My dad has a three acre farm with a house, large garage/workshop, several barns and still plenty of non-productice space. And he produced so much food last year from his vegetable garden and orchard (for his own consumption) that he has decided to cut back on gardening this year. So I think that a few acres is all you need if you are interested in self-sufficency and not professional farming.

 

[dvalley]

^ that's exactly what I'm looking for. How is your dad's 3 acre land zoned to have all those things on it (house, workshop, barns and a hobby farm?)

 

[rodi]

^ that's exactly what I'm looking for. How is your dad's 3 acre land zoned to have all those things on it (house, workshop, barns and a hobby farm?)

I think FIREd's family is in Europe.... so zoning is likely not similar.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Shortly after moving out here we had a week of foggy weather, the thick, pea-soup variety where we never saw the sun. No lights visible at night, only a wall of black outside the windows. And dead quiet. Spooky.

And then when I took the trash out I saw the first bloody body just laying there !

 

[FIREd]

^ that's exactly what I'm looking for. How is your dad's 3 acre land zoned to have all those things on it (house, workshop, barns and a hobby farm?)

I think FIREd's family is in Europe.... so zoning is likely not similar.

My dad does indeed live in Europe and the rules are different. His farm is located in a rural area and zoning has not really been an issue.

 

[HFWR]

Generally speaking, unincorporated areas, outside of cities/towns and administered by the county government, have fewer restrictions, though usually still some, like septic field design.

 

[dvalley]

Thanks all, this is just me day dreaming about living a less stressful and a slower paced life (see Bert Cooper's thread in the Young Dreamer's section, that's been my life too at the mega corp for a while). I don't know where I'll move to and when, still about 9 yrs to go but wouldn't mind having land now and start doing something with it on weekends as a therapeutic break from the norm.

 

[meierlde]

Generally speaking, unincorporated areas, outside of cities/towns and administered by the county government, have fewer restrictions, though usually still some, like septic field design.

One other restriction you may find is a minimum land area for house that have septic and a well. In my county its 5 acres now.

 

[MRG]

So much of the restrictions are area based. Around here it's zoning and local laws for farm animals. Another thing is the county zoning, there's a couple South of where we are that have none. We looked at a house down there that was too good to be true. If you didn't count the eight old travel trailers that were the homes of multiple families(I guess) of Harley enthusiasts.

 

[Car-Guy]

Moving out of the big city to a small ranch was our dream too. We found our place about 10 years ago and moved there full time a few years before I retired. Big shop (much bigger than the house) for car's and stuff. Seems I can never have enough shop space. I add on and it get's filled. It's great, if I want to run an impact wrench, run a unmuffled engine or hammer on metal at 3am, no one is going to complain (except maybe the DW)

Biggest Downsides to me: (ymmv)

- I spend a lot of time on my tractor mowing the fields. (The DW thinks the fields are a yard) BTW, if you haven't figured it out yet, size matters (a lot) when it comes to tractors and mowing decks.
.
- Everything is drive. In our case, the nearest grocery store and/or gas station is 15 miles away. Good places to eat (restaurants) are further away than that and doctors offices are even further.

- Electrical power isn't as reliable as in the city. But a generator mitigates that pretty well.

Minor trade-offs, IMO, to get out of the rat race of the big cities.

 

[REWahoo]

Moving out of the big city to a small ranch was our dream too. We found our place about 10 years ago and moved there full time a few years before I retired. Big shop (much bigger than the house) for car's and stuff. Seems I can never have enough shop space. I add on and it get's filled.

Biggest Downsides to me: (ymmv)
I spend a lot of time on my tractor mowing the fields. (The DW thinks it's a yard) BTW, if you haven't figured it out yet, size matters (a lot) when it come to tractors and mowing decks.
Everything is drive. In our case, the nearest grocery store and/or gas station is 15 miles away. Good places to eat (restaurants) are further away than that and doctors offices are even further.
Electrical power isn't as reliable as in the city. But a generator mitigates that pretty well.

Minor trade-offs, IMO, to get our of the rat race of the big cities.

Ditto the above for me, with one exception: I'm on a hillside with no field, just a partially open area in front of the house - where I grow a mean crop of Spring wildflowers, preventing me from mowing till they go to seed in June!

 

[NW-Bound]

ERs who want to experience a rural life should do it early when they still have the health and energy for it.

In the 10 years that I have owned my 2nd home in the AZ high-country boondock, I have seen the health of one of my neighbors deteriorate alarmingly. As he goes from 65 to 75, he needs more and more medical attention. The 45-mile one-way drive to the nearest town becomes burdensome as the trips become more frequent, particularly in the winter with snow on the road. The regional hospital may not have the specialist he needs either.