City or country???????

[Cut-Throat]

Hello Ol_Rancher!  I may have asked before, but are
you near Fredricksburg?  I spent some very pleasant
times there in my former life.

JG

As usual, John we are at opposites here. My Ex was from Silver Spring. Actually spent the Wedding night in Fredricksburg. That was over 30 years ago and I'm still trying to forget.

There are too many politicians there for my tastes!

 

[John Galt]

Ol_Rancher..............I'm confused. Are you trying to forget Fredricksburg or your wedding night?
Actually, I should have said the Fredricksburg "area".
Not too familiar with the town, just the hill country
generally. BTW, I always wanted to take the bike and
just meander in your area. Doesn't appear that will happen now.

JG

 

[REWahoo]

JG & Cut-Throat

Think you guys are talking about different states (MD & TX), & different brides!!!!!!!

REW

 

[John Galt]

What a hoot! REW, you are right. Cut-Throat and I are both messed up. (CHP?) We've got the states, towns and brides all confused. Honestly folks, where
else can you get entertainment like this?

JG

 

[Cut-Throat]

Different States - probably! - Different Ex's - For Sure

 

[Spanky]

I prefer to live in the suburban area. We enjoy the lakes and parks in the twin cities (Minnesota). Summer is great but winter is jsut too long. Cold weather starts from December and may end in April.

I have no plan to live here after retirement. I am comtemplating on places in the west coasts and rocky mountains.

I like the quietness (or solitude) in rural area but do not want to give up the conveniences of a metropolitan area (e.g., hospital/clinic access, public transporation, theaters, shopping malls). Thurs, living in a suburban area is a nice compromise.

Spanky

 

[AltaRed]

Will be surburban area for us too for the same reasons indicated by Spanky. Some elbow room and relative quiet and the conveniences of the city. Besides, I could never get my spouse to agree to travel more than about 20 minutes to the mall, art classes, nail salon, etc.

 

[haha]

Besides, I could never get my spouse to agree to travel more than about 20 minutes to the mall, art classes, nail salon, etc.

She shows excellent judgment; way better than I ever did. Sometimes it seems like once I had a family half my life was spent driving somewhere.

Mikey

 

[Nords]

The university town is rated #9 in Forbes best small places to live.

That's been one heck of an improvement in the last 25 years!

 

[John Galt]

From where I am sitting there is no sign of another human being (other than DW) . The bird feeders
are busy. Must be 20 different birds out there. My faithful lab is dosing on the floor. Outside, I can see
upstream and across the river (maybe 300 yards).
On the opposite shore is a large state forest.
Mostly pine and oak.
No people there either. Very peaceful and idyllic.
Oh, did I mention it is +3 degrees (-15 wind chill)?
Bah humbug!

JG

 

[farmerEd]

I live in a small town...population less than 800 and hasn't changed much in 10 or more years. Only about 250 households.

My own place is just under 200 acres...to the south of me is another 100 acres with no house on it, west of me is 250 acres with one house on it, directly across the street is a 1500 acre state park, across the street and to the left is a 100+acre christian camp and across the street to the right is 100+ acre 4H camp....

Needless to say although my town may grow in the years to come, my own house/farm will remain pretty isolated.

As rural as this is, if it wasn't for family concerns (i.e. kids in good schools and a wife resistant to change) I'd pick up in a second a move someplace more remote....I am perfectly happy putting around my place for weeks at a time never seeing another soul besides family...just the way I like it.

 

[Martha]

From where I am sitting there is no sign of another human being (other than DW) . The bird feeders
are busy. Must be 20 different birds out there. My faithful lab is dosing on the floor. Outside, I can see
upstream and across the river (maybe 300 yards).
On the opposite shore is a large state forest.
Mostly pine and oak.
No people there either. Very peaceful and idyllic.
Oh, did I mention it is +3 degrees (-15 wind chill)?
Bah humbug!

JG

From where I am sitting I can hear the soft clicking of keyboards outside my office door. There must be 50 people out there. My files are lying on my floor, ever ready for me to work on them. Outside, I can see the sun reflecting off the office building to the west of me and hear the gentle rumble of diesel engines of trucks offloading their wares.

It is 13 below zero.

 

[indymom]

I am in central Indiana, where we are getting hit with 2 snowstorms today. Fortunately, I have nowhere in particular I need to go.

 

[JonnyM]

....I am perfectly happy putting around my place for weeks at a time never seeing another soul besides family...just the way I like it.

Sounds like Heaven

I'm hoping to find someplace like this in a few years...

 

[bruce1]

I am in central Indiana, where we are getting hit with 2 snowstorms today.  Fortunately, I have nowhere in particular I need to go.  

Did you have to send the storms to us? (S Ontario) :

Bruce

 

[unclemick]

Weird - the local weather stations(New Orleans) are getting pestered by call in's wanting snow for Christmas.

Glad I'm here and not having to drive in that stuff anymore.

 

[John Galt]

Hello JonnyM! I had a place once that was pretty close
to your picture. Sadly, I sold it. What we have now
residence-wise is nice (and debt free). Still, I have
owned some beautiful property over the years. The thing is...............I couldn't hang on to everything.
It's all hindsight anyway.

JG

 

[SDY888]

Personally I absolutely love the peace, quiet and solitude of nature - for a maximum of about 3 days at the most!

We are both city dwellers, born and bred and would not choose to live anywhere other than a large and cosmopolitan city - although work has taken me to some very remote locations in the past. OK, maybe I could stretch to a suburban area less than 30 minutes from civilisation, but that is as far as I would go.

In fact I would be reluctant to relocate to ground level and wouldn't at all if I could find an apartment I could afford which had a large terrace or roof garden.

That's just me - different strokes............

From where I am sitting there is no sign of another human being
JG

JG, is that your choice or their's??

 

[mark]

I plan to stay right herRe: City or country?

Used mobile home on 2.5 acres, 15 minutues to work.

On the edge of a college town of 50,000 - college sports and theatre, community theatre, 20 minutes to 2 lakes (one busy, one not), rifle range for my muzzle loaders.

8-10 hour drive to the ocean or the mountains.

I plan on staying right here.

 

[Will Robinson]

mark Posted on: Today at 1:20pm
Used mobile home on 2.5 acres, 15 minutues to work

This is something like what I have been looking for but have been a bit leary of so far. I have been on the verge for the past 2 yrs or so but can't drop the hammer on it.

Mr Mark: How would rate your mobile home as a livable structure?
How "used" was it when you bought it?
What is the life span of one of those things?
Do they have any special problems I should look for or are they pretty much "like a house"

Is there a difference between what you have and the "trailer trash" crowd? (Ok, so maybe there is still a bit of the "snob" in me)

Cost o' livin-wise, based on my calculations, it beats renting a ncie apartment & buying a regular house and the economics are really almost irresistable

Thanx

 

[mark]

Its a 2 bed, 1 bath 1984 model we bought used 7 years ago while my wife was still taking classes for her masters degree. With only one child, and having lived in a smaller rent house for 8 years, its all I need. I installed new kitchen cabinets and repainted the interior before moving it to a trailer park. Since then I've redone the bathroom and moved it to the acreage. We payed cash for the trailer and lot setup. Later we payed cash for the property, with a small loan from the family for utilities and a storm shelter (since I am dead center in tornado alley). There will be no appreciation, but my taxes are about $250 per year, $150 monthly on the loan, and it pays off in 2 years. Since as university staff I am not high income, it allows a fairly high savings rate with slack to cover unexpected expenses. I laugh at the trailer trash cliche - let someone else have the high mortgage. I'd rather have a nice selection of stocks, bonds, and vacation time.

 

[mark]

If placed on owned property the value will tend to hold up, but on a rented lot its more like a new car thats depreciating (if bought new).

 

[Will Robinson]

Mark, thank you for that detailed account of "mobile home living"

Personally, I am looking at taking the "manufactured home community" option. I am not as young as you. While I'd love to be rural again, I feel better being close to the social infrastructure.

By "trailer trash, of course I meant the quality of the people in the neigborhood and not how many people would be impressed by my choice of dwelling heh heh

I am not at all into that "appreciation" thing either. A manufactured home bought outright, even if in a park, would still put me ahead finacially compared to buying a regular house. And certainly ahead of renting

I'm in tornado alley, too.

Thanx again

 

[haha]

Personally, I am looking at taking the "manufactured home community" option.  

Will, if you are considering a leased lot in a park, be aware that there are some real disadvantages. There is a good article on the AARP site- just "search for mobile home". The problem comes from owning property that can be hard to move, on a a lot under a short term lease.

I believe there are condominium type developments, where one owns his own lot. That might be more secure.

I own REIT shares in  a community operator. I think the business can be somewhat exploitive.

Mikey

 

[Will Robinson]

Thanx, Mikey. I'll check out the AARP thing

I am aware, however, that yes, there are portential problems. I have the luxury of shopping around for a good one that is on the up and up.

Fact is, my mother due to economic necessity and medical considerations found it to be the best move economically. Today her and 2 of my brothers all live in a mobile home park.

As far as moving it... I have no intentions (Or delusions) of trying to move it. Personally I LIKE renting but want some extra physical space and no common walls/floors/ceilings. That's really what I'm trying to manage. I'll take the depreciation and make it up on the overall savings and investment opportunities.

If I keep renting this nice apartment I won't get a dollar back when I move, so that's 100% depreciation in effect. In a mobile, I get maybe 50% or X% back when I sell it PLUS I have more cash flow in the mean time.
And a deck...and a garden... no common surfaces with the neighbors. Makes the depriciation factor seem like a nuisense fee worth paying