Land deals (Springfield, West Plains, Ozark: for sale, real estate, apartments)

[sheisme]

I am looking to live off the grid. I am a single mom with an autistic son. I have seen these land deals and wondered what people living in MO thought. Here is one that caught my eye...any info would be welcomed.

[url=http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-ACRES-MISSOURI-OZARKS-RUSTIC-CABIN-NEAR-RIVER-EASY-LEASE-PURCHASE-TERMS-/150694805498?pt=Land&hash=item23161c3ffa]7 ACRES, MISSOURI OZARKS, RUSTIC CABIN, NEAR RIVER, EASY LEASE/PURCHASE TERMS!! | eBay[/url]

[aragx6]

I had no idea you could buy property on ebay and am not sure how safe that would be, but that is a very pretty, very rural area. Do you have any experience living in a rural environment?

[sheisme]

yes I do have experience living rural. I have checked out the company offering this property and as far as I can tell they are legit. I am now attempting to speak to other buyers and get their opinions on their experience.I was hoping someone here had heard of these deals. This company is just one of several selling like this. Can anyone tell me more about the area?

[lifelongMOgal]

In Missouri the Buyer is able to get representation for home and land purchases through a Buyer's Agent. I would suggest you choose that route and look at a number of properties in person, not just viewing and bidding on Ebay depending upon the information offered by the listing agent.

[SW Missouri Dave]

Originally Posted by sheisme

I am looking to live off the grid. I am a single mom with an autistic son. I have seen these land deals and wondered what people living in MO thought. Here is one that caught my eye...any info would be welcomed.

7 ACRES, MISSOURI OZARKS, RUSTIC CABIN, NEAR RIVER, EASY LEASE/PURCHASE TERMS!! | eBay

she - Can not offer any personal experience in this particular area, although I would be very concerned this seller has other parcels in this same area for sale. 7 acres is not nearly enough to ensure your desire for privacy lasts for very long.

Good luck in your search. The area is pretty - and I notice the other add mentions a store a few miles away. That could be a plus or a minus depending on what you are looking for.

[20yrsinBranson]

I never try to discourage people from following their dream. Ever. That having been said, you need to follow your dreams realistically.

Keep in mind in this case that you are going to have to finish that cabin out before you can live in it. Because of the remote location, you are going to have a hard time finding anyone to do this work for you, so you might have to do it yourself. Keep in mind also that being able to deliver material and equipment might be difficult to impossible depending on the condition of the dirt road, so you should have a large vehicle available to haul lumber, etc.

Also, you are going to have to have a 4X4 vehicle to get in and out of there, and probably some kind of equipment that can clear the road in the winter. Since you don't have live water, you are going to have to drill a well, and even though it says that some wells are just over 100 feet deep, you need to contact a well driller in the area to confirm that. Our well was over 400 feet and it costs $7,000 to drill. You need to find out too, if you need a septic tank to live in the cabin. Just because there is an outhouse does not mean that the county health department will allow you to live there without putting in a septic system.

Since this is an off grid property, you are going to have to put up solar panels or wind turbines, and neither of these two options are cheap. Even though your house is small you will still be looking at around $10,000 for a complete system. If you choose to not use electricty at all then you will have to buy a propane refrigerator which costs around $3,000. Also, if you don't have electricity you are going to have to chop wood (or buy it) to stay warm in the winter.

If you intend to have solar panels, you are going to have to clear some land or the trees will produce too much shade. That means cutting down big trees. If you can't do it yourself you are going to have to find someone who can do it for you, which is going to be difficult.

Also, do not believe that it is 1 hour to Springfield. Those roads are curvy, it's going to be at least 2 hours to get there. (same for Branson).

I would not put a dime down until I WENT THERE and saw it for myself. With property prices like they are now, you could get a better piece of property, in a better location through a realtor for $34,000. If you are determined to get something like this. I'd find a good agent in the general area that you are looking and have him/her help you find what you are looking for. (If you decide you might want to look around Springfield, dm me and I can recommend someone.)

20yrsinBranson

[sheisme]

20yrs, your assessment matches mine for the most part. I would have the help of men folk that live in Tenn to help finish the cabin and so forth. To me the most important part is seeing the parcel. If it does not sell then I will be in there to access it in person in 10 days. I have other options...this is just one. Thanks your your input.

[Arrby]

That cabin should not be considered as a permanent residence. It would be fine for weekend use or a hunting cabin, but the lack of a foundation alone makes it a non-starter for a residence. 384 sq. ft. is livable, but only for someone committed to it. If your son requires a wheelchair your bathroom alone will need to be nearly 100 sq. ft.

Land in that area is bringing about $1500/acre, maybe $2500 in smaller parcels. A few minutes on Zillow - Real Estate, Homes for Sale, Home Prices & Values turns up an attractive looking 37 acres for $46,000, for example. That quality cabin can be purchased for about $10,000, including delivery and set up. A well and septic tank will be $9 to $12 thousand. Living off the grid and on a well is a difficult and expensive proposition. Solar panels are simply not a good fit for this area as we have too few hours of sunlight in the winter. You can live on propane powered everything and there are plenty of resources available to do that - just look at the many Mennonite communities around here.

I would strongly suggest looking at Zillow - Real Estate, Homes for Sale, Home Prices & Values and Trulia - Real Estate, Homes for Sale, Sold Properties, Apartments for Rent to get some background. And if you like the area, get with a buyer's agent in West Plains, Willow Springs, or Ava.

Oh, and 9.75 is currently more than double the current interest rate for real estate for people with decent credit histories.

None of the above is to suggest the seller is in any way acting improperly or unethically. The seller is being quite open about his offer and you can take it or not.