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Old 07-23-2010, 11:25 PM
 
4 posts, read 17,699 times
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Hi all, I originally posted this in Rural Small Town forum, but I figured I should have posted something in here.......

Can anyone suggest the best places to live away from cities, close to small towns, in states that that support constitutional rights, great place for farming, or even growing my own fruits and veggies in a little garden, homeschooling is not creepy to people, and so on? In the west half of us from Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, ND, SD, NV...We are looking to buy land in rural areas to build a log home and grow our own food and live in an area of friendly people that welcome newcomers from the city life that want to live simply. with the way things are going, we are looking for a place to live that is full of people that aren't "sheeple" and will fight for their rights among other things. Free states with Libertarians and people that care about people. We are looking to live around real men and women that love the slow, hardworking country life. Will be "living off grid" so places with good amounts of rain and successful environment for sustainable living, and land that isn't very expensive.

Thanks for all your help!
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Old 07-24-2010, 12:05 AM
 
548 posts, read 2,091,413 times
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You're not dealing with reality. I'm not sure how else to say it. You can live anywhere you want, no problem, but there isn't any escape from dissatisfaction. We all have to deal with it. Heaven is abstract, it's not on earth.
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Old 07-24-2010, 12:32 AM
 
1,068 posts, read 2,066,555 times
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I don't know that you are going to find everything you want in one place, but we lived in Northern Michigan, and the people were very friendly and helpful, they cared about each other- smaller towns, there is land there and it isn't too pricey...people live a more simple, slower life there, they are big on the outdoors, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, etc.- we loved it there- but had to leave (only for a while!) because there were just no jobs to be had there, that we could find. But if you have the financial means to set yourself up there, you just might like it. Traverse City, Gaylord, Alpena, they are all roughly 40 or so miles apart, with little towns sprinkled in between, and a lot of beautiful country-
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Old 07-24-2010, 04:18 AM
 
Location: Los Angeles area
14,017 posts, read 20,831,509 times
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Default Welcoming "newcomers from the city life"

Based on what I have read in the Rural and Small Town Living Forum, people there have a very jaundiced view of transplants from the city life, who usually don't fit in, don't realize what they are really getting into, and consequently don't last long. Exactly which rights do you expect these rural people to be fighting for? The self-sufficient life is too hard and too time-consuming to leave much leisure left over for political activism. Are you sure you have a realistic view of what you are looking for? Sounds like utopian dreaming to me. The "simple" life may turn out to be pretty complicated.
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Old 07-24-2010, 04:43 AM
 
10,135 posts, read 27,348,070 times
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Unfortunately, a couple of hundred years of statists has bloated the federal government to be intruding in every aspect of human life. Its reach is not constrained by state boundaries. So even once independent people in many areas have the federal proctoscope inspecting and regulating every aspect of what they do and say.

I'm pessimistic about the reversal of these trends and think that there are only a few choices left: become a Native American (what we used to call Indian) - they have a pass; make yourself so small no one can find you or care about you; or, find another country.

Note that if you choose another country, they all have their own problems and are mostly less stable than the US.
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Old 07-24-2010, 06:32 PM
 
Location: A Nation Possessed
25,249 posts, read 18,397,166 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ltgalvan View Post
Hi all, I originally posted this in Rural Small Town forum, but I figured I should have posted something in here.......

Can anyone suggest the best places to live away from cities, close to small towns, in states that that support constitutional rights, great place for farming, or even growing my own fruits and veggies in a little garden, homeschooling is not creepy to people, and so on? In the west half of us from Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, ND, SD, NV...We are looking to buy land in rural areas to build a log home and grow our own food and live in an area of friendly people that welcome newcomers from the city life that want to live simply. with the way things are going, we are looking for a place to live that is full of people that aren't "sheeple" and will fight for their rights among other things. Free states with Libertarians and people that care about people. We are looking to live around real men and women that love the slow, hardworking country life. Will be "living off grid" so places with good amounts of rain and successful environment for sustainable living, and land that isn't very expensive.

Thanks for all your help!
Pick a small town in any of the states that you list. This is going to be about as close to what you want as you will find. Small town folks TEND (not always) to be more disconnected from the collective that our society has become. Small town folks tend to still understand the concept of an individual or an individualist (not the derogatory and incorrect definition that you get from the collective). There are quite a number of small towns on the backroads of the area I live in (Utah) that still have a good number of independent thinkers. It does exist. It's just getting harder to find. That's one good thing I can say about rural Utah (away from the Wasatch Front): they still have an individualist attitude and believe strongly in personal freedom. Too bad about the blast-furnace-like summers around here.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wilson1010 View Post
make yourself so small no one can find you or care about you;
This is my philosophy. If you don't really have anything that anybody else wants, you're not worth bothering with. Get good at staying under the radar. Out of sight, out of mind--the sort of strategy that a fox takes in the forest.
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Old 07-24-2010, 07:54 PM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,218 posts, read 60,933,271 times
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"Can anyone suggest the best places to live away from cities, close to small towns"

Most of Maine is rural. With less than 10 people per square mile in many areas, I consider this to be rural.

The majority of townships in Maine have such low population that they have no town charter. It is called Un-Organized. No town clerk, no body making a living on your property taxes. 52% of Maine towns are Un-Organized. My town was once organized, but they got tired to paying taxes so they burned the town charter.



"... states that that support constitutional rights"

Maine has open carry of firearms. If you truly wish to hide your friearms the law on issuing concealed carry permits is 'must issue' unless they can prove you are a felon.



" ... great place for farming, or even growing my own fruits and veggies in a little garden"

Check.



"... homeschooling is not creepy to people"

Homeschooling is very popular here. Legally this is among the easiest states in which to homeschool. As former homeschoolers we checked on this issue before deciding to move to Maine.



"... We are looking to buy land in rural areas to build a log home and grow our own food ... want to live simply."

I have met many people here doing just that.



"... "living off grid" so places with good amounts of rain and successful environment for sustainable living"

We have neighbors off-grid.

This region has no droughts, ever in the recorded history.

I was a vendor at a local organic Farmer's Market, where I rubbed elbows with a bunch of folk who produce food in a sustainable manner and are able to support themselves doing it.

We are not there yet, still working on it.



"... and land that isn't very expensive."

We bought two parcels of forested land. One for $300/acre, the second has river frontage we bought for $900/acre.

'expensive' is a hard term to define.

What else did you need?

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Old 07-25-2010, 08:08 AM
 
10,135 posts, read 27,348,070 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by forest beekeeper View Post
Most of Maine is rural. With less than 10 people per square mile in many areas, I consider this to be rural.

The majority of townships in Maine have such low population that they have no town charter. It is called Un-Organized. No town clerk, no body making a living on your property taxes. 52% of Maine towns are Un-Organized. My town was once organized, but they got tired to paying taxes so they burned the town charter.
Is all of Maine's ocean shoreline occupied by expensive Summer people or is there still some areas where affordable property could be found with ocean frontage?
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Old 07-25-2010, 08:36 AM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,218 posts, read 60,933,271 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wilson1010 View Post
Is all of Maine's ocean shoreline occupied by expensive Summer people or is there still some areas where affordable property could be found with ocean frontage?
I have no idea.

Maine has around 3,478 miles of shoreline. Maine has more shoreline than California, and is second only to Florida.

When I first came to Maine shopping for land I visited Cutler. After having served on subs for a long time ['70s, '80's, '90s] Cutler always held a vital role in our functioning, so it was the only attraction in Maine that I just 'had to see'. There are sections of Maine's shoreline which do appear to be fairly low population density. Which does usually go hand-in-hand with lower land prices.

I have seen a few farms that have had tidal lagoons on them. These would have allow sheltered mooring for a vessel and ready access to open water. My wife and I both enjoy sailing so this was an option that I was looking at when I was shopping for land to buy.

The lady who was shearing our sheep lives on such a farm. They have no ocean views, but there are tidal lagoons on rural land.

How cheap is that land? What is the effect of wealthy tourists? Regardless of what comment I make it seems to offend some people, so I should not comment on those topics.
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Old 07-25-2010, 09:47 AM
 
10,135 posts, read 27,348,070 times
Reputation: 8398
Quote:
Originally Posted by ltgalvan View Post
Hi all, I originally posted this in Rural Small Town forum, but I figured I should have posted something in here.......

Can anyone suggest the best places to live away from cities, close to small towns, in states that that support constitutional rights, great place for farming, or even growing my own fruits and veggies in a little garden, homeschooling is not creepy to people, and so on? In the west half of us from Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, ND, SD, NV...We are looking to buy land in rural areas to build a log home and grow our own food and live in an area of friendly people that welcome newcomers from the city life that want to live simply. with the way things are going, we are looking for a place to live that is full of people that aren't "sheeple" and will fight for their rights among other things. Free states with Libertarians and people that care about people. We are looking to live around real men and women that love the slow, hardworking country life. Will be "living off grid" so places with good amounts of rain and successful environment for sustainable living, and land that isn't very expensive.



Thanks for all your help!


Getting back to your question, I have some acquaintances who have relocated to small town Mexico. I'll try to find out a little more about it, but basically the idea is to hole up in a place where there is no drug traffic and no tourists or tourist attractions. I understand they have all bought houses near one another and have a splendid time. They do have some money to work with though.

I sent an email to one of these people. We will see. But, I recall that they are above 3500 ft. alt. and I recall a discussion that it never gets above the 80 F. where they are and does not freeze in Winter. Sounds like Ashville NC, huh?

Last edited by Wilson513; 07-25-2010 at 10:00 AM.. Reason: more info
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