So I am pretty much sick of living in the NE and with some research, I think upstate SC sounds pretty perfect. I'd like to find a large chunk of land, build my own house and live a little closer to the land than I can here in NE.
I was just wondering about building codes and how much leeway there is (I found some form online that said you could bypass most codes if you plan on living in the structure yourself for several years). I mean, literally, I want to build MY OWN house, MYSelf! Anyone had any experience with this (ie finding land AND building on it)?
My other question is for gardeners and farmers. What is the growing season like? What kinds of things do well, or poorly?
I know these questions apply to a pretty limited bunch of people, but I haven't found a lot of first-hand answers online. Just hoping I luck out and the right people find this

thanks so much!