Land to live off the grid

[Christine88]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

Storage containers do not make very good dwellings, even when converted into housing. Have you ever been inside a storage container on a hot day in the Arizona sun? The only way I would consider a storage container would be in a high elevation area in the shade and the whole thing covered in 6 inches of spray foam insulation. If your not planning on doing that than almost any other alternative building method would work better out here. (strawbale, adobe, earth-bermed etc).

Well it would have to be converted meaning insulation, plumbing, electricity, air and heat. My brother did this and it was comfortable in the Louisiana heat and damp winters but you can buy small portable office buildings that don't require converting.

[gemstone1]

Go here for more AZ info.

Regards
Gemstone

[crazyjae]

Originally Posted by gemstone1

Depending on the county, I've found with 5 acres or more it usually qualifies as rural/farm, and is usually exempt from building codes.

Regards
Gemstone1

You will want to check with your county assessor on that, because that's not quite how it works. The situation in Arizona is that land that can qualify as agriculture has to be used for agriculture and the buildings that would be exempt need to be used for agriculture.

There were many people that believed that in Yavapai County and the current assessor used Google Maps as to identify buildings and property that claimed ag exemptions. They then went to the properties and took photos/inspected the situation.

They also looked over the rolls for people that were claiming ag exemptions.

What became of it all is there were many, many people shocked by the reevaluation of their property exemptions that led to much, much higher taxes and penalties.

There were people with 10-acre parcels that claimed ag exemptions who found quickly that the two or three horses they had on the property didn't give the property an exemption and the building that was not permitted is now taxed for square footage.

Also, you have to file for an ag exemption each year to actually be considered for an ag exemption and the assessors are cracking down (hard) on people that try to file for questionable exemptions.

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by crazyjae

You will want to check with your county assessor on that, because that's not quite how it works. The situation in Arizona is that land that can qualify as agriculture has to be used for agriculture and the buildings that would be exempt need to be used for agriculture.

There were many people that believed that in Yavapai County and the current assessor used Google Maps as to identify buildings and property that claimed ag exemptions. They then went to the properties and took photos/inspected the situation.

They also looked over the rolls for people that were claiming ag exemptions.

What became of it all is there were many, many people shocked by the reevaluation of their property exemptions that led to much, much higher taxes and penalties.

There were people with 10-acre parcels that claimed ag exemptions who found quickly that the two or three horses they had on the property didn't give the property an exemption and the building that was not permitted is now taxed for square footage.

Also, you have to file for an ag exemption each year to actually be considered for an ag exemption and the assessors are cracking down (hard) on people that try to file for questionable exemptions.

The dreamers don't want to hear that.

[meahkashem]

great post dear

[unit731]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

If you want to be free from codes look north to rural Montana and Alaska. Some Arizona counties are reasonable to work with however. For example, yavapai county will allow certain alternative building methods if a structural engineer signs off on it ( not a horrible idea with some alternative building methods like earth-bermed and underground structures.)

Yes, I once viewed up in Springerville (I think) a home being constructed out of rectangular hay bales.
It was near downtown so I am sure some codes did apply.

As far as living off the grid.
Homeland Security, Patriot Act, Enhanced 911, and others dictate that every dwelling have a house number. So if not in a city or town then there are county codes. Might be worth a look to find an already cabin/shack/building - off the grid already there.

There is a whole web site devoted to people who live off the grid. Those folks would know more about all of this.

[caryberry]

Originally Posted by Christine88

Well I would have running water, septic system and power but I was thinking of converting a storage utility building into a livable dwelling. My brother did this in Louisiana and the parish approved. Don't know how AZ feels about converted utility buildings.

What is acceptable in Louisiana is rarely the norm in the other 49 states.

[unlblkrubi]

Obama Regime Similar To North Korea: Forces 55-Year-Old Widow Living Off The Grid To ‘Plug’ Back Into The City - Downtrend.com

[kdog]

Originally Posted by unlblkrubi

Obama Regime Similar To North Korea: Forces 55-Year-Old Widow Living Off The Grid To ‘Plug’ Back Into The City - Downtrend.com

So the Obama Regime is to blame for a local code enforcement issue in Corals Gable, Florida. Amazing. And you actually believe this kind of garbage?

[crazyjae]

Originally Posted by unit731

As far as living off the grid.
Homeland Security, Patriot Act, Enhanced 911, and others dictate that every dwelling have a house number. So if not in a city or town then there are county codes. Might be worth a look to find an already cabin/shack/building - off the grid already there.
.

It's really easy to get through the County Addressing Department. The only trick is they won't let you make up a name, nor will they let you name your road after you. If there is an existing road, it may not be legally named so you'll probably end up naming it again. And they normally don't allow it to carry the same name.

If I remember correctly, there wasn't even a fee for road naming and obtaining an address. I was in and out of Addressing in 15-minutes and had a tentative name and address. If it's just a address you are after, you'll walk out with one in just a few minutes. If it's a street name, you'll get a tentative name until the official process is complete. It takes less than 30-days for that to happen.