Pros and cons of living in an abandoned neighborhood? (Detroit: insurance, cheap house)

[Detroitfan313]

I am new here so forgive me if a thread like this has already been started. I am a bit of a recluse with few friends and family, and I've been thinking of escaping suburban society and moving to an abandoned area of Detroit. I could buy a lot of land very cheap. My only concerns are safety, high taxes, and lack of basic services (garbage, snow plow). Has anyone ever attempted this before? Are their any enforced bylaws regarding what you can put on your property, like premade homes without a foundation or trailer/s? Does the city of Detroit still pick up garbage and snow plow abandoned areas?

[Meemur]

Please read this thread. It will address a number of your questions:

//www.city-data.com/forum/detro...-homeless.html

It's by Solderhobo, a guy from Portland, OR who bought a cheap house in Detroit and got more than he bargained for.

I SO WISH he would come back and update it.

[DoggieMatic]

https://twitter.com/hautedamn/status/766442356233019392

Watch the old Charleton Heston movie 'The Omega Man"

Yeah, you can do it - I often thought about buying some small old warehouse or factory, & spending a lot of $$ on physical security -- exterior fence with concertina wire, bright lights, no windows on the first couple floors, CCTV, etc. Basically a modern castle. BUT you still have to deal with the ineptitude of utility services (Detroit doesn't do a good job plowing occupied streets, let-alone vacant area streets), and whenever you do step outside the perimeter, you're in the jungle, baby! It'd be fun & cool for a while -- you could do pretty much ANYTHING inside and not have to worry about someone calling the police. On the other hand, if you need the police or EMS, "when seconds count, they can be hours away" & once you get a girlfriend or wife, you revert back to worrying about their safety & will likely want to flee the Dead Zone for the relative safety (& lower taxes, lower insurance, etc.) of the suburbs.

[snatale1]

Bad move at every level dude!

[craig11152]

Originally Posted by Detroitfan313

I am a bit of a recluse with few friends and family, and I've been thinking of escaping suburban society.......

seems to me you should be looking in the UP. You can find a house on 10 acres for less than 25 grand.

[VM1138]

Originally Posted by craig11152

seems to me you should be looking in the UP. You can find a house on 10 acres for less than 25 grand.

Yeah, if you're looking for seclusion and safety, the woods are your best bet. The most dangerous thing that'll happen to you is getting accidentally shot by a hunter if you're wandering the woods during hunting season.

[DTWflyer]

You would be surprised, living in some of the remote parts of the UP you definitely should be prepared for self-defense of home, property, and self. Due to the lack of people, remoteness, and many seasonal/infrequently used cabins/camps, property theft and break-ins do happen. Not surprising for someone to go up to their cabin after not being the a few weeks and find someone was in the place. Many don't leave much in the way of valuables in their places. Lots of people use those trail/hunting cameras for surveillance or have one of the "locals" keep an eye on things.

Plus out in some of those places, you don't have the police around to protect you so if something does happen you better be able to protect yourself if someone comes by your place with ill intent.

[craig11152]

Originally Posted by DTWflyer

Plus out in some of those places, you don't have the police around to protect you so if something does happen you better be able to protect yourself if someone comes by your place with ill intent.

If someone comes around your place with ill intent you should never count on the cops to protect you. They could be 4 or 5 minutes away under the best of circumstances. A lot of ill intent can happen in 4-5 minutes. I have two immediate loved ones who are cops and they don't so much "protect people" proactively as they do chase bad guys after the fact.
In any case when it comes to ill intent, personally, I would take my chances in the UP before an isolated/abandon area of Detroit. To each his own I suppose.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

What are firearm laws like these days within city limits?

Does the Castle Doctrine apply, or would the property owner get in lots of trouble trying to defend their space?

[Slother]

Other than dirt cheap house.. what could possibly be a Pro?