Land Sharing A Viable Solution Housing and Survival (co-op, attorney)

[MZBEA]

Has anyone considered buying property with other people who share the need for preparedness? It's a viable alternative for purchasing and maintaining land.

We are considering an acreage near Chino with a house and a well already on it for a great price but it wuld be even better if we found people like ourselves to buy in with us, live from it etc.

Anyone have any experience with this or is the idea simply too much of a stretch for individualistic Americans.?

[freesiia]

Hello MZBEA,
I'm looking to buy acreage in AZ or NV so that I can have a small farm. My main goal is to be "off the grid" as much as possible. I'd not thought about a co-op sort of situation, but I can't see how it would be bad. Are you thinking to have the land and let it sit until you need it, or to live on it and work it all the time. The latter would be my plan, it would be my main residence year round.

[BriansPerspective]

If your goal is to remain off the grid and sustain yourself through a small farm, then AZ and NV are probably not the places to be. Crops do not grow well without substantial watering and water is not something the AZ and NV have an abundance of. Perhaps somewhere in the midwest would be better.

[shiphead]

Originally Posted by MZBEA

Anyone have any experience with this or is the idea simply too much of a stretch for individualistic Americans.?

You would need to be close friends with another family or friend for anything like this to happen. Finding a stranger or strange family is too chancy. It is not only Americans, but humans in that fact, are too greedy for their own good. I am sure the other side would try to ********* over for whatever reason.

But if by the off chance you find someone, I wish you the best.

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by w1ngzer0

You would need to be close friends with another family or friend for anything like this to happen. Finding a stranger or strange family is too chancy. It is not only Americans, but humans in that fact, are too greedy for their own good. I am sure the other side would try to ********* over for whatever reason.

But if by the off chance you find someone, I wish you the best.

I agree. ANYONE considering this should KNOW the other people involved pretty darned well. Buying land together - particularly land you plan on actually living on (rather than just holding as an investment) - is in some respects like a marriage - you will be INVOLVED in each others lives in a big way. What if you don't get along? What if the other (unknown person) is lazy and doesn't pull their weight (costwise or laborwise)? What if the other person is untrustworthy?

Lots of things to consider.

Ken

[freesiia]

You're absolutely correct. I grew up in the Mid-West and lived on a Co-op of sorts, five farms all owned by the same people, but each farm worked by different families. We all had to work together to work the main crop and to cut and bale hay. But we all had to work our own farms as well - my family had cattle. We fondly referred to them as hamburgers.

Anyway, as a kid I loved the farm. But when I grew up and discussed it with my parents, they really did not like the co-op because hey, no one works has hard as you do right? ;-) Anyway, being from the Mid-west I'm in no hurry to move back. Muggy miserable summers are not my idea of fun. But I'll keep looking for somewhere west of the Mississippi that fits my needs and does not kill the piggy bank.

[MotleyCrew]

I think with friends and or family it would be great and we have discussed doing this with our daughter and husband if they go to WA state in the future. I would hesitate to do this with strangers. How do you work out property taxes or upkeep is the other party goes bankrupt or dies, or just won't contribute their share. We were familiar with a co-op in Chico that started out with great expectations and then the fights over who does the dishes soon started. I guess you would need a good attorney to help set it up for you.

[MZBEA]

Brian, we have grown 90% of our food in arizona for 20 years. Certain areas have water concerns but those areas are high density population areas. It takes some research and a gifted water dowser to find the many aquifers existing and still mostly untouched in Arizona.

[MZBEA]

It's true, there are innate problems geting people to work together for a common goal; survival, quality of life, community support and self sufficiency. It's a concept that most Americans have no clue about and in this us-or-them, beat each other up over politics climate, it will be very difficult to find people who are producers, creative, co-operative and have a good work ethic.

My contention is that if we the people (even only a few million) do not learn to be more frugal, co-operative and involve each other as a community, we simply will not survive.

Yes, I have now met a few folks who have the heart and mind-set of self sufficiency and in the reality of it, an intentional and land sharing community IS doable. it will be problematic but as mature adults, we can resolve them in a way that establishes trust, interdependency and respect. The Farm in Tennessee is an excellent example. I am not looking for perfection, just folks who see farther than next weeks football game.

[BriansPerspective]

Originally Posted by MZBEA

Brian, we have grown 90% of our food in arizona for 20 years. Certain areas have water concerns but those areas are high density population areas. It takes some research and a gifted water dowser to find the many aquifers existing and still mostly untouched in Arizona.

Hey MZBEA, more power to ya! To each his own. I am a huge advocate of living within your means and saving lots of money for retirement and a rainy day. Every day's worth of income that you save means you get to work one less day in the future. That said, I have no interest in becoming a single-family farmer. The whole point of a capital economy is that people are free to diversify their workloads and create a vastly more productive economy. Several hundred years ago when 90% of the people farmed the land to feed their families, and when there was no private ownership, there was no time left for anything else. There were no cars, computers, TVs, internet, inexpensive books, free education through highschool, comfortable houses, etc., etc., etc. In this wonderful country, people are free to pool their money, buy some acreage, and live communally on their land. That is fantastic for those people and I wish them the best. My only request is that they do not try to force me to live communally. I respect and appreciate the freedom that we are granted in the USA.