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I think that Georgia would be a better bet than Colorado. It also depends upon what exactly you mean by "cheap" and "reasonably close to the city". Within 10 miles of a major city center? Within 20 miles of a major city's outer ring suburbs? Within 50 miles of Denver or Atlanta or might Trinidad or Milledgville do?
What do you define as cheap? $1000/acre? $5,000/acre?
Cheap land close to most urban centers is probably an oxymoron.
Like most other folks with a picture in their heads of the perfect place...you have given almost zero useful information of where you are looking to live. You mentioned two states without saying what areas of those states you are looking at. What about employment? Medical care? Specific cost - affordable to you and affordable to me are probably different. School districts? Weather? Public transportation?
Narrow down your area to a couple / few choices and then ask for opinions...it will probably generate more helpful answers for you.
Colorado is not friendly to homesteading unless you have $$$. It is a very arid state and water rights are a huge issue. Example: you can't collect rain water on your own land as it belongs to the state of Colorado. Try Arkansas.
Anyone interested in buying vacant land in Colorado should read the "Colorado and the west is running out of water" thread by jazzlover in the CO forums. Water rights are a huge issue there. When buying vacant land you need at least 35+acres to apply for anything more than a domestic water permit. If you have 35+ acres and are granted a well permit you will be allowed to irrigate possibly ONE acre. If you have less than 35 acres you will not be doing much , if any (even a small garden or plants on the porch, or watering livestock) irrigation. You can have a ditch/stream/creek running through the property and have zero rights to use even a drop. You also can't collect rainwater.
Of course this can all be overcome if you have to cash to buy land with water rights (hopefully they are senior water rights). But for the cheaper vacant parcels, good luck. Many dreamers have been dissapointed to say the least out there.
I love Colorado as much as the next guy, but this isn't the 1970's anymore. If you want to buy homestead suitable property with mountain views with any farming potential in CO you have to bring the almighty dollar, and plenty of them at that. For the average person on a budget wanting a mini homestead/hobby farm type deal, there are way more friendly places to do this than Colorado. "Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over". Good luck.
Last edited by 6.7traveler; 02-18-2015 at 09:00 PM..
Anyone interested in buying vacant land in Colorado should read the "Colorado and the west is running out of water" thread by jazzlover in the CO forums. Water rights are a huge issue there. When buying vacant land you need at least 35+acres to apply for anything more than a domestic water permit. If you have 35+ acres and are granted a well permit you will be allowed to irrigate possibly ONE acre. If you have less than 35 acres you will not be doing much , if any (even a small garden or plants on the porch, or watering livestock) irrigation. You can have a ditch/stream/creek running through the property and have zero rights to use even a drop. You also can't collect rainwater.
Of course this can all be overcome if you have to cash to buy land with water rights (hopefully they are senior water rights). But for the cheaper vacant parcels, good luck. Many dreamers have been dissapointed to say the least out there.
I love Colorado as much as the next guy, but this isn't the 1970's anymore. If you want to buy homestead suitable property with mountain views with any farming potential in CO you have to bring the almighty dollar, and plenty of them at that. For the average person on a budget wanting a mini homestead/hobby farm type deal, there are way more friendly places to do this than Colorado. "Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over". Good luck.
I'll second 6.7traveler's comments and recommendation about jazzlover's thread. Most of the areas west of central Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas are generally too dry to depend upon rainfall to grow crops, so you have to irrigate, and that creates lots of issues.
... What do you define as cheap? $1000/acre? $5,000/acre?
Cheap land close to most urban centers is probably an oxymoron.
I agree.
Cheap goes with rural, largely because there are no jobs. No jobs, depressed regions will generally have low price land and low taxes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6.7traveler
Anyone interested in buying vacant land in Colorado should read the "Colorado and the west is running out of water" thread by jazzlover in the CO forums. Water rights are a huge issue there.
... "Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over". Good luck.
Another good point.
Avoid Drought-Prone regions.
During my career, we were actively looking for places to homestead after I retired, the last 15 years. PNW, SW, all around. There are places with plenty of water, low land prices, low COL, and low taxes, but, ... those places have winter.
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