Homestead mailing list

["Lynda" <lurine AT softcom.net>]

What I've found interesting in our little corner of the world is that we 
don't seem to have much of an in and out migration of folks.

I do a lot of volunteer work and a lot of it has to do with helping folks 
understand how to fill out forms for this, that and the other thing.  One of 
those forms is the waiver of property tax for the disabled.  I'm currently 
helping a family whose kids are in 4-H with our youngest.  They got a "sorry 
you don't qualify as you don't have 20% equity in your home" letter.  So, I 
stuck my finger in the dial this a.m. and asked for clarification on this 
issue.  That is after I went through 20 people since no one wanted to talk 
to me since I'm not the one that got the letter.  I finally found someone 
who could understand the concept of theoretical questions and answers 
~~sigh~~  I won't say a thing about public school.  I won't say a thing 
about public school.  I won't say a thing about public school <g>  Seems 
that to process the forms they take the current taxes value of a piece of 
property and then get a list of comps.  The guy tells me, and keeps 
reminding me that this is all theoretical (he was quite funny, btw), they 
tried the usual -- a search for properties within 1/2 mile.  Then they tried 
1 mile, 5 miles, 10 miles.  No comps.  Well, they're all in Sacramento and 
they couldn't wrap their minds around a place that wouldn't have comps that 
fit in with their rules and regs.  I had to explain to him that there simply 
aren't that many people in this county AND that people just don't move 
around that much up here.

At anyrate, I called a neighbor who's a realtor and he's going to give them 
a letter giving a valuation on the property.  They're happy, the state's 
happy.  But, bottomline is that the folks up here will be far more prepared 
than the average person in most locals.  As is, a lot of folks head to the 
big city in groups once a month and do shopping for several families.  Lots 
of folks order through the local health food store who does case pricing at 
wholesale plus 5%.  Most folks don't buy store bought eggs, there are a half 
dozen families who raise chickens and eggs are $1/dz.  Same goes for beef. 
And, of course, there are the ever present garden destroyers that fill many 
a freezer!  We simply don't waste fuel up here.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gene GeRue" <genegerue AT ruralize.com>

I disagree that "we are screwed." Only those are screwed who have not
been paying attention and have been making bad decisions and live
largely without planning ahead. We superior homesteaders are in good
shape. We are able to balance dependence on trucked-in supplies with
independence via homestead food production. If we plan ahead well we
can avoid town trips and store purchases to a far larger extent than
those living in the cities.

I've been following rural-urban-rural migration for quite a while. The
triggers are many but defined. As I mentioned a few months ago, land
prices will be rising as more urbanites realize life is better beyond
the burbs. And the realization will accelerate as food prices and gas
prices escalate. The wild card is jobs.