Homestead mailing list

[Robert Walton <waltonrp AT gmail.com>]

Well, you can't really move a homestead, it's more like starting over.

I'm seriously considering purchasing a homestead about 50 miles north
west of here. It would put me in a location that I really prefer for a
lot of reasons. I'm at the point that I've looked at several places,
talked to the bank and might even make an offer soon.

I own this place outright, so the idea would be to use this place to
secure a loan and then put this place up for sale. That's taking a
chance because properties aren't selling quickly here, but I work and
can handle the loan payment for whatever time it takes.

The new place would be in an area near other homesteaders, there is a
good sized network of them there that I'm friends with. There is a
decent sized Amish community there and they co-operate a lot with the
homesteaders. It's about 20 miles from a college town, 15 miles from
Appomattox (small town) and 40 miles to Lynchburg (small city). I like
that a lot, especially since I work off the homestead and it puts
markets within reach if I sell things off the homestead.

The new property is 37 acres with a newer Amish built house. The house
has water and electric. Built modestly, like an old farmhouse, eating
kitchen, living room, bedrooms and bathrooms, nice porches.

Has out buildings, storage, workshop, animal housing. Good well,
septic. Fenced and cross fenced pastures, some fruit trees planted,
walnut trees, etc. About 10 acres is woods and 27 acres pasture. Nice
rolling hills. Woods are mostly hardwoods and mature pines. Springs
that (according to the owner) run year round, even in our recent
drought years. Some wet season springs also. A couple of good springs
are not so far from the house that I might be able to develop them and
set up a ram pump. A couple of bold creeks run though it.

The pastures all have some shade in the bottoms for animals, the
pastures need some work. Lot's of weeds and broom straw. It's on a
good quiet road, but only 1/2 mile off a two lane state highway.

I'm pretty excited if this all works out and on the other hand, not so
happy to leave this place. I've put a lot of work into this place. I'm
at the point I want to pull the double wide away form the addition and
build a house in front of the addition. (That's been the plan all
along). I'm not sure that I want to make that commitment to this
place, since I'd rather be elsewhere.

What would you be looking for if you were buying a homestead? Since
I've been working this place for 5 years, I think that I have a good
idea of what I want in my next place, but would like to appreciate any
input.

Rob - Va