Noob from Metro Atlanta here!

[boosted240]

Hello all,

I just joined this site after doing some research about becoming self sufficient, this place seems to have a wealth of information and knowledgeable members. I am 28 and live in north metro Atlanta. Ive been gardening and landscaping as a hobby for some years now and rather enjoy it. I have also spent a good deal of time at my aunts horse farm in Kentucky working on crops and animals. I am about to graduate with degrees in Networking and Network Security and start pursuing my career. But at the same time, I am getting sick and tired of life in the burbs and feel like when the SHTF (I love that acronym btw!) being in the burbs is almost as bad as being in a city. Although I am not ready to buy property at the moment, Ive been researching and found that there is what seems like an abundance of property for sale within a kinda reasonable commute from Atlanta, some with 25k+ worth of timber. I would much rather drop the kind of money it takes to buy a house in Metro Atlanta on 20+ acres and work toward SS, plus id like to rescue dogs as well . Ive been saving money and selling needless stuff so far as a start. Ive never bought property before, just rented. Any advice on making this dream a reality would really be appreciated. What else can i do now? Are their things i should avoid in a property?? How much down should I come to the table with? Should I avoid financing? Ive been mostly looking at sites without homes on site, is this foolish??? I have so many questions and not enough answers, most of the people I can go to for advice only have knowledge when it comes to home buying, not so much property buying. Sorry I didnt mean to be that long winded lol.

 

[framing fowl]

Currently living in Lexington, KY on a large city lot. There is a lot you can do in any location situation. With the gardening, you can add canning, dehydrating, fermenting, etc.

As far as buying property, if it were me personally, I would wait until you are settled with your job after you graduate. Once you know your salary and time and energy commitments, you can go to a bank and start talking numbers. That will also give you a better idea of how much time you have to invest in the property and new projects.

 

[hoosier]

When you are ready to buy, check to make sure the property will work for your purposes. What I mean by that is do some research to check for availability of water if you want your own well, will a standard septic system work or will a more expensive mound type be required....

ETA I forgot to say welcome!!!

 

[boosted240]

Thanks for the greetings!

Framing Fowl, thats cool, I like Lexington. My aunt's farm is up in Melbourne Ky kinda close to Cincinatti and real close to the Ohio river as well. It may have seemed like Im getting a head of my self, but Im really just trying to learn as much as possible now so I can be as educated as possible when the time comes to buy property. I do realize that whatever job I get will dictate a lot. I was really trying to learn some ins and outs of what to look for and properties to avoid. Kinda ball park figures on down payments (10% or more?) since im already saving. etc

hoosier,
thanks for the advice, yea water and septic are already concerns ive thought about. I would like to have a well as I would like to avoid any municipal water (for SS purposes and all the fluoride etc in it). Im guessing what type of septic needed is based on the county that im in??? If you were in my shoes, besides gardening, canning etc, what would you be doing today to get to where im trying to go?? Im thinking about getting another job for more income to save. Savings ideas??

Thanks again for the advice folks, this something I have been thinking about doing this for a long time and I feel like with the skills Ive acquired over my life (welding, carpentry, heavy equipment operation) I can make this dream into a reality.

 

[lorihadams]

Hey there, my little brother is smack dab in the middle of metro Atlanta too! He ventured into rooftop gardening this year but had serious issues with the squirrels...

My advice to you is to make a list of what you really want and go through your finances and see what you can really afford. Most people don't think about all the extra expenses that come with a house and property and you need to plan ahead for those expenses.

For instance, you're gonna need a lawnmower. You gotta pay for utilities based on what is available to you. You have to figure in for property taxes and home owners insurance in addition to your mortgage. You gotta figure in for a higher gas expense if you have to commute as well as car maintenance.

If you build, you need to figure in for permits for everything....a big part of our budget got eaten up with permits that we didn't expect. You also need to figure in for time to get those permits.....some can take months to get approved. If you build from scratch, start small with a floor plan that can be expandable. Build on a basement and leave it unfinished for now and you can always finish it off later if you need more bedrooms etc. If you don't want a basement then make sure you build a layout that is easily added on to so that you don't have to move later down the road if you don't want to. Or you can go with something moveable like a mobile home or a yurt. If you can find one at a reasonable price then you can always live in that while you build something else in the future. Think outside the box and you can come up with some pretty creative stuff for housing too. Just check with your county's codes before you purchase anything!

Good luck and welcome!

 

[chipmunk]

Howdy neighbor! I'm near you in the suburbs of Atlanta. I've been dreaming of moving someplace with some more land and no Homeowner's Association telling me what I have to and cannot do with my property (e.g. they got all upset at us this year because we had lichen growing on our mailbox --- sheesh! ). So I guess my advice is to carefully check all the applicable ordinances before you invest in any land

On the other hand, I drive to Alabama pretty often via Rome, and see a lot of interesting looking properties for sale on the way. This is a great area to live in.