Buying land - close to town or in the boonies.

For a survival retreat, would you rather have it near a small town or in the middle of nowhere?

How about if you were going to someday set up a permanent residence (in good or bad times). Would that be worth sacrificing the isolation?

We're currently shopping for land and I'm a bit undecided.
What are the pros and cons?

 

Well we're about to put an offer in on 35 acres in BFE.
About 2 hours away which I know limits its use as a retreat, but it's better than all the alternatives we've seen.

Should be great hunting and trail riding and I intend to put up a berm for shooting. No neighbors so I can shoot all day!

My concern with the isolation is what happens if TSHTF an fuel is hard to come by.
Those trips into town will be might expensive.
Also, we ain't gettin' any younger and we won't be able to retire there - no way.
Too far from help / medical etc.

Then again, no town means few people scaling the fence at 1AM if things get really bad.

 

As a retreat........ I say BFE.

If you ever plan to use it as more.... weekend retreat, retirement home, or just plain living on (buggin' in), you may want it a bit closer to a small town. Commuting sucks.

 

I keep going back and forth.

We're about 20 years from retirement assuming that we can ever retire!
And who the h*ll know what this world will be like in 20 years.
Right now we're trapped in the 'burbs, so we plan to bug in here, but it makes a nice alternative in case of a local event or a slow decline.
- That's where I am right now - can't say what I'll be thinking in 20 minutes...

 

I know where you are coming from. I was on the market for a house/land to live on (bug in) and with the idea to commute. After realizing job prospects, I still haven't bought a place. Have a good DP saved. It's not going anywhere for the moment. I still have one year of service left and I can't commit until closer to time.

I prefer the overall bug in strategy and having plenty of distance between me and perceived threats (people). Being "walking distance" from town is important too. What "walking distance" is will be something that you have to figure out. Some things will help... think HAM radio. Do you have a bike?

Just some things to think about from a SHTF perspective. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here. You just have to have a strategy to deal with being close to people during panic or having to use foot power if there is no fuel.

 

I think it would almost depend on which part of the US you are looking in. Where we are located, we have 80 acres with a well, and have been working on the solar and the wells. Nearest town is 20 miles away and nearest neighbor is 5 miles. We are off the main hwy 3 miles and the hills are a rolling grade so all you see from the main hwy is the first hill and looks completely isolated. Good luck in your search.

 

I just mapped it.
9.3 miles to the nearest town of any consequence.
There is a "town" on the map about 4.5 miles away, but I'm not sure why they're calling it a town. Someone must have traded a few hogs there at one time or something. Just a couple of farms and a service station.

Heck. 9.3 is doable on a bike. The hills aren't that bad.
17 ounces of gas on my motorcycle.

Wife seems to think that 20 years is too far out to plan anyhow. I tend to agree. I'm thinking it should serve us well for the next 10. [That's the flavor of the day]

 

No more than 30 minutes to a tiny hospital...

Keep in mine, it's gonna grow up over the next 5-10-20 years...

I know a guy with the PERFECT retreat, at the end of a road in the middle of nowhere...

16 years ago.

Now it's a subdivision.

 

True. I've seen that here in NC!

But I don't know if we'll ever see another boom again, with the way things are going.
Also - this part of the country got hit with the whole tobacco fiasco. Unless tobacco makes a comeback, I don't see it. Nothing else there to get excited about.