Land to build on

Me and my wife are finally acting on our dreams and looking for land in Northern California to build on. We want to build an A-frame I have designed to be off grid. I have seen some owner will carry places but they seem to be in one area and are not so great pieces of land with lots of regulations. If anyone can give me some advice on purchasing land that would be great.


Click here to support A piece of land to build a home on organized by James Stevens

 

Make sure you have water, stay away from HOAs, make sure the property isn't all rocks, make sure where the house is going to be built isn't in a flood zone because paying for flood insurance is just another expense an extra $50 to $100 per months goes a long way towards buying off grid goodies and it sucks if everything gets washed away.
Make sure where the house is going to be isn't considered a wet lands, make sure there aren't any stupid California rules about collecting rain water, cisterns, sceptic tanks or out houses for that area.

 

Strongly consider not being in California. You WILL be regulated and even out of city limits, etc., the cost for land just about anywhere in California will be higher than a lot of places with similar climate, terrain and "features".

 

Hello @Shelly welcome to Survival Monkey. I have never bought land but you are correct on the regulations. Personally, I would look for land that already has a well and septic in. I do think that many states have becoming highly regulated, Northern California is no exception.

 

Hi Shelly - good luck in your venture! Like others have said regulations are the key. I would be careful where any of the west coast states are concerned, especially as they are becoming more authoritarian as time goes on. What is OK today could be an issue tomorrow. I remember my parents being forced off their septic system and required to pay for 200 yards of sewer. If west coast look east of the Cascades.

Another issue in the west are water rights. Be very careful to ensure that those are included with your property. In Oregon a land owner in the soggy Willamette Valley was prosecuted for building a small holding pond on his property and thus depriving the STATE of the water. The pond was legal - putting rain water in it was not. It also is considered illegal to collect and store rain water in barrels although it isn't enforced unless the State wants to make a point.

What are your needs concerning the land? Crops? Livestock? You need a detailed list to share with a realtor, and the simplicity you seek is complicated enough that a professional is your best bet. Make sure you take growing urban boundaries into consideration. When I was a child in a small town we were right at the edge of the boundary between city and country. That house is now several miles inside the incorporated city.

 

It appears parts of N. California may be covered in ashes these days.

 

Welcome and just to echo others........ There are much friendlier places than Calzakystan............. Errr Of course I am in the Peoples Republic Illinichina so not much room to talk.

 

Welcome from the great State of Jefferson.

 

Sorry, But I would get away from CA. wherever you decide to go.Look at the county or areas building codes and permits. it can be a nightmare building in some places. Water and what kind of septic or alternative septic systems are allowed is a big thing.

 

I think California offers a growing climate that is agreeable to those that want to live off grid. I have seen some of the private crops that people grow in Northern CA and I was impressed. The warmer climate would allow at least 2 harvests and in some areas it is year round depending on what you are growing. Plus sun is abundant if you are going solar.

 

You can still only have a dozen of the private crops before...wait...you didn't mean that...never mind.

 

Honestly, if I were looking for states in which to live, California would rank 50 out of 50 unless the northern part actually grows a pair and fully decides to break off from the worst part. Heard noises of this some years ago and then again recently.

Actually a good situation would be to split Nevada and California along an east/west line and merge the southern parts and the northern parts of each state.

 

Actually I did and these were in CA. Lol!!!!

 

Won't happen - SoCal needs the agriculture in the north and control over water as well. Nice thought, just like my plan for joining Western Washington and Oregon and the same with the Eastern portions. The new states to be called In Dependence in the west and Liberty in the East.