Buying A Tiny Piece of Heaven

[Duckslayer100]

I've been daydreaming about owning a tiny little parcel somewhere that would someday be our family basecamp. Obviously, if I were living in lala land, I'd shoot for the moon and pick up a couple 40s so that we had someplace to really stretch our legs. But realistically, I'd like to own something basically large enough for a camper/mobile home that someday would maybe be a small cabin and shed.

This dream spawned from a college buddy, whose family owns a tiny, nondescript cabin in a town that you can't find on Google unless you know what you're looking for. His grandfather bought the little chunk of ground for a pittance back in the 70s, and then built a cabin with electricity but no running water or sewer.

To some it's roughing it, but every time I've been there all I can think about is "Boy, if these walls could talk."

That's my dream. To get something, anything, within a couple hours of home base. Start with the ground and maybe add to it eventually. A place to take the kids for long weekends, or just over night when the ducks are migrating through. Where we can make our own memories and hang our own pictures on the walls.

Does stuff like that exist any more? I see a lot of huge parcels selling for 10s and 100s of thousands of dollars, but what if you just want a small little footprint? Is it a matter of knocking on some farmer's doors?

Honestly curious. Maybe those days are long gone.

 

[martinslanding]

pittance doesn’t’ exist anymore, however option B might be pick any handfuls of small towns through the central part of the state and pick up an actual livable home for less than a new pickup… will probably need work but most likely be 15 minutes from hunting and fishing
A real quick internet search came up with these:
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/210-Main-St_Wing_ND_58494_M84956-02359#photo0
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/613-2nd-Ave-NW_Ashley_ND_58413_M81526-04301
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/836-Meadow-Ln-Harvey-ND-58341/115830032_zpid/
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/207-1st-Ave-W-Gackle-ND-58442/2099819057_zpid/
…not knowing were “home base is I tried to scatter the search

 

[pluckem]

I think it all depends on the requirements of the land. If your looking for treed lots, well its ND so they are hard to find, and price goes up. Same thing if you want it on a lake or body of water. You do see old farmsteads go up for sale. Its unproductive ground and small farms merge into large farms so these places come available.

If you really want something special, don't care about utilities access, and want to somewhat pick your location your best bet would be to find something before it even comes on the market. Give the landowner the same pitch you wrote above and they might put some value into what you are trying to do with your kids and family. Give them first right of refusal on purchasing the land back if you ever put it up for sale down the road. That might take away any worry of future bad neighbors.

 

[guywhofishes]

oh man... an old crappy house to maintain along with the one I'm in - in a dying town

somebody shoot me

 

[MathewsZman]

oh man... an old crappy house to maintain along with the one I'm in - in a dying town

somebody shoot me

 

[Fritz the Cat]

I believe there is some small acreage in the small town of Leith. Contact Craig Cobb for more info.

 

[deleted member]

Funny. Small towns immediately came to mind for me too.

 

[NodakBuckeye]

Go old school with sod.

 

[Duckslayer100]

Go old school with sod.

Still need to buy a piece of land to put the sod on.

Yeah, honestly I don't even need/desire acreage out in the middle of nowhere. A lot-sized chunk in some dead and/or dying town would suit me just fine.

 

[3Roosters]

Visit cafe's, bars, in the area you are interested in and mingle with the local folk that you may be interested in buying something. Local, small town chatter has a tendency to spread faster than the speed of the internet.hahaha..also..visit the local city hall..and make it known that you are interested and if they know of anything. This method was exactly what a buddy of mine and I used to buy a hunting shack in a small town that we used as a base camp for bird hunting.

 

[KDM]

Looking at the tax sales might yield you a house in a small town for the cost of a few years taxes. Just a thought.

 

[Account Deleted]

If Craig can do it, you can do it.

 

[Bacon]

So, you want some place you use a couple times a year and the rest of the time you pay tax, upkeep, repairs. Sounds like fun?

 

[Davy Crockett]

Can't resist , This reminds me of the thinkin Hagen and Doc . One or two older fellers might get a chuckle .


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAdZ1SFCu9k[video=youtube;TAdZ1SFCu9k]https

 

[Zogman]

Perfect Fit Davey :;:thumbsup:;:thumbsup

 

[onpoint!]

Careful what you wish for!
We bought a lot "for the future." Planted some trees, bushes and grass, and parked a 5th wheel on it for summer R&R. Had to get a larger mower and ATV to pull the harrow, rake, and lawn trailer/firewood. Put up a bldg so we didn't have to haul aforementioned stuff every week. Now the boat made sense. Was a good gig except we hated packing up every Sunday afternoon - seemingly the best weather of every week, to head back for work. Ended up building a home and selling the town place five years after the lot, instead of the 15-year plan.
Wouldn't have it any other way today. In debt to the neck and commuting 30k mi/year, it's still our lil' taste of heaven, for as long as it lasts.
Good luck.

 

[gst]

Still need to buy a piece of land to put the sod on.

Yeah, honestly I don't even need/desire acreage out in the middle of nowhere. A lot-sized chunk in some dead and/or dying town would suit me just fine.

The city of Antler owns a few..........

 

[Duckslayer100]

I have my heart set on two areas: either east of New Rockford or somewhere in SE ND.

I deer hunt public land by the first choice, and I used to hunt ducks and grouse frequently there, too, when I lived in Grand Forks. Now that I'm in Fargo, that's a bit further than I like to travel on a regular basis for my out-and-back hunting trips (a necessity with two little ones back at the nest).

On the other hand, I frequent SE ND a lot more often these days for waterfowl and pheasants. While it's nowhere near as amazing as it once was as far as numbers are concerned, I hope that will rebound by the time No. 1 Son is old enough to shoot his first rooster.

In either case, have a home base would be key. My buddy hunts his cabin maybe three or four times a year, and visits twice a summer just to check on the place. He also has good relations with the neighbors, who are more than happy to keep an eye on the shack to make sure nobody breaks in or burns it down while he's gone. I think they also keep the lawn mowed in exchange for some Blue Tasties or some such barter.

That's my dream. I realize it's a pain for some, but a no-frills shack really isn't that much to maintain. I'm talking bare essentials here.

 

[johnr]

I too have two friends in Fargo who purchased a 2 bedroom older house right off of hwy 13. They split the cost and expenses equally, use it each probably 7-10 times per year. Keep it heated in the winter so as to keep water going, etc.

The expense is minimal, one of the guys grew up in the area, so knows all the farmers in the area, plus his father has a pile of huntable land. For them it is fantastic, but they have a huge in, and got the house for peanuts.

I would love their situation, but for most this would not be the case. Hard to get to know the local land owners and get them to grant access, watch out for your stuff, and even take care of the property from time to time, when you are not a local kid, and only get out there occasionally

 

[Duckslayer100]

I hear ya Juan...that's sort of what I'm finding.

Either you have my buddy's situation, where his grandfather had the foresight to get something decades ago and it's managed to stay in the family, or you know the right people to make something happen.

It looks like if I lived in the "good half" of the state, the options are a bit more plentiful. Oh well...it's just a dream. I'll keep an eye open and knock on some doors this fall (or buy a round at the local nectar hole). Who knows? Stranger things have happened.