Bad Idea?

"Snuze: Needs another Swede" (markg)
10/06/2016 at 15:16 • Filed to: None

I suddenly have the urge to buy some property out in the middle of nowhere. Like Wyoming, or Montana. Is this a terrible idea?

DISCUSSION (22)

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Snuze: Needs another Swede
10/06/2016 at 15:18

Buying alot of land in a place no one wants to live is cheap.

E90M3 > Snuze: Needs another Swede
10/06/2016 at 15:21

Kinja'd!!!

Just find a piece of land over one of these plays with the mineral rights and hope someone wants to get oil out of it.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
10/06/2016 at 15:22

That’s kind of what I’m thinking. I could occasionally go out there and camp and hoon jeeps and shoot guns and stuff. And maybe one day my property would be be worth money, for some reason, like if they discover oil or precious metals, or the oceans rise and wipe out the coast and everyone is forced inland.

Phatboyphil > Snuze: Needs another Swede
10/06/2016 at 15:22

If your not going to use the land as a farm or ranch I’d say bad idea. Also something to think about, my uncle lives in west texas and the closest grocery store to him is an hour away.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Snuze: Needs another Swede
10/06/2016 at 15:22

I’m thinking about doing something similar, but in upstate NY. If you have enough clear land, you can make a dirt rallycross track super easily!

RallyWrench > Snuze: Needs another Swede
10/06/2016 at 15:23

This is a great idea. Buy somewhere with good access to fresh water.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Phatboyphil
10/06/2016 at 15:23

Likely I’d fly out there maybe once a year and camp - spend my days hooning a jeep and shooting guns and general redneck debauchery.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > RallyWrench
10/06/2016 at 15:25

It’s funny you say that. I’ve been looking on a few sites already, and its like:

50 acres in the middle of nowhere - $35,000

50 acres in the middle of nowhere with a pond - $250,000"

Phatboyphil > Snuze: Needs another Swede
10/06/2016 at 15:27

Nvm go for it. My grandpa owned 100 acres next to us growing up. It was definitely awesome having that much private land. I just wouldn’t wanna live in the middle of no-where :)

RallyWrench > Snuze: Needs another Swede
10/06/2016 at 15:27

Forget ponds, I’d just want to be near a river or have the potential for a good well.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Phatboyphil
10/06/2016 at 15:31

That’s awesome. I live right outside of DC, and its just crazy how built up everything is, and its getting worse every year.

My uncle has a cabin in Colorado up in the mountains and he spends the summers out there, and its amazing. He goes 4 wheeling, and explores abandoned mines, and hunts. It’s really cool and I’d love to find a place of my own like that.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > RallyWrench
10/06/2016 at 15:32

It’s much the same way with rivers. But you are 100% right, it would be nice to have some kind of option for fresh water. I definitely need to investigate this more thoroughly.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
10/06/2016 at 15:40

A friend and I were discussing it pretty seriously about a year ago. Then he decided to go and have a second kid, so I think that’s not happening now.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Snuze: Needs another Swede
10/06/2016 at 15:42

Yeah, kids fuck everything up. I’d talk to a lawyer in the states you’re looking though to make sure you don’t get crushed with taxes, but I’d also be keeping in mind that the reason that type of land is so cheap is because no one wants it so you’re pretty much stuck with it forever.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
10/06/2016 at 15:55

My friend and I were looking in eastern WV, which is only like 2-3 hours driving from where we live now. That way we could go use it on weekends and stuff. But the flip side is a decent size parcel (20+ acres) can easily run $70-100k. I can get the same size property in Wyoming for half that.

But you’re right, taxes and legal aspects are definitely something to consider. And you’re right about getting rid of it too - when we looked at properties in WV, usually the cheaper ones were on a mountain side, had right-of-ways for the power or gas company, or some other feature that made them much less desirable. One good thing about Wyoming is it’s all flat.

DynamicWeight > Snuze: Needs another Swede
10/06/2016 at 16:39

Couldn’t you do these kinds of things in places you don’t have to buy? I mean, 20-30k will fund a lot of redneck vacations, and if you’re only going out there once or twice a year, it would be hard to leave anything there like a cabin. Also, you talk about flying in and then four wheeling.... so like, are you renting a truck to off road in this scenario? And checking your guns?

I really like the idea, but think if you don’t live close enough to drive there in 4-5 hours it loses it’s luster. Or drive there from someone-in-your-family’s house.

mazda616 > Snuze: Needs another Swede
10/06/2016 at 17:07

Wyoming and Montana have some of the most breathtaking scenery around.

Also, there have been estimations, based on how flu epidemics travel, that the remote areas of the Rocky Mountains would be the last to be effected by a zombie apocalypse. If they were at all.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Snuze: Needs another Swede
10/06/2016 at 18:34

NO!! I want to buy land in Wyoming and South Dakota. Just need the money first.

Dusty Ventures > Snuze: Needs another Swede
10/06/2016 at 20:01

Great idea! Buy it and let me design a rally test track

Snuze: Needs another Swede > DynamicWeight
10/06/2016 at 20:43

You’re probably right, it’s a really half baked idea at this point... probably like 1/4 baked, at best. I’m also slowly pitching it to my wife, which isn’t going well.

And you’re right, the biggest issue would be having some sort of permanent base to keep a 4x4 and all that. And I was telling someone else, a more realistic idea that I will probably re-explore is buying property in WV. It’s a drivable distance, but less afordable. I had actually looked at doing this with a friend a year or two ago but then he had a second kid so I don’t think it’s on the table anymore.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Dusty Ventures
10/06/2016 at 20:44

I’d be game for this, if I can find enough property.

DynamicWeight > Snuze: Needs another Swede
10/07/2016 at 10:49

Yeah, building something secure enough to leave it there half a year without visiting and leave vehicles just chilling... it seems like a bad idea on the face of it. But the up side in all this is I really don’t think you need so much private land to do the things you want to do. Just be near open public land.