# Downsizing/Retirement/Cut costs project



## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Downsizing/Retirement/Cut costs

Wife and I (mostly me) have set a goal of downsizing in 5 years.

Daughter and husband are on the East coast. Son and wife are on the west coast. So we are not really tied to one part of the country. We are looking at the southwest area of the country to move to.

1.	I haven't been 30 years old for longer than I can remember, I'm trying to cut back on maintenance (climbing a ladder to clean out 2-story roof gutters as an example).

2.	Prepare to live on a reduced income (retirement).

3.	Wife picked the first 2 homes, I get to pick the 3rd and the children will pick the last.

*Location 1.*

$150,000

5 acres

Close to mountains on 3 sides.

10 miles from a public road.

Private road/trail goes thru a few washes and may be a bit difficult in their "rainy" season (2" of rain during the rainy month).

LP tank for heat, stove and refrigerator. 2 wood burning fireplaces.

Electric is provided by a roof mount 5,000 watt solar array with ground based batteries. There is grid electric available close to the property. It will cost $15,000 to bring it to the house.

Water is by a quarter share well powered by the electric grid. Wouldn't take much effort to power by generator if SHTF. Gasoline for the generator would be a problem to acquire/haul in during a SHTF.

No air conditioning. Ceiling fans in every room. House in on a hill and designed for maximum air flow.

Roof is described as a composite built up, all most flat and will require periodical maintenance.

No garage/car port. No workshop. $10,000 to $15,000 to build. Because house is locate at the top of a hill carport/workshop would be unattached. Wife is afraid of the dark.

Elbowroom and plenty of places to explore (I'm the one with an adventure spirit).

*Location 2.*

$200,000.

8,700 square foot lot

Subdivision in a golf course (we don't golf). Would be entertaining to use the shotgun to hit flying golf balls, but the golfers may object.

Concrete driveway ends on a paved public road. ½ mile from an Interstate Road

Natural gas for heat. Hot water heat under the floor tiles with a backup forced air. 1 gas fireplace.

Electric provide by the grid. I could use my generator for a SHTF.

Water by public utility. Golf course does have 3 small ponds.

Central Air conditioning.

Roof is tiled and sloped. No maintenance.

2-stall attached garage. 1 stall for vehicle and the other stall for my "old man motorcycle" and work bench. Trailer for the "old man motorcycle" would have to be stored outside (may cause the neighborhood a concern).

Here is the dilemma.

*Location 1. *

In my opinion will require more maintenance on my part. But expenses and competition for resources would be minimal.

Climbing to the roof to periodically recoat the roof and keep the solar cells clean.

Keeping 10 miles of private road passable (but this would keep me out of the wife's hair).

Increase expenses for traveling (wife is a people person. She'll need to be involved with&#8230.

*Location 2.*

No maintenance (OK maybe replacing a stool's float valve).

Additional expenses for grid utilities and relying on them.

Reduced travel expenses. Lots of neighbors within a golf ball throw.

Taking a leak in the back yard wouldn't be advisable and competition for resources would be high.

Any thought or comments?


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

I would never live near a golf course..... those people around you tend to complain about E V E R Y T H I N G !!


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I would take the first location in a second, probably consider changing the roof to a peak or installing standing seam metal. I wouldn't like to share a well but sometimes that is how it goes. That much road could be a real problem in today's world, in a shtf situation it would be a different story.

HOWEVER, one thing I have learned over the years is that some people will NOT be happy in a remote location in the long term. I could go months without seeing another soul if it weren't for my obligations but others just can't hack it. Trying to get someone to live without constant interaction with others if they are of that personality type will probably not end well and it is not something I would attempt. I have seen people who really wanted to live remotely go through great pains to stick it out but in the end it just wasn't in them.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

LincTex said:


> I would never live near a golf course..... those people around you tend to complain about E V E R Y T H I N G !!


Good point.

Our first house was built around 1905 and required a lot of remodeling. Property had a "barn" about the size of a one stall garage, 1 1/2 story high. Our new neighbor was sure to let me know about 2 feet of that barn was on his property (I knew that from the title search). Just happen  when I tore the barn down I ran out of time and the part on his property was left standing. Ding Dong, it's the neighbor. He's asking why part of the barn is still standing? I told him that's the part that is on his property and would be his responsibility to take care of! After his chin bounced a couple of times I told him I'd take care of it Saturday.

I was adding a garage to the same house. I didn't side the garage because I want to do the house at the same time. (a few years down the road). Ding Dong, it's the same neighbor. He sees my garage every time he looks out his kitchen window. When am I going to side my garage?! "As soon as somebody gives me the money", I answered looking him straight in the eye. :rofl: He left!

When I was the Church Treasurer there was a Board Member who would pick thru my written report looking for typo or grammatical errors. If he found one he would feel obliged to interrupt the meeting to bring the error to everyone's attention. When I realized his fixation the next time he reported a error I stated that I purposely put at least one error in every report just to satisfy those who weren't not happy until they found an error. He never reported another error artydance:

So Complainers I consider as a chance to test my quick wit (smart mouth).


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Personally I would feel crowded on five acres. My wife would be happy in a cookie cutter neighborhood with enough room to put her lawn chair in the sun. If you're talking about maintaining ten miles of road the roof is the least of your problems. 

Being retired and looking for a new home also, one of my criteria is to have a decent hospital within an hour drive.

My uncle lived on a golf course. He always had a couple buckets of golf balls. When he gathered too many he just hit them back onto the course. You would be sitting there and hear a ball bounce off the house. I felt uncomfortable walking around outside his home. He didn't seem to mind but he did make sure to park inside the garage. I think he actually enjoyed collecting all these different golf balls. He took a 4X8 sheet of plywood and mounted his golf balls on it to display how many different brands and models he had picked up off his property.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Caribou said:


> Personally I would feel crowded on five acres. ....


The neighboring lot is up for sale, that would give me a total of 10 acres  .


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

TheLazyL said:


> The neighboring lot is up for sale, that would give me a total of 10 acres  .


I would like 10 acres twice as well as I would five. I'm not the one you need to please.

Personally, I would be more worried about ten miles of unmaintained road. Twenty years ago I would have loved the property you describe. Today I don't need that kind of grief. That road must pass a lot of other properties, do any of the other property owners maintain the road?

You say you have five years and I know there are more than two properties for sale. So far I have passed on about a hundred properties.


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## GrinnanBarrett (Aug 31, 2012)

What is kind of sad is we went over to my partner's "ranch" this past weekend. He was out in the country for years but suddenly society has caught up with him. He has over 500 acres and it is getting developed all around him. It is like a fellow in Colorado told me, "the farther you get from civilization the closer you get to it". Give them time and they will find your property and surround you with cookie cutter houses six feet apart. Then they will use your property like a park for their kids to run on. GB


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