Something Happening Here: Head for the Hills, Mountains, and Other Remote Areas!

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Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Question: What is the difference between a rural/remote area and a "rural area"? Answer: A rural/ remote area is one where population is defined in terms of acres per person as opposed to persons per acre, and is also defined by distance from the homestead to the nearest "town" or "city." For instance, a rural subdivision with, say, five acre-plus plots (by lot and block number) that is a half-hour driving distance to the nearest (usually small) town, and has four people living on it with two vehicles would qualify as rural and semi-remote. Small "rural" towns with populations anywhere from 200 to 2,000 or more do not qualify because these places are in terms of persons per acre. Now if you want real remoteness, the nearest town would have to be more than an hour or two away, and the neaest big city several hours away, driving distance. And, other than most of Alaska and serious desert areas such as the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan of the American remote Southwest and the surrounding mountains, there are very few of these types of areas left in the US, and much of this is in Federal hands or in the hands of environmental groups like the Sierra Club and the Nature Conservancy, who cater to wealthy private owners of large tracts of land with "conservation easements."

Questions: How much would this land cost? Answer: If you are interested in land in Alaska, you will need to do the research yourself because I have no idea, but, remember, much of Alaska is in Federal hands and it is doubtful that you will be able to do better than some kind of use permit. You also have native tribes to deal with, because I believe they own most of the desireable land that the Feds don't. I live on the edge of the American Southwest, which is truly for most people the "last frontier." Land here is still cheap, about $2,000 an acre for good flat land with water, trees, and other amenities desirable for self-sufficient living; about $500-1,000 an acre for sloped land up a mountain with water (to be dug with well at the bottom, of course) and contours that can be formed using permaculture techniques in order to form land useful for growing gardens, and enough flat land close to the bottom near the road to put up a house, pen livestock, etc. This is the kind of land that developers crave in order to create '5-acre-plus' "covenant" communities, with CC&Rs from very restrictive to very liberal. Try to find one of these with very liberal covenants (for instance, livestock ownership is allowed as long as the livestock is fenced in, and there is unrestricted outbuilding useage); avoid those with covenants that do not allow livestock use, do not allow transportation via horses/dog sleds and the like, and restrict water-well drilling rights as well as have restrictions on home square footage. Some covenant communities state "no trailers" or "homes must be 1,000 square feet": ths can be an issue because many single individuals or couples with limited budgets desire one of those mini-cabin 600 square foot-type homes that are becoming increasingly popular. Now, if you want really hard core remoteness and don't mind trucking in your water, you can easily buy 5-acre-plus plots in desert areas for $100-200 an acre in places like Inyo County, California (near Death Valley) or Presidio/Hudspeth Counties, Texas (between the Davis/Quitman/Chinati Mountains and the Rio Grande), and more. Though you won't be doing too much farming in these water-poor areas, if it's seclusion you want, these areas are top notch.

Question: What, in general, are the people like who live in these areas? Answer: Some are very poor and some are relatively middle class and some are ridiculously wealthy (but don't show it); some are ultra right wing and some are ultra left wing and the majority perhaps are a mixture of both with a good dose of libertarianism, the "get government off my back and get people outta my face" types who want to be left alone, some of whom have signs on their gates reading such things as "Private Property: Violators Will Be Shot and Survivers Will be Prosecuted (or Shot Again)!" or some such. On the other hand some don't care if a whole truck load of people show up! A few come from big cities and are doing everything in their power to transform the rural community into yuppie-ville, that is, into a "suburb" like the one they came from; some are very friendly and some will do anything to keep anyone off their property. Look, the big attraction is: "lots of land and few people." It takes a certain mentality to want to live in a place like this. But one thing is for sure: people who live in these areas barely know the meaning of the word "lazy." And lazy people, I'll say it right now, won't make it here!

Question: How dangerous is the wildlife? Answer: Well, not very. I mean that. In the American Southwest, you have mountain lions and perhaps bears in the more northern areas such as northern Arizona/New Mexico/California and on up, with an occasional bear strolling through the more southern parts. Though mountain lions can be a concern, they ain't interested in you (but they might like your dog, cat, horse, cow, goat, sheep, chickens etc.). Seriously, there are too many deer, too many burros/donkeys, too many foxes/coyotes/bob cats/coatls/racoon/gophers/groundhogs/marmots/P-dogs/elk/moose/badger and the like...believe me, you have to do your darndest to get a mountain lion interested in you! I think probably bears are a lot more problematic: there are few hiding places from bears--they love water, are better tree climbers than you are, and they run fast than you do. So, if you see a cub, GO THE OTHER WAY! Actually, the biggest danger comes not from wildlife but from your own lack of preparedness! But, if you really don't think you can handle bears, Alaska is out.

Question: How much does it cost to make the move? Answer: If you can still sell your house in this day and age of "the housing bubble/crash," you should be able to almost make out like a bandit because this "bubble/crash" cycle hasn't hit here yet. Property values, on the other hand, are going up all the time. So, if you have over $100,000 to spend you will do just fine for the first couple of years. Land plus water well plus house building materials (assuming you don't want to buy a place already established, which might actually be cheaper!) will cost less than $100,000 in most places. If you do not have a house already, then what you need to do is find a job that pays no less than 25% of what you are earning now, or roughly $20,000 a year or more. That sounds low, but as you (duh!) must already realize, salaries in rural America are the lowest in the country. You don't need a job to make the move, necessarily. In fact, you might even be able to start your own business if you have the skills that most rural people would need. Don't forget this, though: rural people aren't likely to pay the "going rate" for an electrician or a plumber...many rural folks can do simple plumbing/electrical jobs themselves and don't need to pay you $50 an hour! Rule of thumb: don't charge more than $20 an hour for anything until you are established and reliable! Finally, rural folks tend to do without things they don't absolutely need, or tend to delay gratification for things they want but don't absolutely need. If you are moving from the city, let this be your guiding principle as to services that you can provide. Besides, someone who needs something done is just as likely to be able to get it done from a friend, relative, or some well-off person who doesn't mind doing it volunteer.

Question: How can I get people to accept me more quickly? Answer: Do two things: do helpful things for your neighbor free of charge once in a while. The other is to join your local volunteer fire department, or, if you are able, your local volunteer EMS. The operative word here is "volunteer." Keep your property clean, your animals on your property, your business to yourself, and your nose out of other people's stuff. And, no, you don't have to join a church. Community Churches, though (non-denominational, that is) can be beneficial, however.

Well, I hope this helps! But, if you have any more specific questions...such as insect control issues, water collection issues, housekeeping issues, or anything else you think a 25-year rural-living veteran might be able to answer, drop me a line!

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