Minimalist Homestead Requirements To Live On $500 A Month In Oregon.

[arakboss]

If you were going to retreat to an off grid property to live the rest of your days on $500 a month. What are the minimum requirements you would want with property, shelter and possessions? Nearest decent size city would be about 50miles away. Community water well available within 5miles but cost you $150 year.

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[Spitpatch]

I would want water on the place.

 

[Certaindeaf]

A good skillet.

 

[Duneblaster]

 

[CamoDeafie]

Somehow, I do not think you can get away with paying $500/ month for property taxes+whatever it costs to own a bare piece of land anywhere in Oregon, including the high desert areas
Edit especially parcels large enough to support a couple + animals+ crops/gardens and sustainable woods if any

 

[Xaevian]

A rich significant other that wants to spend their money for me .

View: https://youtu.be/DmeUuoxyt_E?si=7o6svBenaE_DrIbr

 

[The Heretic]

I would want water on the place.

This.

Water is only second to shelter as a survival priority.

Prepping/survival is all about self-reliance - not having to depend on others. Having to rely on a community well flies in the face of that objective.

Of course, it is great when you have others who will help, but you should not totally rely on them for a critical resource.

 

[The Heretic]

Somehow, I do not think you can get away with paying $500/ month for property taxes+whatever it costs to own a bare piece of land anywhere in Oregon, including the high desert areas
Edit especially parcels large enough to support a couple + animals+ crops/gardens and sustainable woods if any

$500/mo is $6K/year. My property taxes alone are $4500/yr - after pre-pay discount - now. That would not leave enough for food/water/etc.

Then there is inflation.

 

[CamoDeafie]

$500/mo is $6K/year. My property taxes alone are $4500/yr - after pre-pay discount - now. That would not leave enough for food/water/etc.

Then there is inflation.

My point exactly. Even in the high desert areas near John Day; property taxes wpuldn't leave much for food/water/meds, and thats supposing you're literally living in a vehicle, trailer, tent sort of shelter.. no electricity or sewage/garbage fees; no payments on shelter..

The cheapest land I could find; 0.22 acres for $6,795 in Paisley, Oregon, from government land sale https://www.land.com/property/0.22-acre-in-Lake-County-Oregon/14489108/

Next cheapest land, Chiloquin, Oregon, 9.53 acres, for $7,875.

https://www.land.com/property/Chiloquin-Oregon-97624/19365551/

Depending on the rate of taxes, and what you'd need to pay (closing fees), and buy to build or set on, you're looking at greater than $500/ month.


Now.. if @arakboss meant $500/month after paying off land and bills? Thats doable for 1 person maybe.

 

[oremike]

I would want a solid supplemental income. You might be able to eeak out a living but just the cost of food stuffs will be close to the 500 bucks. Then what do you do when you can't do anything else but just barely survive?

 

[kmk1012]

In March looked at 20 acres for $9999, annual taxes were $108. Now, this was OFF grid, quite a bit further than I wanted. I think electricity was over ten miles away, would never happen at that address.

 

[arakboss]

My point exactly. Even in the high desert areas near John Day; property taxes wpuldn't leave much for food/water/meds, and thats supposing you're literally living in a vehicle, trailer, tent sort of shelter.. no electricity or sewage/garbage fees; no payments on shelter..

The cheapest land I could find; 0.22 acres for $6,795 in Paisley, Oregon, from government land sale https://www.land.com/property/0.22-acre-in-Lake-County-Oregon/14489108/

Next cheapest land, Chiloquin, Oregon, 9.53 acres, for $7,875.

https://www.land.com/property/Chiloquin-Oregon-97624/19365551/

Depending on the rate of taxes, and what you'd need to pay (closing fees), and buy to build or set on, you're looking at greater than $500/ month.


Now.. if @arakboss meant $500/month after paying off land and bills? Thats doable for 1 person maybe.

"Now.. if @arakboss meant $500/month after paying off land and bills? Thats doable for 1 person maybe."

This but property taxes would have to come out of the $500.

 

[CamoDeafie]

"Now.. if @arakboss meant $500/month after paying off land and bills? Thats doable for 1 person maybe."

This but property taxes would have to come out of the $500.

Van life/nomad, move locations every 21 days in the National Forests, no property owning besides vehicle(s); but a lot of that money would go towards fuel, and insurance.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Me, I'd try to have at least double the property sale price in account/cash, before entertaining the idea of buying acreage and building something on it, or ideally, buy the property that already has a cabin/small home onsite, and then go from there.

 

[oremike]

Off grid living is attractive on the surface but the reality is it's constant hard work. Need something, well you've got to make it and if you don't you go with out. A chair you can do without but food, water, shelter and fire you'll need every day. If you've got critters or crops fences need to be built and maintained. Firewood needs to be processed at least a year in advance to properly season. Gardens need to be tended and on and on.

 

[kmk1012]

Better not get sick or hurt living off grid too.

 

[The Heretic]

Depending on the rate of taxes, and what you'd need to pay (closing fees), and buy to build or set on, you're looking at greater than $500/ month.

Yeah - unless the land already has a septic system, and preferably a stable pad to put an RV/etc. on, a person needs a septic system put in - and that isn't inexpensive either.

There is a lot of if/ands/buts to the scenario.

When I lived in Everett, I paid $650/mo for rent and I was able to live on $1200/mo. with no issues, but that was 20 years ago (2000-2011). Septic, water, electricity, groceries/etc. were all part of that. I considered myself lucky. In the past decade, especially the past 4 years, costs have gone up considerably.

 

[The Heretic]

Van life/nomad, move locations every 21 days in the National Forests, no property owning besides vehicle(s); but a lot of that money would go towards fuel, and insurance.

I occasionally watch a YT channel for a guy in Bend who owns a towing/trucking co.

He and others spend time (probably yearly) pulling abandoned/stolen RVs from the local public lands - a lot of them.

 

[Camelfilter]

Minimums are just that. Minimums.

Air, water, food, shelter.

Water source on the property.

Ability to source food, reasonably easily in "normalcy". Say within an hour 1 way. Or you may see yourself quickly beeing priced out of accessing things you enjoy.

Shelter. Safe comfortable shelter. A home. Not a shack nor dugout or cave. With a porch or few & view.

Setting a low dollar amount may also be setting yourself up for failure. Simply due to inflation.

Now, if someone already owns & works a working homestead, gardens & raises stock. That's different, they would already know costs of inputs vs what can be supplemented naturally or simply sourced locally. $500/month may not be unreasonable in that case. Wood heat, option of wood cooking & baking. An owned source of wood for such...

 

[Nosferatu]

I occasionally watch a YT channel for a guy in Bend who owns a towing/trucking co.

He and others spend time (probably yearly) pulling abandoned/stolen RVs from the local public lands - a lot of them.

Casey LaDelle.

It's only a matter of time when EVs start being abandoned out in the woods and some tweaker sets it on fire.