From Town Living to Country Life?

[Campntime]

After living in town 24 years we have bought a nice little house on 20 acres with some timber and a pond.  Being raised on the farm and being a country boy at heart makes this move all the more special.  Pond offers a great campsite too!

We will be renting our home with option to buy to our DS and his DW.  With 3 children they need the room...and..we need the country.  

Thought we would have to sell our '01 Bayside to swing the deal, but proved unnecessary.  Thankful for that!  Also thankful that a dream we almost give up on is now a reality.

Wonder how many others have made a move like this?  Are you glad you did?

Spring won't get here soon enough this year!

[tlhdoc]

Congratulations on the move.  I wish we live further out in the country.

[jpreiser]

Our dream is to move to the country, someplace with a few acres and not have your neighbors on top of you. here the houses are only about 20 feet apart!! WE are looking into Pennsylvania or DH want's to move to Florida, I lived there once for a few years, it is getting so crowded and I hate the heat. He hates the cold so? Maybe NC would be nice!??

[NightOwl]

Hey, Campntime, CONGRATULATIONS!  As an old "Illinois Farm Girl" I can predict you will love living in the country again!  DH and I were both raised in the country.   We lived in a very wonderful town (Ann Arbor) for 25 years and spent 16 in the city of Atlanta--it was OK, but we always knew we'd  return to the country someday.  So, 11 years ago, we built a log house on  a tree covered hillside in the middle of  the same 30 acres where he grew up.  It came with a nice view of the mountains, but no nearby neighbors.  And     NO COVERS ON OUR WINDOWS!  No one else's television to listen to.  No one to see if DH shucks off all  his muddy clothes on the back porch before coming into the house.

Our popup is parked down in the pasture beside our creek.  You've got a pond for your campsite--that's even better!

I love living here at the edge of the BlueRidge, but miss the brilliant swoop of goldfinch flocks and the  song of the meadowlarks of my Illinois girlhood and the beautiful rich fields of corn, oats and soybeans, a fat herd of Holsteins moving along the pathway toward the barn in the evening.  (Sigh, and nothing's sweeter than the smell of freshly mown alfalfa blowing on the warm summer breeze.) I wish you and your DW many happy years of country life.  Be sure to send us a thread every now and then updating the  adventures  of  your new  life in the country--GOD'S country!

You have made a wonderful choice!  :W    :S

[brainpause]

I thought I had posted this thread! It sounds like something I want to do.

When Holly and I were dating, I was renting an old house on 55 acres. Had all the room I wanted for ATV'ing and storage of popup and trailers and ATV's.

But I moved to Holly's house (she was buying) after we got married. It is a nice house, but is in one of those subdivisions with tiny yards, front and back. Granted, it doesn't take much mowing time, but the requirements of the homeowner's association to keep the house and yard looking good force you to spend more time than you would on such a small lot.

I have already been written up for my ding dang trashcan sitting out too long, and also for my utility trailer in the driveway. We keep the PU in the garage.

After Holly graduate$ ane$the$ia $chool, we hope to pay off my student loan in a year, and then look for a house with around 20 acres. We also want a new TV and camper. Of course mixed into all this will be children (we hope), so there could be some delay. However, I DON'T want my son to grow up in a neighborhood where there is no room to toss around a baseball.



Sorry. I am frustrated with our neighborhood.

I am very happy for you, CampnTime!!!!

Larry

[wiininkwe]

From the time our kids were small, we talked about moving to the country. Most of you know that we have a small (10 acre) piece of land in northern lower MI, and we would build there.   Every time we had a chance we would draw sketches of how we would have it look, talk about where on the property it would be, and how we would landscape it.  I would daydream about my garden, and DH would talk about how he could make a place to watch the animals from.  He would go fishing , and I would relax in the swing with a book.   At the time it was just not something we could afford to do, so we got used to saying "one of these days..."   Then the kids got older, and when we talked, they said, "We don't want to leave our school and our neighborhood and our friends!"  So we kept saying "one of these days..."    Then the kids all left home, got married, and we talked some more.  But then my parents both were ill, and needed care, so we said  "one of these days..."   Then my parents were gone, the kids were grown, and we finally paid off the house.  We started to talk again, but DH said, " I'm not old enough to retire, and there isn't really any work up there, we wouldn't have any money."  So, we kept saying, "one of these days..."    We still aren't old enough to consider retirement, but our new plan is that we will sell our home, build a cabin on the land that is simple and just big enough to hold us and our family and also get a very nice camper.  We will stay here in the cabin during the summer, and travel to warmer places during the winter months.  One of these days.
But, there is a moral to our story.   If you have a dream, don't relegate it to remaining just a dream.   Act on it, or at least make some concrete preparations for the future.  We didn't, we just talked, and here we are, still talking, 20 years later.
T

[Campntime]

DW and I were touched by the responses to our post.  We see a little bit of ourselves in each of your stories.  We moved from the country to town in 1980 when we started our family, then spent the next 24 years talking about going back to the country.  After so many years of talking we finally determined to do something about it.  Helped to finally find the right property too.

One other reason motivated me personally which might seem silly.  My oldest DS is out of the Marines has 2 children and 1 on the way.  My youngest DS is a freshman in college.   Even though we raised them in town bumped up to other neighbors, with all the PU camping we did...they are very country and outdoors oriented.  I just wanted something for the 'family'...a place where we would all have some space, where the grand kids can rip and run.  Some ground I could leave my children and grand children that would always be 'their space'.  Theory here is better late than never I guess.

Since those of you following this thread are so 'very country'...I will not be selfish...here are a few details.  We did the final inspection today and property is looking better.  It is a square 20 acres.  East 10 acres is tillable with big sloping improved waterway dividing it.  West 10 holds a 3/4 acre improved pond that is 12-14 deep at the dam; a small orchard, home, pole barn about 4 acres of timber and the balance in sloping pasture.  It is a little remote..we are backed up to 60 acres of rough timber on our south line and 15 acres of timber on the west line.  The north line looks out on tillable prairie ground that will be corn or beans.  We are on a blacktop about 3/4 mile from a main hard road.

A couple in their 80's is retiring off the little farm.  He used to raise some sweet corn for town market and at one time had U-Pick strawberries.  We will probably just have a neighbor farmer crop the tillable ground for now.  

House is interesting.  It is a simple ranch style built in '64.  Along the entire south side of the home they added on their own version of a '3 season' room that is almost solid windows that looks out on some of the prettiest part of the property.  They put a permanent kitchen out there...so we have 2 kitchens!  They say they live in that addition (1,000 sq. ft.) most of the year.  It is a nice area and we are looking forward to entertaining friends in the 'Summer Kitchen'.

However even a summer kitchen cannot replace the need to go camping in the PU and we are still looking forward to that too!  So everybody think Spring ...and keep the posts coming...we love your personal stories.

[brainpause]

Wow! That sounds sooooo exciting for you! I hope the property is in good shape (i.e., doesn't need much repair) so that it will be a painless move!

Larry

[B-flat]

I'm another one "raised" in the country on a farm.  I lived in the city following high school up until 14 years ago when I moved back to the country.  Recently I moved into a golf community where I'll probably stay the next couple of years.  I plan to move back to the country and settle permanently.  I can't keep my camper here unless inside a garage and I would need to do some modifications here.  My dream is to have some property fairly close to town...perhaps 5 to 10 acres, build my house and have a separate building for my campers and for bluegrass gatherings.  I'll be far enough out of town so as not to bother any neighbors or break HOA rules.  Well, once a country girl, always a country girl.

[OC Campers]

Your new home sounds absolutely heavenly.  We live in Southern
California where that kind of home is unheard of unless you are
a zillionaire.  I would love to move and live in the country.  I
would love to have a place for my kids to play outside.   We own
a townhouse and all the elderly people yell at the kids for playing
in the grass or riding their bikes on the sidewalk in front of the
units.  DH and I have talked about moving to the midwest but when
we retire.   That seems so far away.  Plus I doubt he would ever
move out of state which is what would have to happen.  
 
I hope you enjoy your new home.  
 
Jacqui

[forestwalker]

We moved from city(LA) to a rural forest setting(Santa Cruz Mountains)decades ago.Since then,the area population has trippled(you might call it an "urban forest").It's about time to "pull up stakes",and head for "greener pastures".We recently purchased a house in the White Mountains of Arizona,where the is more "elbow room".Life there kinda reminds me of campin'.

[Campntime]

Sounds like things are getting crowded in CA!  We somethings like 'a little elbow room' for granted here in the Midwest.  And we are not GaZillionaires...neogiated price on this piece of Americana is under 6 figures.  I thought that was high, but after the CA reports...feel pretty lucky!

We spent about 4 hours out there today.  Decided we could run electric fence and easily acommodate 3-4 calves this Summer.  Also worked out plans for a Patio off 3-season room in our minds.

Biggest project now is finding mowers.  We will have 2-3 acres to mow now but we're up to it!

Pond may be are new campground.  Wondering if we will still enjoy using the PU as much if it is within site of the house though?

[NightOwl]

Pond may be are new campground.  Wondering if we will still enjoy using the PU as much if it is within site of the house though?

Think about planting some  trees  or thick-growing shrubs near the campsite or putting up a privacy trellis with fast growing vines on it so that you screen the trailer from the view of the house during camping season.  What fun to have your own little getaway so close to home.  And  your kids and grandkids can easily come out for a quick  camping-getaway"  when they have a little spare time. It is a wonderful way to build memories for all of you.  :S

[forestwalker]

Sounds like things are getting crowded in CA!  We somethings like 'a little elbow room' for granted here in the Midwest.  And we are not GaZillionaires...neogiated price on this piece of Americana is under 6 figures.  I thought that was high, but after the CA reports...feel pretty lucky!

We spent about 4 hours out there today.  Decided we could run electric fence and easily acommodate 3-4 calves this Summer.  Also worked out plans for a Patio off 3-season room in our minds.

Biggest project now is finding mowers.  We will have 2-3 acres to mow now but we're up to it!

Pond may be are new campground.  Wondering if we will still enjoy using the PU as much if it is within site of the house though?

Median house price in Santa Cruz is now over $570,000.It would take many people 2 lifetimes to pay off the house(including a lot of overtime-with less time to camp).Got to love those 5 figure home prices-with prices like that,one can afford to retire,camp,and do property improvement projects.Yes,California has its beauty,and generally good climate,but everything has its cost.Parts of Arizona are really beautiful too.We can't wait to make the move!