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Touchdown! Greaser!
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- Jan 5, 2007
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Cowboy - yeehah!
I've delayed posting in this thread to see what came up. Here's my history on the deal, and some really limited advice. In 93 we moved to TX on just under 2ac of land, with quite a bit of it in grass. We built a pool which took up some area of course, and I've put up a barn which took up some area but I still spend a fair amount of time on the riding mower with 48" deck. It's just a regular rider, nothing fancy, and between that and some trimming it takes a good 2 hours per week to keep it nice. If I let it go, the time will double real quick to knock it down again. This is just the mowing aspect, you also have some leaves, and shrubs, brickwork, etc. This is a rural plat in suburbia.
Next, I bought a 3ac place in CO on a moderate hill with lots of trees. I loved it! No more mowing. Once in a while I would have to get some trees thinned and cut for firewood, but no real regular maintenance as it was left raw. We had a decent house on it, and a couple of garages. Most of my time was spent restoring cars and boats.
I just bought 20ac in NM and it's all scrub land. I have an option for another 30 on each side, and I'll be buying lots as they come up. I will have enough for a modest airstrip in a few months. Along with the property, I got an ancient Ford 8N with a blade on it. Just enough to move some snow to the side. Not planning to do anything with the scrub land because I don't want to go back to regular maint, and I also am on a well, so no grass.
I have a house with a small barn/pump house to keep stuff and a shop next to it. If I do put a runway on it, I'm not going to tell anyone, local, state, fed or otherwise. It's going to be my private runway, on my land, and there will be no permits, or authorizations from anyone. If anyone asks, it'll just be a long straight driveway. I'm not going to bother with grass, and it will just be graded gravel which means a more bush type plane than I have now. Thinking a C175 with a TW conversion or the T210 with 3 blade prop.
I'm getting mineral rights, and since there's nothing out there, I don't have, or want any major land expenses. The prop taxes are about $800/year total, no elec, no sewer, no trash service, no water connection. It's all self contained with well and solar and septic.
So, it can be done with low maintenance, and low cost but you have to give up on some of the fancy stuff like big lawns, and surface water. Lots of land out there, and all different kinds of places to start from. Shop for a while, and get what you really want. I know a guy that owns his own airport east of DFW. He spends what I consider an inordinate amount of time on repairs and upkeep, but he's got a mighty nice setup for aviation. I don't have a fence, but with the old Ford 8N and a PTO I can put posts in, and wire up in a few weekends with some local help.
I'd say start out with a few acres and see if you like it. I'm 45 miles from the nearest WalMart, and about 25 miles from the nearest grocery market. We'll make plans to go to town when we need it, and do without when we don't want to make the trip. If it works out well up there, we may retire on the land and sell our current place.
Next, I bought a 3ac place in CO on a moderate hill with lots of trees. I loved it! No more mowing. Once in a while I would have to get some trees thinned and cut for firewood, but no real regular maintenance as it was left raw. We had a decent house on it, and a couple of garages. Most of my time was spent restoring cars and boats.
I just bought 20ac in NM and it's all scrub land. I have an option for another 30 on each side, and I'll be buying lots as they come up. I will have enough for a modest airstrip in a few months. Along with the property, I got an ancient Ford 8N with a blade on it. Just enough to move some snow to the side. Not planning to do anything with the scrub land because I don't want to go back to regular maint, and I also am on a well, so no grass.
I have a house with a small barn/pump house to keep stuff and a shop next to it. If I do put a runway on it, I'm not going to tell anyone, local, state, fed or otherwise. It's going to be my private runway, on my land, and there will be no permits, or authorizations from anyone. If anyone asks, it'll just be a long straight driveway. I'm not going to bother with grass, and it will just be graded gravel which means a more bush type plane than I have now. Thinking a C175 with a TW conversion or the T210 with 3 blade prop.
I'm getting mineral rights, and since there's nothing out there, I don't have, or want any major land expenses. The prop taxes are about $800/year total, no elec, no sewer, no trash service, no water connection. It's all self contained with well and solar and septic.
So, it can be done with low maintenance, and low cost but you have to give up on some of the fancy stuff like big lawns, and surface water. Lots of land out there, and all different kinds of places to start from. Shop for a while, and get what you really want. I know a guy that owns his own airport east of DFW. He spends what I consider an inordinate amount of time on repairs and upkeep, but he's got a mighty nice setup for aviation. I don't have a fence, but with the old Ford 8N and a PTO I can put posts in, and wire up in a few weekends with some local help.
I'd say start out with a few acres and see if you like it. I'm 45 miles from the nearest WalMart, and about 25 miles from the nearest grocery market. We'll make plans to go to town when we need it, and do without when we don't want to make the trip. If it works out well up there, we may retire on the land and sell our current place.
