[Cob] Land

[Amanda Peck]

Don't know about "magical" although I love my land.  Middle Tennessee in 
general is pretty horse-friendly.  In Wayne County land will probably seem 
cheap to you--not always to us, though.  And we hate the idea that outsiders 
are driving the prices up!  (Just like the people in Oregon)  Well water is 
usually available--at depths that amaze westerners, codes are still 
unenforced--if you want grid electricity, you have to have a septic tank and 
an electrical inspection.  Fair number of owner-builders around.  I've got 
one year-round spring (the one we screwed up trying to develop), two more 
that are pretty reliable.  Given a two-month drought I buy drinking water.  
Rainwater harvesting is a good possibility, but I'm not sure how well it 
will work without a "rain-barn" if you have a horse.

You pay more for an honest-to-gosh farm--even without a farm-house--and for 
land that is ready to be logged, less for land that was logged less than 20 
years ago.  (if you buy anywhere in timber country, make sure that timber 
rights are included in the sale--that's the important one here, but mineral, 
oil and water rights are also important in parts of the country).

Jobs, maybe here especially, but probably almost anywhere in rural America, 
are few and far between.

The scarce land is in 15-50 acre parcels.  5-10 acres are pretty common, as 
are 150 acre up chunks.

Weather Underground's weather does a pretty good job of giving weather 
averages (try 38485 as the zip code, the information will be from Muscle 
Shoals, fifty miles south from me, way less than that in the southern part 
of the county.)

Good advice for everyone, especially looking for land in rural areas, is to 
contact the Chamber of Commerce in the county you are thinking of.  Most 
have got a packet to send to you.  Also check the United Country Real Estate 
listings for the part of the country you are interested in.  They may not be 
the best real estate company to deal with anywhere, but the listings, 
especially those with pictures, will give you some idea of what's going on 
there.

The Wayne Chamber of Commerce email is: chamber at netease.net  The phone 
number is 1-931-722-9022.  The executive director--the only paid person 
other than a part-time intern--lives with PV power, ram pump for water.

The C of C web site here is:

http://www.waynecountychamber.org/

The general United Country web site is this:

http://www.unitedcountry.com/

Another possibility in the Southeast and I've heard of this elsewhere as 
well, is to contact the big timber/paper companies, who seem to always be 
selling and trading land.  I don't quite know how to do that.

................
Teresa Banks wrote:
I am thinking of relocating, and I would love to build my own little
cob house.  I am looking for a piece of land someplace "magical",
fairly warm, few building codes, and affordable.  Presently I am in the
Northwest, but seem to be drawn to a warmer climate, and "rocks" of all
things.  I have a horse which will be coming with me, and so water will
be a necessity.

Any suggestions?

Thanks, Teresa