Time to move on!

[winchester85]

I am living in the house I built in 1996, on the land I bought in 1990. I was 19 years old then, I never thought 24 years ago that I would still be here! Used to be that I could go burn a slash pile and drink a couple of beers without being hassled by the police, I could run my sawmill without someone calling the county to complain that I was running a commercial operation. I could build a shed without the county telling me that I need a permit. I could leave my car unlocked without fear that my gun would be gone when I got back. I didn't have to put cameras up to try to catch whomever was putting trash in my fuel tanks. Back then on the drive home there were no lights for miles.
Now it seems that there is always at least one person that wants to complain about what I do. I can run a dozer to fix the road, and get flipped off while doing it. Go shoot a couple ducks down at the reservoir which is legal, and then wait a couple of days for the warden to come talk to me. I keep the road open, I am the only one with machines big enough to cut drifts 3 feet deep, without fail someone will plow a bank across my driveway after I am done. Five neighbors have been convicted of crimes against me, from trespass and vandalism to assault. One guy was stupid enough to threaten to burn my house down, in a voice mail.

I have never been much of a people person, never got that training as a kid. But, the older I get the more I want to move to where I only have to deal with people if I WANT to. When I was in my early 20's I thought about going to Alaska and living like a true mountain man, but I never made it. I have been thinking about it again, but not sure that I have the drive to start a life like that at 44 years old. I remember the old movies about the guy who built a little cabin on the remote lake and lived there into his 70's, it is probably not as great as it would seem from the outside. Right now property values are not good, selling my place at this point would not get me nearly as far as it would have back in '07. I have my place set up pretty well, 35 acres, 2000 square foot heated shop, rental apartment above the shop, 2400 square foot house, a bunch of machines and toys. Downsizing for a move would be a real shock. But, at this point my desire is to have the same shop, but a 900 square foot cabin not a house, off the grid would be fine, no neighbors for at least a mile, difficult winter access would be fine as well.

When I was a kid, I was a nerd. Second in class to my best friend, computer league, math league, advanced placement calculus, college credit in high school. But, I was also into being outdoors. I went to college for one year and hated it, I felt so trapped in the city, I would hitch hike home every Thursday. I would hang out in the woods hunting, shooting and wishing that I did not have to go back to school. I bought my property 1000 miles from home during a month or two before school ended. Been here ever since! I think it is time to move on, maybe Montana, maybe Idaho, or maybe get dropped in remote Alaska like the guy from Never Cry Wolf!

[starmac]

Dick, the old guy you are talking did not build his cabin on the lake until he was 58 years old iirc. Never give up.
I waited until I was in my 50's before I finally came to Ak, wish I had done it 30 years before. I started working my way up when I was 20, found out the wife was pregnant so went back to where I knew I would have no trouble raising kids. After the last one graduated, we came on up permanatly, and just a couple of months ago the last of my kids and grand kids moved up. go figure.

[lancem]

Been there done that, sold at a loss and moved. Though I'm now retired I don't regret a minute of leaving where I was and moving to SW Texas, seems that most everyone here wants to be left alone and all do well at minding their own business. The big problem here is no work, I get a check every month and expenses are low so it isn't a problem, for a younger man it can be a hard row to hoe unless he has a lot of skills to sell at a low price. I feel your pain, my advice is go, life is too short to wait it out. If I had known what I know now I would have gone years sooner with no regrets.

[MaryB]

Where do you live that the neighbors are such a**holes? Northern Minnesota has some remote areas still, down here on the prairie you can get a house out in the middle of a mile section and not have to deal with neighbors. I always wanted to go to AK and live but never made it either. But if I could afford it a farm house with a 1/4 mile driveway would be sweet especially if I could find one with river bottom land to go with it.

[jmort]

I was wondering the same thing? Where are such lowlifes to be found. I would have left after the first couple three crimes.

[shoot-n-lead]

I am 54...so a little older than, but the only advice that I can give you, is to go do it. There are several things that I always intended to do and have never done...now wish I had...it is not too late to do them, but it is much more complicated now and I probably never will.

I honestly don't know which is worse...to do something and regret it or not do it and regret it....

[starmac]

If by chance you do come to Ak. even for a visit, give me a shout.

[nagantguy]

Best of luck to you!! When we moved from the old house, where my daughter was born things had gone bad. A neighborhood fued got so bad 3 out of the 6 families moved! The three including me didn't want trou me bit it came anyhow. One family of criminal low life scum balls and two of ultra lib " I'm the only one with rights ruined it for everyone. On top of that a very very crooked town hall and a very thuggish local PD. Father was sherrif daughter was dispatch and two or three deputies were kin also, lots of rough stuff, lots of citations and fines but real.crime was not dealt with but barking dogs were often shot. I mentioned once before one of the barney fifes came pounding on our door at about midnight to ask us about a drunk driving accident that happened while we where not home and did not I volbe us at all, be had the wrong address and when he saw I had a gun on my hip he said I was under arrest for obstructing justice! I didn't go to kail but we moved 26 days later. I'm sorry you have similar times. Love the new House/ land hopefully you will as well.

[winchester85]

The only reason to stay at this point other than property values is that I take care of one neighbors property. They have 640 acres, I take care of the buildings, horses and other animals. I get to use the property and make just about any improvements that I want to. It does not pay enough to live on, but it does pay enough to cover most of my fixed expenses. It is a long term opportunity that will only get better with time. They have land in MN as well and invite me to come duck and or deer hunting every year, last year they picked me up in their jet. I was invited to spend spring break with the 3 boys 21, 23, and 26, on their "boat" in Key West. I got a commercial plane ticket to MN and then flew to Key West on their jet. The three boys are great guys and I spend a lot of time with them. If I were to move, taking care of their property would be hard to do unless I was very close by.
I guess if I wait for property values to come back, maybe during that time I can find a place nearby but not in this neighborhood. I have been looking, but so far I cannot find anything that I could possibly afford or a place that I can still shoot and hunt on the property. The county passed a law a few years ago that says it is illegal to shoot on your own property if more than 100 people live within 1 mile.

[GRUMPA]

Living in Phoenix for years, originally from CA the wife and I had enough and decided it was time to pack up and live our dream.

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa341/grumpaboo/SolarArray520x390.jpg

That's not the house, that's the shop...

A few more pictures here..... http://castboolits.gunloads.com/album.php?albumid=558

[Handloader109]

Get out while you can and are in good enough health to start over.
I'm born and raised in central MS, have 4 acres, nice shop and home on it surrounded by 30 acres of property owned by my mother. Moved to AR due to job, nothing good going on in MS. Town annexed us about 10 yrs ago, can't shoot, can't hunt, got to get permits to do anything and they don't provide anything except for higher taxes, less services and minor police coverage. Been broke into a couple of times, recently due to empty home, the shop has been hit. I'm selling for whatever I can get and trying to find new place outside of town here in AR. Plenty of land and places where I can hunt, shoot and do what I want to do with hopefully no outside influence. Good luck!

[doc1876]

guys, I am 58. I got married very young, and my life never went where I wanted. I however, have had a lot of fun, and have two great kids. That being said, if you want out and can do it, then get it done now while you can. Thanks to "O", I have been stuck here in this nowhere dead end place, and can not ever get out.
I will tell you Idaho or Wyoming are your best bets. My family is from Wyoming, and still have some relatives there, and as it sounds like you can stand the cold, it is your best bet. I hope you are able to succeed at your dream, I am not giving up, just know that like the lottery, this ain't going to happen anytime soon for me, and we will only get older, so do it while you are still young enough to enjoy.
Steve

[MaryB]

I do have a friends place in MT I can head too if needed. He has space for a second mobile home or smaller house. Lives next to thousands of acres of public forest

[osteodoc08]

Dang man. I've had a few run ins with a neighbor, but your situation is over the top. When did even general courtesy and respect fly out the window up there? Sorry you're having to deal with this. Hope everything works out as planned. If you decide to go off the grid, best of luck and I expect to be reading a book in a few short years. I'd like a signed copy please.

[thxmrgarand]

I am extremely biased in favor of Alaska, no matter a person's age. No state sales or income taxes here. Hundreds of small communities have no property tax. The 2014 Permanent Fund Dividend every Alaskan received a week ago was $1884.

The case can be made that hunting and fishing is better in Alaska today than ever before. Many would argue that, and I admit that Alaska now has 700,000 people so there is an argument that can be made. Still, salmon runs have never been better, and transportation and communications technologies and availability have made hunting and fishing better in my view. Every place changes as the decades go by but on the whole Alaska has kept the best aspects in my view.

Alaska is much larger than most people realize, and it is different. The government owns all the land here, and owning much land here is not realistic. But you can own enough land to live on, and you can harvest off government land just as if it was your own, including personal use timber.

In many respects Alaska has as much climate variation within the state as can be found in the entire Lower 48. If time zones were dictated strictly by longitude rather than politics and practicality then Alaska would have at least 4 time zones. Anyone can move here from the Lower 48 without going through Canada by the way.

[joesig]

winchester85, 44 is young. My eye is on Maine (VA is too hot and WY is too cold!) before I turn 50. Taxes are getting no better. Traffic is getting MUCH worse! I'm still plenty young enough to rebuild something of shop, etc. Yes, I'll miss my current shop too and I have much better neighbors. Thirty five acres in hell daily is still in hell. We should have at least another 30-40 years ahead of us. Why not spend the second half in paradise somewhere?

Best of luck whatever you decide!

[winchester85]

the last week i have been dealing with property line issues for the property that I take care of. Our deed says we own it, their deed says we own it, the assessors office says we own it, but the other property owner still says they own it. The manager of that property sent the Sheriff's office and the DOW up to tell me that if one pellet (duck hunting) lands on their property that they want us cited for trespass! One problem with that, the only way we could get a pellet on to their property is if we own the land he says we do not own!

By the end of the week I will have confirmation from the title company and the surveyor of what I believe to be true. Done right? Wrong, I have to get an attorney to contact them and proceed legally with getting their fence off of our property. I suspect they will try to claim it under adverse possession.
I wish I could just take the excavator down there and rip the fence out while they watched!

And that neighbor is not one that I have had problems with in the past. I was trying to resolve it man to man without involving all the attorneys and such, but the guy did not show up when he said he would meet me, and will not take or return my calls now.

I am trying to figure out what the plan is for leaving here, where to go, how to get there, what to do with all my stuff before I get a new place, etc... My plan a few years ago was to be building a new house by the time I was 42 the economy ruined that plan.

[PatMarlin]

Life is an adventure. If I hadn't already done the outback, I would go to Alaska for sure. As it is- I'm happy where I'm at. Selling my Woodmizer LT40HD sawmill, ASV CAT skidsteer, Mobile gooseneck flatbed and shop trailers, well drill rig and more. If any of you folks know someone looking for great equipment in building for the outback- I got the goods.

Good luck on your next adventure... :drinks:

[Artful]

winchester85 (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?23064-winchester85) , Stay safe and be happy no matter which way you choose to handle your situation.