Closer to Moving Back to America

[smokeywolf]

I worded the thread title that way because California has long since ceased to politically, socially or morally bear much of a resemblance to America as I knew it when I was a youngster.

In Southern California, if you disagree with raising taxes you're looked down upon as being anti education. If you are against rewarding criminal aliens with driver's licenses and funding their children with money you earned for your own children, you're anti hispanic and have no compassion for your fellow man. If you object to your local police officers being ordered to not only not identify people they run into who are in the U.S. illegally but ignore that fact if they unintentionally find out that they are (L.A.P.D. Special Order 40), then you're a racist. If you believe you should have the right to exorcise your Constitutional rights, including those detailed in the 2nd amendment, you're a radical right wing extremist.
Here's a big one for me, I object to my children being subjected to a public school curriculum that ignores much of the accomplishments of our founders, builders, frontiersmen and military heroes, but goes to great lengths to teach the history and customs of Mexico and Africa and aggrandize the lives of people of lesser success and accomplishment simply because they are or were homosexuals.

Due to new investor and management within the company I was working for, I am again retired and free to move away from the Hollywood movie and TV industry. Also, I've finally received the proceeds from the sale of my rental property.

If we can find the right property in the Mountain Home, Arkansas area or our current second choice, West Plains, Missouri we may be able to make our escape from Kalifornia as soon as this Summer. Would also consider one of the conservative Southern States; MS, AL or LA.
We need to be within 30 minutes of a good high school and 40 minutes of a State University or extension campus of a State University. 15 year old will likely qualify for a sizable scholarship, if not a free ride at a good university.

http://www.homes.com/property/4902-m...-400031825761/

Mrs. smokeywolf fell in love with this place and I can't say that I disliked it. It sold about 6 months ago.

Just emailed a Realtor in West Plains this morning describing what we're looking for.

40 to 120 acres
3200 to 4200 sq. ft. home, preferably to include basement
1,000 sq. ft. workshop
Small barn would be nice, but I can build one if need be.
Would love to have live water or at least a good sized pond in addition to stock tanks
Room and topography for as long a shooting range as possible and practical.
If the geology allows, hope to add geothermal to whatever we move into.

If we don't make it out of Kali this Summer then because of boy's school, will probably have to wait till next Summer.

Getting excited and just had to share.

smokeywolf

[PS Paul]

I remember a year or two ago when you mentioned on the forum that you were considering MO. I asked on the forum why you still remained in SoCal and you shared about your rental properties keeping you there.
I think I'm truly excited for you, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous, too. I bet you can hardly wait, eh? Good for you guys!!

[Cmm_3940]

...exorcise your Constitutional rights, ...

You've definitely been in California too long.

[freebullet]

I'd get out now.

[Taylor]

Try Tennessee,there is still a lot of rural.

[smokeywolf]

Thanks Taylor. Although we've looked at just about every conservative State, including Tennessee, we'll look again.

smokeywolf

[rond]

NW Arkansas is a good place to look, also try Ozark, Clarksville and Russleville area.

[ozarkhillbilly49]

second on northwest ar. bentonville schools are good. however i won't recommend bentonvile or benton county. carrol, washington and madison counties offer a better value in quality of life. bentonville is the home of walmart and as such must meet walmart standards. there are 2 sets of rules in bentonville. one for walmart and the waltons and one for peasants. hope you do come to the ozarks. many beautiful places left here. some good hunting and fishing to.best wishes from a dumb hillbilly.

[lbaize3]

Take a look at Alpine, Texas. Beautiful place... wish I was young enough to move there.

[Handloader109]

Smokey wolf, come on back to the real world.... I'm originally from central MS. Relocated to NWA 4 yrs ago due to work. Just sold my home, shop and some acreage in MS, still own a bit and stand to inherited more, but I don't plan on going back except to visit. I LOVE MS, but I feel like if I lived there much longer I would blow a gasket, or hurt someone. The atmosphere is that if you are white, you owe me (minority) something, my laziness is you fault. I'm not a racist, but I darn sure hate folks with their hands out all the time.
At any rate, mountain home would be good area, anywhere to the north side of the state is good. Most schools are pretty good. My daughter just graduated from UARK, Fayetteville. There is the state run scholarship that she got for 3 yrs, one year residence required to apply. They keep changing the requirements due to low funding, but it is worth applying. I'm in South fay, Washington County has gotten much more restrictive on building codes in past 4yrs, I'm looking for a smaller plot than you, but I'd be looking somewhat East in Madison County. Plenty of land available, double the cost of MS property. Just watch out for the gravel roads, there is an amazing number of them up here good luck, holler if you want more information or opinions john

[NavyVet1959]

If you like mountains, avoid Louisiana, but it *is* called "The Sportsman's Paradise" for a reason. Texas does not have an income tax, but they make up for it with property taxes. The secret to owning a lot of land in Texas (and not being bled dry by the state from property taxes) is to declare most of the land as agricultural and get the "agricultural exemption" on it. With rural land, there are no size limits for shooting on your own land, but if a city eventually expands and claims that you are not in the city limits, you need at least 50 acres here to be able to shoot a rifle or shotgun on your own property at that time, so you might want to plan for this, just in case. Many people thought that they were rural, but the large cities expanded and annexed property and then the property owners found out that they were subject to the typical stupid rules that big cities come up with. I would look up the rules on whatever state you decide to relocate to, just to be safe.

It's a lot easier to find a good place to live when you don't have to worry about the "good schools" criteria. "Good schools" usually means a larger metropolitan area (but not TOO large, otherwise you have the typical inner city school problems). Looking at the demograhics of the area will also give you an indication of whether their might be gang problems.

[PULSARNC]

North Carolina has everything you are looking for settle in the middle of the state and you are a few hours from the beach or the mountains world call universities think NC State ,Duke and Chapel hill not to forget ECU and Bowman Grey medical school

[NavyVet1959]

Just remember, the further north you move, the more likely they will have something called "seasons". I've heard that there are places where water will actually form a solid during certain times of the year.

[Ramar]

Smokeywolf,
Can't have too many acres. I've got a retirement place in MO Ozarks with 150 acres and at times it just seems like it's not enough. It does seem much bigger due to a lack of neighbors. I'm still having troubles getting there and I've been retired for a quite many years. But I do have a son living there that's trying to deplete the big mouth bass population along with the deer.

I spent 3 years searching the internet and local realtors and found mine on the way to see a listing. The "For Sale" sign was hard to see from the road and had spent years in the weather but it did have a current ph.# I got lucky...

God luck, it's a buyers market.
Ramar

[winelover]

Smokeywolf,
Can't have too many acres. I've got a retirement place in MO Ozarks with 150 acres and at times it just seems like it's not enough. It does seem much bigger due to a lack of neighbors. I'm still having troubles getting there and I've been retired for a quite many years. But I do have a son living there that's trying to deplete the big mouth bass population along with the deer.

I spent 3 years searching the internet and local realtors and found mine on the way to see a listing. The "For Sale" sign was hard to see from the road and had spent years in the weather but it did have a current ph.# I got lucky...

God luck, it's a buyers market.
Ramar

Pretty much the way I found my homestead. Realtors are only interested in a sale. They will bombard you with a multitude of properties that don't even remotely meet your criteria.

Good Luck



Winelover

[dakotashooter2]

Follow the light............................................. ..

[lancem]

Take a look at Alpine, Texas. Beautiful place... wish I was young enough to move there.

I'd have to agree, but then I live there

[Love Life]

The farther east you go, the crappier it gets. I would be Looking to Nevada, Arizon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana.

P.S. It's easier to buy a handgun in California than it is in North Carolina.

[NavyVet1959]

Pretty much the way I found my homestead. Realtors are only interested in a sale. They will bombard you with a multitude of properties that don't even remotely meet your criteria.

It's a question of what you want vs what you are willing to settle for. What you want might not currently be available, so the realtor might be giving you other options that you might be willing to settle for. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes it is a waste of your time. These days, with the internet and realtors nearly always listing the property with the MLS, you are not tied to a realtor like in the old days. I always search for properties myself and then contact the listing agent and tell them that if they want to deal, then they discount the buyer's agent portion since I'm not using a buyer's agent. Assuming the usual 6% broker commission, that's 3% that I get to pocket. Still, I've also stumbled across property that was a "for sale by owner" that I've also bought after driving around a neighborhood looking at another property that had been listed with the MLS.

[jmort]

I have been looking in the exact same areas, in a more modest way, and have found the help of a local Realtor is necessary as I am 1800 miles away. I am not bombarded with useless information and since she lives there and I do not, I find the local knowledge imperative. I don't foresee an opportunity to spend any significant time on the ground there prior to decision time due to circumstances and logistics. It is nice to get 200 photographs of houses from her that she takes and an opinion of the property and possible pricing for an offer and much detailed information about the property from her directly. Love the detail provided. How nice would it be to stumble across the perfect property for sale by happenstance. Who knows? For now I am quite happy with the services of a local Realtor.