Here's what it looked like when we closed on it just after 9/11/2001:
It had not been occupied since 1982.
After several years of renovation, a small tornado, and a new roof, this is what it looked like:
Am I glad I did it? You bet.
I never hooked up to the county water, even though they ran a pipe down to the place in 2003. It's easier to collect rainwater in a cistern and use that. The reason is that I can shut off the water and drain it back into the cistern and never have to worry about the pipes freezing.
As soon as we can manage it, KYHillChick and I are retiring there permanently.