These are the three in contention at present till I take a road trip next week.

I like the shop with the middle one!

They all have shops, just not shown in the other pics. The middle is 22 acres.

With that hill behind the middle one you'd be able to put in a target array and shoot right off your back porch.

#2

#3

Is that Florida? Nice places for sure.

Middle one would be my choice as long as the interior was as nice as the exterior.

#1

1 or 3 - I want to relax, not take care of all that wood.

I like the house in #1 the best, but #2 with some green grass and a few trees planted would probably win overall layout.

2

#2

Oops, forgot this one. Guess it should have been FOUR






Shop

This is like "House Hunters"

\
#2 without question...got a floor plan handy ?

Not Florida!

I'm changing my criteria a bit as I foresee needing a few more bedrooms and a bath than I had originally anticipated.

Let me be the first to congratulate you.

Which one is the manufactured house?

number 2


Any floor plans?

MIL? - say it ain't so, bro.

None

NOPE, she split very early one. GF and her sister were raised by the dad, so only a FIL to deal with and he likes baseball, football and beer.

her parents are moving in with you as well?

Acreage, and location, location, location.

Perfect!

I like the yard in number 2.

Although it could use a dose of roundup on the green spots.

You might have to keep after it though because that looks like a spring picture, that stuff might try to green up when the leaves pop out on them trees.

Number one looks like it had a patch job on the roof, probably done right and nothing to concern with but it looks like a definate mismatch shingle line left of the right dormer.

Imagine Scott already has someone to take care of his wood..

What's the acreage on the other three?

Picking houses from pictures? Ain't going to be that easy.

Kids in the future??

Sounds like a good school district might be part of the criteria also.

When is (or was) the big day?

Steve

Dude.....

That's just freakin' AWESOME!

Scott, congratulations.......#3

I like #1. Love the porch.

Top has 11 acres, middle is 22 acres, bottom is 3/4 of an acre and the 4th is 5 acres.

Thinking aloud here, might go for something more in town (#3) and purchase some acreage. Should the time come I can sell off the land without it being part of the house.

The biggest of the 3 towns I'm looking at is 10,000. House number 3 is in a town of 1000.

Views?

#2 looks nice, and it's not low, but you have some utilities to look at..

Town of a towsand is tolerable. I reckon...

#2, then.

Easy to subdivide, if you have the land. If you don't, then you have a problem from the get-go.

Hang on there gang, no bun in the oven and no ring on a finger. I told her I needed to go through a football and hunting season with her before we do the ring thing.

11 acres is plenty to goof around on if you're looking for something like that.

Whoever said #2 will be a lot of maintenace is right. If you like it, go for it.

Mmmmm....hmmmmm.....

Oh, THANK GAWD!!!

But I'll bet she weathers the storm well...

Some folks say "You can't be living out of town with kids cause you spend all your time running them into town for sports and what not.."

I say you can't be livin in town or you spend all day looking for the damn kids...

but a small town... myeahhh... can't be that bad.

Prayers sent..

What are they priced at?

I still like #3 the best also, but that's why I took the next 10 days off to go looking.

#2, looks like Alabama, Tn up in the flats of that country.

Who said ya gotta maintain stuff?



let r go back all natral and stuff.

The most expensive (#2 with 22 acres) is $159,000

#2
#4
In that order. I like acreage, personally.

Maintenance is what dogs, goats, and horses are for.

#2 - well and septic reports?

'bout a year ago we looked at 34 houses. All found on line first. Most were very different when we got there. My 3 favorites were not the case once I saw them in person. Good idea on the 10 day look see.

Dang I need to sell mine and buy 2 of them. Mine is in town and the market is up here!

If you work it right, hunting season never ends...and don't forget spring football.

Right up until you need to paint. Well, a sheep might work for that.

I hear you, hence the trip. I'm familiar with the area now I need to find the right house.

Yeah, I noticed that with the "there's two green patches that need round up."

Round -up is your friend for yard work on #3.

A guy could do some serious relaxing on the #1 big porch deck. Little cooler, little TV, and a ballgame.

That's why I like it too. I loooove sittin on the porch with coffee or a beer, listening to the game, or just doin nuttin.

But #1 and #4 just aren't Steely...if memory serves.

#3

personal pick 2 then 4. But its not our choice...

Me, I'd go for more and better land and who gives much of a rats azz about the lodging, but we all take different avenues.

Maintenance is easy at your age, and as you age, its easy for someone else, just write a check. And maintenance isn't that expensive if you do it on time or ahead of time, don't wait till the paint peels or the stain fades and cracks the wood. Or till the water heater leaks....

They all look great!
Where?

All of them are nice, but will need some improvements to the grounds.

I happen to have 26 old tires (painted white), 4 washing machines and a 1974 Comet I can loan you to get that yard in to shape.

Tell us more about the Comet.

When they patched the roof in #1, did they replace the moldy insulation?

Just askin.

ps

I'd buy a chunk of ground and build it myself.

Maybe 2012 is really gonna happen... Congrats to ya Scott.

#1 house looks real good overall. Low upkeep exterior siding and trim. Upstairs dormers make it a stand out.

#3 I like the landscaping real well and it also has an upstairs and low upkeep exterior features.

#2 Has the look of an outdoorsman's kind of house and lot. I really like the idea of a single floor residence over the long haul. Not too big a deal right now but wouldn't want to be climbing anymore stairs than necessary as I get older. I feel the winter photo doesn't do this house and lot true justice. Again, no big deal if you're into yard work but it looks like it could require quite a bit of time spent mowing & heavy duty mowing equipment.

I would be pulling for #2, but knowing how the wife's taste runs, she would want #3, We'd probably wind up with a compromise on #1, ...or more likely #3.

I like #2. Are you still looking around SW Ms?

#2 gets my vote, although #4 is no slouch.

Thats pretty cheap. Where is the location if you dont mind me asking?
Say you got transfered to USGC Station Marquette on balmy Lake Superior and needed housing nearby, that house would be $250,000.00 min.

#2, but it's hard to say without seeing the inside and the rest of the property. The acreage is a plus also, they ain't making anymore land.

TN?

#2 would be my first choice. You can always make or change the house to suit. The land is getting scarce. If a wife and kids are in the future, think of how great acerage for them to kick around on would be.

Keep looking...

Old dogs....need a few old dogs to hang out around and under the porch

need more pix




of the girl


then I can tell ya if you need a house at all

I am thinking 'bout a house as well, but acreage in the country means an ugly commute for me

#4 looks like it is built on a hillside; I'd wonder how stable the ground under the house.

#3 is the best looking house and probably easiest to sell should you ever move, but it is two stories.

A good feature in any house is, the master bedroom separated from the others, so you can't hear them snore, or them hear you...

Something I see too often here is somebody puts a fireplace right where you want the TV to go. That's a PITA when you use the TV every day.

That's not a given, will depend on locale.

Not at ALL easy (nor cheap) here. Starts with stroking a $12k check just to have them start the process- with no promise of an outcome.

Anyways... congrats Scott!

The problem I ran into was the fireplace was on the very end of the house on the end of the living room, meaning it wasn't very effective at heating the core of the house unless you could move the air around.

My guess is "none of the above". First, if you really liked one you would have already chosen it. Second, if you really liked one, you wouldn't be asking us.

Keep looking. You'll "know" when you see it!

My order is #2, #1, #3.

Good luck!

A man has got to have his priorities in order! Perfecto!!

I'm with Bart on this one. Keep looking...

Damn, for a second there I thought she played the trump card on ya.

#2 has Steelhead written all over it.

Oh, and based on the pics # 2 looks nice to me,

No question, number #2.
(provided it isn't [bleep] up)



"who do you work for???....Number 2"

My two cents would be ....You need to find the smallest floor plan you can live in with a very low maintance shell, the biggest shop you cant live with out on as much property that you can afford since you wont have to worry about "commuting" much longer.

I like the acreage - house is just a place to chit, shower, 'n' shave.

If you haven't been looking at real estate auction sites - you need to.

2, one and three look more girlie and the 22ac is icing on the cake.

Wise man

They're patient, oh so patient. Then it's Obama time "change"!. >pained grin<

My recommendation would be to keep shopping to find a place with more land.

A town is a town -whether it is two houses or two thousand. That is too many.

A house is just a place to #@ck and fry meat, but #2 above does seem more fitting. 1 and 3 look like they belong in town.

The middle one if you can shoot from your shop and don't mind ice on the drive way.

#2

Single level, nice acreage.

When was it built?

IMHO the age of the house is an important matter.
There are a lot of good things that have happened in regards to house construction and insulation in the past 20 years or so.

#2 looks good to me.

Dang, spoke with the bank and they will give me 3.875%. Difficult to not buy at that rate.


I hear everyone on the property size but at the same token I don't want to be slave to it.

I have every intention to purchase land separate from the house note. That's just the way I'm doing it.

The intent here it to retire in 18 months, meaning retired, no more work. I'll be 47 and so long as I have a place to hunt/fish and work on guns I'll be fine. It don't always have to be my place for the hunting/fishing and there is plenty of public land around.

A couple of horses will keep your pasture under control. ...laffin

I hate to agree with Bart, but I wouldn't stop looking yet.

I like #2, but as you said only if it is low maintenance.

And I hate to ask this, but somebody has to. Which house does she like as well? If you are moving her into a house she doesn't like, sooner than/or later she will be wanting another house. It's easy to say who cares but it will cause stress that a decrepit old retired guy don't need!

That sounds pretty darn good, Scott.
Good on you for planning ahead so that you can retire at such a young age.
Not too many folks accomplish that nowadays.

All this talk amongst us boys is fine, but RickF is right. Don't forget who the boss is gonna be.

Oh, I am. If it don't say YES when I see it, I'm not going to try to convince myself. Kind of like bear hunting, you know when you see the right one.


In the end it's my decision and I obviously want her input, but I have final veto as it's all my money and I'm the only one I know for certain that will always be with me.

Don't mean I can't compromise, I have every intention on doing so, but there are compromises and then there are compromises.

#2 fits your personality...

the homes >"sq feet" will get the money when u sell...

roflmao!!!!!!!!! and stop by my place ! i can loan u some good stuff to

get the heating/cooling cost for a few years on each.........i had a buddy (old guy) who's heating bill's were to high compared to mine....i took a look for him and come to fine the insulation in the ceiling ........on 1/2 of the house was still in the pakages/the way it came from the store!!! had no insulation for 20 years till i came along....

Just one other thought. WHat are the local terms on land-only notes?
Some require 30% down (not a bad thing, IMHO) and will only loan at a higher interest rate - a point or two above principle home mortgages.

#2 has the makin's for a rifle range. A trip to the "range" should never require more than 50 paces from the loading bench.

I've seen several nice looking rural houses/properties advertised for sale around my area that looked really great in the realty co. photo's and in person, too. Because I'm familiar with this area, I already knew they were located near commercial poultry or hog operations and a couple more had silage pit's nearby. Much of the time, and especially in warm weather, you can't bare even opening the door let alone doing anything outside. Over the years I've seen several nice rural properties that would have brought top dollar before the above mentioned moved in. Some tried to sell during the winter months when the odor wasn't as noticable but usually pulled their for sale signs in the spring.

Joken, I bet you have it backwards - I suspect that the ag operations were there long before the bone-heads from the city built and started complaining.

True, many of the private family owned farms were there first and a lot of those were the first to get hammered by worst of the odor. Pretty much all the high volume commercial poultry and hog operations were a relatively recent issue - Tyson, (formerly Hudson) in particular.

I wasn't complaining about what farmers do with their own land but saying in rural areas it is a good idea to cruise around and look the whole area over. Ask questions of the locals before commiting to a major real estate purchase. Sometimes there's more to be seen than meets the eye.

I agree, Joken.

I do get a bit testy when it comes to the "Obama's" of the home buying world. Those that would change things, move to the country and then try to make it better, like the city they came from....

He is gonna be so close to John Moses that hog farms , chicken farms and ethnic groups are gonna pale in comparison when looking at the downsides.

Like Ricky Nelson sang, "You can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself."

#2 for me brick has very little maint. and helps to deaden sound from outside

curious on house #1 as to why the shingles dont match in color different lot# or maybe they had to fix a problem with leaking maybe a question to ask if it becomes the one


gene

Bob got it wrong again....it's #2.

Doc

That's what she said!

I like #2, a mans got to have room to stretch his legs.

If you're looking to get a home and land sometime in the future for recreation, hunting, etc,., you're further ahead getting it in one package. Usually the land brings less of a premium per acre when it's with a house. It's the same reason I buy timberland and not just timber. The timber is usually what I'm paying for and the land is normally only a small markup over the timber value. After I sell the timber, if I haven't already made my money back, the residual land value is my profit. If I was investing in homes with land, I would be doing the same thing. Buying homes where the premium was placed on the home and the acreage was of little extra cost.



Also, don't get caught up in acreage size. The setting and lay of the acreage is more important than bigger acreage numbers. Both for your enjoyment and any future resale value.



As for the 4 homes, all look nice but nothing special. Keep looking.

#2!

That was my point. I'd guess disrepair got the better of the place somewhere along the lines and that means water damage. Sheetrock and trim work can be replaced but often times people take shortcuts on such repairs and leave the insulation. If it has mold in it you're likely to have health problems. Avoid like the plague.... (pun)

I gotta say, Scott, with 8 or 10 pages of advice you've gotten, if you can glean anything from any of it you've more staying power than I have.

Fuggit. Roll the dice.

ps

Bart's advice is sound.
Make that at least 1:3 on your roll.

Steelhead,
I'm looking at retiring in 18 mo.'s as well and I wish you the best on your plans.
Mine may be similar (small town, mild weather, huntin & fishin) so I've tried to follow your search with some interest.
Last I noticed you were lookin at TN & was wondering if this is still the case?
Home prices seemed good in the rural parts of the area (TN, WV, KY) but one thing that caught my eye was some of the immigration figures (ie. TN is supposed to be No. 1 state for Muslims moving in). Lets just say I've been taking population growth patterns into consideration & wonder if you have as well.........

We've been looking for a house for some time and haven't found a deal near any of those three. I'd be happy with any of the three but like #1 the best.

I like the looks of #2 by far the best, but #4 has definite potential too. The other two look too... pedestrian- at least for me. I'm 46, and I already don't like the idea of running up & down stairs for things- let alone in another 15 or 20 years. Of course there are many factors that a snapshot doesn't show.

When I was temporarily single about 6 years ago, I saw one in rural southern Ohio that looked just like #2 on 5 acres for $69,000. It did have weeds 3' tall in the "yard", and the house needed a little work on the inside too.

Holy crap. Around the way properties like those would be $350K-500K.

All very nice. Congrats.

When you get settled, I'm gonna move in next door, so the neighborhood goes down the toilet....

In MT, that place could go for anywhere from $100k-$1mil(depending on location.....grin)

I like #2 but it will take more exterior maint. Things to consider if you're planning to stay there long term are:

Ease and cost of maint.

Access, you ain't getting younger and over 40 climbing steps to go to bed gets old. #3 would be a PIA if you have a bad knee or other mobility problem just to get in the front door. The washer & dryer should not require using steps to use it.

If you plan to hang out in the back or front, what ever faces west will be hot. Our old place had a nice back yard that was unusable July - early Sept. The back of the house was right in line with the setting sun and there's a hay field behind the house.

We'll start a 24hourcampfire time-share nest door. JeffO and TRH get a free week.

Thanks ingwe! My search is over! I'm moving in next to John Moses cause I know you couldn't handle livin in THAT neighborhood!