Building Your Property Search Criteria

An effective property search depends on well-defined criteria that are realistic given your unique requirements, purchase budget, and the real estate market conditions. We've provided this "master list" as a starting point for thinking about the topic. The list you come up with will look different. Some of these factors may not matter much to you, while there will be other factors of personal value that...

Build a Resilient Food Supply for Your Retreat

For some, the topic of food storage conjures images of a The Far Side-style bunker with everything but a can opener. But effective food storage combined with a strong local supply chain provides a strong foundation for liberty. A resilient food system is built in depth, with layers of of storing, acquiring, producing, and preserving food for your family. Practically, there's limits to the extent of food...

Heating and Cooling an Off-Grid Home

Heating and cooling is important to making a home livable, but poses a unique challenge when living off-grid. Based on EIA statistics, 70% of overall American household energy usage is dedicated to heating and cooling. This means that it will be a crucial factor in the size and cost of an off-grid power system. Compared to grid power with virtually unlimited wattage available, an off-grid system has...

Free Tools for Virtual Property Scouting

If you're looking for rural property, you can save yourself a lot of time by doing thorough "virtual" scouting before you set foot on the property. Taking a look at the property directly can help you determine whether it is the right fit for you, before you commit to the time and energy to travel to see it yourself. Thankfully, there's a tremendous range of tools available to help achieve this task....

A Review of Survival Retreats & Relocation

We're glad to have recently received a number of positive reviews on Jonathan and James Wesley, Rawles' Survival Retreats & Relocation. The following unsolicited review comes courtesy of John Brew, republished with his permission: “Survival Retreats & Relocation” uses a systems engineering approach to provide the reader a process and framework for acquiring and thriving a survival retreat. Let...

Time to Sell Your Rural Property?

In the current market, you may have already had someone express interest in buying your property, or may simply be wondering, "is it time to sell?" Prices of home and land are at all time highs in much of the U.S. It is an appealing time to capitalize on this increased equity--especially if you're downsizing or plan to convert this growth into another asset. Whether you list with a local agent or sell...

Tips for Buying a Rural Home in Competitive Market

Purchasing a property in a seller's market means that your offer is likely to be just one of multiple offers that the seller is choosing from. What can you do to get ahead of the competition, without paying top dollar? Cash on the Table If your financial situation allows, an all cash offer is generally most appealing to the sellers. By avoiding financing contingencies, the seller is assured that the...

Finding a Rural Property a Low Inventory Market

In the last year, the news has been full of stories highlighting the lack of inventory in the real estate market, which we've also highlighted here. There are fewer homes on the market, and they are turning over more quickly than any time in the last 20 years. What does that mean practically for you, if you are looking for a homestead or retreat property? Put simply, there are fewer properties to choose...

Surviving the Seller’s Market – Tips for Buyers

We are in the midst of a strong seller's market, which presents some special challenges for those wishing to make a survival relocation. Demand and prices for rural property are high, but the availability has remained low, without relief in sight. Finding a home in the Redoubt and similar areas continues to be very challenging. As the Wall Street Journal described it in an April 3 article titled "The...

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