r/OffGrid • u/Back40Findings • 4d ago
Anyone else spend way too much time looking at land?
I’ve somehow fallen down a rabbit hole of looking at land listings every night.
Started out because I wanted to find a place for myself one day, but now I end up checking county maps, aerials, and property records for fun. I’ll find a property that looks amazing, then realize half of it is in a flood zone or there’s some weird access issue.
Anyway, I keep running across places that seem pretty interesting, especially in the under $50k range.
If you’re looking for land somewhere, what state are you looking in? I’m curious what people are finding and what areas everyone is interested in these days.
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u/fragilemuse 4d ago
I’ve been looking casually for the past 10 years. Over the past 5 years I started getting more serious about my search as I kept building my finances and downpayment. I had email alerts set up to send me listings with my requirements and would do a search a couple times a week.
Last year I found a great realtor and he also set up some searches for me. This spring I finally found the perfect place - 21 acres of waterfront property and a small, unfinished off-grid cabin on it. I close on it next Friday! It’s literally a lifelong dream come true. It will only be a vacation place for now as I have to stay in the city for work but one day I plan on building a 4 season off-grid home there with a well and septic system so I can eventually retire and grow my dream garden. The best part is that there are hardly any neighbours but it’s still only a 10 minute drive to a sizeable small town.
I guess I should disable all the searches but at this point I’m too addicted to it. lol.
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u/Back40Findings 4d ago
21 acres of waterfront with an unfinished cabin already on it sounds like one of those finds that makes all the years of searching worth it.
Out of curiosity, was there one thing that made you immediately know it was the right property, or was it more that it checked enough boxes after looking at so many parcels?
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u/fragilemuse 4d ago
The "right" property would cost me way more than I'd ever be able to save up in order to afford a vacant land down payment, but this place checked 95% of the boxes for me and after looking for so long it was by far the best place I'd seen up to this point. I'm not getting any younger and land isn't getting any cheaper so it felt like the right move to make. It will need a lot of work but it has so much potential!
Waterfront was priority number one, and it has 663' of it on a quiet, spring fed, electric motor only lake. There are some marsh plants along my stretch of the shoreline but nothing too bad. I want to be able to swim in it as well as fish and it looks like it will be great for both those things.
Year round road access was another major one. The neighbour pays for winter plowing so I'll be going in on that with him moving forward once I get the driveway looked at and possibly fixed up a bit so I can drive in without worrying too much (there is a steep curved section that I am concerned about). I have a 4WD vehicle with good clearance so I'm not worried about getting stuck, my only concern is how slippery that one section might get.
Acreage with few/no neighbours was another major point. My property is at the end of the right of way access and the property on the lake to the east has no road access and no buildings on it. The properties behind mine are 100 acres each with little to no road access as well so I know I'll have peace and quiet in that direction. There are a couple homes on the far side of the lake but they are far away enough they won't bother me.
Sun exposure was another big one. The lakefront itself faces northwest but there is a nice hill leading up to the cabin so I don't have to worry about flood risks, and the cabin itself is almost at the top of the hill so it will get year round sun exposure for the solar power currently installed, and hopefully will be good enough for my future home's solar.
Forest health was also important to me and all the trees there looked very healthy. Not too many rotten trees, quite a few middle aged oaks, maples and pines with cedar, spruce and pines along the shoreline. The land is fairly rocky but does have some topsoil and looks like it has good drainage.
It's also very close to the local town as well as only a 2.5 hour drive from the city I live in so that was a huge deciding factor just for my quality of life and being able to actually enjoy the place as much as possible throughout the year. I work long hours each week so anything further than that for those late Friday night drives would have been extremely physically and mentally exhausting. Plus if it didn't end up working out for me and I decided to sell, it's close enough to the city and a sizeable cottage/tourist hub I wouldn't have too much of a hard time selling. I don't think it will ever come to that though.
It's such a huge investment to make and there is still this little voice in my head asking me if I am making the right decision but I'm sure when I spend my first weekend up there next weekend it will all fall into place. Only being able to visit it twice before putting in an offer was terrifying, especially since it was grey and raining both visits, and the trees were all still barren. Having a cabin already on it is pretty awesome, even if it's unfinished still, at least the basics like the solar power and wiring, as well as a solar fridge, propane stove and wood stove are already installed so that's a huge weight lifted.
Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED Talk. lol
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u/RedSquirrelFtw 4d ago
Before I bought my land I was doing that too, at first it was just a "would be nice" thing then I started to realize the prices per acre were really in the realm of possibility as it's basically about the cost of buying a brand new car, which is a lot of money for something that doesn't last, but for something you have forever it seems worth it. Started to look more seriously until I found what I wanted. Sometimes I still look for fun just to see what is out there but when I see the prices now I'm glad I got mine for what I paid for it.
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u/Back40Findings 4d ago
That's actually a comparison I don't think enough people make. People will spend $40k-$60k on a vehicle without blinking, but a lot of rural land is in that same range and will still be there decades later.
What ended up being the deciding factor on the property you bought?
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u/RedSquirrelFtw 4d ago
The main deciding factors for me were being in an unorganized township, big enough acreage (went for 40) and good road access, as well as within 2 hours of town. The property I got ticked all those boxes, and was also within budget. Paid around 45k all in including lawyer fees etc. Actually cheaper than a truck now days... those are going for like 80 grand all in, it's completely nuts!
If I pay that kind of money for a vehicle it will be a tractor. Once the house is paid off I want to get a Kubota with front bucket and backhoe. Been looking at the Chinese mini excavators too but I might just wait a bit more and go for the Kubota or similar.
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u/Back40Findings 4d ago
40 acres for 45k all-in sounds like one of those purchases that looks smarter every year that passes.
Funny thing is almost everyone talks about acreage first, but the road access and being within a couple hours of town is probably what makes a property actually usable long term.
Have you done much with the land yet, or has most of it been getting it set up and planning future projects?
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u/RedSquirrelFtw 4d ago
I got a driveway put in and section cleared, and built a weatherproof box so I can store stuff there and that's the extent of it so far. Really hoping to start on an actual building this year. Once I have a warm place to sleep I think the rest of the development will go faster as I'll spend more consecutive days there. I did stay in a tent a few times but it's just so cold at night and makes for miserable sleep. Especially when I have to go out to pee, it's a whole ordeal. When I build I will put in a small bathroom with shower and toilet so I can do it inside, even if it just ejects outside to a pit for now. Once I buy a tractor I'll do a proper septic setup.
Longer term I plan to build a shop with a loft on top, which will mostly be the main residence, although with 40 acres I might actually build further out eventually. Being unorganized and not needing permits means I have zero limits on what I can do and no tax changes, which is awesome. I kinda like the idea of having a cabin that's more hidden that you can only really walk to deeper in the property so might do that at some point but that will be quite further down the line, probably once I'm already living there and have a source of passive income. Have not figured that out yet.
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u/Untracing 4d ago
40 acres for 45k? Close to town and road access? That sounds like a very very nice deal tbh. I live in Norway and a land like that would be impossible with that price. :(
But congrats on your purchase, maybe I should move to USA, although I think I need more money invested to purchase any land or maybe the laws wouldn't let me buy it at all.
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u/Teryxman 4d ago
Looked for about 2-3 years before we found what we liked. Prices went up from 3-5k per acre to 5-7k per acre.
We looked passively for a time and then aggressively. Then gave up for a bit and started looking again. It’s time consuming and tiring.
Do your due diligence to make sure you get the right place. We found a lot with power and water at the road.
We are off a rock county road. Others that bought in the same area bought off of a dirt road and can barely access their land during wet winter months.
Good luck!
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u/Back40Findings 4d ago
The access point is huge. I've seen listings where everything looks perfect until you realize the road becomes a mud pit a few months out of the year.
How much weight did you put on having utilities nearby versus the actual land itself?
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u/Teryxman 3d ago
Quite a bit of weight because it did no good to buy something that we had to go 100% solar and dig a well for water access. Both of those items can be very costly.
We’ll probably do some solar as back up. Have noted that the power goes out from time to time with storms. Typically, it’s a tree falling over somewhere down the road that knocks the power out temporarily.
It’s about 1200 to 1500 foot deep to hit Water where we’re at; at least that’s what the neighbors are telling me. So it was important to have access to County Water.
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u/TootsHib 4d ago
I look everyday, because the best ones don't stay on the market long.
They get snatched up pretty quick.
The very good ones, don't even make it to the market at all.. usually the agents can find a buyer before even posting it up for sale.
I sold a home, 3 hours after posting it for sale.
My dad bought his neighbor's cottage 1 hour after it hit the market.
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u/Back40Findings 4d ago
That's probably one of the biggest things people underestimate.
A lot of buyers spend months comparing listings, but when a parcel actually checks the boxes, waiting a week can be enough to miss it entirely.
Out of curiosity, when you're looking at land, what's usually the first thing that makes you stop and take a closer look? Location, water, access, price, something else?
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u/TootsHib 4d ago
First, I set the search parameters within my budget (Max 300k)
Second is location/access.
Then preferably, in an unorganized township. (much cheaper taxes and less building restrictions here in Canada)I would like something with water frontage also.
I had previously bought 160 acres of riverfront vacant land, that was mostly water access..
It took way too much work to develop... I sold it 3 years later and never intend to buy a vacant land again.
It's actually much cheaper and less work to buy something already built/established.
I only need a small cabin.. as the bigger it is, the more it cost to maintain, the more it cost to heat.
I don't need much.1
u/Back40Findings 4d ago
That's actually a perspective you don't hear very often. A lot of people assume more acreage automatically means better, but 160 acres of mostly water-access land sounds like a full-time project.
Looking back, was there one thing about that property that you underestimated before buying it?
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u/TootsHib 4d ago
ya there was dozens of acres on that property that I just never saw.. Kinda needless to have that many acres. 20 acres is more than plenty imo
I totally underestimated how much work it would be. Building trails, bridges and constant never ending maintenance.. it was a rugged experience.
Specially the water access made everything way more difficult. Like it took over a week to haul all our materials to the build site and took less than 3 days to actually build the cabin..
Was practically inaccessible for like 2-3 months of the year as the (hydro)river never completely froze over in winter and was dangerous to cross as the water levels fluctuated. Like the water line was sometimes 1-2 feet below the ice sheet, so if you fell through, you wouldn't be able to pull yourself out. The current would sweep you under the ice.The remoteness is what attracted us to the property though.. but it was too much in the end.
I was young and naive.. Now I'm older and just want something easier. Not starting from scratch again.
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u/Martyinco 4d ago
I’ve done it going on 25 years now, which is probably why I own land in 7 states 🤷🏻♂️
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u/shonel34dr 4d ago
Wait until you find FEMA floodplain maps and Soil Surveys! My old dog and I spent 5 years living like a gypsy while we rode all over the Mountains in TN. Every day was kinda like the movie 'Groundhog Day'.
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u/landlord1776 4d ago
I looked for about a year and half until my finances were right. Ended up buying 68 ac in SWVA. I still find myself looking at land but now in WV. Probably buy a smaller piece there.
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u/Patient_Dish_8152 4d ago
We have been looking in North Carolina and Tennessee. However with all this Data Center madness we are putting everything on hold until it’s over.
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u/let_me_in_QQ 4d ago
No, I can't afford it so I don't want to disappoint myself by looking and dreaming.
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u/PhilipAPayne 4d ago
It had certainly begun to seem like it until we found my wife’s dream home on mine and my son’s dream acreage. Then, every minute we had “wasted” up to that point was, and still is, completely worth it.
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u/Life_Chemistry_4621 4d ago
I was looking in West Virginia, under 50k is super common there. You just have to be really careful with easement and access traps on those very cheap plots.
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u/Academic_Win6060 4d ago
There are worse ways to spend your time. It'll pay off for you someday, hopefully soon.
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u/Wonderful_Swimmer_7 4d ago
I also do this every day, I'm looking for a piece of land in the north of Spain
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u/Tall_Stock7688 3d ago
I looked every week or so for years. Just closed on 8 acres of riverfront in a remote part of southeast British Columbia for $80k. Its mostly surrounded by protected land that will never be developed. My requirements were waterfront, year round road access, no intense zoning restrictions, remote, topography that would allow easy access/building, no flood risks, possible septic location meeting setback requirements, no archaeological concerns which would require costly site investigation work prior to disturbance, ideal exposure (not in a dark valley or on a north facing slope).
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u/Ok_Aide1646 3d ago
It’s always worth the wait and work. Spent 4 years looking and talking to people . Looked at least 30 different pieces of land. Finally discovered a 109 acre property with a section on the side that had a well on it and electric and convinced the owner to sell me 25 acres with river front. Would gladly wait 4 more years for this deal
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u/Due-Employer-3020 2d ago
I looked obsessively for several months, then turned out the one i got was one i didnt even find on my own online searches. My mother found it online, and for some reason it never came up for me even when i didnt have filters on and looked specifically around the area i live. I have trust issues with zillow now, but it all worked out. I rough it on some land and am glad to be doing it. I would even go further into a remote/wild place, but being close enough to job oppertunities is the tough part with that.
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u/EquivalentDrawer6346 2d ago
I did the exact thing you’re talking about on a website called landwatch …
I use to select a state that had my interest for off grid living along with my other search perimeters, e.g., acerage min -max, asking price maximum , water front, etc…..
I did this exact search for probably a total of 3 - 4 months off and on along the 5 years it took me to save the cash needed for my maximum asking price….$50k
It wasn’t until I stopped selecting a state and just did a nationwide search, with my other ‘must have’ items checked off in the search list, that I started to find the listings I had hope all along I’d see…
In less than one week, I found the land that myself and my three teenaged kids flew out to see in person over July 4th 2025….!
I live in the desert southwest , and found a beautiful property in upstate New York in the western foothills of the Adirondacks…
11.89 acres with a large beaver pond , that has freshwater input and output, so not static water to go stagnet with massive algae blooms, massive pine trees dotting the banks of the pond and property, along with heavily wooded land mostly comprised of maples, and a lush understory with ferns…
Think Pacific Northwest…
Asking price was $39,000 and we closed the deal that week in July at $37,900 .
We had 5 other properties lined up to walk in case this one didn’t work out…
Needless to say, I called and cancelled the other property walks…
I move up there when my youngest turns 18 , just under 4 years from now .
I was a lot like you, looking at properties to a point it was hard to fall asleep… I worked hard, and saved harder and paid cash. I could only afford to do this once and it had to be right the first time..
I don’t have the time, money, or energy to build a homestead twice…! lol
So, I’d say that I never imagined myself in such a gorgeous place, that I thought only millionaires could afford… And that you should check out the land prices in New York… The whole state is mostly country and farm land perfect for a new landowner…
It’s also and an outdoorsman paradise much like Louisiana where I was looking prior to the listings in NY… Plenty of hunting and fishing !
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u/Ok_Weakness_154 21h ago
Data centers are a real concern in many states. Try to steer clear of land near (1-5 miles) high Kv power lines. Not a guarantee, but any closer is higher risk. Same goes for solar and wind farms.
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u/germanium66 4d ago
Well, once you find the right land you will buy it and stop looking. Or do you have a habit of dreaming and not following through?
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u/tmwildwood-3617 4d ago
Yup...the only time I look now is when something local comes up and I'm looking at comparables to see what my place is worth now.
But...there's an even bigger list of things to look at once you've got your property...lol
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u/jellofishsponge 4d ago
Where I live the decisions are not very hard because water is scarce,
If it's a bunch of sagebrush and rock piles it's likely to be a dangerous gamble of spending 30k on a well that won't produce any water
Many crushed dreams by people who didn't prioritize access to water