Is Rural Living a Hobby?

[ruffdog]

I'm also close enough to smell the restaurants from the city on a calm evening if the wind is just right.

 

[MoKelly]

Yeah, the convenience of peeing when you want to (or need to) - I forgot about that very important advantage.

When you are working 15 minutes by tractor away from home, it can be very important!!! Especially the older you get.

 

[JasperFrank]

My grandfather was very successful in real estate. He had developed a number of rules of what works and what doesn't. One of his rules, was to always buy just outside the urban growth boundary of a city. This is where successful people look for land for their retirement years. And he was right about that. Land values just out side the urban growth boundaries in Eugene/ Springfield, OR, have exploded over the past 20 years. I'm seeing numbers now that, that 10 years ago, I would have thought to be crazy. I also found out that land use laws, are nearly meaningless as my neighbor was able to subdivide, his 62 acre F2 restricted land into 6, 350K+, 5-6 acre lots. They all have very good views to the city lights below. The first sale is done and the new owners are building a huge million dollar mansion complex. Its not so rural any more and I suspect the other lot buyers will do the same and create a Burg... just outside of the normal Burgs with an expectation that it will become a gated community and a hobby farm. I think this to be the new trend in this area.

 

[oosik]

7 minute commute to work.
3 minutes to grocery stores.
Dozens of restaurants close by.
Fire protection, ambulance, police just minutes away.
Entertainment, culture.
There's lots of pluses if you look for them.

And therein lies one of the problems. Many move to the country and still expect these "pluses".

I live in the country and do for myself. If you are considering moving to the country and still expect these "pluses" - do everybody a favor and DON'T.

 

[riptides]

And therein lies one of the problems. Many move to the country and still expect these "pluses".

I live in the country and do for myself. If you are considering moving to the country and still expect these "pluses" - do everybody a favor and DON'T.

I recall at a time, and I think it was posted here on TBN about...growth and the country.

There was a time when we had one Walmart within 45 minutes of us.

Now we have at least seven within 30 minutes.

Matter of fact, most everything is now available within 20 minutes.

A horse farm 20 minutes away sold many years ago for millions, today it is part of a thousand home community.

And yeah, some of my neighbors complain there is no shopping stores at our "town" four miles away. The county nixed that plan years ago.

20 minutes is close enough....

 

[Hay Dude]

And therein lies one of the problems. Many move to the country and still expect these "pluses".

I live in the country and do for myself. If you are considering moving to the country and still expect these "pluses" - do everybody a favor and DON'T.

They also expect not to get caught up in the farming aspect of rural living. We got lots of geniuses from NY and NJ moving into our area, telling us how to live, changing our school mascots and raising our taxes.
The look on their face when they get caught behind farm equipment in their BMW or Benz is priceless.
True story: One day, about 2pm, no traffic, I decide to pull my Discbine from one farm to another like I have for decades. I’m doing 25mph down a 35mph road and here comes this erratic clown in a black Benz with Jersey plates up behind me like a rocket ship.
I turn into my field and the woman follows me into my field driving through weeds and dirt cursing wildly at me with her cigarette bopping up and down in her big fat mouth. Lol
I won’t tell you what I said back to her. Lol

 

[Oaktree]

7 minute commute to work.
3 minutes to grocery stores.
Dozens of restaurants close by.
Fire protection, ambulance, police just minutes away.
Entertainment, culture.
There's lots of pluses if you look for them.

I'm guessing that most suburbanites have a much longer than 7 minute commute, but I generally agree. Each has it's own set of advantages/disadvantages. Much as I like living in the sticks, it would be nice not to have to drive an 1.5 hr + each way to get to a store that isn't called Walmart.
The small town I live in has no industrial/retail base, so my property tax rate isn't much lower than I paid when I lived in suburbia, but except for road maintenance we have almost no town services. Even town hall is only open a few hours a week.

 

[oosik]

I think my situation is just about perfect. I live twelve miles from a college town. It has just about every service anybody could want. I do occasionally go into the "big city" - Spokane, WA. I keep the windows shut on the Taco Wagon - I don't want folks hearing my loud cursing. I've also been able to curb my desire to drive right over the top of some of those city drivers.

Ordering off the internet has been a real blessing. I don't have to go into the "big city".

Call me what you will ...... I just do not like the way in which this part of the world is developing. And as only one individual - I know there is not much I can do about it.

 

[MossRoad]

We live in the county, but are only about 400 yards from the city. Here, there is not much difference between being in or out of town, other than city water and sewer. It's getting closer to uni-gov, that is, many of the government services overlap between the city and county, and one department can handle services for both entities. There are two main cities in our county, and their borders touch. There are also half a dozen or so smaller towns and villages with their own governments. Fire, ambulance and police services are separate, but cooperate very closely. If, for example, I call for an ambulance in an emergency, chances are pretty good I'll get a county cop or EMS person at my door within 5 minutes, followed by a township fire truck, then a city fire department ambulance. It's 7 minutes to the hospital in town. Even less if they put on the lights and sirens.

One of the nice things about living here is that even from the center of a town of 100,000 people, you're only about 10 minutes from corn fields. We have a good airport with a couple dozen flights out every day. The South Shore interurban train that can get you to Chicago in 2 hours. Amtrak twice a day east or west. It's a good location. Cost of living is dirt cheap. Most of our farmer friends are just a short drive further.

Urban living really does have some pluses. So does rural living.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I have been lucky.

Worked in big city, had chalet 1 hr away on a pristine lake for W/E's and vacations.
Later I sold city and moved full time to my lake but still enjoyed big city if and when I desired.

We have fishing, out front and hunting in back if and when we desire.
Most neighbors call this 'paradise', as do we.

Adding to the pleasure is my daughter is also within swimming/walking distance.

OK, some work involved as I sold the original chalet and built my now retirement home but then nothing comes free.

Now being retired I do what I want when and if I want.
I have accumulated a rather complete shop to practice whatever hobby I select that day, or LOL, do nothing.

Me too Piloon. Worked 50 years in the city and saved, saved, saved. Put up with the crowds, traffic, crime, and rude people as long as I had to, perhaps too long.

Retired to the country. Nice shop, a little acreage, couple of ponds/lakes, lots of toys, distant neighbors, and little to worry about. How can it get better than that?

Life is good as long as it lasts.