Let me get this straight, you seem to have very high standards for your "rural" piece of property with a lot of requirements that need to be met on your end, you actually found an ideal pair of properties in your search, but because you think the real estate agent is a twerp, you passed on them? If you were one of my sons, I'd tell them that was a boneheaded move.
Nothing in life is free, and it's all a give and take for 99% of the population. Given your price range and what you're looking for, you're in the 99% like the rest of us.
Ironically enough my wife has been writing software for the same company for over 28 years, and has been working remotely for the last 20 years. Our biggest gripe is not having fiver optic (we currently get 3 Mbps) but after we got married when we went looking for a place that fit our requirements with land, fell in love with the property and realized that nothing is perfect.
You also stated "Right now I have 1ac less than a couple of miles to a newish NFL stadium" I apologize, but exactly what does this mean?
I don't care if you think it was a boneheaded move, I can't stand it when people ignore fiduciary responsibility, especially when they would be my neighbor long term.
You are right it is give and take, we all must do that.
I love it how every one thinks I am either hiding assets or I am trying to get better custody. Neither of which are true, a Federal Indictment solves both of those issues, while currently out on own recognizance facing a 15 year term fixes both. That the lord the marriage had been over for a few years.
To the P.N.W. person, you can keep the rainy area up there. I am ready to be away from the left coast.
I find rural education better than 99% of the larger cities education systems, this is especially true when it comes to morals drive to work and respect for elders. Where I went to school it was very rural, and most of turned out ok I guess. For a while I dated someone in the education system, when a kindergartener spit on her then the parent called her a racist white ***** for punishing her kind of turned me off.
For those talking about IL, I have spend a lot of time in IL love the area the laws in IL for business and gun control not so much. I am very much into CCW castle laws etc. Yes I have pegged it to the rural south for the most part.