Posted: 11/16/2012 7:49:18 AM EDT
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Background: I am desperately trying to save enough money to buy 50-100 acres about 45 minutes from my job so that we can get the hell out of town before the house of cards collapses, whether that is tomorrow or 30 years from now. This is very difficult when paying $1,500/month for child care for two wonderful boys. The goal for the land is wind powered clean water, cows, chickens, small garden, etc. I don't think I have the skills to be self-sustaining, but I would love to be.
Yesterday a 15 year friend of mine said his wife was ready to get out of their neighborhood and get a few acres. They are on a single income so their aspirations are not as big as mine. Now I've already brought up splitting a piece of land with my brother and his family but my they have a way of making my wife mad sometimes by saying stupid (sometimes true) things. My friends, however, get along with my wife (and obviously me) very well. So I half-jokingly half-seriously suggested to my wife that we split some piece of land with some very close friends. We'd basically share the land, though it would be split officially but without fences necessarily dividing it. Benefits:
Risks:
People (indians, families, etc) used to live this way back in the day. I can see the rewards, but it do understand the risks. My concern is that we won't be able to get land before the house of cards collapses. Am I the only one that has ever considered this? |
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I am lucky to have been able to obtain land personally (immediate family), but communalism is a great idea if everybody can be on the same page - same goals, zero ego, simply do what needs to be done. There are more people than you think who are trying to band together, obtain land, live sustainably. Google "Eco villages'. Try Permies too. It's a good resource for sustainable living, and many times there are posts by individuals who are looking to contribute/be a part of a sustainable community.
I think the issue of your wife getting along with the rest of your family is a challenge that could be addressed by preserving personal space - separate living areas (depending on land restrictions), separate chores. Also, just because you've teamed up with others doesn't mean you have to spend every living minute around them. The issue is the obtaining the land - once that's done, members can sort of have autonomy. I can't really help in addressing the Risks that you list, but if everyone truly feels that what they are doing is right, many issues that current society has go out the window. Encourage others to voice their opinions/worries/personal issues - now is not the time for bullshit, passive aggression, or suppressed ideas. I say obtaining the land and beginning the new lifestyle ASAP is probably better than waiting around for the 'perfect' situation. Good Luck. |
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My nearest neighbor and I have become good friends. We hunt together and work on projects together. Our kids play together. He's helped me out many times and I've done the same for him. That kind of friendship and "communalism" is priceless.
With that said, there is no way I would jointly buy land unless the plan was to divide it into individually deeded parcels. 
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With that said, there is no way I would jointly buy land unless the plan was to divide it into individually deeded parcels. Neither would I. That's why I said it would be section off by survey but not by fencing. I think if the real estate is deeded separately then that takes a lot of the risk out of it. I'd probably be pretty conservative on how much to invest in community held goods though. |
| I think one family would have to purchase some things while others purchased other things so that all needs are met, yet each family does not have to meet all needs financially. All parties have to respect all things to the same extent, however. i.e. tractor I don't think I'd have a problem buying bigger ticket items as long as they are mine, since I intend to buy everything if/when we go it alone anyway. My wife will never goes for it unless shit really goes south, so this is just an exercise in hypotheticals. |
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My nearest neighbor and I have become good friends. We hunt together and work on projects together. Our kids play together. He's helped me out many times and I've done the same for him. That kind of friendship and "communalism" is priceless. With that said, there is no way I would jointly buy land unless the plan was to divide it into individually deeded parcels. We even did that and it didn't work out as we hoped. We bought a parcel of land, subdivided it three ways between family and friends. Within 20 years only one of the subdivisions was with the original family. One was bought out by that same original family, us, and one lost to a stranger. When my uncle died his idiot daughter went in debt way over her head to put a bigger house on her land. Had it been joint, bang we all would have lost our land. |
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With that said, there is no way I would jointly buy land unless the plan was to divide it into individually deeded parcels. Neither would I. That's why I said it would be section off by survey but not by fencing. I think if the real estate is deeded separately then that takes a lot of the risk out of it. I'd probably be pretty conservative on how much to invest in community held goods though. +1 Good fences make good neighbors. I would not make any joint purchases. In every relationship someone is giving, the other it taking. Nothing is ever, EVER, fifty-fifty. TRG |