Wanting to buy a cheap house in a small town (Grand Forks: crime, living in)
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ND is a long and expensive way from NM. Might be cheaper to fly from Asia. Certainly faster.
Western NE, KS have very low cost housing, as do some towns in eastern Wyoming and Colorado. Even small towns in NM mtns can have pretty low cost homes or rentals. Probably could find a rental derelict home on a ranch, and fix it up for low cost housing (rent). Higher elevations of West Texas is next door to NM and will have a bunch of oil related foreclosures. my low-cost housing spreadsheets looked very negative on buying cheap houses due to oil industry ( I was using tax free Wyoming). Better to rent, in case you are ever forced to sell at a time when the market has dried up and left town . If you are that short on funds, be sure to get a state with a decent healthcare insurance exchange, and social services.
Yeah Nebraska is certainly a option, but for some reason we are strongly drawn towards the Dakotas ! Didn't find much in Wyoming or Colorado in our search. Thanks for the reply.
Will advise you to look at local realtor sites to find the cheaper housing. For example Hettinger which is a nice little town with a teaching/academic hospital has lots of cheap houses but they are not listed on sites like Zillow.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Nebraska is very high taxed for retirees, but has good services and people.
If commuting to NM and living in Dakotas, consider Hot Springs, SD area, or near an airport. In 35 yrs of living away from family, I found over 3 hour commute means maximum trips of once / month. Over 12 hours, a couple times / yr. Living under 1 hr away means frequent visits (weekly). It's really nice to have grandparents and grandkids closeby. Walking distance can be handy, as long as each family also respects the need for privacy too.
Consider all the factors, as inexpensive housing can be met in many ways. As retirees, we rent out our main house and live in a small cabin on same property. Works well, since we travel a lot someone is there to watch the place and care for property, plants, and pets. And pay the taxes.
Nebraska is very high taxed for retirees, but has good services and people.
If commuting to NM and living in Dakotas, consider Hot Springs, SD area, or near an airport. In 35 yrs of living away from family, I found over 3 hour commute means maximum trips of once / month. Over 12 hours, a couple times / yr. Living under 1 hr away means frequent visits (weekly). It's really nice to have grandparents and grandkids closeby. Walking distance can be handy, as long as each family also respects the need for privacy too.
Consider all the factors, as inexpensive housing can be met in many ways. As retirees, we rent out our main house and live in a small cabin on same property. Works well, since we travel a lot someone is there to watch the place and care for property, plants, and pets. And pay the taxes.
How much does the nearby Pine Ridge Reservation impact the Hot Springs area?
How can you both be unemployed for 5 years with software engineer experience?
I was also wondering this myself OP, you mean to say that both you and your husband haven't been able to find ANY job for the last 5 years? And now you want to buy a house without the prospect of getting another job? I mean, I commend you for being optimistic but this just seems a bit foolish... y'all need to take a good hard look on why it is you've been unemployed for 5 years. And why not just move to NM where your kid is? Could the 3 of you go in on a house together?
I am following this thread with interest! I noted that ND has great coverage with fiber optic, so the OP may be able to supplement social security with some actual income from home. I work from home but am also a hermit. Looking for a well-forested area with good water, cheap housing, low crime, and good rural internet. The need for good rural internet has forced me to research the new co-ops that have sprung up, and their locations, and I am cross-referencing other statistics to try and narrow down a good place to live. I enjoy a really quiet homebody kind of life, have a lot of pets, and don't like crowds.
I am following this thread with interest! I noted that ND has great coverage with fiber optic, so the OP may be able to supplement social security with some actual income from home. I work from home but am also a hermit. Looking for a well-forested area with good water, cheap housing, low crime, and good rural internet. The need for good rural internet has forced me to research the new co-ops that have sprung up, and their locations, and I am cross-referencing other statistics to try and narrow down a good place to live. I enjoy a really quiet homebody kind of life, have a lot of pets, and don't like crowds.
North Dakota has very little forested area. You need to go much further east to central Minnesota or southwest to the Black Hills of South Dakota to have greater tree cover.
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OP, you mean to say that both you and your husband haven't been able to find ANY job for the last 5 years? And now you want to buy a house without the prospect of getting another job? I mean, I commend you for being optimistic but this just seems a bit foolish... y'all need to take a good hard look on why it is you've been unemployed for 5 years. And why not just move to NM where your kid is? Could the 3 of you go in on a house together?
