Quick back story, sold the home I'd been in for more than 20 years to build a cabin on a friend's acreage in the south. Calling myself semi-retired, was jazzed to help build out a "Glampground". Got here late Feb. Probably around midMay I started thinking Uh Oh....
As generally happens with the saying "you don't know somebody until you've lived with them", now I know her much better. The Guest Mode I saw on my multiple visits isn't really her. The red flags started pretty quickly, but it's the kind of thing where I thought, oh, I can live with that, this isn't so bad, it won't bother me ... and most stuff, it's Just Her, she's not malicious, we are just different. She puts up with my weirdness, I put up with hers, we can do that. But the Worst, I find that I don't much enjoy her company. Second worst, she's not as smart as I thought she was. I could deal with that if it weren't hazardous to me.
I won't go into all the ... Stuff (some is crazy-making so I'll spare you the things that make my brain pop), as my real bottom line dealbreakers are, I can't trust her with fire, and I can't trust her with water. I thought this would be peaceful and relaxing but it is stressful and overwhelming. I gotta get out of here before I get sick, injured or dead. Upside, volunteer firemen get here fast. I don't want to be here for the next time they are needed. I'm still appalled that she burned all the seasoned wood in one BIG pile because she found it messy, vs processing it and storing for firewood this winter, which I had been working on. She is literally burning precious resources. She likes fire a bit too much. She also lights it and leaves the property, which is ... mindblowingly stupid.
So, I am land shopping. Been at it a few months now, it's a longer process than I expected. Searching for existing home is much easier, imo.
Good golly, it's been fun! My plan was to get nearer the mountains if not actually in them. I'm in NC between Asheville and Charlotte, "foothills". More elevation would suit me as I'm not a big fan of heat and humidity and had thought there was enough forest around here to help me out. Nope, development happening all around us, it's not going to stay widlderness. We are offgrid so no AC, and being a solar operation, no ceiling fan (though I have some fans that sip electricity from my batteries vs gulp so I have yet to fully wilt).
A listing caught my eye and I went to see it today. It's in Lake Lure, which I really like, but I hadn't been looking there because most everything is gated or HOA, or way overpriced, and I don't think it's mountainous enough for me (tho plenty pretty and with the artsy tinge I need). Four acres, unrestricted, so I can be that late life hippie. It's undeveloped land so unsure if from the top I would get any view of mountains, not even trying for lake view. That's my first question to self, how badly do I need to see mountains daily? I really love the idea of coffee on my porch watching mist lift from Smokies. Would I be bored to tears seeing same green in every direction? I don't know. Until some trees come down, I don't know what I'll see in any direction!! Would I need to add an observation deck on top of my container??
Differences from other land I've seen, it's a paved road to the property (my sweet ride doesn't like uphill gravel and we don't do dirt roads). It's very private, hardly any cars, zero trucks except "commuter" propane tanker to refill for someone as we were there about 30 minutes. No streams cutting across the property (I would have been ok with that but better to not have to plan around an inconvenient water feature unless using it to supply water; or, heh, be able to use the giant waterwheel I saw for sale on the side of the road recently...).
I wouldn't say it is steep but it has some slope, then some level off. It fronts a straight part of the road, which, for those unfamiliar with the Lake Lure area, it's a lot of curvy stuff happening, 35 mph but many curves lower limits than that. It's not in an area where a tire off the road would be a tumble down the rocks situation (some definitely is around there). Across the street is protected land, so won't be developed. That side has the creek and my side is higher so no flooding problems for me (it rained for several days not long ago so I could see where the water went and none standing on this lot).
Most anywhere I go, I'll have to put in a well and septic, probably a driveway, and at least electricity already right there if I choose to connect. Elevation is only 1200ish so hardly making it to ear pop territory, but, lots of trees, great breeze while it was not a windy day anywhere else I went.
It could help me to not go far in this move, as my cabin and storage container are going with me, and moving them will not be free. I don't recall the mileage but Lake Lure is an easy drive from here, 45 minutes or so. If I can keep that bill in the hundreds vs thousands, it would help a lot. I also have a lot of stuff stored in a town between here and there so that's not a big drag to get all my stuff with me eventually, and there happens to be a UHaul across the street from storage (just one reason I picked that storage place).
I guess what I'm wrestling with is, do I go ahead and offer on this place, because it does what I need, although it maybe doesn't have everything I want? Do I hold out for The Perfect Place, as if it exists after this long search?? There is no other place I've seen that has a better overall situation for me. The nice thing is that there is very little unrestricted land in Lake Lure, so it could be a good investment if I choose to move again later. Unlikely the cabin and container would move again.
I kind of feel like I've seen a lot of land and only a few are workable for me, but this is The Most Workable for me. This would be easy to offer on so maybe I'm getting the jitters, or talking myself into it from desperation of wanting out of where I am. I started working on my list of pros and cons, pushed that up against my previous list of Must Have and Nice To Have, and the lot weighs out nicely. But, Location. It's not what I had imagined, but it doesn't suck, either!! I did want to be near A Lake, so this is certainly that.
Timeshare-wise, heh, I had already booked 4 weeks of January at Foxhunt or is it Fox Run? Rumbling Bald @ Lake Lure anyway. Weeks are cheap in Jan, I had points expiring end of Feb, and knew I would either be doing winter here in my cabin or trying to get something happening with new land. Regardless, it's another Winter of Flux for me no matter what, and I thought I should lock down a hideout with electricity and running water! So it actually works out Quite Well to be that near if I buy this plot. [The resort is not a Bluegreen Club resort, it's Affiliate, so not much chance of day use, and it is 7 day bookings only but don't care].
I'm not sure what I'm looking for in writing this. Maybe just to do a brain dump, but I thought some objectivity from others could help me, so if anyone has some input for me, please bring it on. The way I feel tonight is that I'd like to make an offer tomorrow. I've spent time in Lake Lure before and really like it. Stopped in to various places today just to chat up the community a bit and I definitely like the people. Realtor was very helpful, too, as he lives by the dam, so lucky me to get a local holding this listing.
I have a list of questions for realtor already, like, what do people do for internet access? Although we covered my big list today pretty easily.
It wasn't that long ago that I was Stable Mabel, working the same career for decades, living in the same place, periodically changing up my hobbies, like I've always done ... and now, sheesh, I am not sure I have ever been this .... transient? unsettled? whatever it is, I gotta fix it by Getting Home. How long past "I think this could work" do I wait to get an offer in?? I'm not a picky person, I can make Anything Work, I am just not sure if I'm "settling" and shouldn't yet? I want my cabin and container off this land asap so my objectivity is not where I need it to be. maybe in the morning.
As generally happens with the saying "you don't know somebody until you've lived with them", now I know her much better. The Guest Mode I saw on my multiple visits isn't really her. The red flags started pretty quickly, but it's the kind of thing where I thought, oh, I can live with that, this isn't so bad, it won't bother me ... and most stuff, it's Just Her, she's not malicious, we are just different. She puts up with my weirdness, I put up with hers, we can do that. But the Worst, I find that I don't much enjoy her company. Second worst, she's not as smart as I thought she was. I could deal with that if it weren't hazardous to me.
I won't go into all the ... Stuff (some is crazy-making so I'll spare you the things that make my brain pop), as my real bottom line dealbreakers are, I can't trust her with fire, and I can't trust her with water. I thought this would be peaceful and relaxing but it is stressful and overwhelming. I gotta get out of here before I get sick, injured or dead. Upside, volunteer firemen get here fast. I don't want to be here for the next time they are needed. I'm still appalled that she burned all the seasoned wood in one BIG pile because she found it messy, vs processing it and storing for firewood this winter, which I had been working on. She is literally burning precious resources. She likes fire a bit too much. She also lights it and leaves the property, which is ... mindblowingly stupid.
So, I am land shopping. Been at it a few months now, it's a longer process than I expected. Searching for existing home is much easier, imo.
Good golly, it's been fun! My plan was to get nearer the mountains if not actually in them. I'm in NC between Asheville and Charlotte, "foothills". More elevation would suit me as I'm not a big fan of heat and humidity and had thought there was enough forest around here to help me out. Nope, development happening all around us, it's not going to stay widlderness. We are offgrid so no AC, and being a solar operation, no ceiling fan (though I have some fans that sip electricity from my batteries vs gulp so I have yet to fully wilt).
A listing caught my eye and I went to see it today. It's in Lake Lure, which I really like, but I hadn't been looking there because most everything is gated or HOA, or way overpriced, and I don't think it's mountainous enough for me (tho plenty pretty and with the artsy tinge I need). Four acres, unrestricted, so I can be that late life hippie. It's undeveloped land so unsure if from the top I would get any view of mountains, not even trying for lake view. That's my first question to self, how badly do I need to see mountains daily? I really love the idea of coffee on my porch watching mist lift from Smokies. Would I be bored to tears seeing same green in every direction? I don't know. Until some trees come down, I don't know what I'll see in any direction!! Would I need to add an observation deck on top of my container??
Differences from other land I've seen, it's a paved road to the property (my sweet ride doesn't like uphill gravel and we don't do dirt roads). It's very private, hardly any cars, zero trucks except "commuter" propane tanker to refill for someone as we were there about 30 minutes. No streams cutting across the property (I would have been ok with that but better to not have to plan around an inconvenient water feature unless using it to supply water; or, heh, be able to use the giant waterwheel I saw for sale on the side of the road recently...).
I wouldn't say it is steep but it has some slope, then some level off. It fronts a straight part of the road, which, for those unfamiliar with the Lake Lure area, it's a lot of curvy stuff happening, 35 mph but many curves lower limits than that. It's not in an area where a tire off the road would be a tumble down the rocks situation (some definitely is around there). Across the street is protected land, so won't be developed. That side has the creek and my side is higher so no flooding problems for me (it rained for several days not long ago so I could see where the water went and none standing on this lot).
Most anywhere I go, I'll have to put in a well and septic, probably a driveway, and at least electricity already right there if I choose to connect. Elevation is only 1200ish so hardly making it to ear pop territory, but, lots of trees, great breeze while it was not a windy day anywhere else I went.
It could help me to not go far in this move, as my cabin and storage container are going with me, and moving them will not be free. I don't recall the mileage but Lake Lure is an easy drive from here, 45 minutes or so. If I can keep that bill in the hundreds vs thousands, it would help a lot. I also have a lot of stuff stored in a town between here and there so that's not a big drag to get all my stuff with me eventually, and there happens to be a UHaul across the street from storage (just one reason I picked that storage place).
I guess what I'm wrestling with is, do I go ahead and offer on this place, because it does what I need, although it maybe doesn't have everything I want? Do I hold out for The Perfect Place, as if it exists after this long search?? There is no other place I've seen that has a better overall situation for me. The nice thing is that there is very little unrestricted land in Lake Lure, so it could be a good investment if I choose to move again later. Unlikely the cabin and container would move again.
I kind of feel like I've seen a lot of land and only a few are workable for me, but this is The Most Workable for me. This would be easy to offer on so maybe I'm getting the jitters, or talking myself into it from desperation of wanting out of where I am. I started working on my list of pros and cons, pushed that up against my previous list of Must Have and Nice To Have, and the lot weighs out nicely. But, Location. It's not what I had imagined, but it doesn't suck, either!! I did want to be near A Lake, so this is certainly that.
Timeshare-wise, heh, I had already booked 4 weeks of January at Foxhunt or is it Fox Run? Rumbling Bald @ Lake Lure anyway. Weeks are cheap in Jan, I had points expiring end of Feb, and knew I would either be doing winter here in my cabin or trying to get something happening with new land. Regardless, it's another Winter of Flux for me no matter what, and I thought I should lock down a hideout with electricity and running water! So it actually works out Quite Well to be that near if I buy this plot. [The resort is not a Bluegreen Club resort, it's Affiliate, so not much chance of day use, and it is 7 day bookings only but don't care].
I'm not sure what I'm looking for in writing this. Maybe just to do a brain dump, but I thought some objectivity from others could help me, so if anyone has some input for me, please bring it on. The way I feel tonight is that I'd like to make an offer tomorrow. I've spent time in Lake Lure before and really like it. Stopped in to various places today just to chat up the community a bit and I definitely like the people. Realtor was very helpful, too, as he lives by the dam, so lucky me to get a local holding this listing.
I have a list of questions for realtor already, like, what do people do for internet access? Although we covered my big list today pretty easily.
It wasn't that long ago that I was Stable Mabel, working the same career for decades, living in the same place, periodically changing up my hobbies, like I've always done ... and now, sheesh, I am not sure I have ever been this .... transient? unsettled? whatever it is, I gotta fix it by Getting Home. How long past "I think this could work" do I wait to get an offer in?? I'm not a picky person, I can make Anything Work, I am just not sure if I'm "settling" and shouldn't yet? I want my cabin and container off this land asap so my objectivity is not where I need it to be. maybe in the morning.