We originally wanted the PNW, and even drove out there, but were priced out of that market.
We didn't want to take out a mortgage, but buy outright with cash. There was some inexpensive property in Oregon, but there were always problems with it, like no clean water.
We made a list of priorities:
1) Water, water, water... clean water. Most important. A marginal well won't cut it.
We can run our spring (there is a pump 60'down a cased hole) wide open, 24/7 without any problems, even when our neighbors wells dried up during the last drought.
We use it to irrigate our crops, wash our clothes, and bathe. The more we use it, the colder and clearer the water gets.
Without our spring, we couldn't live here.
If you are going to use a river, make sure there is no industry, agribusiness, farms, suburbs, urban areas, or other sources of potential pollution upstream.
2)No oil industry or refineries or other polluters in the proximity
3)Hilltop location (no downflow from any neighbors)
4)Since we would be living on our savings, inexpensive property taxes and staying out of debt of any kind was important.
5)Long growing season
6)Good, fertile soil
Aside from those suggestions, there are some rules of thumb we learned the hard way.
*It will cost twice as much as you think.
*It will take 3 times longer to get something done as you planned
*It will require 5 times as much labor and sweat than you can imagine.
*It will never be "finished" but always be a "work in progress". At the end of the day, take pride in what you have done and enjoy it Don't obsess about the stuff that wasn't done or was done wrong and will have to be taken apart tomorrow. I tend to do that, and start making lists for tomorrow, forgetting to enjoy the beautiful evening. Breathe, relax, and enjoy the freedom. Any problems will either solve themselves, or still be there tomorrow.
Unless you plan to go BIG, it will never pay for itself. You will need some savings, or find some source of income. It is possible to produce one or two meals a day during the Summer, but Winter gets fairly meager, even if you put up lots of produce and have a big freezer.
We can almost break even with our honey and eggs. Everybody grows their own veggies, so there isn't much of a market for those around here, and the Farmers market is too far away to make the trip worthwhile.
Becoming part of the community is very important.
Here is some good advice when moving into a rural area:
*Join the local rural fire department, and show up at all meetings and fire calls.
Don't discuss politics around them. Discuss Fire Fighting and do you part. You will gain respect and friends (especially after being in a fire with them) who will tell their friends that you are OK.
Women fire fighters are common here.
I was driving a tanker/pumper truck within 6 months after joining...(childhood dream come true). We were pleasantly surprised to find some liberal Democrats on our department...not really surprising. Liberals will go the extra mile to help others. If you have any medical skills, become a first responded for your area. If you don't have any of these skills, classes are free and not too difficult.
(In addition to being the Director of our local Fire Dept, my wife is also the only medical First Responder for about 60 sq. miles)
The above is a great way to network into the community. People don't forget those who show up to help at 3 AM.
*Never tell a local how to do something even when they are blatantly wrong. Bite your tongue. Instead, ask their advice.
*Always admire someone's garden (even if it is a bummer), and ask them how they grow such healthy plants. Everyone LOVES to talk about their gardens. The old timers are a fountain of knowledge, unfortunately, about 1/2 of it is bullshit, but don't call them on their Bullshit, and some of the things they can tell you are really valuable. Never, ever mention "organic" to a local grower of veggies unless they bring it up first, and NEVER tell them they are doing something wrong.
*Ask for help with some minor task, even if you don't need it. Most are glad to help. You will OWE them afterwards, but that can be the foundation for a good, neighborly relationship.
The downside is that I started at age 55, and have been working our ground for over 10 years. Some things are getting too hard for me to manage in addition to some medical problems associated with my age. I never figured I would get too old to work hard, something I always took pride in. This scares me, and we have had to cut back on some of the things we were doing, and the quantity of veggies we were growing.
Good Luck with your dreams.
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