| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| dgarnera |
Posted - Feb 09 2006 : 7:45:41 PM
We just bought our first house this week. We live in CA currently but bought a home in ND.. Because we knew by moving there we would 95% closer to realizing our dream of having our own farm one day. We would never be able to afford a farm here in CA. At our new house we will be able to have a garden- it will be in the front yard. We have already made connections for pasture fed beef, milk, eggs, cheese and such. And we may be able to buy 26 acres down the road from our home. If our friends family doesn't jump on it before we can get some money for a down payment. We paid cash for our house- all $2500 of it!!! yep. $2500 for a 3 bdrm 1 bath, 1800 sq ft home with a 1100 sq ft basement and a 2 car detached garage on 3 lots- in a very rural community.
We are so excited.. You can see pics of the house on my blog.
http://woolieacres.blog-city.com
I would love to move this summer- but my husband takes things slower than I do :-) We are looking forward to buying a farm once we get settled.. And are so thankful to be living somewhere that you can still find homes cheaply- we have 6 children that will someday need homes of their own..we plan to find and purchase more homes as we can.. many go up on auction for several thousand dollars.. fix them up and hold onto them for the kids.
Anyway,, would love to chat with other farm girls from this area..
blessings,debra
Joyful momma of 5 plus 1 in the oven.. |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| dgarnera |
Posted - Feb 14 2006 : 07:52:22 AM
Juli, thanks for the tips.. We are very excited to move.. but have to raise the money first to do so. not only are their renovations to be done but there is also the actual moving expenses. I would move tomorrow if I could
Joyful momma of 5 plus 1 in the oven.. |
| treelady |
Posted - Feb 13 2006 : 3:53:47 PM
Welcome to ND Debra! I live 40 mile from Kensal and work 20 miles from there. I am new to the forum, but have read many posts, but this is my first one. The winters are not that bad, this year we have had very little snow and only one night it got down to -.9. I drive a little car to work everyday and never have a problem with the roads. Feel free to pm me if you have questions, I will be happy to answer them for you if I can.You will love the people, the beauty of our state and the safety you will be raising your children in. We are all neighbors no matter how far you have to drive. Looking forward to hearing from you! Juli
With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. |
| Mountain Girl |
Posted - Feb 12 2006 : 3:51:26 PM
Debra, Be sure to check the availability of wood in your area. Most of North Dakota is prairie I believe or it sure seemed to be on my travels across it.The pioneers burned buffalo droppings due to the scarcity of wood on their trek across the Dakotas--don't think you want to do that: ) Good luck on your adventure. JoAnn
I've always been called a dreamer, but I never listened. I did what others dare not do--lived my dream while they watched. Unknown |
| dgarnera |
Posted - Feb 12 2006 : 3:00:00 PM
Thanks for the info. Since we need a new vehicle anyway- our mini van will not fit another child- we will most likely just get one here. My dad is a service writer at a chevy dealer and is going to keep his eyes open for a newer 9 seater suburban. He recommended buying here as a vehicle from CA wouldn't have any salt damage to the undercarriage. He was telling me that they get buyers all the time from Ill., Minn., Michigan, and ND that buy up their used 4 wheel drive vehicles and they make a pretty penny reselling in their home states.
I would move this summer if I had my way but my dh likes to take things slower. He is thinking spring of next year but he is going down in April to sign closing papers and do some repairs that need to be made immediately. He may just fall in love with our new town and move us sooner  who knows..
blessings, debra
Joyful momma of 5 plus 1 in the oven.. |
| SmallTownGirl |
Posted - Feb 12 2006 : 1:30:04 PM
Debra it sounds like you already have some good ideas. Electric heat is more expensive than wood or propane. Wood is more affordable but you need a second source to keep your pipes warm when you aren’t home. We only have propane and it just depends on what size tank you have on how much it will cost or need to be refilled. We have a large one and we refill it twice a year for around $500. Be sure to call in for refills early because the gas companies can get real busy. Also, we try to get one fill in the summer when the price is a little lower. Some other ways to save money is to replace your windows or cover them with plastic. Check the seal on your doors. Use space heaters in the rooms you don't use much, we actually don't heat some of our rooms. There's lots of little things you can do that help. On weekends I bake bread and make soup and the house is nice and toasty. I would call your gas company for rates and ask your neighbors. Expect your electric bill to be high in the winter because it gets totally dark here around 5pm. And it doesn’t really matter where you get your car. We have both a truck with 4-wheel and a car that doesn't but we have really good tires on the car. You can get by without 4-wheel but you need good tires. Something also to look for in your car would be if it can withstand cold nights and start up just fine if you don't have a garage. I would ask your neighbors about how often the roads are plowed. Our roads almost never get plowed often so we have to use the truck often. I don't want you to think that winters here are unlivable, I am sure you will do just fine. Just make sure to wear lots of layers and have a winter car kit for emergencies. Are you planning to move in the summer? |
| dgarnera |
Posted - Feb 11 2006 : 08:05:41 AM
I do need advice regarding the area... utility bills- someone mentioned they are high- how high is high? We just moved from Oregon to CA a few months ago. We never run the heater and we are paying $140 a month for electricity.We need to get a new furnace but it has been suggested that we could get a wood stove and put in the basement- run the pipes up. That way we could heat when we were at home with wood. We would also get a wall mounted heater that doesn't run off of electricity- just propane- to keep the house above freezing when we weren't home. We also have the option of putting in a wood cookstove in the kitchen as the chimney runs behind the wall the stove is on. We would put a electric stove in the basement to use as a canning kitchen. THe wood cookstove would help heat the house.
Also, are we needing a 4 wheel drive?? We are getting ready to have a new a baby and will be needing a bigger vehicle- a bigger van. Would we be better off waiting until we get to ND to buy something there- something more meant for the area?
I am very much into the 1940's vintagey look. I love the 40's style potholders, doilys, embroidered linens etc... so we will fit well in this house- it has that same 40's feel.
thanks for all the help.
blessings,debra
Joyful momma of 5 plus 1 in the oven.. |
| SmallTownGirl |
Posted - Feb 10 2006 : 11:51:26 PM
What a great find Debra. You are going to have have some neat adventures I bet moving to the Dakotas. Don't worry about the winters. The hardest thing is learning to drive in the snow and ice, I recomend good tires and a truck. The heating bills can be high, just buy lots of long johns for everyone. Your boys are very cute too. Good luck on finding more homes. MNFarmGirl, where in Minnesota are you from?
By the time we've made it...we've had it. |
| MNFarmGirl |
Posted - Feb 10 2006 : 7:46:17 PM
Woops, I see that part of my post got cut off. I was going to say that Rose (smalltowngirl) is also from Northern MN, so she's not far from you guys either. Great buy, let me know if you need any advice about the area. Aubrey |
| MullersLaneFarm |
Posted - Feb 10 2006 : 1:22:59 PM
And the blizzards????
I *wish* we would get that much snow!!
Cyndi
Joshua 24:15
Ol 'MacDonald has nothing on us!
http://www.mullerslanefarm.com |
| dgarnera |
Posted - Feb 10 2006 : 08:12:27 AM
Nope I didn't forget a zero.. We feel very blessed.
And yes we know how cold it gets. We are looking forward to this..
blessings,debra
Joyful momma of 5 plus 1 in the oven.. |
| owwlady |
Posted - Feb 10 2006 : 08:06:15 AM
Debra, I love your blog and what a cute house! Are you sure you didn't forget a zero when you typed in the price?!! I can't imagine it being so inexpensive. Adorable boys!! |
| MullersLaneFarm |
Posted - Feb 10 2006 : 07:11:16 AM
Debra,
Beautiful house! Yes, it needs some minor work, but it has midwesterner style!
You DO know about ND winters, right???
Cyndi
Joshua 24:15
Ol 'MacDonald has nothing on us!
http://www.mullerslanefarm.com |
| Lacy |
Posted - Feb 10 2006 : 05:53:09 AM
What a cute house! and for $2500!!!! Maybe we need to look into North Dakota! Your blog is adorable.
http://farmaspirations.blogspot.com |
| MNFarmGirl |
Posted - Feb 09 2006 : 8:26:06 PM
Congradulations on your new home, it's really cute. I only live 4 and half hours from Kensal, so we are kind of close. Rose |
