New here and needing mucho advice

[Jaxom]

Hello all! This forum looks great! Right up my alley per say! And perhaps being so, I could REALLY use some major amounts of advice. Before I continue, I will say this, while the last few years have not been kind to my family and I, one thing I've learned is no matter how bad it has gotten, there's always someone else out there that's had it much MUCH worse. Having said that I will not go into every sorted detail, unless asked (I'm very honest and open), but will stick to the cliff notes per say.

Way back in 2006 when the economy was rolling along my mother and I were doing quite fine. She'd taken early retirement from a company she'd worked for for 25 years. Recieved extra perks for accepting early retirement. I was working as a sales manager for an autoparts store. Bills were paid and all was fine. Then first she was laid off, then I was. Both our companies had been bought out, during the restructering we both lost our jobs within a month of each other. I immediatly looked for another job, she took a few months off. County paid for me to be retrained in a new field and she found another job not long after I started retraining.

Flash forward to Feburary of 2007, I'm just out of retraining and job hunting. Meanwhile mom was coming home from work one morning and slipped and fell in the parking lot on some black ice. During the ER examination not only did they find the nice gash in mom's scalp, the found a large lump in her chest. After all the tests were done it was determined to be at stage IV. She began chemo treatments April of 2007. Next year and half she goes in and out of remission a few times. But finally lost her battel in October of 2009.

Again I've skipped over alot. But I do want to mention, because of various circumstance, once she was under chemo, I couldn't work! I did, while she was in remission do some temping and seasonal jobs. But that's about it. This is a very important bit that I needed to mention.

Where does this leave me now. Mom didn't have a large life insurance policy. There was enough to take care of her final wishes and all. And a few dollars that allowed me to pay some bills for a few months, most importantly child support to my fiance. Because of the recession, it has been next to impossible to find a job where I currently live. And those that are hiring pay so low I cannot afford to live in this area. A good example would be a 1 bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood would be easily $700 a month, or more. If you want anything lower, you have furry and 6 legged room mates. (eeeewwwww!).

Also related to the recession, I'm upside down on the property. I reciently had a real estate broker over and said back in 2006 he could have sold the building for $260k. Now I'd be lucky to get $130k. With no will signed by my mother and being upside down, it's now a matter of how long I have to get an estate sale done so I can get out of dodge so to speak.

That brings me to why I'm here. It has been my dream for some time now to become more self sufficent. Even more so now that we're all going through tough times. But what is a guy sappose to do, when the only money I'll have to start over with is how much I can make off selling just about everything in the house that I now own, no job and credit having being destoryed while taking care of my mother to do?

Just to give you more of an idea what or where I'm talking about. I'm on the near west side of Chicago. Walking distantance to Brookfield Zoo. Becuase I've manage to keep internet access, I've been scanning the local areas for more rural places to live and I've been concidering the Peoria area if Illinois. Where I have found you can rent a house for (4 bed 2 bath) for $300-$500 a month. Now that's very dooable if you are like myself and others on this board, that garden and raise chickens, fish, hunt, ect.

Besides having poor credit, no job and all that jazz, another issue I'm having is real estate agents in the area I'm seeking. I'm seeing houses for sale with huge lots 10-30 miles outside of peoria for as little as $10k. I'm hoping to talk one of these sellers will be interested in a rto or lease option. But the brokers keep pushing me towards trailer parks and what I would concider slummy apartment buildings. Hardly a place where I can put in a giant garden and set up a coup!

Before I can concider all that stuff, I need to start with finding a place to live. Yes, I do know I need a job too. But I've talked to several staffing agencies in that area too, and I've faxed a few my resume and have told me I'd have no problem finding something once I get down there. So this is where I'd like to get some advice, how to find the right property where I can get a fresh start?

Thanks,

Jax

 

[Farmfresh]

First from an ex Realtor point of view, I would look first for a place to rent in the intended city. Go on and move there and get started with the whole Self sufficiency gig as soon as possible in the small and very rented space.

Get started container gardening and honing up on knowledge and skills that will get you in good shape for later. When you are actually LIVING in an area you can find deals that you would NEVER hear about from far away. You might find a For Sale by Owner deal and save a bundle.

Remember it has nothing to do with WHERE you live - HOW you live is what makes you self sufficient.

 

[Jaxom]

Oh, I do agree. I'm keeping very flexible. Just because I don't want an partment or mobile home in a park doesn't mean I've written them off. But And while I'd prefer a home outside the "city", that doesn't mean I'll write living in the city off either. A good example, last week I seen a by owner deal for a rto. $500 down, $300 a month rent with half of that going towards down payment. Asking price was $15k.

It wouldn't be that perfect property for me, but it would suffice for a year or three. Being handing and willing to do work on a home in order to build equity is an avantage I have. And something like this would give me time to repair credit and keep an eye peeled for a deal like you mentioned.

Perhaps I should have posted this in the money/budget forum instead. Because one of the things I'm wondering is, can you get a loan even with bad credit? There's even lower priced homes, in good nieghborhoods in the area I'm looking at. Some below $10k even! It's anybody's guess how much I'll make off the estate sale. It could be $500, or I can sell everything and make $4000. Won't know until the end of the last day of the sale.

Now I know I'm loosing the house. I've accepted that fact. Once I do have the sale, get my truck working again, I could work a temp job here until the very last minute, until the gas, electric are shut off or the mortgage holder forecloses. I'd save that much on renting, could hold of the utilitiy companies for a few months by sending them a few dollars here and there. If I can get past that, my broker has told me I have around 6-9 months before mortgage co will foreclose. All that time I could be banking every dime I can. Combined with what I make off sale, I could possibly buy one of those less then ideal homes for cash and not have a mortgage payment after I move.

Sorry about rambling on and on, just I saying I'm being very flexible and open to any an all options.

 

[shareneh]

First of all...Welcome.

If I were in your shoes I might consider moving away from the city to another state even. If you can handle Chicago winters you can handle anywhere. Get your truck fixed or even sell it and move to a little town in one of the midwestern state like North Dakota, where I'm from or South Dakota. The living in rural towns is more laid back and a lot cheaper. If you can find a job just bartending or at a filling station you can have a good start happening.

You say you are in sales, there are plenty of jobs for people in upper management with experience. Also, there are over 1000 jobs listed in the city of Williston ND for oilfield workers. You may have to start in a little one bed room or as a boarder or in a trailer park but getting yourself out of there is the first thing I think you need to accomplish. There are so many people in Chicago looking for the same type of work you are. If you can work hard you can make it in the Midwest.

If you want to live self sufficient style there is no better place to be than a small town and there are farm houses for rent in a lot of areas where you can start raising your animals once you get on your feet. Right now would be a good time to start building your nest egg though. You may not be able to have the large garden or the coup in your first place but consider that you need to save your money for your dream and it wouldn't feel so bad.

Being self sufficient isn't only done on farms. My mother grew a large garden in the back of our trailer house along with beautifu flower beds along and in front of our trailer when I was a girl. She stored the canned food she grew right by the door as you walked in the house. The idea wasn't to make a glamorous home but a comfortable one. We ate nutritious meals and used a coal stove just like we were in the middle of nowhere.

Like anything else, start small and work your way up. You will get there if you have the mind to.

By the way, people in small towns don't care if you have chickens they actually enjoy the rooster in the morning it reminds them of when they were younger.

 

[Farmfresh]

By the way, people in small towns don't care if you have chickens they actually enjoy the rooster in the morning it reminds them of when they were younger.

USUALLY.... but you do have to watch the zoning of any area you are wanting to live in. Around here (in the Midwest) the rules are actually MORE lenient about animals in the CITY than the small towns around it!!!

Where I am you can have chickens with a set back allowance, but several of the small towns nearby FORBID chickens, goats etc.. . If you don't just want a dog and cat you may be out of luck.

 

[curly_kate]

It sounds like you already are looking for jobs in new cities/towns, which is a really good idea before you make the move. While I LOVE living in my small town, there are very very few jobs here that pay a decent wage. So definitely be sure that there are plenty of jobs available that pay enough before you make the move. I have to spend 1.5-2 hrs a day commuting to and from my job in the nearest city. NOT a way I'd like to spend my time...or money.

I have heard that North Dakota is a great place to find employment.

 

[Ldychef2k]

You might find some help in this article: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/2007-10-01/Live-on-Less.aspx

 

[Mackay]

I have heard several times over the past couple of years that Fargo North Dakota is not having the recession that the rest of the nation has been having. I would look into it. Be ready for mean winters but work may be worth it and many people make it in a selfsufficient way with cattle and a good greenhouse. Construction I heard barely cringed over the last couple of years there. Maybe someone here can confirm that or not.

You can get their paper and call employment agencies there. I've heard that things are not too bad in Montana either. Seems these states did not do all the werid mortages that other states did.

There is surely work in North Dakota if you are willing to work in the oil business or supportive industries Things are looking up there.
http://www.jobdig.com/jobs/North_Dakota/All_Job_Types/listing.html

You are off onto an adventure. Keep your spirits high and learn to say yes to everything life offers.

My sons work in Salt lake city and they are doing ok for college kids. Paying their bills and making money in the restuarant business serving food, tips are 100 a night and up. So if you have been thinking of school it is hard but do-able in Salt Lake.

 

[Jaxom]

Ah even more good advice! I really apperciate the comments. I do how ever have to give you a few more details so as you can understand the why's and wherefores and other issues I'm dealing with. First and most importantly, I am technically engaged. Fiance' and have had to put any wedding date off due to health issues our parents where/are having. For years it was known that my finace's mother had heart problems and respirtory problems. As she has gotten older these problems have become worse. Since January of this year she's been in the hospital 5 times! At one point she was technically dead, only being kept alive by life support. My fiance's father, once a very strong, dominering man has been brought down by severe diabetes. While dealing with her mother, her father had to have one leg amuptated to the knee, and just last week was rushed in to the hopsital becuase an infection in a toe in his remaining foot had gotten into the bone.

And of course there was my mother with stage IV breast cancer. While all this is going on, my finace are trying to raise our daughter. She's now 6 1/2 years old. I've missed so much time with my daughter because of my obligations to care for my mother is often breaks my heart. It was also a heavy burden on my fiance to have to take care of our daughter, some what on her own.

Becuase of my daughter and fiance I don't want to move out of state. I'm only moving as far as I am, in order to find a place that has a lower cost of living then being 15 minutes from downtown from the 3rd largest city in America. Oddly enough, once you get out past the border counties surrounding you are in the middle of farm land.

When I state that I'm looking at the Peoria area of Illinois, I'm not restricting myself to JUST that area either. I'm using that as an example of an area where you have a large enough urban enviroment where I can easily commute to and from for work and buy/rent/rto a home in one the surrounding towns or villages. I could have just as easily said, "I'm looking out near Rockford" or "I'm looking out near Quadcities" and so on.

My chief regret right now is my credit rating. It's very frustrating to me. While I was working I had darned good credit. But because of various reasons, mainly revolving around my mother's lack of insurance, she had to go to county hospital here for her chemo treatments. Because of this we had alot of issues finding anyone to take her too and from. And once she was on chemo, it weakened her so much I had to do all the cooking, cleaning, shopping, and so on. There was no way we could have afforded in home care. Because I was doing the right thing and taking care of my mother, I wasn't paying my credit cards and I eventually had my 2002 jeep liberty repossesed. (I'm now stuck with an '88 Chevy s-10 with broken gas tank and transmission)

Now I've repeatedly said I was keeping an open mind. Should it come down to I must rent an apartment or rent a mobile home in order to make the ends meet, so be it. But I do have a few questions in reguards to finding a more ideal property.

One such question is this. While living in a trailer isn't my ideal situation, I have seen several vacant land ads where city sewer, water and electric are avaible. If I was able to swing it, what's entailed having a trailer moved to and connected up to utlities in these circumstances? (I've seen lots in the 5-10 acer ranged for only a few thousand with such ammenities) ah...I've seen pre-owned trailers for $2000-$3000 range. That's why I'm thinking about this.

Besides criagslist and real estate.com, I also look for properties on buywhitetaildeer.com as well. On this last website I often see properties where the current owner has signed up with the state and has a portion of the property under state managemnet fo CRP and paying a dividen, and other parts of the property being rented to farmers to grow crops, so the property has income above and beyond any employment I have. How would you convince a bank or land owner to approve a loan? Another option is to have a lumber company come in and thin wooded area's down and having the income from that applied to the down payment. (You would need to sign a specific contract that the lumber company pays the bank or owner directly for this to work...just need a lawyer to write it up)

Now, sidebar.... This is for reference sake only. Let's say for a moment I find an inexpensive place in the city to live. Apartment , house, whatever. A year or so goes buy and I find the "perfect" property with no home, but has electric ran to it. (A well could be dug for water and ceptic need can be installed for waste), when looking at more sufficent building meathods is there any where to price compare? Ya know earthship vs container homes, vs yerts, vs log cabin kits, vs ect....?

I could live in the apartment, house...whatever and on on weekends go work on my dream property. Heck once I've bought the place I could start gardening asap!

Just from what I've been reading a common stick built framed home can cost $60-$80 per sqft to build. Perhaps a little less depending on how much I do myself. My dream "this is what I'd build when I win the lottery" type house is a geodesic concrete dome home. But this can run as much as $140 a sqft to build.

Anyways, I gotta get, I want this blasted estate sale over and done asap. Hopefully before the end of July. Sooner that's done, the sooner my truck is working and I'll have a better idea what I'll have to work with for rent, buy or such. Or if I can, as I'm thinkinga bout is hanging here until last minute doing temp work to build up a larger "war chest".

Jax