Today, According to data from the National Association of Realtors, the median price for an existing home — and this is one that's already standing, not awaiting new construction — is $387,600 as of November 2023 ! Financing on that amount of money assuming you could get a loan for just 5.27%, that lasts for thirty years becomes a Monthly payment $1,826 or $412.38 4/10 dollars per week with a Total interest paid $327,490 and a Total cost of loan $657,490, with a Payoff date not until Jan 2054. SO DOUBLE THE ORIGINAL HOUSE PRICE ! Add taxes, insurance and upkeep and that doubles again.
That doesn't sound like a deal we want for ourselves !
What happened to building affordably a home in America ? Well a couple of things happened:
#1 You don't own your land.
Oh, I realize you thought you bought that land (inherited it were given it or whatever), but you didn't get the ownership of it, and according to government, no matter what, you bought real estate and that's different than land. DO YOU GET BILLED YEARLY FOR THAT LAND AS A TAX AND DO THEY THREATEN YOU, TO TAKE YOUR PROPERTY AND SELL IT IF YOU DON'T PAY THE "GOVT" . Then you don't own it ! They do and you pay rent. We get noted perhaps as (married couples may see on their Deed): "Joint Tenants in Common", then your'e a Tenant, not an owner !
#2 Permission Required.
So, since you don't have superior title to the land (That's Called A Land Patent), the state has superior title.
Don't think that's true, consider this then, you first have to ask for the government to grant their permission, for you to break the law and build a home on what you call "Your Property", that's to be used for "your safety and refuge and common shelter from danger and weather", which by the way is still a basic human right, but no, you have to 1st ask permission.
#3 Further Permission Required
When asking for that permission be sure and bring with you permission from the Health department for a perk test of the lands drainage and a septic tank permit, a water well permit, so you can have drinking water or perhaps if the govt. already has public water on (or near) the public road you desire to build upon, you will be forced to gain govt. permission, from the water and sewer authority to connect a new house (with some cost sometimes required) if it's approved by the building inspection & permitting and planning departments.
#4 Who You May Hire Required
Then if they say, it's okay to build on that "real estate", they will want a "stamp certified plan by a state licensed professional is normally required" for government to review before permitting "your construction" on "your land". Price for that: somewhere between $500-$1000 for their review cost.
#5 Changes To Your Plan
They will then review your plan, whenever they get around to it, and they will also red line all they don't like (claiming code restrictions (International Building Codes I.B.C. or their "Local Codes") and you must have those pages then redrawn, by the same "licensed professional" at your additional cost (and perhaps at some additional plan review cost too depending upon "their policies"). Around here that's about $1,200 average per page from a structural engineer.
#6 Don't forget the Economy !
Yep, The cost have risen daily and that may not change its path . How do you afford it all, you must change the way your'e doing it. One defination of someone that's crazy is "someone that's doing the same thing over and over again, if it doesn't work". Changing the materials and process is sometimes a very good idea.
In this "plan review" process they will also detail what you may build with and size of each part, what the style of the home may be, the location upon the now titled "real estate" that you may build at, the buildings actual size in its heated square feet, so your taxes will be high enough to "keep up their collective govt. incomes at an acceptable level while providing for the public needs", and to also keep the lower level county or cities political subdivisions overlord's happy too. Then, if your if approved to build per those approved plans, an actual start date and a must finish by dates, are assigned, with a likely destruction of the building required, if it's not finished by that finish date and then you must start all over again.
Thus, from where your water supply is to be from, what your sewage disposal method must be and to the actual materials you must use to build the structure with, to the size approved, additional utilities approved providers applications made, and all from the plans & the materials and in the size and style the govt. approves , then a government approved general contractor and his licensed subcontractors can start the work, if you can find anyone, to do all that's required, per the plan.
So, Congrats Peasant , you now you can start your government approved home and be sure and pay your taxes on it or they will come take it from you !
Still think you own that "Land" ( ah make that now: "Real Estate") ?
Nope, ya don't !
Did your name spelling change, to an ALL CAPS NAME, when you got your deed back from the government and lawyers ? Is that you or is that ALL CAPS NAME, "a Corporation", as you don't actually spell your name, in all block capitalized letters - do you ? This capitalized spelling puts you under their jurisdiction .
There are other things that hurt your legal position of ownership, and we can help you achieve a correction of them but, if you go the normal way [as above], then this all basically means that, if your'e poor, you ain't getting a "legal" house, just due to the costs and certainly not under those above conditions and costs, as you could be $10 grand deep, in all this government controlled mess already, oh, don't forget, that's before the actual construction starts or wait, even before the now called: "Real Estate" must be purchased, and as they say it was purchased even if you got it as a gift, they force your Lawyer (whom swore an oath to the courts interest and not to their client's interest, when they became a "BAR association member") , to list at the least: "TEN DOLLARS AND OTHER VALUABLE CONSIDERATIONS" on the government records, no matter if it's free to you or no matter if it's called (quid claim deed, title, warranty, or security deed etc.), which is not anything but color of title then you will have your actual "real estate's" development costs, ( grading etc. which All Must Be Permitted first Too ! ) .
So Again, IT'S Not Really Yours !
What can be done ?
Several steps and we detail this through out this entire website and don't forget building the right home, is the major concern you started all this over. Off-grid must be designed to be Off-grid if its going to work !
And as you need this to last, the right stuff needs to be used - Properly and yes Affordably - Right ?
A.) Study this website, it's free and an opinion, not some lawyer's warranted contractual agreement, but a good qualified opinion, of some of those doing all this and having done it, for 54+ years . Pay attention to the joewoodalldotcom2023 archive page (notes at the top of that page on "Land Patents").
B) Gain your superior title (Land Patent) before you build anything, as then no one, nor ANY creature of the state or "government", has any Jurisdiction over you and your homestead and land. There's a process for this and it's not easy - nor cheap , but well worth the cost and trouble !
C.) Also, Consider the location you choose to build at "carefully", before acquiring and spending any money on that spot to build upon. Some states cost less to live and build in. Which means, it might not be not be next to Mom's house, or even in the same neighborhood you thought you must live in, but Freedom too, comes at a cost.
D) Then, with the right location to start with, you can choose the materials you build with, such things as free materials ( and yes, Adobe & Rammed Earth come to our mind first ) and at the least, your'e not totally forced to donate to those big box store's cash registers, with their very high materials cost, for their manufactured & code approved materials as Rammed Earth and Adobe are almost Free.
UP NEXT
AND BUILDING WITH AS CLOSE TO FREE MATERIALS AS IS POSSIBLE.
Click the blue link, which opens in a new page !
Affordable Housing