What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
Langston Hughes
For many preppers the dream is to own a property on which to develop a self sustaining life style. makes sense! Save up a down payment, find just the right piece of land, have a job that will carry the mortgage payments, and voila. That was the old economy way of thinking, and it worked for most. But there is a new devil in the details in the post 2008 economy; two alarming aspects to consider here in Canada.
The first of these details was announced yesterday by Finance Minister Flaherty. There are to be no more 30 year amortizations for mortgages. This means that the down payment must be larger and monthly payments higher. Just when you have everything ready to play by the old financial rules and are ready to pick up the ball, someone (banks, government) kicks the ball down the field and makes you run even faster.
Second detail. A new sheriff is in town! Most of us know that the economy in ten years will be unrecognizable in its present form. Some of us believe that a major financial calamity is less than two years off. Certainly the people of Spain believe this after a 120 billion rescue bailout for their banks only made the situation worse. Bad news from the US today, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, German factory production down; God it is like watching a slow motion train wreck! Planning to save enough for a down payment over the next five years is a big gamble if you believe there is less than two years tomake a move.
Could not some of us consider alternative financing? many farms and country acerages in our area at least, are essentially abandoned, some with buildings. The original owners have died or moved to the city, and the heirs in some cases would be more than agreeable to the idea of a long term "lease to own" arrangement. The cost of a lease would be less than the interest on a mortgage. These opportunities will be disappearing quickly over the next two years as more and more people start thinking as we do.
Many ranchers provide a house or cabin as living accomodations rent free as part of wages. You don't have to be a cowboy. Many of these workers operate machinery, irrigation systems etc. Room near house for a garden, hunting and fishing. In your spare time you network with neighbours, find other locations that might suit you better. Free rent and free food is a big chunk of most budgets.
I know that others on here can come up with better solutions to the money dilemma.
What happens to a dream deferred? Perhaps it just dies, and we spend our lives wondering "what if".
This made me stop and think on so many levels.... so many "what if's" from opportunities lost or not recognized. From doing what we are taught we are "supposed" to do... The societal definition of success.
So how do you find the abandoned places? I have been looking and looking and can not find a thing.
What happens to a dream deferred? Perhaps it just dies, and we spend our lives wondering "what if".
A dream deferred only dies if you let it die. I have my acreage and cabin because I didn't let the dream die. It took years to find but I didn't let the dream die. Your dream will only die if you give it up. Preppers prep because they're not willing to give up. The very fact that you're a prepper means you're stuck with the dream. You owe it to yourself.
Those who are unwilling to defend freedom, will become unfree.
Yup...LOL... and the search goes on...
I agree tazweiss. But my point was that our dream was initiated when we were in a different economy. Now there is not the luxury of time, a dream must be acted on NOW. I did the same as you, it took me years to find the place I wanted. No prepper with a dream of owning a place has these years available. I am afraid of a complete economic crash within two years. I will add that my point relates only to finding a place. I have no idea how much time we have to fulfill other dreams. But yes, Tazweiss, never give up on dreams. That is a cardinal principal.
So how do you find the abandoned places? I have been looking and looking and can not find a thing.
I understand the problem. These places are disappearing fast. In some areas such as the lower mainland where there is dense population they may be almost nonexistent, and this probably goes for the Okanagan as well. Where they are still most likely available are in those areas of the province where population density is low (that means a considerable distance from any major population center) and in those places that in the past people moved away for a "better" life in the towns and cities.
I agree that large parcels of affordable land can be difficult to find. As for myself, I compromised. We found a small plot (about 1/3 acre) with a small house that needed work and expansion, a deep well, an older surface well, and septic system. The place was cheap enough for us to buy outright, for about what you may expect to have as a downpayment on something larger. It took about a year, but we got the place in good enough shape to live in full time. There is space enough for a good sized garden for vegetables and lots of wild berries already established, and we plan on getting a small flock of chickens in the spring.
Soon after we moved, we bagan looking for other small lots in the area and were able to pick up two more about the same size as ours with absolutely no development on them at all....never had a house on them and wooded. We now have a total of an acre and will be harvesting the wood from the other two lots for firewood and rough outbuilding construction. Once these lands are cleared, we can use them to grow crops on that we don't have room for at the house such as wheat for flour, corn and other grains for chicken feed, and some straw for bedding. Long term plans would be to move all crops to the two auxilliary lots and keep the house lot for a home, 2 chicken flocks, and perhaps a goat or two.
The point I guess is that if you can't realize your dream right away, improvise. There are several ways to achieve the goal.
Yes!!! Nicely said. How is the garden doing? I hear you are in the midst of a heat wave. Hope you can keep everything watered and protected
The garden is doing OK for the earth it is in...first year is always less productive as the earth was just turned. I water in the morning before the sun gets too hot and this seems to be working. As for the heat wave, yesterday was 33 deg. C. with a humidex of 42. I actually broke down and plugged in the AC in the house.
this topic has been on my mind for some time, i live in the city( i hate it!!!!!) and i've been wondering how i can make such a senario work for my family. It seems plainly obviuos to me that the "slow train wreck" chilcotin spoke of is happening, my wife and i have a dream, to get save up enough money for a down payment etc, just as chilcotin has described. But my wife and I dont have blinders on, we realize that given our own situation that "downpayment option, and the five year plan" probably will not happen, add in to the picture about the curren t state of the ecomony at home and abroad, and i cant help but feel trapped!!! I worry that my family and I may not have aplace to go should we ever have to, i worry that we( my wife and i) may not have the "skill set" that i potential community type set up may want. Maybe i overthink things to much, and that is possible, but i would much rather have a network of people in place "just in case"
I was recently asked, "if you were made an offer to trade labour for a place to go to with your family if you needed it would you take it" I said "yes" this is a classic example of the barter system, and it just made sense to me. Its mutually benifical to both parties. Anyways, if i knew of such a set up like chicotin had mentioned"lease to own" or a similar type set up, i would jump at the chance, i want a better life for my family, i want my kids to breath clean air( the pollution in the city is gross) and maybe one of these senarios can be found, my search continues, my dream remains.... just slightly altered.
I agree that large parcels of affordable land can be difficult to find. As for myself, I compromised. We found a small plot (about 1/3 acre) with a small house that needed work and expansion, a deep well, an older surface well, and septic system. The place was cheap enough for us to buy outright, for about what you may expect to have as a downpayment on something larger. It took about a year, but we got the place in good enough shape to live in full time. There is space enough for a good sized garden for vegetables and lots of wild berries already established, and we plan on getting a small flock of chickens in the spring.
Soon after we moved, we bagan looking for other small lots in the area and were able to pick up two more about the same size as ours with absolutely no development on them at all....never had a house on them and wooded. We now have a total of an acre and will be harvesting the wood from the other two lots for firewood and rough outbuilding construction. Once these lands are cleared, we can use them to grow crops on that we don't have room for at the house such as wheat for flour, corn and other grains for chicken feed, and some straw for bedding. Long term plans would be to move all crops to the two auxilliary lots and keep the house lot for a home, 2 chicken flocks, and perhaps a goat or two.The point I guess is that if you can't realize your dream right away, improvise. There are several ways to achieve the goal.
Excellent point
You mentioned the slow train wreck and you are 100% right. Check out this link.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2012/06/19/Tasty-loot-in-Spain-as-crisis-spawns-crop-theft
This is getting bad all over europe and its only a matter of time before it hits hard here too. The U.s. is so badly in debt. Prices on everything are going up. I remember when a car went up for sale somewhere around here ifyou were interested you had to grab it right away. Ive noticed cars with for sale signs EVERYWHERE and theyve been sitting there for months, literally. Half of them have a ling spraypainted across the old price and a new price is written over top.
Layoff have been slowly starting up again from what Ive been hearing from people who are getting worried about their jobs.
My company, which is american owned I might add as are a lot of businesses in Canada, recently closed some manufacturing plants in other locations, and one of their shipping facilities. There were several layoffs.
The dream only gets harder to accomplish, never easier.