Crazy Idea

[Wasteland Charlie]

About 20 years ago, I was hanging around the local Ham Radio store talking to the counter person and she mentioned that she had won an auction for a building in my city. It was an abandoned building and was in arrears on taxes so the county appraiser put it up for auction. I am sure it wasn't in great shape or anything and may have needed a lot of work, but it was a multi-story brick building.

Her bid was $1.00.

For work I drive through a lot of small towns that are frankly dying with lots of abandoned buildings.  I am thinking a person, or persons, could score one of those buildings and convert them into a bugout location. In my state, there is low population density (and falling) especially in the western areas and lots of farmland and way too many deer. I was part of a hunting lease out west and my friend had bought a small house for less than than $2500 he used as a hunting lodge. That was some years ago and I don't know if that would be viable today.

Buy what do you think? 

A small group gets a building in a dying town on the cheap and makes it a bugout location. Viable or not viable? 

[Moab]

There's actually a TV show about this iirc in Texas. Maybe it's a YouTube video. But it was like a documentary length film. That did this. It showed people buying old buildings in main street in this small dieing towns. And turning them into live/work spaces for themselves. I don't recall how they made their livings. But this a totally viable idea. 

I had a buddy in the Marine Corps (he died in a motorcycle accident some years ago) was a bike cop in TX. Head a deer lease or a place he bought. But this out in the middle of nowhere. They up quantset hits with AC. It was a whole deal. It was primarily a deer camp. But I'm sure they had bugging out in mind too. 

I'll see if I can find it.

[Raptor]

The idea has merit but it depends on the town and nearby infrastructure. An old derelict commercial/ retail site typically is a pretty bleak setup. Yes it can be improved but that does take funds. It reminds me of an old saying there is nothing more expensive than a free boat. 

I would encourage the thought but with an eye towards location first. 

[Moab]

Alot of these locations are for retirees or remote workers. There are a lot of towns abandoned and semi abandoned across rural Texas for instance. Back in the day the main streets were covered in old really well built brick buildings. People will buy them for dirt cheap. Fix them up and use them as a work/live space. There are locations like this all over rural America. In varying levels of abandonment or decay. But alot are in that sweet spot of nice little town, not quite abandoned, or close enough to another town you can get supplies and services. But for dirt cheap. Like 3000+ SQ ft buildings for less than 100k.


https://youtu.be/K_lywbyDJ7o?si=VtO_JuiYHZeiffnZ


https://youtu.be/xFKjMfg_jTo?si=IixGLjOmosp8xcd8


https://youtu.be/QSTGM8pAeUg?si=wvSArvYzIOMKZL0U

[eugenenine]

I grew up halfway between two small towns. There are many old buildings I could buy for nothing. But the reason these old buildings are cheap is there are no jobs nearby and many need a lot of work.

[Moab]

I grew up halfway between two small towns. There are many old buildings I could buy for nothing. But the reason these old buildings are cheap is there are no jobs nearby and many need a lot of work.

Ya. That's the whole deal. If you can work remotely these are incredible deals. Where I grew up in a tiny little mountain town. The banks for sale. 275k? While a decapitated 2 bedroom home from 1940 is half a million. The bank building was built in the 60s and is in perfect condition. On old main St. A great little location. With every outdoor amenity you could imagine. 

Not all of these old main St buildings need alot of work. But that's also where the deals can be found. If you want to live in a suburb this isn't for you. But your into alternative living spaces. And living cheaply. It's a boon. Many of these small towns across America have not been hit with the real estate bomb. And alot of cool people still live in these towns. Or new ones will arrive. No one can survive within today's real estate market. 

I saw another video where an entire town was 100k in TX. 

Younger people are getting creative with housing. I'm not a van lifer. But I would consider many different building types. And in rural areas a main street building.m8gut be even better than a homestead of some sort. If you rely on business or remote income. And I love old brick buildings. Plus you have a community. All of these towns still have folks living in them. And nice to have a place where you can live and work. 

[MacWa77ace]

To get a COO for those old brick buildings you'd have to bring them up to code which could get really expensive. Especially if they are zoned commercial. But maybe there are local grants for 'city improvement' to offset that.

It reminds me of an old saying there is nothing more expensive than a free boat.

Except maybe free puppies. 

[eugenenine]

If you can work remotely these are incredible deals.

Where I grew up you can't get over 36k dial up speeds. Parents have hugesnet satellite which works if there is no rain or snow. Cell phones work on top of the mountain but not in the valleys.

[Moab]

If you can work remotely these are incredible deals.

Where I grew up you can't get over 36k dial up speeds. Parents have hugesnet satellite which works if there is no rain or snow. Cell phones work on top of the mountain but not in the valleys.

Starlink is $100 a month. And works anywhere.

[superduder]

About 20 years ago, I was hanging around the local Ham Radio store talking to the counter person and she mentioned that she had won an auction for a building in my city. It was an abandoned building and was in arrears on taxes so the county appraiser put it up for auction. I am sure it wasn't in great shape or anything and may have needed a lot of work, but it was a multi-story brick building.

Her bid was $1.00.

For work I drive through a lot of small towns that are frankly dying with lots of abandoned buildings.  I am thinking a person, or persons, could score one of those buildings and convert them into a bugout location. In my state, there is low population density (and falling) especially in the western areas and lots of farmland and way too many deer. I was part of a hunting lease out west and my friend had bought a small house for less than than $2500 he used as a hunting lodge. That was some years ago and I don't know if that would be viable today.

Buy what do you think?

A small group gets a building in a dying town on the cheap and makes it a bugout location. Viable or not viable?

Well, Aside from being all vulture-ish and stuff... 
Just kidding.
That's kind of how I got the house my ex took in the divorce.

It had been abandoned for 7yrs on the outskirts of the town I was born in, 
Avg life of an abandoned building there is 2yrs before they routinely get burned down by the local hoodlums.

I literally stumbled upon it, I was just turning around in what looked like a trail leading into the woods, 
It was so overgrown that you couldn't see it from the road which was less than 40ft from the house.

So  I checked at the tax assessors office and found out it was $3500 behind on taxes.
Gave them my contact info to forward to the owner who had inherited the house.
it took about 4 days and he called, told me he never wanted/liked the place and if I paid the taxes I could have it.

And there you go, Got a 1200sqft 2 story with a garage/chicken coup, private aquifer, 
a boat house (15x24 steel arch/quonset type building) a finished basement, and fruit, nut, and berry trees 
on a little over 1/3 acre, backed up to the Great Miami River, Outside city limits for @$4200.

It's the weirdest thing that ever happened to me, 
it always felt like someone was going to show up demanding rent or something. 
Think Pete's Dragon "We got a bill of sale right here..." But with a house.

[Moab]

About 20 years ago, I was hanging around the local Ham Radio store talking to the counter person and she mentioned that she had won an auction for a building in my city. It was an abandoned building and was in arrears on taxes so the county appraiser put it up for auction. I am sure it wasn't in great shape or anything and may have needed a lot of work, but it was a multi-story brick building.

Her bid was $1.00.

For work I drive through a lot of small towns that are frankly dying with lots of abandoned buildings.  I am thinking a person, or persons, could score one of those buildings and convert them into a bugout location. In my state, there is low population density (and falling) especially in the western areas and lots of farmland and way too many deer. I was part of a hunting lease out west and my friend had bought a small house for less than than $2500 he used as a hunting lodge. That was some years ago and I don't know if that would be viable today.

Buy what do you think?

A small group gets a building in a dying town on the cheap and makes it a bugout location. Viable or not viable?

Well, Aside from being all vulture-ish and stuff...
Just kidding.
That's kind of how I got the house my ex took in the divorce.

It had been abandoned for 7yrs on the outskirts of the town I was born in,
Avg life of an abandoned building there is 2yrs before they routinely get burned down by the local hoodlums.

I literally stumbled upon it, I was just turning around in what looked like a trail leading into the woods,
It was so overgrown that you couldn't see it from the road which was less than 40ft from the house.

So  I checked at the tax assessors office and found out it was $3500 behind on taxes.
Gave them my contact info to forward to the owner who had inherited the house.
it took about 4 days and he called, told me he never wanted/liked the place and if I paid the taxes I could have it.

And there you go, Got a 1200sqft 2 story with a garage/chicken coup, private aquifer,
a boat house (15x24 steel arch/quonset type building) a finished basement, and fruit, nut, and berry trees
on a little over 1/3 acre, backed up to the Great Miami River, Outside city limits for @$4200.

It's the weirdest thing that ever happened to me,
it always felt like someone was going to show up demanding rent or something.
Think Pete's Dragon "We got a bill of sale right here..." But with a house.

That's an awesome story!

[Rednex]

Starlink is $100 a month. And works anywhere.

My Buddy has starlink and its good. I remember another buddy trying to get it and says there is a waiting list to get on it ( maybe in some spots not sure) that's up to like a year .

[Raptor]

Starlink is $100 a month. And works anywhere.

My Buddy has starlink and its good. I remember another buddy trying to get it and says there is a waiting list to get on it ( maybe in some spots not sure) that's up to like a year

Starlink is often a game changer in rural situations as discussed here. It's main weakness is line of sight. Trees and hills will block the signal or reduce the speed. If you are in a valley you may not even get a signal. That said they do allow you to return the equipment if it does not work.

The waiting list is geographic and can be short to non-existent.

In some rural communities they have broadband transmitters for internet. In rural WY they have several suppliers of internet that use this type of service.

When considering this do include access to the internet in your diligence.

A cheap property is cheap for a reason. Typically it is because there are other factors lowering the demand for the property. One such issue could be building code requirement that makes a refurbishment cost prohibited. That sort of thing can with patience obtain a waiver.

A friend bought such a building in a rural Nebraska town for pennies. He had get waivers; but simply converted the building into retail residential. He had a commercial shop down stairs and lived upstairs. It was a commercial conforming use.  Nevermind that the shop was never rented...it was listed for lease...and he was the only tenant. The paperwork was in order.