Farm for Sale 38 Acres (New Price!) with Solid Farmhouse
Anyone who has been reading this blog for awhile knows that we’ve been having trouble finding our preferred balance between the “Simple Life” and the realities of being parents and technology professionals in a rural area. Our goals have not changed, but a lot of other things have. We have decided that our goal will be much easier for us to achieve if we attempt to do it mortgage free and within close proximity (i.e. walking distance) to others who we can learn from through helping on community projects, and with whom work and play can be shared.
We thought about turning this property into a community but for various reasons have decided that is not the best approach for us. Instead, we have decided to sell this property. It has everything I’ve ever wanted in a property, including a great house; rolling, south-facing hillsides; a decent amount of flat land; three springs that don’t go dry; a pond full of fish; a long, tree-lined driveway; good soil; a creek; a barn, workshop, goat shed, wood shed, chicken coop, and even an observatory! It is close to the town of Floyd and it is a very quiet, tranquil place. I absolutely love it and it breaks my heart to sell, but I don’t want to wait until I’m 65 and have it all paid off before I start making it my full time job. And so, our heartbreak could be your lucky day if you’ve been waiting for the perfect place to come on the market in Floyd, VA…
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- The kitchen. Two stoves, one electric, one wood-burning.
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- View of kitchen from dining area, including Knox Mogul wood-burning stove.
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- The living room.
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- Guest bedroom.
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- Exterior of workshop attached to barn. As you can see, the workshop has its own heat source.
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- The garden.
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- Our private driveway. We’ve always wanted a long, tree-lined drive.
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- The workshop attached to the barn.
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- The office at back of workshop.
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- Hand-built observatory with telescope.
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- woodshed
We only want to get back what we paid for it, despite several improvements we’ve made. If you’re interested please leave a comment below and we will be in touch. Only serious buyers please. We cannot do owner financing. Here is the link.
Category: Authors, Places, Simple Thoughts, The Transplants, Uncategorized
Everett writes about voluntary simplicity. This blog catalogs his search for "the good life" as he tries to strike a balance between work and play, freedom and responsibility, simplicity and comfort.
Gosh I am sorry Everette. But I understand. We are heading your way in a few weeks and I was always hopeful to see it and meet you and your family. I hope we still can.
Everette I am very interested in the property. Please email me at your convenience with more info. Thank you and peace.
Where in Floyd is this land? How much are you asking for it and how many bds/bths?
Thanks!
Amy
Hello Amy,
The property is on Graham Rd, NW off of Laurel Branch. There are three bedrooms and one bathroom, but we also have a composting toilet in the master upstairs. There is also a decent sized “apartment” in the making built off of the barn with fully finished walls, electric, insulation, heat, composting toilet, but no plumbing yet. Would you like me to email you? I will put a price up soon but first we want to speak to a real estate agent so we can find out how much more we’d have to charge to break even if we went through an agent Vs. private sale. I don’t want to post a price here and have it be less than what the agent posts it for since we’d have to pay the agents 6% or whatever it is these days.
What a heart-wrenching decision, but I applaud your choice of day to day reality over the pretty picture. I think so many of us harbor a longing to return to a “simpler time,” mimicking the lives of our pioneer ancestors. But it’s easy to forget that while we do have a lot of technology making our lives easier, they had the Homestead act which allowed them to farm without a mortgage.
I personally can think of nothing more gruesome than trying to maintain a family farm while still having to bring in enough income to pay off a sizable mortgage – sorta sounds like the worst of both worlds to me, and it certainly doesn’t sound “simple.”
But rest assured, there are many paths to simplicity, and I’m sure you’ll find one that fully incorporates the realities of the modern world. Best of luck in your adventures!
Cat
Thank you Cat. You pretty much summed up the issue accurately. Having an awesome property and not having the time to do much with it because your time is spent making money off the property to pay for it is very frustrating and counter-productive. However, I do think there are people who can make it work this way. It depends on your history, your goals, the dynamics of your relationships with your spouse and others, your budget, the size of your family… there are lots of variables at play. I won’t get into what our exact variables are, other than we have decided to at least explore with open minds the possibility of living in an intentional community with others. And, if that doesn’t work out, we will just rent until we save enough to buy a place outright. That “place” may not be as nice as our current place, but at least I will be able to focus on it as my primary occupation as opposed to a “weekend hobby”. For some people, a peaceful life in the country with the chance to do some gardening on the weekends is really all they want, and I don’t blame them for that. That life sounds pretty enjoyable to a lot of people. My idealism is what makes our “simple” life complicated. I refuse to settle for weekend gardening and lawn mowing. I want to homestead, and I’m tired of just playing around with it. No more excuses for me! Since I haven’t found a way to do that while paying this mortgage we’ve had to make the tough decision to take a step back so we can begin to move forward again.
Thanks again for your thoughtful comment!
What a tough decision! Will you guys stay in Floyd? I know your farm will sell–it’s gorgeous! Had we not just bought a home I think we’d be interested! The pictures and description are amazing. But you’re right– finding that balance is so difficult. We have such big dreams for our new home and land but it requires money and a lot of hard work. It’s exciting and discouraging at the same time. I look forward to seeing where you guys go. And if you do leave Floyd, I hope we can continue to stay in touch and see each other occasionally! I wish you guys all the best and continue to be inspired by you both!
Hello,
My sister has been looking for something for quite awhile. I, too, would be interested in asking price. she is seriously interested,. thanks.
Everett, what a tough decision, but a brave one for you and your family. My husband and I have been looking for a farm like yours in the Carroll/Floyd area. Please contact me. We will be in your area next month.
We would love to have you over when you are in town so you can look at the place, or possibly even stay for lunch or dinner if you wish. Yes, it is a very tough decision and one that we are still wrestling with. If we could find the right family to share this land with us we probably wouldn’t even sell it, but I don’t want to carry the financial and work-related burdens on my own anymore.
Everett, this is Tess again. Peace.
We may be the right family to share the land with. You will not have to carry the financial and work burdens on your own.
We are envisioning a paradigm shift and a global renaissance. It is imperative. The impulse is in our collective consciousness. It is in this thread. It is in the images of your beautiful land and the frankness of your words.
We are able to come see the property immediately. Please let me know the price you will need and when you are meeting people as soon as you know. Hard to even imagine how tough this is for you and your family. It can be easier; let’s imagine it as so and then let it be.
Thanks. Be well, all is well
What a hard decision, I know this must have weighed heavily. While homesteading and home ownership is something I dreamed of for many years, the reality wouldn’t have worked in my situation. Instead I found a place to rent where I have water on one side and open fields on the other. I’ve helped to create my own slice of heaven right here. The neighbors range in age from college students to seniors, a few professional couples, a blue collar worker and everything in between. We even have a few disabled individuals here. While this place didn’t start out as an intentional community, our similar interests in nature have turned us into all great friends who are making the most of the resources here. So if you do find you must rent, you may be as fortunate as I am to find the right location, for the time being, to pursue your dreams and save enough to have your ultimate dream sooner than you think. Good luck to you. Your home is beautiful and the right buyer will find it.
We have been renting in Floyd and are looking to buy. When you have a purchase price available, I would be interested to find out if its in our price range. It looks like a beautiful property with all the aspects we are looking for.
Sounds like a very reasionable desision. Free and clear is the way to go.
I can only imaging how hard it would be to invest in things like the solar electric equipment required to get the place off the grid while paying a mortgage. Same thing with finding the time to grow enough food to achieve self-sufficiency while working 40 hours a week.
But man… That is such a beautiful place. I have a lot of respect for the fact that you’re willing to give it up.
We should mention another possible alternative to selling or starting a “community” here. We have 38 beautiful acres and could sell a decent chunk of that to the right buyers. They could stay in the apartment attached to the barn while building. We’d prefer folks into sustainable living, agriculture and who have at least one child under the age of three. We could consider owner financing options too.
Hi Everett-
If you could send me an email when you get a chance with some more specifics on what you’re hoping to find with your potential collaborators, I would love to talk to you more about it. The farm looks beautiful. Thanks!
Hi Everett!
My family and I are very interested in your property. We have been looking in Floyd fora while now and just waiting for the perfect place. We feel really excited about your place. We currently live on an urban farm in Colorado- both my husband and I, and my children, are very dedicated to sustainable living and to health and your farm seems like the perfect place for us. Can we be in touch? With a little more information, my husband is willing to fly out and come see it.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Sincerely,
Jenny
[...] is one of the reasons we are selling the property. It will free up a lot of time and capital needed for us to make this gigantic leap of faith. We [...]
How much are you asking for this property?
Don -
Hello Everett and Missy,
I don’t follow your blog often, but is seems like the last time I checked it out, you were moving? Didn’t you have a smaller place when you moved to the country?
I hate to sound rude, but have your ideas and goals changed that much, that you don’t think this place will accomplish them anymore?
Just wondering.
I bought a couple of acres in Northeastern Oregon a few years ago but only get to visit for now. Still slaving away in the city until things are all paid off.
Have a nice day and I hope you find what you are searching for.
Dan
Dan,
My ideas about how much of a mortgage I am willing to carry have changed that much. That, among other personal reasons, is what is prompting us to sell this place. Your strategy of living in the city until things get paid off sounds wise if it is working for you. I tried that for myself and found it too challenging to stay in the city and put this dream on hold. Had I been more patient perhaps we could have moved here without taking on mortgage debt, but hindsight is always 20/20.
Good luck to you as well.
Regards,
Everett
Hi Everett,
I have to admit, I’m 54 years old, and I’ve had this dream since I was 20. I’m still not living my dream, but I’m on my way.
My three kids are grown now, so I can make it a priority. I would have rather had this lifestyle for them growing up, but it didn’t work out that way.
I admire you for realizing that things aren’t working out and finding an alternate path.
Keep moving forward and thanks for the reply to my post.
Dan
Hi Everett and family. We just got back from an all too short first visit with friends in Floyd and I happened upon your blog this morning. We had considered trying to set up an appt with realtors in the area – specifically to check out your property that I have been drooling over for the past few weeks. Please email to discuss more. We are considering a few opportunities in Floyd and elsewhere in order to live the homestead life – with the land, and in community with other like minded people. Financial constraints seem to be the name of the game these days, but ideally would like to have our own property or homesite attached to larger homestead. We are currently planning a move between March-June, at which point our more-sellable-than-most home in FL may or may not yet be sold. Would love to know where you guys are at in the process and tell you more about myself, my husband and our little tribe of kiddos. Blessings!
Hello Blake,
I hope we don’t still have this on the market in March – June but if we do please let me know when you have time to have a look. Good luck with the sale of your place in Florida and we look forward to your arrival in Floyd!
Hi Everett and family! I have to say, your property is absolutely beautiful and meets all of the requirements of my dream home, except that you are too far away from Richmond!!! My girlfriend and I are planning a roadtrip out that way in the beginning of december based on your blog
I hope you have luck selling your property and I wish that it was closer to me, or I would be first in line to buy it from you!
Everett. the link above to UC/Blue Ridge Land & Auction works but the “map” on that page is not your property. You’re 3/4 down the road from where the pin is… just a heads up. Good luck
I ran across your site while I was making soap and recognized the mountains! I live at Fairy Stone State Park with 40 acres. I understand what you are saying, and that is the mindset I had when I bought my farm. I wanted something I could live on with a part-time job, if it came down to that… The realtor wanted to show me something more expensive. I told her I’d rather sleep good at night. LOL. 14 years later, I’m still enjoying my farm and my ‘simple life.’ The kids are gone and it’s just me and the beauty of this area. I feel blessed and at peace.
You will do the same as soon as you get rid of the burden of the mortgage. Peace will return, and you will find a better place to live, or someone will share the property with you, and help you financially.
Either way, please keep us posted, as we care. I love Floyd on Fridays! I go up there often, and it is truly a magical place to be.
Peace to you and your family…
I found you on land and farm. We are looking to move out of southwest Virginia due to fracking. I am a high tech worker as well. I have a T1 to my current residence. What options are available there? I want to cut the apron strings with corporate America as well, but it won’t happen overnight.
Hi Ron. We have DLS. It is fast enough for what I need for work, and for us to watch YouTube and Netflix on. Good luck!
have you sold your place yet if not can you let me know I am from Canada and would love to have a place like yours