Save a Buck Free Land If You Build House Live There AARP Bulletin
Save a Buck: Free Land If You Build House, Live There - AARP Bulletin
Contact the about free-land programs elsewhere. Of course you can't expect these locales to resemble traditional retirement havens in Florida or Arizona. Still, retirees are encouraged to apply — and will generally enjoy lack of rush-hour traffic, low or nonexistent crime, and a rural lifestyle. "I live next door to an elderly retired couple, and there's another retiree across the street — but he's in his 20s. You don't need much money to live here," says Aaron Brachfeld of the Meadowlark Cooperative, which provides lots of between 1/8 and 1 acre in Agate, Colo., a farming community about 30 minutes outside of Denver. That program is privately run, drawing on land from a 60-acre parcel. Participants don't have to pay cash for the land but must maintain membership in the cooperative, through such things as donations of labor or grown food. For more info, send e-mail to . Sid Kirchheimer writes about health and consumer issues. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
Free Land
You' ll have to build a house but what' s under it won' t cost you a cent
Want small-town living for an even smaller price? Even in the 21st century, free land is available in the United States for modern-day homesteaders willing to build a house and live in it. Roine Magnusson/Getty Images Most of the programs are in the Midwest, run by local governments that hope to revitalize the population and tax base of farming or fledgling manufacturing burgs. Certain qualifications, building requirements and related costs apply. For instance, in , about 80 miles from Minneapolis, you can get an 86-by-133-foot plot for free. You'll have to pay about $25,000 in assessments for such things as water and sewer — but after tax incentives, which are income qualified, that could drop to about $14,000, the city says. And you're required to build a home, at least 1,000 square feet with a two-car garage on the land within a year of the deed's being issued. Other states with free land programs include , and . And entrepreneurs take note: In , a 3.5-acre lot is available for people willing to start job-creating businesses.Related
Contact the about free-land programs elsewhere. Of course you can't expect these locales to resemble traditional retirement havens in Florida or Arizona. Still, retirees are encouraged to apply — and will generally enjoy lack of rush-hour traffic, low or nonexistent crime, and a rural lifestyle. "I live next door to an elderly retired couple, and there's another retiree across the street — but he's in his 20s. You don't need much money to live here," says Aaron Brachfeld of the Meadowlark Cooperative, which provides lots of between 1/8 and 1 acre in Agate, Colo., a farming community about 30 minutes outside of Denver. That program is privately run, drawing on land from a 60-acre parcel. Participants don't have to pay cash for the land but must maintain membership in the cooperative, through such things as donations of labor or grown food. For more info, send e-mail to . Sid Kirchheimer writes about health and consumer issues. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures