We close on the land on September 2nd.

[Tallpine]

4.5 acres really isn't that much land.  We have about 40 and it seemed big when we first moved out here, but now it seems pretty small - except when I have to spray weeds.

So buying up adjoining pieces as you can is a good idea.

It seems weird to me that you would even find that small a parcel in that remote and undeveloped a location.  Are there subdivision covenants that you have to abide by?

[Grandpa Shooter]

4.5 acres really isn't that much land.  We have about 40 and it seemed big when we first moved out here, but now it seems pretty small - except when I have to spray weeds.

So buying up adjoining pieces as you can is a good idea.

It seems weird to me that you would even find that small a parcel in that remote and undeveloped a location.  Are there subdivision covenants that you have to abide by?

Actually it is a strange coincidence but entirely understandable if you know how things work here.  The National Geological Survey was done many years ago and when it was done the thousands of acres were layed out in one acre parcels regardless of topography.  Roads were designated to go straight north and south and east west without regard again for the lay of the land.  In practicality some of the parcels are unusable and the roads have to curve around the sandstone formations, washes and bluffs.  This particular parcel backs up to the sandstone formation and is cut off by where the road goes around the head of the formation.   As a result it is isolated from the contiguous acres by the bluff and "road".  I have the names and addresses of the owners of the bits of land the road cuts through and are therefore unusable.  Due to the fact that the road has become a common use means of entrance and exit means the owners can't cut off passage.

I considered going with 40 acres again, but we decided we would limit ourselves so that we could actively manage what we own.  It quickly became a chore to run the forty acres I owned up til 3 years ago.  Smaller scale, more time to explore the back country.

[Tallpine]

This particular parcel backs up to the sandstone formation and is cut off by where the road goes around the head of the formation.   As a result it is isolated from the contiguous acres by the bluff and "road". 

Hmmm ... still seems weird to me.

Our 40 acres is technically five parcels if you look at it that way.

The county road cuts across one corner, and there are two easements over here on the west side.  So our horse pasture ended up on the odd trapezoidal shaped piece in the middle, our house is on a wooded hillside, and there is a long narrow strip along our north boundary.  Then there is another easement technically on the east side that splits off this tiny little triangle that is mostly in the crick bottom.

But it's still a quarter of a quarter section regardless of everything else.

Theoretically we could subdivide off one of those little pieces if we wanted to do a bunch of paperwork (perc test, etc).  Our place used to be 80 acres but one of the previous owners split off the "south forty" (literally!) and sold it with an access easement.  If I ever win the inheritance lottery I would like to buy that back and retire the easement.

[Grandpa Shooter]

This particular parcel backs up to the sandstone formation and is cut off by where the road goes around the head of the formation.   As a result it is isolated from the contiguous acres by the bluff and "road". 

Hmmm ... still seems weird to me.

Our 40 acres is technically five parcels if you look at it that way.

The county road cuts across one corner, and there are two easements over here on the west side.  So our horse pasture ended up on the odd trapezoidal shaped piece in the middle, our house is on a wooded hillside, and there is a long narrow strip along our north boundary.  Then there is another easement technically on the east side that splits off this tiny little triangle that is mostly in the crick bottom.

But it's still a quarter of a quarter section regardless of everything else.

Theoretically we could subdivide off one of those little pieces if we wanted to do a bunch of paperwork (perc test, etc).  Our place used to be 80 acres but one of the previous owners split off the "south forty" (literally!) and sold it with an access easement.  If I ever win the inheritance lottery I would like to buy that back and retire the easement.

When I had the 40 acres we had a 40 foot easement all the way around the property inside our fence which we could not obstruct.  That meant if I wanted to subdivide the property into pastures for irrigation and rotating the horses into different pastures I would have had to fence within our own boundaries for the pastures.  Basicially means I would have double fences on the outside lines of the property.  It cost me $2000 to fence one quarter mile side of the property.  I decided this time around I would find property where there was no need to leave easements open.

The other part of this equation I may not have made clear is that by being "off the grid" we will also be outside the service area of the county the land is in.  That means no fire department, no county road maintenance, no law enforcement or other county services.  We are on our own.  That is fine with me and the missus, but would not sit well with citified folks.  We will be living by the "Code of the West" so to speak.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

That sounds perfect.  I grew up "citied" and I'm getting pretty tired of it. 

[Tallpine]

The other part of this equation I may not have made clear is that by being "off the grid" we will also be outside the service area of the county the land is in.  That means no fire department, no county road maintenance, no law enforcement or other county services.

Wow!   

So that means that you can run your own little four acre country: shoot machine guns, make whiskey, run a gambling hall and bordello ... 

[Grandpa Shooter]

The other part of this equation I may not have made clear is that by being "off the grid" we will also be outside the service area of the county the land is in.  That means no fire department, no county road maintenance, no law enforcement or other county services.

Wow!   

So that means that you can run your own little four acre country: shoot machine guns, make whiskey, run a gambling hall and bordello ... 

I think the missus would have something to say about part of that!

[Tallpine]

I think the missus would have something to say about part of that!

And you thought there was no law enforcement

[Grandpa Shooter]

She is definitely not into gambling!

[Tallpine]

She is definitely not into gambling!

Well, there you go! 

She can run the bordello while you drink whiskey and shoot machine guns 

[MicroBalrog]

"Eastern White Mountains of Arizona."

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I HAVE YOUR IDENTITY NOW, SUCKER!

HELLO, SURFSHOP USA? I WANT 12,000 SURFBOARDS, PLEASE!

YES, MY CREDIT CARD...

MY FIRST NAME IS GRANDPA, LAST NAME, SHOOTER...

Give me back my board, Mike!

Give me back my board and nobody will be hurt!