gfp: The way I view one's primary residence is as a cost deferral vehicle. What I mean is that if you own your home or condo outright you free yourself from the burden of mortgage or rent payments, allowing your income to stretch farther. But for this scenario to work at its best that residence needs to be in a favorable location....and area where law enforcement is promoted and not handicapped by misguided liberal notions, where the taxpayer is factored into spending decisions by government thereby keeping real estate taxes low to moderate. In some high tax locations owning a residence there is a net negative. Places like New Jersey, Connecticut, Commiefornia, etc. I feel very good about our situation. Small acreage should I feel compelled to do more food production. Conservative county with ultra low taxes and where law enforcement is prioritized. Good neighbors with weapons they have grown up using since childhood. Close enough to necessities but outside any city limit with no public transportation options to get here. Our little subdivision of only 4 houses is on a one way private road that we can close off by parking one vehicle at the only entrance that would have drainage ditches on either side. M wife and I actually own the smallest house (3,000 sq ft) on he smallest lot (3.04 acres). Across our private road the owners are selling their 20 acre with about a 4500 sq ft mini mansion for about $1.5 million. The neighbors on the other side are finishing new construction of a 3800 sq ft house on a lot over 5 acres, and the neighbors at the end of the private road have about a 4,000 sq ft house with pool on at least 10 acres. They have horses and a barn to keep them in. That's it. Semi rural. This is our last stand. We will meet the nation's collapse on our own ground.
