Homesteading Rights Are Not Equal In All States
If you are looking for the best place to homestead, don’t fall victim to the beauty trap. This is where you look for land in a state with amazing weather, some open land, and is picturesque nearly year round. What you overlook, because you are blinded by beauty, is that the laws may not actually support what you want to do.
The Federal Government, for the most part, seems impartial to the idea of homesteading as of now, but some States are not, luck warm, or cold about the lifestyle. Moreover, local municipalities can serve as another level of administrative oversight that is either indifferent or overlordish about what you do on your property.
Who would have thought that government, at any level, would be against you having egg layers?
Who knew that having a Bessi outside for fresh milk would be a violation of the local ordinances?
Now, we are not extremists. We understand that having a cow in the middle of downtown or even in highly populated suburbia is probably not a good idea. However, how about small towns or villages? Wouldn’t you think that living on 3, 4, or 5 acres would permit you to have several dozen chickens, a goat or two, some swine, good ole Bessi, or to build a substantial green house?
Depending on where you are from, you probably have a different answer. Some of you are thinking, “I do what I please on my land!” others are thinking, “I can’t sneeze on my property without submitting for a permit!” What’s crazy is that both are right depending on your location.
For homesteaders, the dream is the former!
Don’t make the mistake of thinking of these things last!
What we have come to realize is that we initially underestimated just how much some of Uncle Sam’s little siblings want to have their hands in your life. For some, this is no big deal. For us, and others that share our dream, this is show stopper.
Because of this realization, we believe that homesteaders would naturally want to live under the governance of the most libertarian-minded States. Please note, we mean this in the most non-political way. Homesteaders want to live. We just don’t want to ask permission to live.
In this sense, not all of Uncle Sam’s nieces and nephews are created equal. Some States are beautiful! They may have perfect weather in some regions; California comes to mind. But you could not pay us to homestead there simply because of how intrusive the state and local governments are. Other states you would assume support homesteading, like Nebraska—but we can tell you from experience, this is a significant assumption that is leading us to relocate.
In our search for the best location to homestead, we have narrowed it down to two states: Missouri and Texas. This is based on criteria that best fits with our goals, lifestyle, and personal views on the proper relationship between the citizen and the government.
At the end of the day, we want Uncle Sam to leave us alone!
This is not to say that other states don’t offer the level of individual freedom we seek. In fact, we are sure there are more, and if you have found your piece of homestead heaven, a tip of the hat to you!
If you are in the planning stages, please take your time to do your homework. These United States of America do not view your homesteading goals in the same light. Find the one that has a soft spot for those that want to live off the land (not aspire to tax you to death), support your constitutional rights, and largely leave you alone so you can engage in your “pursuit of happiness.”
Choose wisely, because relocating once you have started establishing your homestead can equate to lost time and money. The silver lining is that you gained valuable experience on the homestead that will serve you well.
