Let’s discuss some of the benefits and pros vs cons of owning, or acquiring rural acreage.

NOTE: Audio/video version of this article can be found HERE

If you’ve ever wanted to take a curious peek at some of the many benefits of living in rural areas of the US – you’re in the right place. Below, we toss around some of the advantages and potential drawbacks that come with not just rural living and the overall rural lifestyle.

Tired of living in a criminal-infested city that’s being mismanaged by corrupt politicians? You’re not alone. All over the country, people are choosing to remove themselves from larger cities in favor of something a little more rural and peaceful. And if we were to take a wild guess, the criminal-first judicial policies may have something to do with it.

This article, provided by Brooking Institutional – a nonprofit, institutional research and academic team, share that since early 2020, “there have been unprecedented losses across the 88 U.S. cities with populations exceeding 250,000 residents.”

Another article from The Hill, shares that an estimated two million citizens have fled inner-cities since early 2000 and there are many other sources that show other very interesting data.

One has to look at these numbers and assume there are reasons for this. Let’s discuss:

There are many basis points as to why more and more Americans are leaving their deteriorating, larger cities in favor of rural living, which more often-than-not, offer more peacefulness, sanity and safety.

Whether it’s a newly-built home on a steep, ten-acre mountainside overlooking restful, sloping valleys – or a peaceful cabin on one-acre, sitting right next to a rushing mountainside creek – perhaps a taste of the mountain life and rural area is just what the doctor ordered.

Regarding rural areas and land found in any “country” setting, it should be noted that not all acreage is “created equal” in terms of expected market value. Generally speaking, anything with big views – think steep cliffs, valleys, long range sunset horizons, for example) or water access (pond, creek or river) will bring in a much greater premium than anything without these features.

Based off our experience in this market, we’ve found that even the slightest of any of these features, such as a small creek or even just a partial, backyard sunset view – will oftentimes add a 10-20% value to an asking price. In some cases, such as riverfront, large cliffs or massive, long range views that stretch for miles – these more remarkable features can easily add $100 thousand dollars to a property value.

The fact that these features play such a critical role in terms of pricing and potential market value mean that, in our opinion, these special features should be one of the first things you determine from the beginning when shopping around for a piece of land.

Is no backyard pond a deal breaker for you when choosing your rural area? How about a year-round, rushing creek? What about westward-facing, backyard sunsets horizons? You see, if none of these things are important to you, we have good news, and you should be able to get a pretty sizeable amount of rural acreage at a decent price. If the lack of any of these features are a deal breaker – for example if a long range sunset horizon is something you absolutely need in your back yard – our advice is to figure that out up front, prior to even shopping around for property so you know exactly what to look for in the rural areas.

As previously mentioned – we strongly encourage you determine these preferences and deal-breakers prior to shopping around for land, as this will allow you to focus your energy and zero-in on what you are looking for prior to going through the painstaking process of making these determinations after the fact.

The “value-per acre” we just discussed is certainly applicable here, but the financial benefits of owning, or living in rural areas must also be considered, as your dollar can oftentimes stretch much further from a long-term perspective. Home prices are generally much lower and taxes associated with rural land and mountain parcels are oftentimes far easier to digest than that of their inner-city counterparts.

Regarding the value-per-acre, it should be noted that financing vacant land can sometimes be more difficult than conventional load, so if that is the route you are considering, we encourage you to check out our Financing Vacant Land article HERE.

A “financial benefits” list of rural living wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the overall practicality for farming and small gardening as it relates to putting your own fruits and veggies on the dinner table to nourish your family. Let’s extend this concept further in terms of networking – the ability to trade your home-grown goods and other tools and assets at local farmer’s markets and with neighbors in the surrounding community can also help lower grocery costs and overall cost-of-living, with the end result of strengthened communities, fuller bellies and an overall boosted sense of personal prosperity.

Another note that should be carefully considered, is that living in rural areas typically may not be suitable for the instant-gratification individuals and those who are dependent on convenience 24-7. For example, there may not be three different gyms, 17 gas stations nearby or four different shopping centers in the area. In some cases, driving an hour or more for some of these basic creature comforts would be expected. So, if heavily-optioned conveniences are important to you and your family, it is important to do some very thorough research on any rural area you are considering prior to making any decisions.

So, in conclusion, as you can see there are many factors that weigh-in on whether living in a rural area is right for you and your family. We certainly didn’t talk about everything, but if you’ve made it this far, we applaud you for doing your own homework and taking-in as much information as possible prior to make any decisions, as this is obviously very important to consider all the pros and cons when making such choices.

We do have a few articles on our website – mountainpads.com that share future population growth perspectives, which may be helpful if you are looking to make a move.

If you’d like to take a deeper dive in learning about the ins-and-outs of the rural life, We highly recommend The Encyclopedia of Country Living, which is basically an A-z manual of how to live and thrive in rural areas. Check it out today at the following Amazon Link.

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That’s all for now. Thank you for spending your valuable time reading this, and we shall see you soon.

If, after reading this article you think you’d like to one day purchase a piece of land for yourself, check out our Guide to Buying Rural Property article HERE.