# Is there still places that you can homestead?



## jjdigitalphotos (Aug 31, 2007)

hi, I was wondering if there is still places that have the homesteading law? Because i know i really want some land for free and i am sure other people would like some too.
-JJ :hobbyhors


----------



## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Sorry, there is no more free homesteading land available thru the government.

The state of Alaska still has a land lottery program (well, they have had them recently)... however, the land is usually only good for homesites. And the land costs money, up front, and extra down the way, for surveying costs. Back in the 80's and 90's, when I worked there, they had really free land, in subdivided tracts (which means possible neighbors...just what you want when setting up shop in the wilderness :grump: )...however, you had to have it surveyed, which was very expensive, as you had to clear the lot lines, and fly a surveyor out for a week of bush surveying...... the prices for surveyors was outrageous... for basically frozen tundra.

Several midwestern cities have free land available, in downtown areas, if you'll build a home and live there for so many years.


----------



## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Not in the US. Might find some in some remote little 3rd world country. Every once in a while you find some little town giving away lots (city sized) in order to keep there community alive. But no wide open land that I know of.


----------



## james dilley (Mar 21, 2004)

While its Not quite FREE there are states that will Offer land for A decnt price, I was informed A few years ago you could get land in Neb real cheap. I don't know if its true or not.. Every once in A while theres A web site that pops up here that Offers 160 acres and there are I think 7 states where you can get it..


----------



## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

Yea, well - everyone would like free land.

So, pretty safe bet there isn't any. Or, everyone would have some....

There are a few shyster advertisers that try to sell you their info on 'free land', but that is all garbage. It is old laws no longer in force, or programs that no longer are used.

There is no free land.

--->Paul


----------



## crafty2002 (Aug 23, 2006)

The homesteading laws were stopped in the early 70's. Prior to that there were several states you could get 160 per person. A family of 4 could get a square mile but you had to build on all 4 sites to keep it. 
I sure wish I had of known about it when I was first married with two children, dontca know .


----------



## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Paul,

Yes, there are communities that still offer free land, however, it's usually homesites only. Espically in Kansas.


----------



## brreitsma (Jan 14, 2003)

I have heard that the state of New Mexico has a lot of totally unclaimed land. That is land that is sort of in a state of limbo with no branch of government having a claim and no individual having a claim. From what I have heard, because of this squatting is not enforced on those lands and many people set up permanent camp so to speak. Basically you can't gain full legal ownership but can make use of the land. Heard many of the squatters have made small ranches for themselves. It is not ownwership but is secure as you don't get made to move on. Can't vouch for land quality. One site, I forgot which one now was saying that it is not all real remote but some not far from decent size towns with economic oppurtunity.


----------



## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

brreitsma said:


> I have heard that the state of New Mexico has a lot of totally unclaimed land. That is land that is sort of in a state of limbo with no branch of government having a claim and no individual having a claim. From what I have heard, because of this squatting is not enforced on those lands and many people set up permanent camp so to speak. Basically you can't gain full legal ownership but can make use of the land. Heard many of the squatters have made small ranches for themselves. It is not ownwership but is secure as you don't get made to move on. Can't vouch for land quality. One site, I forgot which one now was saying that it is not all real remote but some not far from decent size towns with economic oppurtunity.


There 'might' be some NM land claimed by the State and by the Feds... but if there is, I never heard about it. I worked in the Gila NF one year, and had access to the most detailed maps imaginable, and someone owned all of it.

I certainly wouldn't put any improvements on any land if I didn't own it.

Again, there 'might' be such land.... but the water rights are definitely owned... every drop of it is overclaimed. Most of the state is arid, not as arid as AZ, but still pretty danged dry.


----------



## bill not in oh (Jul 27, 2004)

brreitsma said:


> I have heard that the state of New Mexico has a lot of totally unclaimed land. That is land that is sort of in a state of limbo with no branch of government having a claim and no individual having a claim. From what I have heard, because of this squatting is not enforced on those lands and many people set up permanent camp so to speak. Basically you can't gain full legal ownership but can make use of the land. Heard many of the squatters have made small ranches for themselves. It is not ownwership but is secure as you don't get made to move on. Can't vouch for land quality. One site, I forgot which one now was saying that it is not all real remote but some not far from decent size towns with economic oppurtunity.


There's land owned by the Fed (BLM) that they'll let you 'use', but there's serious restrictions regarding forestry management (most is heavily forested) and you never own it. I'm not sure of all the details - I started checking into it and it was so restrictive that I just blew it off... I think it was more that you could selectively harvest trees for lumber or firewood, but in terms of building a house and clearing an area for crops or gardens... :nono:


----------



## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

You can still file a mining claim on federal land in several western states...its real cheap, but you do have to be mining on it.....you can also buy other claims, but that will cost you more....Eitherway the land is still the governments, but you are alowed to live and work there.....for now.


----------



## hoofinitnorth (Oct 18, 2006)

Free land is usually free for a reason (or isn't really free at all, if you get my drift). Often the sites are in very remote areas that may not even be accessible by road, with little or no WORK nearby to make a living. In many of these areas, the infrastructure is non-existent so don't even bother thinking you can live there and telecommute.


----------



## Shadow (Jan 11, 2006)

This same daydream comes up every few months, I heard there are free homesteads (but no real locations,) You can get a mining claim,( you can not live on it you can not farm and they have hundreds of hurdals to jump through for worthless land you can not use) There are books out there that tell you how to get free land from all kinds of palces( all want you to send you money or buy their book course you could just send me your money)
Get real there are no land no where that is free, ore even cheap that is worth having. If you want a homestead do like me work two jobs, save the money for a down payment and buy it. We have not been to a movie in years, we work 12/16 hours a day but we are living our homesteading dream and have for over 20 years. 
If you look at the previous post there are no real locations and if any one has solid infro on free land that is good land I for one would just like to get the infro just to check it out. I'm old and have been around a lot and never seen good land free. Sure back years ago there was land in the middle of frozen tundra in Alaska, that is over and has been for forty years, and most of it was never settled on nor will it ever be. Its so remote its worthless and the state of Alaska no longer gives it away.


----------



## KCM (Sep 26, 2005)

Don't know how factual this is, but somebody told me there is a guy who started an organization to give away free land on the moon. 

She said there is a service and filing fee but the land is yours to keep forever (according to the 'gypster-seller' anyway). 


​


----------



## HeavenHelpMe (Apr 28, 2006)

I'm sure there's some really cheap land out there that you can purchase. Of course, your cows will wind up glowing in the dark and all of your chickens will hatch out with 3 heads. But hey, you get what you pay for. :shrug:


----------



## hoofinitnorth (Oct 18, 2006)

Sorry Shadow, back when homesteading was big in the 1950s and 1960s here, there was WONDERFUL land to be had. I know several folks that homesteaded and got 160 acres+ but had to put in roads, power, and clearings as well as plant crops. My in-laws did it in the 1950s and still live on their homestead *ON* THE BANKS OF THE WORLD-FAMOUS KENAI RIVER. :hobbyhors

I'm not clear on the details but there was something about it being very inexpensive or even free to acquire if they were military (they were) and did all the aforementioned required items. The requirements, as I understand them though, did not include a mandate to *continue* farming the land. Just clear & plant and you were good. Most folks planted timothy hay because it was readily available, grew well, and often had a market if anyone wanted to bother cutting it. Otherwise it looked pretty and encouraged wildlife to visit. 

Many families around here homesteaded and they work the land for agricultural use or have sold off bits and pieces when subdivided when the real estate market boomed. Some of the wealthiest frontier families here still live on their original homesteads.

Then there is Agricultural land, so designated by the State of Alaska. Not free and usually not cheap. Usually not fee simple, either. Lots of restrictions on what you can and have to do with the land and just how many homesites you can put on it. Can be a real bugger for resale, especially if you want to subdivide (many cannot do this) or if your crops go south and the market is in the toilet. Many farmers encouraged to relocate here from the MidWest learned this lesson the hard way. Some still haven't learned. We get visitors from other states all the time that think they can make a go of agriculture when they couldn't do it back home where infrastructure existed and feed and fertilizer and fuel weren't so costly.


----------

