I found myself inspecting the listing again a bit more carefully. I do like the woodstove, the land, the open floor plan. The price hasn’t changed, but it’s a cash-only or builders loan, which makes me think there must be some real issues not highlighted in the listing, which makes it difficult to sell. And it’s fairly rural and in New York State. It also appears from the listing to be lacking in barns and similar infrastructure for livestock. And it’s probably a bit to rural for practical commuting – I could do it but I don’t want to spend half my life in a car going through those hick towns or getting on the Thruway.

Maybe 20 years ago, I would have bought it had there not been the burn ban or SAFE Act. The things I despise but are making me the money that I need to build the life I actually want. Yet, still it has many of the things I despise about suburban living – namely the vinyl siding and the drywall. Truth is I want a real cabin made from wood in a free state where I can burn whatever I want and own whatever guns I want, but I need more money before I can do that – especially if that requires retirement due to lack of work in such places. I could build in New York, but to be close of enough to commute work reasonably, it involves so many compromises for a life I don’t want.

I just don’t see the purpose of buying a house I hate, in a location that I hate. I get you have to live somewhere, but I’d rather stay in my dumpy apartment or another dumpy apartment until I can afford the life that I actually want. Retirement isn’t that far away if I put in at age 55, and in the mean time put every penny I can away in various investments. And maybe I can find something to do for work when I finally own my own land. But it tough in the deep rural, after all the lack of jobs is why most of us suffer in shitty suburbanite life or with long commutes. That said, it still remains an endless source of frustration for me.