I want a farm

[Stearmann4]

Mrs Pickle,

Despite my Iowa upbringing and desire to live in the country, we rented little houses through all my duty stations, when we moved to the Pacific Northwest where we were fairly sure I was going to retire we bought a horse farm on a river. We absolutely love living here, and it's done wonders for the kids' quality of life. However, you can ask my wife how much she enjoys spending 8 hrs a week mowing in the summer, taking care of chickens, dogs, cows, a pig, garden, fixing fences, and well pump that breaks every time I deploy, etc.

We've talked about "what if" I were to have to PCS again, and we decided we'd just be screwed; even if we could rent the farm for anywhere near our mortgage, that kind of property takes a lot of work to keep up and can cost tens 0f thousands of dollars just to replace neglected fencing (trust me, I know) which no renter is going to do.

Rent a stable for your horse(s), sock money away for your dream farm for when you're ready to get out.

Mike-

P.S. Go Cyclones! 1989 - 92'

 

[Stearmann4]

I want to retire to a nice apartment in the city where I'll never have to mow a lawn again and I can be within walking/cab distance of good bars, culture, sports, airport, etc. I want to spend my retirement enjoying my spare time, not doing chores.

The zombies will eat all the apartment dwellers first!

 

[scoolbubba]

Me too! I’ve already set my sights on an “over 55” community in my area. No more grass to mow, landscaping to maintain or shoveling snow (the community where I want to buy shovels snow right up to your front door). Just as soon as I can sell my hovel I’m buying a 1000 S.F. duplex with a garage. (Don’t worry scoolbubba, I’ll be just off of New Design Road not far from Frisco’s. You’ll still be able to buy me the beer you owe me. )

If I were about 14 years further into my Navy career looking at getting out, I'd be all about buying your hovel if its the place I'm thinking of out in Buckeystown.

I can't swing the 1.4 million the lady who renovated my great grandfather's farmhouse out in Yellow Springs (bought it for 225,000 as part of the estate when he passed away) wants. I'm still pissed at the relatives who traded away the family farm to developers and the Tax man because "this is too much of a headache," and I was only 12 when it happened. Ah...family grudges. A great way to pass a lifetime!

 

[brownshoe]

The zombies will eat all the apartment dwellers first!

 

[Pags]

The zombies will eat all the apartment dwellers first!

It's the price you pay for the convenience of city living.

 

[Okie3]

MrsPickle your story sounds similar to my wife and me. I'm from Oklahoma, and have lived on quarter horse ranches most my life. My dad's a ranch manager and AQHA judge so I've grown up around it. My wife has grown up on her grandpas little farm also. I'm leaving for OCS in less than two weeks, and one of the big questions from my wife is, "What do I do with the horses while you're gone (sell or keep them) and can I have a horse later." My wife takes care of her 90 year old grandpa's place so us leaving soon throws a wrench in their setup. She's actually trying to sell one of her horses today.

I have a 23 year old rope horse of my own that is/was a good one, but pretty much retired now. He'll probably stay with my dad at the ranch so he's taken care of, and my little brother will probably ride him some too. Have you guys just had to find stables at each of your duty stations up to this point?

 

[MasterBates]

I had to board the hay to fertilizer converter in Texas and Jax. I'd hate to think of what that would cost in San Diego.

Sent from my PH44100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Okie3]

We're a breeding ranch. If the owner wants a stall it is $20 per day. Pasture is $14 for dry mares (no baby)...$16 for wet mare (mare and baby). Special circumstances or needs usually ranges 20-30 per day. Those are average prices here for good care (we feed the customers horses and everything else that goes with it)...San Diego would probably be high just to have the horse on the property.

 

[picklesuit]

MrsPickle your story sounds similar to my wife and me. I'm from Oklahoma, and have lived on quarter horse ranches most my life. My dad's a ranch manager and AQHA judge so I've grown up around it. My wife has grown up on her grandpas little farm also. I'm leaving for OCS in less than two weeks, and one of the big questions from my wife is, "What do I do with the horses while you're gone (sell or keep them) and can I have a horse later." My wife takes care of her 90 year old grandpa's place so us leaving soon throws a wrench in their setup. She's actually trying to sell one of her horses today.

I have a 23 year old rope horse of my own that is/was a good one, but pretty much retired now. He'll probably stay with my dad at the ranch so he's taken care of, and my little brother will probably ride him some too. Have you guys just had to find stables at each of your duty stations up to this point?

We boarded in Jax back in 2004/2005...went broke doing it, sold my horse for the last 2 months of board while I was in OCS. Got the wifes mare in 2008 in Jax and boarded at some shitholes, never got what we wanted out of them. Shipped the wifes horse to Whidbey to stay on our own property, which we rented for that purpose, and then boarded my horse who we got in 2010 ($350/month) so I had an arena and trainer for shows. Now, we want our own place. Get the care we want, we can provide a lot for the board we save, and the kids get the experience.
Pickle

 

[Recovering LSO]

I admittedly have not read the posts following your initial - however, as someone who grew up in Milton (Milton High School graduate) and my parents/sister still live there - DON'T do it unless you plan on homeschooling your children. The schools are B.A.D. and the general academic malaise / happy being stupid attitude is pervasive.

I love the idea of buying a bunch of land and raising smelly animals - and kids - but I just don't think Milton is the place to do this.

 

[helo_wifey]

We bought a house in Jax during my husbands shore tour, and I have no clue why. At the time I guess we wanted to be homeowners and we thought the market was down. $50k underwater in 3 years, we won't be able to unload it for a while. We do have someone in there on a 2 year lease, but we aren't making any money on it.

Hindsight, I wish we would have waited. I know our situation is a little different but if you think about it, he's only got 10 years (ish) till retirement, less if prior and then you can settle down. That's really only 3-4 tours somewhere. And for us, 1 has been overseas, and we've never gotten a location that we actually wanted.

I vote for wait.

 

[zippy]

I admittedly have not read the posts following your initial - however, as someone who grew up in Milton (Milton High School graduate) and my parents/sister still live there - DON'T do it unless you plan on homeschooling your children. The schools are B.A.D. and the general academic malaise / happy being stupid attitude is pervasive.

I love the idea of buying a bunch of land and raising smelly animals - and kids - but I just don't think Milton is the place to do this.

Pace allegedly has a real good school system these days. At least according to all of the married O-3s/O-4s who live there.