[WhirlwindAttack]

Thanks Aunt B, Septic will cost about 3K. I can dig a privy and camp as long as I want there. A travel trailer is an option also.

[AuntB]

Looks like you’ve checked into the necessities. A travel trailer is a good option. I lived in a 5th wheel for a year, in between locating. It was great...get one with a rear bath, more privacy...you can pick up good used ones cheap. And if you don’t like it there...leave!

[gracie1]

I would strongly advise spend the cash and get a septic system put in. A housing option would be a small pre-manufactured log home. All materials are delivered to your site. You can choose to put it all together yourself, or contract out the parts that are over your ability.

[tomkat]

If you're determined to do this asap, the good used RV idea mentioned up-thread has a lot going for it, especially in light of the fact that for the time being you'll not have little ones underfoot.

First, a weekend trip w/tent to get the privy dug and some kind of enclosure over it.

Then when you acquire a suitable RV, drive it to the land, and in a couple days you could get it up on blocks or timbers (with the help of a mechanic's floor jack) and tied down and skirted against winter winds (which would also give you some low-cost 'shed' storage space to boot).

The RV's propane tank can be refilled pretty cheaply in town for cooking/heat needs, and the vehicle's built in slop bucket can be emptied into the privy without needing to endure nightly treks in the snow for frozen butts. You would however need to give some thought to keeping the on-board water supply from freezing.

As for electricity, the easiest solution would be to run the RV's engine when needed to recharge whatever batteries are on-board, and refill in town as needed with a jerry can kept for the purpose. Or alternatively, assuming there'd be no neighbors close enough to object to a generator running, the cost of a medium duty unit would prolly be a good emergency investment anyway.

The RV would still start feeling a bit cramped come February, but you can surely make it snug/comfy enough to feel like home for awhile, and you'll have the whole winter of long nights to do your research and get a firm plan in place to tackle a more permanent dwelling asap after last frost.

/.02   (professional carpenter for 30 years)

[STARWISE]

This would allow you a roof over your head and the comforts of home, while you scout jobs and opportunities for economic activity in the area and make your decisions for the future.

And if you don’t like your options, you just pick up and find another place with your home behind you. Then, when you’ve settled on your location, you sell it.

It’s an adventure, for sure, maybe glamorous in the very beginning, but soon enough I think roughing it and the time you’d be spending on the very fundamentals of life would get old, and your priorities will be not only be surviving well while being as self-sufficient as possible, but also earning money to keep pursuing your eventual dream situation.

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I note no mention of toilet/sewer/septic issues, however, and it’s not inexpensive, but I look at the time you’d have to spend just to secure your safe and enclosed housing that you could be better using to get to know your community, pursue your livelihoods in your new home, and see if you want to stay there permanently.

http://www.usedrvs.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi?db=k5th&website=&language=&session_key=&search_and_display_db_button=on&results_format=long&db_id=219&query=retrieval

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Older, but much cheaper

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/5thwheel/1994-Kountry-Star-By-Newmar-15141.htm

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/5thwheel/1992-Avion-15147.htm

Good luck, and God bless you both. Keep us posted, and pray for us all.

*Hey, it might also be worthy of a published journal of your journey ............ ;) I’d definitely keep one .. and think it could be salable (and a website maybe?).