I put most of my savings into 20 acres land/home. Now I find I can’t keep the land, I live on it, unless I pay $3200 a year in property taxes. If I left it in the bank I wouldn’t have to pay yearly to keep it.
I feel for you, George. I’m in the same boat...75 yrs old, both my husband and I worked all our lives and are long retired, we have our house free and clear, but paying over $2,000 a year in property taxes. Then dear Gov. Brown makes me pay $150 a year for fire protection (over and above my state taxes which supposedly cover this) since I live in an outlying area, which HAS a fire station 3 miles away, plus a volunteer fire fighting group one block away at a resort area. I figure the next bite will be when my husband (in failing health) goes to a rest home and our house gets a lienput on it to pay for his care. Living the American dream!
$270 a month for the King's Rent - on "your own" land.
49 of the 50 states stole all the peasants' houses & land 30 years ago.
Have you considered doing something productive with the 20 acres so that it covers the $3200 annually? A former colleague leased a 10 ft x 10 ft patch of his land for a cell phone tower. He collected $1,000/month. It more than covered his property taxes. His place is 425 acres in Tennessee.