What I won on eBay

[07Negative]

So it all started with a youtube channel I came across while researching wind and solar power. Some guy said he bought property on eBay for just a few hundred bucks. First thing that came to mind was, "Bullshit!"
So I looked. I placed a bid on a property in Wilcox Arizona. It's only 0.21 acres. But I paid $20. Yes twenty bucks.
So I got all the info off the eBay listening. Made some phone calls to make sure it was legit. Talked to a few people down there in that county. Sure shittin. It's legit!
I don't have any plans for it. But hell. Even if it were a scam. It's only 20 bucks. I probably give that much away each month to bums.

[dagr8tim]

So it all started with a youtube channel I came across while researching wind and solar power. Some guy said he bought property on eBay for just a few hundred bucks. First thing that came to mind was, "Bullshit!"
So I looked. I placed a bid on a property in Wilcox Arizona. It's only 0.21 acres. But I paid $20. Yes twenty bucks.
So I got all the info off the eBay listening. Made some phone calls to make sure it was legit. Talked to a few people down there in that county. Sure shittin. It's legit!
I don't have any plans for it. But hell. Even if it were a scam. It's only 20 bucks. I probably give that much away each month to bums.

That's cool. Problem with property in AZ is water rights. Lots of time those are hard/expensive to get.

But for $20, if you could start picking up surrounding chunks of property. You could open an offroad park.

Link to the auction.

[07Negative]

I thought about things like that. This area is near the boarder. But I figured I'd sit on it. I just had a kid. Maybe she'll want it. Maybe I'll want it when I'm old and fat.
If I keep and do any form of living on it. I'd build something like a Earthship. I don't need no water rights. I can dig a well. I'll gather rain water. I've had some ideals brewing. Oh and class III firearms!
I am indeed one of those weirdo dudes that think of all the different building methods. I'm down for that kinda stuff. Not to save the planet. Just because I think its rad.
Let me dig up the link.

[dagr8tim]

I thought about things like that. This area is near the boarder. But I figured I'd sit on it. I just had a kid. Maybe she'll want it. Maybe I'll want it when I'm old and fat.
If I keep and do any form of living on it. I'd build something like a Earthship. I don't need no water rights. I can dig a well. I'll gather rain water. I've had some ideals brewing. Oh and class III firearms!
I am indeed one of those weirdo dudes that think of all the different building methods. I'm down for that kinda stuff. Not to save the planet. Just because I think its rad.
Let me dig up the link.

Awesome. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great idea.

If you don't mind, I'd love to get the address and look at the aerial photography of the area.

[OrangeXJ]

After reading your post I looked for property in Texas. Found property with starting bids ranging from $1-$500. Reading the details of the sale the wining bid was for the down payment. Are you sure you bought the property or put a down payment on it?

[saar]

Hi,

When you say 20$, is it the payment for a place that you can build your house on?
Saar.

[bluedragon436]

I think that is pretty cool... And if it was the full amount paid for the property.. it would be cool if you could get up with the person selling that land, and see if they have any auctions up for additional surrounding parcels of land... that way you can build up a bit more property $20 auctions at a time..

[07Negative]

Let me tackle as many of these questions as possible.
No it's not a down payment. There is a $399 doc title transfer fee. So all in all $420 (My magic number!)
It states buildable. Does not give details about utilities, water rights, etc. Which again. I don't mind. I'm thinking of a off the grid kinda setup.
Someone said something about keeping in contact with them for future parcels. ChaChing! had that in mind.
Someone told me (I haven't checked facts yet). That in Texas you have to have "X" amount of land before you can actually build on it.
What these guys do is go to local government. Buy up a fat amount of land for one lump some of money. Then they section it off and then sell them off.
I was originally lookin in Oregon. But no dice. My second favorite place in the states is Colorado. Found a dude selling his personal land 5 acres for $3,000! It's mountainous looking from the pictures.
I'm going back to school this semester. So once I pay for that on monday. I'll see how much savings I have left but also for cushion. Don't want to tap myself out.
This is what I bought: eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

[07Negative]

I'm really into architecture and have been diggin on a few things. I read this article on this architect who bought some undesirable land in North East Oregon. That sparked an interest in me. I always go for things not many people want. You just have to have some forethought and creativity right?
I've been designing my next house out of shipping cargo containers. And i met the guy that started this business up in Petaluma, California.
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
And I read this website: http://naturalhomes.org/show/tiny/getslide.htm
I've been to a few events from this guy as well: http://earthship.com/
There's some really cool stuff out there. Just pick and choose. Make it fit your style and life style. You can do things pretty cheaply.
I had to tap out my retirement to pay off my debt from college. So I want to invest in property and wine for my retirement. At least a portion of it at the least.

[dagr8tim]

How soon do you have to do the doc transfer? I may try to snag afew lots.

From the maps, it looks like a failed housing development that was already plotted out.

[07Negative]

I just paid. I get all the paper work this week. He's going to over night mail them.

[07Negative]

I talked to the guy again today. I told em I'm interested in other lots attached to the one I bought. I'd like at least 1 full acre.
Since I'm going back to school. I'm going to go down there during spring break. I think we get 2 weeks off. If that's the case. I'll do my Colorado trip as well. I treated myself this year to a Jeep Xmas. So lots and lots of goodies to be done which will work out perfect for that time.

[XJ4IV]

right along I10 man... build a hotel LOL id stay there every summer twice... once going to ca once coming back

[LizardRunner]

Sweet deal there Deejay, I've been looking into many of the different "alternative" housing ideas. Straw Bale, Cob, Earthships, etc. Wife and I have even been looking at a property that has a nice Cave on it that we could easily convert into a home. If we can get that 12 acres, we will be set upon my retirement. We plan on being totally off grid with wind and solar for electrical needs. any gas we would need would come via propane. The property even has a spring on it for our water needs. I wish you great luck.

[07Negative]

Sweet deal there Deejay, I've been looking into many of the different "alternative" housing ideas. Straw Bale, Cob, Earthships, etc. Wife and I have even been looking at a property that has a nice Cave on it that we could easily convert into a home. If we can get that 12 acres, we will be set upon my retirement. We plan on being totally off grid with wind and solar for electrical needs. any gas we would need would come via propane. The property even has a spring on it for our water needs. I wish you great luck.
Dude you're speaking my language! I've got this really good friend up in Gary, Indiana who farms on 10 acres of land. He's got this same attitude. Farms on only a few acres all hydroponic. Using wind and solar. All done in shipping cargo containers.
Check out this wind funnel. It's the most efficient in wind power. I was quoted for a off the grid (no utility) for $4,800. Which to me isn't bad considering this guys design is really good and what he claims for technical specs are spot on.
http://www.vortexwindfunnel.com/Products.html
Sadly. Wind and solar and really old technologies but as a industry. It's not where it should be as far as technology goes. I'm not tryna say it's not worth buying in alternative energy sources. But I would almost expect for this alternative to be more concrete and actually making sense for more people to buy.
My situation is a bit different then most people. I'm a tight ass when it comes to utilities. Like so tight you can't fit a greased BB up my butthole kinda tight. So my Electric and gas bill for the house is no more than $50. I shower in the dark, I wear sweaters instead of using heat. Anything to avoid using the utilities. So for me it makes alot of sense to buy solar. B/c it takes the smallest unit to power my house. I have no tree's covering my roof. And we get a decent amount of wind to justify wind power.
I really want to do geothermal for heating and cooling. The Bay Area is really ideal for it.
I'm also interested in alternative energy source just as a way to say, "eff you PG&E!" I know it'll take time to pay the stuff off. But I've done worse with more money and have nothing to show for it. So yeah........
If building and planning in this area is flexible. I'm going to try and do something pretty cool. I want to read up on the area. I want to know what Indian tribes are native there. Maybe build something around the history of them. Or at least incorporate some of their things to coexist with my wants/needs.

[07Negative]

Something else that I like about the ideal of this land is the scenario "if shit hits the fan." I've been geeking out over survival blogs, bug out shelters and trailers. Not to think entirely negatively about the worlds conditions. Hell, I haven't even been alive long enough to have any life experience with worldly issues like our elderly folks have. But I'd rather be safe than sorry.
And maybe someone else can chime in on this whom live closer to the Mexican border. But what media has done to hype up the drug cartel and what not is a little exaggerated? Not sayin that it doesn't exist. But our media here has made it out to be this beast of a thing. Maybe that should be another thread? I did read about that Arizona farmer guy that was killed by supposed cartel. Anyhow....

[Carves]

Little tip on the shipping containers and council/county rules ...

Refer to em as ISO rated, portable buildings or something - instead of cargo/shipping containers.

And any building plan submissions, if needed ... probably ought to have a google sketchup coloured & textured image of the finished construction .....

Main problem down here doing anything .... is that all our self righteous public servants in planning depts ... think you just want to plonk a rusty, dented box with seafreight written all over it ... in the backyard and live in it .. :rolleyes:

Show em a piccy of something painted, with doors/windows, a roof, guttering, yada yada .... and their brain starts to work again ... ;)

Those foam filled, sandwich panels for coldrooms have some handy uses too .... coupla mobs down here selling complete homes made out of the stuff ... comes in a variety of external/internal "skin" types and fire ratings.

[LizardRunner]

Mexican drug cartel is more serious than our USA press make it out to be actually. The Mexican Mafia is out for money, period. They have a worse mentality than most of the gang bangers here, as well as an unlimited supply of people desperate to make any money at all. The desperate people tend to do what they think is the only way out of deep poverty, so they join up at as early an age as they can. A lot of what we see is actually rival gangs making war on each other for a bigger piece of the drug money pie. I saw the same things going on in Columbia in the early seventies, and it goes on in Nicaragua.

[dagr8tim]

The thing is that shipping containers cost more to ship back to China than to build new. There are ports in Southern Cali that have them stacked 4 and 5 high empty. These are containers that have only been used for one 1 way trip.

I think shipping containers would be awesome. For me, in southern Az, I'd consider sinking them partially or wholly in the ground for climate control.

[Joliet Johnny]

Im trying to save my pennies for next years tax auction. Many developers bought up land and went bust so Im guessing their not paying taxes? And I have a friend who is a professional architect so Im writing out all my plans in ebook form and once I get off my lazy arse I will basically make this a website that goes from planning to building to living in.

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