I just wrote a post on my main site that touches on the kind of real estate that thrills me to sell, and how it connects to everything else that excites me in my own life (art, nature, etc). In summary, my favorite properties are those that are filled with nature and potential to nurture the owners. Properties that offer the potential for survival when the world around is a hard place to exist.

What Makes a Great Survival Property?

This is where the ‘nature & nurture’ part of the title of my post comes in. These are the things I consider to be essential. It’s very difficult to find a property that meets all of the criteria, but aim for as many as feasible:

• live water (creek, spring, spring-fed pond), waterfalls
• mature forests (not clear-cut or too much thinned)
• good level clearings (need for building sites, solar, gardens)
• wild game (usually need at least 10 acres, more is better)
• remote
• good access (very rare in remote areas)
• multiple aspects, at least north/south or east/west
• rich in biodiversity

Some people will also find availability of utilities to be very important.

• well or municipal not too far away
• electric near the building site or at least not too far away
• internet access

Alternatively, you could make something less remote work great as long as it has the potential to keep you fed and offers a route to making a little income from your efforts, and isn’t too close to large population centers:

• has room for small livestock
• room for good-sized garden
• close enough to an audience to sell produce or farm products

Finding something that ticks off every check on this list may not be possible. If you do encounter such a property, know that it is the rare deal and if it’s truly what you are seeking, snap that baby up if it’s at all possible. I understand it also has to fit your budget, and that is often the limiting factor.

Proximity to Work

If you’re a remote worker, then internet access is critical. And if you will need to drive to work, then location is going to be critical. When we first moved here, my commute was an hour and forty-five minutes each way. That is a grueling thing to endure. I did it for seven years before it became too much. Fortunately, I had an alternative. But if you intend to live on your property, you’ll need to factor in distance to work. So that will limit your options even further.

Are You Looking for A Place Like This?

I’m your agent! I’d love to help you find the perfect or close-enough land or home where you’ll find nurturing from nature, and will keep my eyes peeled for those properties that offer the potential for survival.

Here’s a couple to consider:

• Home with a garden and solar setup
• Not too rural, mini-farm potential

Up Next

I’ll make posts about what I’ve learned about living rural in the remote Ozark mountains of Madison county, Arkansas. We moved from an urban setting in south Louisiana, where we thought we were living in the country. What a wake-up call it was to experience true country living, far off the nearest pavement. These little vignettes will help you with a bit of insider information, if you decide to make the leap into the Wild Ozark land!