Finally Bought Some Land

[j44ke]

One day as sort of a "well we have time so what the heck" we ended up looking at some land just outside Hillsdale NY. Not the sort of land we imagined buying - pine woodland with deciduous trees mix over rolling terrain on a small hill - but there was a small creek on the property, many tumbledown stone fences leftover from the 1800's farm it once was, and many of the pines were over 75 feet, allowing for a nice shaded breeze on even warm days. So it grew on us. 6 months later (easements, easements, easements) we've finally bought the land - 32 acres of firewood, turkeys, grouse, fox, bobcat and deer.













Now the headaches begin in earnest. I am sure there are plenty of others here who can tell stories. Please feel invited to do so. I am all ears. We meet with our architects (LevenBetts) Tuesday for the preliminary conversations. I figure we'll be happy if the foundation is in by winter. No designs yet - first had to get land, but we really like this house by a Canuckian architect. We'll see.

Most importantly, the riding rocks in that area. Right over the mountain from Great Barrington, 25 minutes to Hudson, lots of ups, gravel, history, etc. What a relief from the stinky city! Hooray.

[colker]

wonderfull! Congratulations.

[guido]

Congratulations! Looks like it is really special! Enjoy!

[christian]

Congratulations! Looks beautiful! Do you have an active deer lease on the property? If not, would you be interested in leasing for deer season?

[Too Tall]

Congratulations. It will be a place of peace. True respite.

Dang, you did it :)

[Matthew Strongin]

Congrats Jorn! I hope to follow in your footsteps one day.

[Saab2000]

My family owns a couple parcels in Wisconsin. I can easily imagine a dwelling on one of them one day.

[cny rider]

Congrats to you.
Come join us in Otsego County for a nice ride or two when you're settled in and have the chance.

[Corso]

Very Nice! Congrats!
I hope you have a mountain bike!

[caleb]

Very nice, and I'm glad to see the dream coming together.

The cabin design you linked would be smart, especially the covered outdoor seating. As you know, it rains a lot, and being able to enjoy the outdoors when it's raining would be a big design feature I'd consider if building from scratch.

Good luck!

[robin3mj]

Host a CX race!
Congrats!

[j44ke]

Thanks. I am particularly psyched about the creek, which after the semi-drought last year was barely a trickle and now is burbling away. It is also 1/2 of the start of the Roeliff Jansen Kill, which runs from just north of our property to the southern border of Columbia County and north again to Germantown where it enters the Hudson River. I like being at the start of things.

No hunting. Some sort of covenant in the title about it. Plus I think we are within the town boundary. Need to brush up on the local regulations.

Yeah, the porch with a large overhang is key. We came back from Japan having spent time sitting on temple porches out of the rain thinking, yep we need one of those.

I'm thinking a Zank Road32 or 44 Huntsmen would be about right. Then I'll start work on the Jorn Fondo.

[Bewheels]

Nice!!

You are now close enough to join in some of the New England dirt rides.

The house design is really nice (the over hang particularly). Does it come with a random guy hanging off random things?
Building a house is both rewarding and a HUGE PITA. Either you or your wife will have a second job until it is complete.

FWIW - when my wife and I look at houses now we look for things like 'less stair cases'. We are in our 50s (and fit) but don't want any more stair cases than absolutely necessary as we look toward the future.

[EightySixer]

Great Jorn! Now when's the first XC MTB race?

[Diablo de Acero]

Very Nice!!! Congrats. Nothing better than the forest.

[Paul Jacobs]

I am particularly psyched about the creek,

So would I be. Congratulations!

[j44ke]

Nice!!

You are now close enough to join in some of the New England dirt rides.

The house design is really nice (the over hang particularly). Does it come with a random guy hanging off random things?
Building a house is both rewarding and a HUGE PITA. Either you or your wife will have a second job until it is complete.

FWIW - when my wife and I look at houses now we look for things like 'less stair cases'. We are in our 50s (and fit) but don't want any more stair cases than absolutely necessary as we look toward the future.

Second job person would be me since my first job is as a poet. My wife wants to get an Airstream to put me in up there, but I don't think she's looked at the prices on those things, even used. But I will be spending more and more time up there as the process goes along. Major sacrifice on my part of course, but I will manage somehow.

Perhaps with gravel rides!

Good point on the design and age. We are back and forth on whether to have a second floor. The black house with the floppy man in it linked above appeals as a model for the first floor at least, because everything is on the same level without any thresholds.

Anything we build will need a mud room, that's for sure.

[turkish]

Congratulations!

[SteveP]

beautiful piece. love the creek.
congrats.

dct has already set up his tent on the property so you better check w him on yr house site.

[rec head]

Looks awesome. Searching out locations to retire to is a hobby of ours.