The Money Mustache Community

General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: Blindsquirrel on December 14, 2014, 06:32:06 AM

Title: Free residential lots in Minnesota.
Post by: Blindsquirrel on December 14, 2014, 06:32:06 AM
http://bringmethenews.com/2014/12/09/a-mn-city-is-offering-free-land-but-nobody-is-taking-it-and-the-taxpayers-are-paying/

Just throwing this out there for my online peeps. If you want a free lot, here you go.
Title: Re: Free residential lots in Minnesota.
Post by: soccerluvof4 on December 14, 2014, 08:02:01 AM
Its cold enough where I live now and Taxes suck! even if the land is free for an even colder climate and higher taxes yet no thanks! Thanks for sharing though it was an interesting concept these towns are trying
Title: Re: Free residential lots in Minnesota.
Post by: Blindsquirrel on December 14, 2014, 02:41:53 PM
my view is the market is never wrong for long, if a place does not move at zero dollar price, that is probably asking to much for it. The high taxes are probably why the town is dying.
Title: Re: Free residential lots in Minnesota.
Post by: Left on December 14, 2014, 02:47:30 PM
It's kind of like in Kansas where they are paying people to live there
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/kansas-offers-incentives-lure-people-back-plains/
Not sure if I would live there but between a frozen barren land (okay I haven't been to MN) or detroit, at least Kansas is somewhat nicer/safer?

couldn't they turn it into a national park or something? Then let visitors pay the entrance fees?
Title: Re: Free residential lots in Minnesota.
Post by: sheepstache on December 14, 2014, 02:52:54 PM
my view is the market is never wrong for long, if a place does not move at zero dollar price, that is probably asking to much for it. The high taxes are probably why the town is dying.

Also the requirements seem a bit tricky. A year doesn't seem like enough time in which to build the house. To start with, most people probably would take a month just to wrap up their affairs in their current location. And particularly if you're planning to build the place yourself and still need to work full-time.

And the income limit seems strange. Wouldn't you want affluent people coming to town? Maybe they're trying to keep out developers but you'd think they could write in a primary residence requirement. Plus getting financing to build a house is tricky, so higher income would help. But perhaps the town is secretly trying to recruit mustachians.

Interesting link.
Title: Re: Free residential lots in Minnesota.
Post by: iris lily on December 14, 2014, 03:02:56 PM
There are all kinds of free or nearly free houses in my city. Trouble is, you can get them for $1,000 but you've got to renovate them to the tune of at least $100,000 and then they are only worth $45,000 because they are in a crappy part of the city.

There is no free lunch.

Some houses on my block went for $5,000 each some years ago, back when we were semi-ghetto. Now we are upscale and they are building $500,000 houses across the street from me. So posh. Me, so happy. :)