Looks Like A Move Is In The Future

[Pappy]

For several years there has been talk of the city annexing our street and its 16 houses. We all got certified letters yesterday announcing the schedule of hearings/votes on the annexation. The city's master plan call for rezoning to multifamily (apartments) after annexation. I'm sure there is nothing that can be done to stop them, even if all 16 owners banded together.

The speculation has been that this wouldn't happen until there was a developer showing an interest in buying the property and building on it. I'm not looking forward to having to find a place and move, but I am starting to explore the market. Will probably go the same route as when I bought here in '90 by looking heavily at HUD, bank, and VA repo properties. The wife is talking about downsizing but I still want 1-2 acres and this time farther from the city limits and with no HOA to deal with.

[capncarl]

Nothing says time to pack up and leave better than a pink Impala with 24s parked at the front door! We moved and downsized into a larger house and lot and now we are really having regrets with the larger lot. It's getting to be more than we are able to keep up and it's going to get harder as we age.
capncarl

[dbhost]

Sorry to hear about the annexation woes. You might check with an attorney to see if they can rezone existing single family residential to multifamily against the will of the property owners. I would think you would be grandfathered in somehow...

Of course if they offer you a good buyout, why not?

On the lot too large thing. Get a riding mower, and clear the lot of obstructions as best you can so you simple have to do a 30 minute drive across your lawn with a glass of iced tea...

[Pappy]

Nothing says time to pack up and leave better than a pink Impala with 24s parked at the front door! We moved and downsized into a larger house and lot and now we are really having regrets with the larger lot. It's getting to be more than we are able to keep up and it's going to get harder as we age.
capncarl

I have 1 1/4 acres now and really don't want anything smaller. I want to be able to put my outbuildings and shop away from the house and still away from the neighbors so I don't bother them.

Sorry to hear about the annexation woes. You might check with an attorney to see if they can rezone existing single family residential to multifamily against the will of the property owners. I would think you would be grandfathered in somehow...

Of course if they offer you a good buyout, why not?

On the lot too large thing. Get a riding mower, and clear the lot of obstructions as best you can so you simple have to do a 30 minute drive across your lawn with a glass of iced tea...

A lot of where I go will depend on the buy out amount. Already have a lawn tractor and am looking into replacing it with a zero turn in the near future.

[sailor55330]

A lot of where I go will depend on the buy out amount. Already have a lawn tractor and am looking into replacing it with a zero turn in the near future.

SOrry for the issues. If you go with a zero turn, a couple of things I have learned....They are absolutely faster than a tractor. My neighbor and I have similar sized lots and my zero turn gets the job done at least 30% quicker. If you have hills, you might want to reconsider---they get a little squirrley on hills as they don't have "brakes" per say. You slow by simply not accelerating as controlled by the hydrostatic drive. Steep downhills (20% or more) can be a little exciting. Also, most of them seem to have a lower towing capacity than an equal sized lawn tractor. I have a Hustler and it's build like an absolute tank.

[capncarl]

My previous statement about getting a larger lot is based on my own personal experiences and contact with LOTS of seniors. 1 1/4 acres is not unreasonable to take care of and somewhat larger is still doable, but larger seems to get even larger as your years mount up. I have 3 1/4 acres to take care of with my commercial Gravely zero turn. It takes over 2 hard at it hours to mow, but mowing isn't all, there is the picking up limbs, pine cones, raking leaves, weed eating, flowers beds, fence mending, watering, fertilizing, insecticides and herbicides to also think about. Our community has residential lots from 1 1/2 acres to 5 acres, 5-10 acre mini estates, 10-15 acre mini farms and 15-20 acre mini ranches that have drawn in a lot of residents that have slowly become seniors and have been overwhelmed by the upkeep of such large properties. Even the simplest things can happen to take you away from keeping the weeds beat down, sickness in the family, job, extended stay out of town etc, and it is very hard to catch up. Nearly every month I see a for sale sign where the resident has had enough and is moving to somewhere smaller and more manageable. When the time comes I will stick up the for sale sign and hopefully will have found a more manageable site with the perfect shop!
good luck with your search Pappy.
capncarl

[capncarl]

Earlier today coming home from town, a nice 7 mile drive consisting of woods, swamp and farming I noticed that in a 1 mile stretch of wooded 10+- lots with about 6 houses, every one had a for sale sign! Probably for various reasons but the rumor is some are trying to get to a more manageable homesite.
capncarl

[LinuxRandal]

Wonder what it takes to form a township/incorporate and if that could stop annexation. (did here, decades ago) If that isn't done, I expect they will use some sort of imminent domain. (friend spent two years at $500 an hour trying to fight a city who wanted 30 some odd acres for a bike trail that goes on the OTHER side of the river. (possible bridge and eventual expansion to his side)