Homesteads

[5288IH]

I was just looking at my house and thought of it its history, has seen 4 families. Originally part of it was in Cobar 400kms built in 1890, got moved to Dubbo in 1916 same family owned it for 80 years, the place got extended when they moved it, timber was cut on property and they used 4 gallon shell tins as cast for cement peirs. So this house has seen horse and cart then planes fly over it even satellites. They provide a happy and sad place for families. Also from candles to generators to electricity makes you realise how independent pioneers were really are.

[mike newman]

....New Zealand is very 'young' in this respect.....we are slowly ''doing up''  a 1906  built house....which is like last week's  as compared with the UK  and parts of the US/Canada

None  the less 'our'  1906  model is the second  house on the property....first one suffered as so many others did back then.....fire 

We are slowly getting there.....and we never bothered the local Council...we just felt we would push on without that costly , unnecessary  bovine excrement ,  that goes with  Council  sanction...................

We installed a huge , 'home made '  open fire....which  has a heat exchanger built around it.......an effect that Seth...  @vtfireman85 will have a wry grin about...given his recent post re  the vagaries of Insurance company parasites....

That decision...without the plethora of permits...and ..including getting the fire place  ''tested'' to see if it qualified to NZ Standard  #  etc etc, fell at the first hurdle....as I said ""No....all my welding certifications  have long expired..""  thus deeming the whole shebang  a  non event.....no dollars for parasites...no insurance for us....

Anything to with building down here...has one suffocated  under bureaucracy...then fiscally  raped....so we gave the bloody lot the copulatory adjective....

Problem with certified welders here in NZ......we all forget to weld at midnight 31st December...thus 20 yrs ago, when I needed those bits of paper to legally work in the West Indies...$1300.00    NZD/s had to be shelled  out to become current....Goodness only knows what it costs today.........

Mike

[New Englander]

My approach has been to get a permit if they can see it from the road or if paying a contractor to do something. NH is somewhat laid back, I can't imagine living say in California where a bird house probably needs a permit and corresponding inspection.

[Chester5732]

I agree. I often think of the house on my centennial farm. So many people that have lived there. All related and never a for sale sign in front of the place. It’s strange to think that this is the 250th for the US but when my Great Great Grandfather homesteaded the place we weren’t even to a hundred years yet. 

[IHandJDman]

Our house is from sometime around the civil war.  1867 map shows it here with 100 acres.  My family bought it in the early 1920s and I bought it in 2019 from my aunt.

[TroyDairy]

It should make you pause.  Most of us have it pretty easy vs 100 years ago.  They didnt know anybetter.  My Grandfather inlaw told me he had 4 options after WW2 in The Netherlands.  Lay bricks (not really a option he said), US, New Zeeland, or South Africa.  Thank the Lord Almighty he picked US.  Otherwise Id never gotten my wife!  They got married on friday, had the 'funeral' (dutch called it something, they assumed you never were going to see each other again), got on a ship in seperate quarters Monday for IA.  

Weve been thinking of selling and changing some things.  And its weird to think the home is on its 2nd family in apx 100 years.  From a 20 ac slice to near 200 now.  I wish I knew more about the generation who built the 1st barn and the long gone original home.  The thought of some yahoo living here is just so odd.  This home was built in 58.  They salvaged the doors from the old house so we have these solid heavy fir doors on the rooms.  Who made them?  Were they from timber in the area since there were tons of mills?  When was the 1st barn actually built?  We know the milking barn (we still use) was built in 1944 or 46. )   what would you pay to go back 100 years in time?  200?  Just to stand on the land.  What did it look like?  Why did the original guys orient things the way they did?  How big was the lake which they drained in the 1920s?  Hand maps say 200 300 acres now its a swamp the size of a basketball court.  Why does the road have this freaking dip?  Was there a huge fir and the stump just got graded over?  So many things we can never know. 

[AKwelder]

My parents are on the property that came into my dad’s family in 1903. Grandmas side.  She knew lots of details, facts, names, relationships, histories. Wish we had videoed her every year at the get togethers. 
 

And being farm land, the farms around it all carry the names from years before, Johnson’s, Sullivan’s, and so on.  No one by those names has lived there in my lifetime but that’s what it’s called. Those families have left the farms and faded into obscurity.
 

Now we are looking at mom needing to be in a facility for care, if so at what point do they start putting a lean on the farm for moms care?  Families losing the legacy to pay the nursing home, horrible stuff

 

Then I moved to Alaska. Here there are 100 year old log cabins, no real connection to the past, and everyone leaves for warmer weather when they get old. No one stays 

 

different everywhere 

[Illini986]

The original quarter of our farm that I handle for my mother has been in our family since 1816; two years before Illinois even became a state. My house started out as a one room log cabin with a root cellar that's been added onto several times and during renovations it definitely made me think about all of the changes this place has seen. 

[whweldit]

Great grand dad bought this farm  in 1892.  Left Georgia from just south of Atlanta to come here.   Following the war he never regained what he had from before the war.   Signed a loan with a nephew and wound up having to sell out there and came to Alabama where land was cheaper. He had a little over 500 acres in Georgia.   Bought 160 here.  Still have 120 of the 160.  I have added 25 to that on bordering side to a total of 145 acres.  Grand dad built this house in fall of 1917.   Back was added onto in early ‘30s.   It has a half basement.  

[just Dave]

The generations of  a home seem to have a lot to do with options, in America anyway. The lure of good paying jobs in the city has funded the “New” house. The drive to keep the places in good repair has slacked off and left unmaintained for just a couple years changes maintenance to restoration. @mike newmanIt is very interesting to me that you don’t think of America as one of the youngest countries on earth. We don’t even know if we are going to make yet……….Take good care Mike.

[mike newman]

8 hours ago, TroyDairy said:

 US, New Zeeland, or South Africa.  Thank the Lord Almighty he picked US.  Otherwise Id never gotten my wife!  

...possibly irrelevant now, Troy...but as a matter of mild interest...and to the best of my knowledge...there apparently  have  always been ''wife''   material ..(of the traditional female gender...)..in New  Zealand....

...for further evidence, check the yearly census records...which continually show an upward trending in numbers...

Hope this helps...

Mike

...

[mike newman]

6 hours ago, just Dave said:

The generations of  a home seem to have a lot to do with options, in America anyway. The lure of good paying jobs in the city has funded the “New” house. The drive to keep the places in good repair has slacked off and left unmaintained for just a couple years changes maintenance to restoration. @mike newmanIt is very interesting to me that you don’t think of America as one of the youngest countries on earth. We don’t even know if we are going to make yet……….Take good care Mike.

Dave....your great country has been settled for hundreds of years....until the ''white man's'' unassailable greed  took over....

.....Katherine Duval..an eminent historian, has given wonderfull insights  into the first Americans living on that vast estate...prior to the mayhem that the 'new' settler's created....

When I catch up with you, again...we can have this in depth discussion...with lots of coffee  / tea breaks...

Mike

[Lars (midessa)]

7 hours ago, AKwelder said:

My parents are on the property that came into my dad’s family in 1903. Grandmas side.  She knew lots of details, facts, names, relationships, histories. Wish we had videoed her every year at the get togethers. 
 

And being farm land, the farms around it all carry the names from years before, Johnson’s, Sullivan’s, and so on.  No one by those names has lived there in my lifetime but that’s what it’s called. Those families have left the farms and faded into obscurity.
 

Now we are looking at mom needing to be in a facility for care, if so at what point do they start putting a lean on the farm for moms care?  Families losing the legacy to pay the nursing home, horrible stuff

 

Then I moved to Alaska. Here there are 100 year old log cabins, no real connection to the past, and everyone leaves for warmer weather when they get old. No one stays 

 

different everywhere 

Depending on State laws, ‘end of life’ care facilities can’t lay claim to a resident’s ‘primary residence’ while the person is still alive. After death, it ‘may’ be a different story. 
The Nursing Home industry in the country is a complete joke, and it’s not even funny. ‘Care’ is way down on their list. 
The primary function of a nursing home is unequivocally to bankrupt the patient(customer), and hopefully their heirs.

[Dave Downs]

My place is over 200 years old, had at least 3 additions over the years. The barn is about 150 years old, the floor joists are straight timbers flattened on 2 sides (adz, not sawn), some of them still have original bark on them.

About 25 years ago a mother and daughter showed up, the mother had lived here in the 1920’s and she just wanted to see the place. We invited her inside but she declined. She did give us a picture of her and her brother standing on the stone wall between the house and the spring house.

[Ihfan4life]

10 hours ago, TroyDairy said:

It should make you pause.  Most of us have it pretty easy vs 100 years ago.  They didnt know anybetter.  My Grandfather inlaw told me he had 4 options after WW2 in The Netherlands.  Lay bricks (not really a option he said), US, New Zeeland, or South Africa.  Thank the Lord Almighty he picked US.  Otherwise Id never gotten my wife!  They got married on friday, had the 'funeral' (dutch called it something, they assumed you never were going to see each other again), got on a ship in seperate quarters Monday for IA.  

Weve been thinking of selling and changing some things.  And its weird to think the home is on its 2nd family in apx 100 years.  From a 20 ac slice to near 200 now.  I wish I knew more about the generation who built the 1st barn and the long gone original home.  The thought of some yahoo living here is just so odd.  This home was built in 58.  They salvaged the doors from the old house so we have these solid heavy fir doors on the rooms.  Who made them?  Were they from timber in the area since there were tons of mills?  When was the 1st barn actually built?  We know the milking barn (we still use) was built in 1944 or 46. )   what would you pay to go back 100 years in time?  200?  Just to stand on the land.  What did it look like?  Why did the original guys orient things the way they did?  How big was the lake which they drained in the 1920s?  Hand maps say 200 300 acres now its a swamp the size of a basketball court.  Why does the road have this freaking dip?  Was there a huge fir and the stump just got graded over?  So many things we can never know. 

I would go back…. Not sure to when, but at least to when my Dad was in his prime. Always heard he was a great Man, would love to have witnessed it… on the flip side I heard GP was an cantankerous SOB… that might’ve been interesting too😂

But going back to when the generation I grew up admiring and being mentors to me, would be a dream…

[Chester5732]

I would love to see my place in 1871 when my Great Great Grandfather homesteaded it. 

[Ihfan4life]

3 hours ago, Lars (midessa) said:

Depending on State laws, ‘end of life’ care facilities can’t lay claim to a resident’s ‘primary residence’ while the person is still alive. After death, it ‘may’ be a different story. 
The Nursing Home industry in the country is a complete joke, and it’s not even funny. ‘Care’ is way down on their list. 
The primary function of a nursing home is unequivocally to bankrupt the patient(customer), and hopefully their heirs.

Same can be said for healthcare… 

without getting into details- person A was admitted for surgery for a colostomy bag(?) whatever it’s called. Person A developed issues from that surgery so was placed on a ventilator. 
Now had surgery to remove a major organ, all of it, and health has declined dramatically from that point on, yet more exploratory surgeries have been made or scheduled… 

Is that healthcare, I know it’s a very vague description but it’s all I can tell. Or is that just raking in the $$$ from someone who in all likelihood is terminal… 

The term Dr. doesn’t hold the distinction it once did, in my book anyways…. 
The terminology “Government run”should be a warning the same as tobacco use, carcinogenic is, or any other warnings placed by the government. IMO 

 

 

[New Englander]

When they invent time travel there's a lot of things I want to go back and see!😄

I grew up in a house that was bought brand new in 1899 by my paternal grand mother's family. It originally had gas lights until electrified in the '20s.

The house we live in now was originally built in 1852 but may have burned and been rebuilt. Stone cellar steps lead to nowhere, bulkhead stairs added on and crawl space only added under ell, which is not an addition so probably part of a complete rebuild. Still balloon construction so still likely 19th century. Septic tank was cast in place when indoor plumbing added sometime, lids have horseshoes for lift points. We've been here 32 years and the old townies still refer to our place as the old Emery farm even though it's passed through several owners before us. Farm pretty much divided off; we've got what was left. 

A local barn was to be removed due to highway enlargement so for some reason it had to be dated and compared to other area barns. The person who visited ours dated it mid 1860s ish due combination of trunnels  (treenails) and factory nails in the construction. Since I rebuilt it hopefully it'll last into the 22nd century. Values around here have risen so dramatically that I wouldn't be surprised if our house became a tear-down for a McMansion. House built on adjacent 35 acres that we didn't purchase sold a few years back for over a million and has since had a 2000 square foot "pool house" added along with a monster pool complete with waterfall and a large heated and air conditioned barn for a car collection. Rumor is it's they're moving and it's going up for sale. Speculation is 2.5 million or more. Land on the bay was just developed and the waterfront lots alone went for 1 million! All real estate around the seacoast is going for stupid money.

EDIT: I was wrong on the waterfront lots. The waterfront lots went for about 2 million, the water view about 1.5. New lots being developed down the street are reported to be 1.5. Neighbor informed me that his place, the one described with the pool house above, will be listed for a staggering 4.0 !!!!!!!!!

What makes the town attractive is the tax rate which is the second lowest in the state. I guess we made a lucky move buying our place 32 years ago. I doubt it would go for real crazy money but being next door to a multi million place might drag it up. It's all stupid money unless one is getting out of the market and moving to somewhere reasonable.

 

Edited June 7 by New Englander
Corrections

[Ihfan4life]

10 hours ago, New Englander said:

All real estate around the seacoast is going for stupid money.

Here it’s Lake frontage bringing stupid $$, but really anything around here is overpriced so much that it’s also overtaxed…. I’m not certain which is the driver though.
The hills are alive with the sound of housing construction and empty farmsteads🤕😢

[just Dave]

The gap between rich and middle is way to slim for many fat cats, and they are using our homes, and real estate in general, to shut the gate.

[AKwelder]

On 6/5/2026 at 1:51 PM, Lars (midessa) said:

Depending on State laws, ‘end of life’ care facilities can’t lay claim to a resident’s ‘primary residence’ while the person is still alive. After death, it ‘may’ be a different story. 
The Nursing Home industry in the country is a complete joke, and it’s not even funny. ‘Care’ is way down on their list. 
The primary function of a nursing home is unequivocally to bankrupt the patient(customer), and hopefully their heirs.

It’s the afterwards. In simple terms they will put a lean on the property that will have to paid when the property changes hands, like after the last parent dies. And a living trust will not save it 

[oleman]

When it comes to inheritance laws, each state can be different. Check with a Lawyer. who is familiar with the State you own the property in.

 

 

 

 

[Sledgehammer]

We bought a place in 2022 from the second owners. Have all the proof since sovereignty when it was homesteaded around 1818 or just before. Second family  owned it over 100yrs. All of the original 200acres is intact. The house still has original 14-18" oak timbers visible inside. It was moved here from near the creek in 1854 and added onto in the 1880's to make the outside dimensions it is now. Kitchen added on around 2000. 

Where I live has been in my family since the 1830's or before. My great grandparents tore down a house that was over 100yrs old in 1948 to build the one I live in and have just renovated now. The original 160ac block is still in the family and has been added onto over time. My house is still a work in progress right now with a fresh addition.......

[acem]

My house is only 16 years old.  There was house in the same location when dad bought the place in the late 60s.  It was built in the 1800s but was in bad shape.  I have an old clock my grandmother found in the attic.  

Most of this area was settled from 1850 to 1900.  However there were some people in the area before.  

A French man had a Spanish land grant a couple miles from me.  

My mothers family farmed before the Civil War and had slaves.  Their farm was about 20 miles west of here.

Almost nothing is left from before the Civil War.  Most everything was burned by Union troops passing through.