OT: Building in isolated location

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seal killer
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Location: Ozark Mountains

OT: Building in isolated location

Post by seal killer »

All--

I just bought 80 acres deep in the Ozarks. The property is reached after traveling 1.10 miles over a logging road. The property itself is 80 acres, half a mile long and a quarter mile wide. The half mile length straddles an east/west ridge with cliffs on both sides. The land below the cliffs is very steep and leads down to two very well known creeks, one of them which runs through the famous Rockbridge Trout farm and resort. Of the 80 acres, probably only 20 to 25 is usable. However, it is nice and flat. Tall pines abound. There are big hardwoods, but they are fewer in number due to the logging operation years ago.

VERY fortunately, power is available from the local co-op's line which runs across one of the creeks, up to the ridge and down the other side across the other creek. This line is located at the far east edge of the property. My prime building sites are within several hundred feet of the line.

My plan is to build an ICF (insulated concrete form) home on the property. It will be a traditional walkout, but sunk into the ground as far as possible. The south end of the house will be glass, to encompass the fantastic view. Ideally, one would be able to walk up to the roof across a gentle slope. But, that depends on how deep the solid rock shelf--stretching under the property from the north cliff to the south cliff--is beneath the top of the ridge. My calculations show that it is probably deep enough at one home site location and definitely deep enough at the second. There are actually many great locations, but so far we like these two the best. (All the home site locations feature a great view to the south over the mountains with the large creek far below.)

Of course, I will be able to build a shop from scratch. Since I need a place to put stuff during construction, I am thinking of having a pole barn built long enough to hold a pickup and a skid loader and wide enough for the shop and a small studio apartment. (I need a place to stay when I am in the area during construction. Staying at the resort might get expensive.)

I am looking for ANY advice regarding this entire concept: well, septic, concrete home (NO exposed wood!), pole barn garage/shop/apartment and whatever you can think of. My time frame for completion is based on when my wife retires, which will be sometime within two to five years. I imagine it will be five years, since that will be full retirement for her. It COULD be four years, since Medicare will kick in when she is 65.

Here is a video of the drive down the logging road and then several short views of us and the property. It is almost 14 minutes long. I don't expect anyone to watch the entire thing. You might watch enough of the first part to get an idea of the access and then tune in to the all of the shorter second part for the views. (Remember that some of the trees will be removed when the house is built.)



--Bill
You are what you write.
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Dave_C
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Location: Springfield. MO.

Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by Dave_C »

Welcome to the Ozarks. That will put you right in my back yard {sort of}

I have a pretty good idea where you are and the rock formations around here are quite unpredictable. The shelves don't run flat! I ran into that 18 years ago when my home was built. It is soft limestone so cutting it is not all that hard. Setting post for pole barns usually requires some blasting of some sort. I'm not sure how you buy the materials to do that these days with all the restrictions. Years ago we just went to the hardware store and bought sticks and caps. Never was a problem!

The first thing that comes to mind is concrete trucks getting to your place to deliver. You'll need a pumping truck to fill the forms! A good road into the place will be key to getting all the material in and out.

Electrical service should not be an issue. I've seen the local power companies do everything from poles and overhead wire to total underground with a transformer close to the home and outbuildings. Plan on having some back up power since we do get ice storms from time to time and power can go out for quite a while.

Lot's of game to eat in this area so you won't go hungry!

Dave C.
I learn something new every day! Problem is I forget two.
pete
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by pete »

Hey Bill,
I am a certified excavator operator. If you still don't have my email then pm me and I'll give you it again and then try and give you a few pointers as and when your questions come up.

Pete
duckman903
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by duckman903 »

It looks like the first piece of equipment is going to be a tractor with front end loader, back hoe, and a brush hog mower, a lot of truck operators don't like to get there trucks scratched by branches, the road way up to the gate is that a shared road, and what can you do to it by way of improvement.
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Dave_C
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by Dave_C »

Bill,

I watched most of the video! Nice view and I envy you being able to build there. Don't forget the tick, chigger and snake replant!

Just looking at the trees, it looks like you might be in AR instead of MO? The ridges look the same as do the rocks. Oh speaking of the rocks, they have sex in this area of the world. We are sure of it since most of us have experienced removing all the rocks from a piece of land only to come back and find more have turned up. So we conclude they have sex and multiply! LOL

I'd do the same thing but my health keeps me from doing all the work (again)

Dave C.
I learn something new every day! Problem is I forget two.
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seal killer
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by seal killer »

duckman903 and Dave--

duckman903, the road is a deeded access. I can improve it from the county road all the way to my property. That will be the first thing I do.

Dave, we carry the bug repellant in the Jeep! (I grew up in that country and have never been bothered by ticks or chiggers, though.)

It is in Missouri, in Douglas county about a mile and a half by stream from the Rockbridge Trout farm and resort. Take a look at Google Maps or Google Earth. However, I think we can SEE Arkansas from the ridge. (Probably not. We would have to be able to see completely across Ozark county.)

When I was young, Dad told us kids that he would pay us fifty dollars each if we would pick up all the rocks in his big garden area. (We lived only a few miles from where our new property is.) The three of us old enough to pick up rocks picked up rocks and picked up rocks. Finally, it looked pretty good. Then it rained. You know what happened then.

Dad kept his money.

--Bill
You are what you write.
SteveM
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by SteveM »

You will need these:

Image

Keep them on your key chain, in the shop, in the kitchen, in the bathroom. They work amazingly well.

Steve
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Dave_C
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by Dave_C »

Bill, you realize you are way to close to the Grizzly warehouse when you get to Douglas County! LOL

Dave C.
I learn something new every day! Problem is I forget two.
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seal killer
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by seal killer »

Dave--

Every time I pass Battlefield road while on 65 I want to get off the highway and head west!

--Bill
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neanderman
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by neanderman »

DrDavo wrote:So we conclude they have sex and multiply! LOL

I'd do the same thing but my health keeps me from doing all the work (again)
Have sex or build a house? 8)
Ed

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TomB
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by TomB »

duckman903 wrote:It looks like the first piece of equipment is going to be a tractor ... brush hog mower, ...
I mow a lot of acres that had low growing brushy weeds like your video showed. My acres are more pitched than your, much of it is ski slope but there are work roads that wind up the mountain and look like yours. I would not recommend a brush hog until after land is mowed and rock raked. When we were using a brush hog we went through 3 or 4 a year because some rock would kick up and get between the cutting blade and the housing. Sometime they would wedge and bend the blade and sometimes they would shoot through the housing. We changed to using a flail mower and were much more successful. They cost more but 3 or 4 brush hogs per year at $900 each is also costly. In our case we put the flail on a specialized low center of gravity, steep hill climbing tractor that fails a lot and is hard to maintain but you would not need one of those.

Tom
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seal killer
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by seal killer »

Tom--

Much of the south side of the top of the ridge merely needs to be cleared of fallen timber and saplings. The north side is a different story, but I plan to leave it for last as the house will go on the south side. When I do clean up the north side, I'll probably start with a front end loader (skid or track loader). A piece of equipment that size will let me get between the trees to rake out the scrub.

Before I do any of that, I need a place to house the loader and other equipment. I am thinking about a pole barn with space for two pieces of equipment--track or skid steer and a pickup, and a small studio apartment to use while I'm engaged in this process.

--Bill
You are what you write.
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