Good State To Move To? Looking to Purchase 15+ Acre Parcel

[7E-Bodies]

Pretty vague question with a lot of variables, I know. Just looking to hear the states you all live in with your listed pros and cons.

About us:

Looking to leave Central IL in 4 years
Wife and I newly retired
Love the place we have now, 10 acres, woods, acre fishing hole and the shop of my dreams...but it's IL and taxed at 8K/year, & all of the "other" issues
Able to purchase land now, develop later
Wanting the 15+ acres to keep other houses back
Conservative, quiet people that mind our own business and expect the same, yet make friends well
Rural living near a small town a plus
I'd want to have a large shop put up first, so zoning restrictions and HOA's would be a no go although we keep a very nice looking place
I'd expect to have to install septic, but municipal water would be a huge plus

Thoughts?

[Mopsquad]

Everyone around here (southern Cal) is fleeing to Arizona, Texas, Nevada.  Those have very different geographical landscapes than what you have now.  Do you have a short list of states?

[7212Mopar]

$8k tax for 10 acre is very attractive for us Californians. Will Idaho be too cold?

[Moosefire66]

Here in michigan the taxes, especially in rural areas where you can easily obtain 15+ acres are typically much cheaper as far as taxes are concerned. Being in Illinois I'm sure you know most of the pros and cons about michigan. Anything in particular just let me know

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[7E-Bodies]

@Mopsquad my shortlist was TN/KY/MO as that wouldn't take us too far from our families, but what I'm finding is any land going up for sale is snapped up almost like bots are buying it. I can't even contact the agent before it's pending.

[cuda hunter]

MIssouri.  Seems that is the place that will suite your needs as of your qualifications so far. 

I have a good friend who just moved to Alabama.
Another friend just moved to Tennessee. 
And yet another friend who has moved to South Carolina.
Numerous friends who are not so close have also moved to Southern states and a few to Idaho and Wyoming.
I've been looking at a home in Texas and a property without a home in Arkansas.
People want out of Colorado.   Californian's are moving here now and the state has become a liberal state since Obama.  All kind of stupid stuff going on in the state and people are over it. Rural's that is.  Those city folk are just happy as they can be to suck off the governments tit. 
  The lines will be drawn and people are moving closer to what is important to them.  Freedom and work. 

Here is a thread that might interest you.   Non political.  Mostly.
https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/threads/pick-a-state.488317/

[Mopsquad]

@Mopsquad my shortlist was TN/KY/MO as that wouldn't take us too far from our families, but what I'm finding is any land going up for sale is snapped up almost like bots are buying it. I can't even contact the agent before it's pending.

Yes I see that, and its everywhere.  If you're a cash buyer (?) then you'll be more likely to get in before it disappears. 

[torredcuda]

My sister has been in Tennesee just north of Nashville for a number of years and she loves it there but it`s becoming more popular to move there so not sure how the market is now. I have been looking at Virginia for a while now and there seems to be plenty  of land available around Roanoke and south/west. Rural areas, friendly people but still close enough to larger towns/cities for shopping etc. A buddy of mine just moved to PA and bought a large piece of land, nice house etc with cash after selling his home  in NH becasue prices are way up around here.

[JH27N0B]

From what I see it's a terrible time to buy right now.
I have local friends retiring and looking to move to the Knoxville area, and they told me when a promising house comes on the market there it sells almost instantly, and being 500 miles away they are sort of locked out of the opportunity.
Whatever goes around comes around, give it some time and it will be a buyers market again.
Like you I really want/need to escape IL.  In my case I'm trapped though with an elderly parent nearby who won't move.  In the meantime I'm seriously painted into a corner with my car hobby, too many cars for my property, really wanting a car trailer but no place to park here and can't even get in my driveway overnight.  But I won't invest in a bigger property here due to taxes etc.
I have a car collector friend who was looking to buy a commercial property with a collector friend of his to keep their collections, the properties were affordable but taxes were insane so that dream went out the window.
It's such a shame the corrupt politicians here have destroyed this state to the extent it's unlivable.

[Filthy Filbert]

@Mopsquad my shortlist was TN/KY/MO as that wouldn't take us too far from our families, but what I'm finding is any land going up for sale is snapped up almost like bots are buying it. I can't even contact the agent before it's pending.

Find an agent where you want to move to.  Tell them what you want, and they will be able to give you a heads up on stuff before it hits the market.  Trying to buy real estate from out of town, without an agent, in today's market is a complete waste of time.   So many properties are being sold just as they come to market.   Buddy of mine recently relocated for a job, and listed his house.  He did a 1 weekend open house, bids to be placed by Sunday evening, and he was in contract by noon on Monday.

Another friend of mine bought land out in the country and built a new house to move out of town.   Before he even dug a hole, he was approached by a random person through facebook, and they offered to buy his house immediately, allow him to stay in it for 4 months rent free while building the new house, and then pay a nominal rent fee until the new house was done.   He never even used an agent to sell.

[gzig5]

Kentucky and Missouri would probably be cheapest.  Tennessee is getting popular and at least in the Eastern side we're looking at, property is hot. 

I grew up outside St. Louis near St. Charles and went to college in Rolla.  The south central area would be pretty attractive I think.  The Ozarks are beautiful with great fishing and hunting if that interests you.  North part of the state isn't bad either, but a little more level and farm land, like central Illinois.  I'd be looking along the I-44 corridor and south from there if it were me.

[318Stroker]

Kentucky and Missouri would probably be cheapest.  Tennessee is getting popular and at least in the Eastern side we're looking at, property is hot. 

I grew up outside St. Louis near St. Charles and went to college in Rolla.  The south central area would be pretty attractive I think.  The Ozarks are beautiful with great fishing and hunting if that interests you.  North part of the state isn't bad either, but a little more level and farm land, like central Illinois.  I'd be looking along the I-44 corridor and south from there if it were me.

Good advice! I'm in St. Louis, and that's exactly where I'd be looking. I-55 South out of St. Louis would be a good area also.

[challengersteve]

I live outside Fort Smith Arkansas about 13 miles from the ark/okla border. This area (NW AR) has lots a rural land and no restrictions as far as building. Most places in the county will not even require a building permit or inspections if you wanted to build a shop.
Property taxes are fairly low but sales tax and state income taxes are pretty high.
You can get a really nice 3500 sf home with acreage in this general area for well under 500K.
There are also quite a few people moving to this area as it is super conservative and there are no issues like in larger cities.

[JH27N0B]

One factor you need to check out before moving to a new state is overall taxes.
Illinois has bad property taxes and sales taxes but doesn't tax retirement income, like pensions and I'm pretty sure none on IRA/401K withdrawls.
There are also no sales taxes on services here.
A friend of mine moved to TN and was surprised when he had to pay 9% sales tax on some service work.
I'm certainly not arguing that IL is a good place to be, it isn't, but still you need to research taxes carefully because if you move to a place where they have an income tax on your retirement income, you might find your move didn't really cut your overall cost of living as much as you expected.
And even if income tax is low or none, sales tax can be bad.
Another friend of mine moved to TN and was complaining how expensive beer is there.  He is not far from Kentucky so sometimes heads there to stock up. 

[dodj]

I live in an unorganized township in rural Ontario. 20 acres, $1900 for all taxes.....and free health care...lol