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Old 09-19-2016, 11:26 AM   #1
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Smile "Building" your own "Home Base" on "Your Property"???

My wife and I will be retiring and selling our home and then "Full Timing" as long as the Good Lord sees fit! "I" need some kind of "Home Base" to call "MINE"!!!

We live in Michigan with most of our family here and sons in Wisconsin and Louisiana. I'd like to have a "Home Base" somewhere in the middle of the State around "Houghton Lake" which is a nice place to spend summers.

Here's what I'd like to do...if possible.... I'd like to know if "any of you have done this"?????????????????????????

I'd like to buy a small piece of property/lot a couple miles off the lake. This would be on a paved road with Electric Service available. Then, I'd like to "DESIGN & BUILD" our own RV (Class A Motorhome) Lot. It would have a nice permanent 2-4 car garage, large paved site, install sewer and drill well. I would also have a nice deck with a permanent fire pit and some sort of patio covering. All this would be surrounded by a nicely kept and manicured lawn. It would also be designed in such a way that someone could at some point build a permanent home on the location without having to move the garage/well/septic/ or electric service. Am I dreaming too much?????????????????????

Of course, this is "Assuming" (there's that word) that City/County Building and Residential Codes/Zoning would allow such a thing....

HERE'S MY QUESTION... I would greatly appreciate it if any of you have either done this...have heard of it being done...or know someone that has done it??? In my mind (SCARY PLACE) I know exactly what it would look like.

This would be our "Summer Residence Site"...with several family members within 100 miles in each direction...I kinda like that!!!

So..............AM I DREAMING?????????????????
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Old 09-19-2016, 11:36 AM   #2
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Talking

yes, you are dreaming...

and yes, you can do it, it's exactly what I wanted to do since I would MUCH rather have my own land, in an area where I'd like, and no one else in sight. A private owned site where you can do exactly what you want is the way to go.... at least that's what I wanted...

my wife and kids, though, wanted a home. We compromised and found, quite accidentally, a very nice rock cottage that's only 750sft, 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, 10acres of rolling hills on a nice creek, just large enough for kayaking, in the NC Mountains. We park the motorcoach right next to the house, and have water, sewer, and electrical. The best of both worlds...

When folks come to visit, we keep them in the cottage and we stay in the coach. Nice.
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Old 09-19-2016, 11:40 AM   #3
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Wunder,

You best look at where you are thinking to be and then talk to the local authorities. Michigan has lots of strange laws left over from land-grant farming.

Many communities will not let you live in a mobile home or vehicle unless there is a permanent structure for a residence on the property. I did know of a man that built a single room cottage with electric, water, and septic so he could park his 5er next to it.

I know Consumer's Power will provide a service on a pole.

Just get it all in writing and signed before you spend money.

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Old 09-19-2016, 11:41 AM   #4
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look here
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f64/ideal...ml#post3258634

and

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/rv-p...me-308117.html
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Old 09-19-2016, 11:45 AM   #5
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We are going to build an MH garage that we can put the MH in with sewer water. The RV will be parked in the middle and car on the right side. The left side will be made into a living room. The MH will be the living quarters. I will be clearing the land next year.
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Old 09-19-2016, 11:53 AM   #6
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WOW.... I want to Thank You All for some fast and good responses... By the responses so far it appears that I "might/may/maybe" be able to do this! I just envision a nice small place to park our home...have nice deck/patio...nice warm firepit for marshmallows/hobo pies/s'mores/everything that's NOT good for you!!! Watch the deer and turkeys come out of the woods and night and in morning, hot cup of coffee in morning/glass of wine at night/and on and on..............


Sounds like Heaven to me.................... :-)))
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Old 09-19-2016, 11:55 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by Wundertaker View Post
I'd like to buy a small piece of property/lot a couple miles off the lake.
We have a lot in Houghton Lake if you'd like to look at it just PM me. I'll have to ask my wife for the particulars. (Heck it could even be sold and she spent the money.....lol) It's definitely not on the lake or we would have sold it already.

We're in Oklahoma and not looking to keep the lot.
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Old 09-19-2016, 11:56 AM   #8
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Yes, it can definitely be done if the township allows it. Get it all in writing including what can happen in future years. I think you'll be surprised at how much this will really cost you.

Houghton Lake is an awesome area!!
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Old 09-19-2016, 11:57 AM   #9
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Thumbs up Eatin' my heart out here

Quote:
Originally Posted by MisterT View Post
yes, you are dreaming...

and yes, you can do it, it's exactly what I wanted to do since I would MUCH rather have my own land, in an area where I'd like, and no one else in sight. A private owned site where you can do exactly what you want is the way to go.... at least that's what I wanted...

my wife and kids, though, wanted a home. We compromised and found, quite accidentally, a very nice rock cottage that's only 750sft, 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, 10acres of rolling hills on a nice creek, just large enough for kayaking, in the NC Mountains. We park the motorcoach right next to the house, and have water, sewer, and electrical. The best of both worlds...

When folks come to visit, we keep them in the cottage and we stay in the coach. Nice.
Hey Ol' Buddy, Ol' Pal, all around nice guy.............I am envious of your situation...I bet that Thor also serves as a great "Man Cave"???
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Old 09-19-2016, 12:04 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wundertaker View Post
HERE'S MY QUESTION... I would greatly appreciate it if any of you have either done this...have heard of it being done...or know someone that has done it??? In my mind (SCARY PLACE) I know exactly what it would look like.

This would be our "Summer Residence Site"...with several family members within 100 miles in each direction...I kinda like that!!!
interesting thread. I don't know the laws in Michigan, but always amazes me what you can and cannot do on your OWN land. I would build a 20X50 shop, make sure I have access to put the RV in if needed and build out a area inside for shop/living area. Septic, water, electric all available to the RV. Drive out and just lock it up and come back weather/season permitting, on about 5-10 Acres. Who should tell me on my land how exactly my home should be made of?? LOL
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Old 09-19-2016, 12:05 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wundertaker View Post
My wife and I will be retiring and selling our home and then "Full Timing" as long as the Good Lord sees fit! "I" need some kind of "Home Base" to call "MINE"!!!

We live in Michigan with most of our family here and sons in Wisconsin and Louisiana. I'd like to have a "Home Base" somewhere in the middle of the State around "Houghton Lake" which is a nice place to spend summers.

Here's what I'd like to do...if possible.... I'd like to know if "any of you have done this"?????????????????????????

I'd like to buy a small piece of property/lot a couple miles off the lake. This would be on a paved road with Electric Service available. Then, I'd like to "DESIGN & BUILD" our own RV (Class A Motorhome) Lot. It would have a nice permanent 2-4 car garage, large paved site, install sewer and drill well. I would also have a nice deck with a permanent fire pit and some sort of patio covering. All this would be surrounded by a nicely kept and manicured lawn. It would also be designed in such a way that someone could at some point build a permanent home on the location without having to move the garage/well/septic/ or electric service. Am I dreaming too much?????????????????????

Of course, this is "Assuming" (there's that word) that City/County Building and Residential Codes/Zoning would allow such a thing....

HERE'S MY QUESTION... I would greatly appreciate it if any of you have either done this...have heard of it being done...or know someone that has done it??? In my mind (SCARY PLACE) I know exactly what it would look like.

This would be our "Summer Residence Site"...with several family members within 100 miles in each direction...I kinda like that!!!

So..............AM I DREAMING?????????????????
This is a great idea and very doable. Only issue is to find out the rules and comply with them. Certainly you can build so that what you want fills the local ordinances.

You may have to build a small permanent structure to address the local laws but building a "guest cottage" or "summer kitchen" may be all that is required to keep everyone happy.

Future owners could use the structure as temporary accommodations, incorporate it into their design/build or remove it as they deem appropriate.
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Old 09-20-2016, 10:11 AM   #12
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Thanx all for your input on this Thread... I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who's done this to see if "they would do it again"! It "seems" to me that you "could" build yourself a nice "home base" just the "way you want it" (of course meeting the rules/regs/etc) for "less than you could buy in a RV CONDO RESORT"!!! Plus, I think I'd be happier knowing I have "my own place" to PARK MY RIG!!!


Honest opinions please...... :-)))
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Old 09-20-2016, 11:13 AM   #13
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Our "home base" is our existing S&B. Not exactly what you are asking but similar in that it is a place we return to when not on the road.

We have discussed down sizing to something more manageable as we are on 5 acres. However we like to garden and already have the equipment to maintain it. As such there is IMO very little difference to your proposed situation.

The only difference is we are already established and you are proposing to establish an alternative S&B ergo the "Cliff's Notes" version.
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Old 09-20-2016, 02:49 PM   #14
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We did kinda what you are thinking about. We bought a 50 acre piece of property in north Texas sbout 8 years ago. Our original plan was to build a S&B home. So we moved a friends 5er onto the property to stay in while we contracted to have a house built. But we couldn't decide on a floor plan which was the best thing that happened!!! In the meantime we had a 1200 sq ft metal shop building constructed to store all of our furniture, had a well dug and septic put in. As we started living in the 5er we discovered that we actually liked the simplicity of minimal space. We started selling excess furniture and almost emptied the shop of things we realized we didn't need. And along the way we decided to build a small apartment or living quarters inside the metal shop building, instead of a regular S&B house. My husband and nephew Came up with a floor plan and set about constructing an apartment inside this big building.

And with our future RV dreams in mind, we added a 40' by 15' awning on the side of the shop which would act as a cover for our future RV.

So here we are 9 years later. We have a 1000sq ft "apartment" inside a big metal building on 50 acres. It has one bedroom, a kitchen/living room, nice bath, laundry area and a walk in closet, plus a nice porch and patio,
And we have a covered parking area for our class A motorhome, literally steps from our door.

We love this arrangement. we have a home base when we want to get off the road for a while. We have a contract with a local guy who bales hay on our acreage so we are free to travel without worry about lsnd upkeep.

It cost us much less than a S&B house would have. It's paid for, therefore no mortgage!!!!!
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