Several stories I've read (and liked) relied on the mc discovering civil war treasure etc. I'm not saying that's bad, but I'd like to not take that route in my next story about a mixed couple escaping a small town and building an idyll in the countryside/mountains.
So this is an appeal for ideas on semi-realistic ways that teenagers can start from basically nothing and legally acquire a homestead and become self sufficient.
So this is an appeal for ideas on semi-realistic ways that teenagers can start from basically nothing and legally acquire a homestead and become self sufficient.
Modern or historical?
If done in a time and area where a new territory is being opened up to settlers, land was cheap even for the time and you build a cabin from felling trees with your own labor and survive by subsistence farming until you can produce enough of a surplus to sell.
In more modern times, there's always the horse trading route. Start with trading with friends, small collectables. If you can make a small "profit" with each deal, acquiring a slightly more valuable collectable with each trade until you can move up to trading with adults and eventually acquire something valuable enough to sell for cash.
I real solid present day story with real world labor laws, even in a big city, there aren't going to be that many real jobs a < 18 teen can get that will earn that much money.
However, there is one other option, especially in a modern rural environment. Craft trades, blacksmith (blade-smith), carpenter (particularly furniture/cabinet maker), weaving, carving (wood/stone/metal figurines/statues), other art mediums. Learn from parents/other relative/family friend young as a hobby at first, and discover you are good enough at it to sell your work product. In a present day setting, given access to the internet, you can sell your wares on-line to access a larger market.
In more modern times, there's always the horse trading route.
An example of a guy who started with a paperclip and ended up with a house.
Fly in Fly out work on oil rigs or mines.
We are talking about teens here. Modern labor law wouldn't allow for teens working in jobs considered hazardous unless it's a small family operation.
Thanks for the quick replies. I should clarify, I was thinking modern times.
I think they can acquire the land cheap if they are the only bidders at a county auction where you can get an abandoned lot for back taxes, or something? It was something I think was used in the ghosts of mystery mountain story?
But for my plot I am struggling to think how they might realistically raise even that much. Everything seems to always come back to making one of them from middle class background so they can sell the corvette or mustang they got for their 16th and buy a beat up old pickup and a cabin in the woods... :(. The other approach that seems viable is for them to befriend oldtimers and take over their farm etc. However, neither of those "not really earning it" approaches feel right in the story I am contemplating.
Keep the ideas coming, please! Usually ideas begat more ideas...
So this is an appeal for ideas on semi-realistic ways that teenagers can start from basically nothing and legally acquire a homestead and become self sufficient.
At 16-18 years old, there's NO legal way to work to establish a grubstake. Given the increasingly restrictive licensing and insurance demands, and city-county permits, there's NO feasible way to bootstrap their own business.
So it's got to be 'found' money: an inheritance, a reward, a lottery, maybe even an IRS 'fink fee' from turning in a tax-cheating relative and getting their legal percentage reward, or finding a drug-runner's crate of cash (a terrible cliché with its own plot implications), or as you said, finding treasure. Maybe the 'Lost Dutchman' gold mine. ;-0
Actually, it really doesn't matter... the story is the quest and adventure of the escape and the retreat in that far place, right? So have the kids buy lottery tickets, and go from there.
At 16-18 years old, there's NO legal way to work to establish a grubstake.
Like I said a craft trade, selling objects made, mostly as art. Another possibility, but a long shot on the order of a found / inherited antique would be the modern maker culture, Invent something you can sell the rights to for millions, but there have been real teens that have gotten rich this way.
Of course a modern maker looking to go live off grid lacks a bit of plausibility.
So have the kids buy lottery tickets, and go from there.
That isn't legal either. At least not here in the land of fruits and nuts. Have to be 18 to buy lottery tickets and 21 to buy a damn lighter.
The female even if 18 or somewhat less can use prostitution to raise funds. Is isn't legal almost anywhere, but there are places, mostly rural, where law enforcement is pretty limited. If Mm relationships aren't a squick, they guy can also find financing through sexual relations.
Something else to consider for the kids future on their idyllic rural homestead: at least in the US, there is precious little than can be produced on the land, given the modern economy, that can even begin to pay the property taxes. A subsistence existence is fine & dandy, until the county assessor levies that year's tax bill which must be paid in cash.
During the Great Depression when farm families had plenty to eat from their fields and gardens, they none-the-less lost the farm to taxes that had to be paid in cash. And their farm produce was all but worthless in the depressed markets.
Basically the same conditions exist today. Even the massive corporate farms are facing tough times as the cost of machinery and chemicals is outstripping the depressed returns from their product.
So... unless the kids find a gold mine or oil or more treasure on their homestead, they'll quickly lose the property with no source of income.
It's a sad fact of life. That's the basic reason for waves of rural refugees fleeing to the cities hoping to find cash-paying employment, world around.
at least in the US, there is precious little than can be produced on the land, given the modern economy, that can even begin to pay the property taxes.
You can always try the Alaska interior for your off grid homestead.
https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/dcra/LocalGovernmentOnline/TaxationAssessment/PropertyTax.aspx
Alaska is the only state in the United States where a large part of the land mass of the state is not subject to a property tax. Although property tax is the primary method of raising revenues for the majority of the larger municipalities in the state, smaller municipalities favor a sales tax. This is due primarily to the fact that the smaller incorporated areas lack a sufficient tax base to support the property tax. The unincorporated areas of the state do not have the legal authority to levy a tax.
Alaska is the only place in the states this scenario could take place in. Even then, the hurdles are massive. There are some reservations that can get around the property tax issue, but other issues preclude them as viable alternatives.
Alaska is the only place in the states this scenario could take place in. Even then, the hurdles are massive.
The biggest being weather, particularly in winter, transportation, and simply having the skills needed for subsistence living. Getting through your fist Alaska winter off-grid will be tough.
Today times, there's the internet options: Youtubers, game streaming, digital sports, even webcam sex (well, might not be legal for your age bracket, but can always be sidestepped one way or another), and, of course, apps and programming in general (teen prodigies are still a thing) and even hacking, dark web deals, bitcoin schemes and scams...
So, yeah, for a change they may "find treasure" in the virtual economy.
Hey, let's say, they sell MMORPG accounts. They're both veterans of a super popular game, and have close to maxed out their main accounts, and run a bunch of side ones for cheating and fun. Perhaps, they have written or gathered some scripts that let them automate mundane tasks meant to force players either invest insane time or spend money for boosters. Yes it's illegal, but popular and active battlefield. So they are able to quickly build up a bunch of accounts for sale in black market (selling/transfering accounts is against rules, but almost nothing can be done to prevent it in practice). The cash can be surprisingly huge in those deals, and with some artistic license, almost whatever you want.
Once they have the farm... yes, there gonna be regional specifics, but generally I tend to agree with above, making farm profitable is a hard task usually requiring operation at scale, at least as far traditional products are considered.
So, they aren't dealing with traditional products, most likely. They either use the farm just as base camp for completely different activities, be it their digital exploits or some form of craftsmanship or services (again, even if it's nominally illegal, services in place paid in cash, should be doable in most cases), or something else using the property itself, be it some tourist attraction, or hosting events, maybe they open a paintball park or something.
In most cases when it's an official business (even the farm itself?) they probably need a front person, adult who makes the documents seem right, even if their real involvement is minimal.
Using the land, it's probably some exotic produce, pharmaceutical plants for example, or for more traditional, some high value "biological" farming, but that needs direct market with upper class city dwellers and is more "European" thingy perhaps.
Beekeeping is a great option. It requires some solid knowledge, but isn't as complex as it is made to appear, at least at starting levels, and should be easily accessible for high intelligence characters capable of systemic thinking. It's one way to have high value on a relatively small piece of land, in the borderline case only land under the apiary itself, harvesting nectar from neighboring properties (up to 3 miles around, next to unlimited range with traveling apiary); formal agreements of pollination with orchard and field owners may be sought and profited from (local specifics may apply).
Apiary starting from scratch is relatively inexpensive, it may be just a handful hives and already generate small profits, and grow very fast at the same time, in practice, 2 to 4 times every year (in theory even much faster) up to the desired size that depend mostly on environment factors (some wilderness in range is highly beneficial and perhaps required) it can be managed alone (for a fast estimate, up to around 100 hives per beekeeper working full time), although nominally it's at the minimum master beekeeper and a helper for professional operation of 150-400 hives.
There's a lot larger spectrum of production than just honey, and it also plays well with what I mentioned above: if there's specifically nectar fields they might be as well also plants with special value, and apitherapy is also increasingly a tourist attraction, including real and "new age" bordering services; even sleeping on beehives is a thing.
Something along the lines you've mentioned may be possible in your area. However, in the states, it would be nearly impossible.
Here, the Patriot Act and other similar laws(?) would prevent it.
All of that is predicated on following the law of the land. If the law is tossed out, the possibilities are greatly expanded. So too are the inherent risk.
All of that is predicated on following the law of the land. If the law is tossed out, the possibilities are greatly expanded. So too are the inherent risk.
Law is a difficulty to overcome, never a limitation.
Some years back I did some work for some guys, among other things they tried to commercialize option to call cell networks with fake caller's ID as a prank service app.
I doubt that they ever went big with it, part of their business model was mitigation of the uneven and very high roaming rates across EU, with now are uniformed, but the service worked flawlessly, and, their claims to be believed, at least nominally legally (as in, not a crime by the letter of law). One of them claimed that key to their operation was unregulated internet service with servers physically located in bunkers under no-man's land of Gaza Strip. No reason to either believe or doubt him. Just saying.
Since this is a sex story site, wanking prize animals (bulls, stallions, pigs) for subsequent artificial insemination ;)
AJ
I do know a meat cow farm that generates most profits not from meat production (they have actually next to none), but by selling high quality young calves, in our small European country setting, mostly abroad.
It's all so conflicting; on the one hand I've got this impression of the rednecks living in small squalid huts in mosquito infested swamps and mountains and surviving or even thriving, and on the other I've got the impression that every year everyone is forced to sell-up in order to pay crippling back taxes. Which is it? ;)
I really don't want to go the route of having them grow weed or have a still or anything. That just isn't the taste I want. So I have a couple who are fighting adversity and disapproval and I can see the whole emotional side, but not come up with any way for them to be together that is idyllic. Love and the real world don't seem to mix well.
Love and the real world don't seem to mix well.
And God help them when she gets pregnant!
Seriously, wife & I visited our son in the Colorado mountains for a month this summer. He (and wife) live on 11 acres at 8400-feet elevation in a heavy 'dog-hair' lodgepole pine forests, far off the grid. For those who love to "Google Earth" it, the area is west of Fort Collins up the Buckhorn Creek drainage. The two-track gravel road, 10 miles from the paved turn-off, is listed on the map display.
A number of off-grid residents live scattered in the area; some descendents of a few families who pioneered and developed homesteads there. As far as I know, only one family successfully developed and survived/thrived on the upper reaches. 8400 feet and hard travel over dirt roads subject to mudslides and washouts is NOT conducive to agricultural success.
I met some of them and we discussed the issue of life under the thumb of county authorities. If you want a nightmare scenario, do a 'net search for the Larimer County, CO zoning and development regulations. It's a real education. If you intend to live "off the grid" within their borders, bring truckload of cash, and be ready for a litany of inspections. Just because you're far out of sight doesn't mean you're off the hook!
Fortunately (and this is a very limited hope) many of the off-grid cabin dwellers who live up there pretty much year-round, have found that if they keep a low profile, don't "poke the bear", and don't cause concerns for their immediate neighbors, they pretty much slip under the radar and have gotten away with providing shelter, workspace, and living environment for themselves, avoiding the horrific expense of "legal" development. BUT, there was an exception of one group that did "poke the bear" (meaning, they pissed off the county authorities) and they permanently lost their development with little hope of ever having a homesite there again. Essentially, they're forced to sell, but nobody's buying.
So, in a nutshell, the kids could take their chances but chances are pretty damned good they'd better have at least $100,000 in their pocket if they want to live "idylically" free as birds, "off the grid."
BTW, "off the grid" means exactly that. No electricity, no sewer, no telephone, and the closest USPS permitted mailbox site is ten miles down the road. So everybody has solar panels, satellite internet with VOIP telephone. And wood heat. Or a very expensive propane delivery. And they drive 10 miles to check their mail, and another 10 miles into Fort Collins to check their UPS/FedEx shipment delivery.
It's all so conflicting; on the one hand I've got this impression of the rednecks living in small squalid huts in mosquito infested swamps and mountains and surviving or even thriving,
These properties are nearly worthless.
and on the other I've got the impression that every year everyone is forced to sell-up in order to pay crippling back taxes. Which is it? ;)
Property taxes are generally due annually and paid annually are hardly crippling. The national average for property tax rate is 1.19%
And you aren't forced to sell up, if you don't pay, the municipality or county can foreclose, taking your property. Once the foreclosure process is started, you have to get current to stop it, but you can't sell the property to do so.
In general, government seizure of property for failure to pay property taxes is generally a bigger issue in large cities than in rural areas.
Farms are a bit of a special case as you have a large property, hundreds or even thousands of acres being used for a relatively low profit activity.
However, even then, inability to pay off bank loans is a bigger factor in families loosing marginal farms than property taxes.
Several factors play into property tax issues with farms. The biggest factor is how the local jurisdictions treat property taxes for farms.
There has been a not insignificant debate in the US whether to value farms for tax purposes based on current use, or best (most valuable) use.
A farm assessed at value of current use will pay far less in property taxes. However, there have been jurisdictions that assessed the value of farm property on the basis of subdivision for residential use, which subjects the farm to much higher, possibly impossible levels of property taxes.
This debate has not been helped by the existence on cheats on the edge of suburban areas. What do I mean by cheats, wealthy people with large (from a residential perspective properties) 5 to 10 acres that are too small for a real working farm that grow crops on one or two acres to try to claim their property should be assessed at farm value rather than residential value.
Property taxes are generally due annually and paid annually are hardly crippling. The national average for property tax rate is 1.19%
I'd not say that to my son, who has 11 acres off the grid in a remote section of Larimer County, CO. The land is undeveloped, although he and his wife have a temporary shelter and living arrangements there, everything portable.
The county elected a new tax assessor, who basically tripled the assessments in the area. The county was swamped with official protests, a record level, but as usual most of them were rejected.
So... 11 acres purchased for $120,000 three years ago, taxed 2019 for $3,500. That may seem like a low percentage, but for off-grid land with no harvestable timber (lodgepole pine, no sawmill potential), no crop production possible, and no structures, that's a stiff bill. Considering the county has severe development restrictions (no subdivision smaller than five acres), it's hard to call it reasonable. There are really no county services available in the area: they grade the dirt road once a season, and there is one Sheriff's Deputy assigned for "far rural" duty, but he's rarely seen and it's an hour's travel time to get him on scene.
Just my .02. As for taxing farm land at subdivision speculation levels, go right ahead. Get used to starving; every farm in the country would be seized on tax liens. Far better to double the taxes up the next level in the vertical food chain: the processors and distributors. They control what's paid the farmer, and they make the bulk of the money before it gets to the supermarkets. I used to work in the industry and have a fair handle on the price picture.
So... 11 acres purchased for $120,000 three years ago, taxed 2019 for $3,500.
So, what part of average did you not understand?
So, what part of average did you not understand?
The part where the assessor jumps the "assessed value" outrageously, which has been a problem on the East Coast for many years, and has made its way across to us on the Left Coast. It doesn't much matter what the "average" is, if the base is grossly inflated. Many elderly couples have been forced out of their homes that they bought in mid-life for a modest price; then found themselves paying taxes on a "million dollar property." People had little sympathy for them, saying, "You should be thrilled to have such a valuable property. Sell it, take the money, and run," which missed two points entirely. First, they don't want to sell. It's their home for many years. Second, so they take the money. Where they hell do they buy another property that hasn't been assessed at a million or more, in an area where they want to live close to friends and family?
It's one reason many states finally passed "homestead" laws to at least give elderly people a chance to keep their home.
In the case of my son, yes, he paid a high price for a nice piece of property. But the Larimer County Assessor tripled the assessed value which tripled the taxes, in one year. Everybody in that area got hit with that tripling of taxes.
That's the problem.
In the case of my son, yes, he paid a high price for a nice piece of property. But the Larimer County Assessor tripled the assessed value which tripled the taxes, in one year. Everybody in that area got hit with that tripling of taxes.
That's the problem.
Howard Jarvis did something about this in CA, but it looks as if Prop 13 might be repealed/modified again next year.
Howard Jarvis did something about this in CA, but it looks as if Prop 13 might be repealed/modified again next year.
It's always a conflict between taxes and the need for services. Until Proposition 13, California was recognized as having the best public schools in the country, and free in-state tuition for state colleges - all supported by property taxes. After Proposition 13, local tax revenues dropped dramatically - as, necessarily, did school budget.
It's always a conflict between taxes and the need for services. Until Proposition 13, California was recognized as having the best public schools in the country, and free in-state tuition for state colleges - all supported by property taxes. After Proposition 13, local tax revenues dropped dramatically - as, necessarily, did school budget.
There is a limit to how much tax money you can extract no matter how much you think you might need to pay for any service. At some point, you price everyone out of home ownership, especially those on fixed incomes.
There is a limit to how much tax money you can extract no matter how much you think you might need to pay for any service.
The only limit out there for politicians is when they run out of other people's money to spend.
The only limit out there for politicians is when they run out of other people's money to spend.
Not quite, there's this little trick called deficit spending.
True, though deficit spending is actually still other people's money. They just haven't gotten into the work force, or haven't yet been born.
Not quite, there's this little trick called deficit spending.
Eventually, even countries max out their 'credit cards', MMT theories to the contrary notwithstanding.
The part where the assessor jumps the "assessed value" outrageously
I mentioned that sort of thing with farms. Where some jurisdictions assess them at development value rather than their value as working farms.
In general property tax assessments are supposed to be based on current market value, generally what similar properties in the same area have sold for recently. So if you live in an area like most of the state of CA with grossly inflated real estate values (but you got in early before it got bad), you are just screwed.
I mentioned that sort of thing with farms. Where some jurisdictions assess them at development value rather than their value as working farms.
Yes, and this is something the general population doesn't seem to understand. The agricultural economy simply cannot support that tax burden, unless the public is willing to demand that crop processors pay significantly more for farm produce, which would increase what people pay for food and fiber. You can't depress farm prices but at the same time demand they pay speculation-based land prices.
Unless, of course, you have a real desire to starve. Or depend on other nations to feed you, and trust its a stable, long-term arrangement. Would anybody here care to guess the average age of the American farmer? Hint: its in the high 60s. And what will happen when the bulk of food production is in the hands of a few corporations, vertically-integrated from field to store shelf? Then people might be screaming for government price controls for affordable food, but that's another crock o'crap. Americans pay far, far less of their disposable income for food than most other countries. We used to say it was due to greater farm efficiency, but we've outstripped that. Now its increasingly due to depressed farm prices, controlled by the buyers markets. It's a hugely untenable situation, not sustainable like so many other aspects of our modern consumer-based society.
Now its increasingly due to depressed farm prices, controlled by the buyers markets.
The US federal government itself owns a lot of the blame for those depressed farm prices. Get the government out of the business of subsidizing agriculture and a lot (if not the majority) of that price depression goes away. A lot of it is due to over production of heavily subsidized crops.
The government likes to claim the purpose of the subsidies is saving the family farm, but the truth is corporate agriculture has been around since the great depression and the big corporate farms have always gotten the bulk of the subsidies.
I have asked, and never received an answer: If you (the county) says my home is worth $200,000, why can't you buy it (with my blessings) for $180,000, then turn around and sell it for a profit? That would raise ~#20,000, which is more than I'm paying in taxes this year.
For some reason, not a single official has been willing to even discuss this very sensible business proposition!
I have asked, and never received an answer: If you (the county) says my home is worth $200,000, why can't you buy it (with my blessings) for $180,000, then turn around and sell it for a profit?
Well, first this transaction is NOT a guaranteed profit.
In most US states, the county property tax assessment is supposed to be based on market value, however, most counties don't have the resources to reassess every property every year.
Market value can change drastically faster than the government can react. So don't take the property tax assessment as current market value. It could be high, or low.
If a county official attempted such a transaction without the approval of the county board, it would be very illegal. It could even potentially land YOU in prison on a charge of bribery.
Even with county board approval, such transactions could well be barred by state laws governing the conduct of local governments. In such a case, even discussing such a transaction with you could be considered a violation.
So, as always, dealing with the government is like flipping a coin: Heads, they win, tails you lose.
dealing with the government is like flipping a coin: Heads, they win, tails you lose.
Yep. No one beats city hall.
So I'm still researching this topic. Something tangential I came across is https://youtu.be/621nP8oP1R8
This is about the uk, but one of the things he says in passing towards the end is about how in the Colorado countryside (at least I think i recall it was Colorado) you can basically build whatever you want.
Is that kinda true? Do people do wonderful or horrific things with that potential?
Building codes get a bit lax in rural areas, but they still exist. Alaska has the most lenient simply because there is no one to enforce the ones they do have in the back country.
The same logic applies to other areas, Colorado included. That does not mean Colorado has no codes, in fact, they have some very detailed codes. But if you're 100 miles from the nearest town, who's going to enforce them?
But if you're 100 miles from the nearest town, who's going to enforce them?
The county government?
You're betting that the county officials don't know about Google Earth, zealous county inspectors, or a pissed off neighbor who lives nearby. Go ahead, build the cabin without county permits and take a chance you won't be hit with a big fine and a tear-down order.
This is NOT the America of the 1850s or even the 1950s. We are smothered to the point of paralysis in rules and regulations, codes and permits. But ... today's America is largely a nation of selective enforcement: officials enforce the laws and regulations as a matter of convenience or public pressure. But that doesn't grant immunity. Everybody has a right to gamble, so go right ahead.
today's America is largely a nation of selective enforcement: officials enforce the laws and regulations as a matter of convenience or public pressure. But that doesn't grant immunity.
I would argue that's been the case for law enforcement since before they tried to write laws down in Sumer.
I would argue that's been the case for law enforcement since before they tried to write laws down in Sumer.
That's pretty much a given.
The thing is - in a lot of really rural America - you really can pretty much do what you want on your own land. Since Google Earth is at best several YEARS out of date for many regions on what's on the ground, and in the really rural communities, you get a zealous property inspector out digging around, he's liable to just end up missing, no one's going to screw with you. (Amazing what having a front end loader and 500 acres can hide.)
Building codes get a bit lax in rural areas, but they still exist.
Some folks apparently missed that part of my post.
As for County, Google Earth, and gambling, I've done just that and succeeded. I even ratted myself out. After a few fines and a tongue lashing by a county commissioner, all was well. Cost was still only half of what I'd paid to go through proper channels. The county I ive in is one of those looser code areas. Everything met code when built.
There are of course, multiple arguments and counter-arguments; then there is reality of the backwoods. Folks near a county seat, large town, etc have a hard time wrapping their minds around it, but it still happens.
So this is kind of depressing. In Sixteen I went out of my way to give them a self-built rags-to-riches story, rather than one (its usually the male MC) inheriting money or winning the lottery or having a time machine and cornering silver. But it seems that we're all agreed that a young couple can't go and legally set themselves up and survive in the countryside?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-49874969 is fun, and perhaps the way is for the young couple to live illegally?
That video about building without permits in the UK that I linked too explained the distinction between unlawful and illegal. Does the US have a similar distinction? Are their equivs to the 4-year and 10-year rules that are mentioned in the UK vid? I'm used to hearing about road-commissioners and now, in this thread, county-commissioners, and having no idea how the US works. Frankly, from what I can gather, I'm surprised it does!
I'm tempted to add to "Recluse and Ghost" and "Mallard Heir" and have some civil war treasure, tunnels, wind-farms and what-not ;) PS anyone else notice how many tricks those two stories have in common? ;)
PS anyone else notice how many tricks those two stories have in common? ;)
Don't forget Lucky Jim 2, the Bell Whistle stories, and a few other stories I can't remember off hand, as well as news events of similar finds of tunnels and lost treasure in real life.
Frankly, from what I can gather, I'm surprised it does!
I've been a lot of places and can't think of one of them that doesn't have jacked up laws on the books. Especially those countries older than a couple of generations. Blindfold yourself, toss a dart at a wall sized world map, and unless you hit in the middle of an ocean, it'll have some screwy laws somewhere.
The base problem with the laws usually surrounds taxes. Since the age of majority usually defines when someone can be held accountable legally, it by default also defines when they pay normal adult taxes.
Anything that interferes with the government dipping their hands in pockets, is usually illegal. Thus the root of your conundrum. Governments will quote a thousand excuses, but when you boil the bullshit away, it's taxes.
That aside:
There are a lot of ways a youth can make money that are grey-legal down to fully illegal. Trading in cryptocurrencies comes to mind, but that would make the homesteading angle problematic. They could assume false identities bought on the dark Web via a Bitcoin or two which would get around the need for homesteading. Going the hard route, they could get by on day labor cash only jobs.
Once you check the laws and lawyers at the door, the potentials open up exponentially.
So this is an appeal for ideas on semi-realistic ways that teenagers can start from basically nothing and legally acquire a homestead and become self sufficient.
Any 'instant wealth' is going to seem artificial, even though it does occur. So if you can live with a non-instant scenario, how about one of both of them doing something that results in a reward? Not a massive payout, but enough to give them a start.
Similarly it might work if you had them discover the difficulties already outlined and in doing so receive an offer that lets them get a start. Perhaps they could be offered a deal to work a small farm to keep it going for the aged farmer?
ETA
Basically introduce the concept of having to actually earn/deserve/work to get what they want, rather than having it handed to them. A seemingly outdated concept these days.
Perhaps...
Aunt Matilda is about 90 and nearly blind, but still able to cook and self-care, mostly. She never married (nor even had sex, as far public evidence goes). She lives alone in the once grand family ranch, from a small kitchen garden and savings that while not huge, would let her live comfortably if she cared, or wouldn't be such a hag, miser and scrooge beyond any sanity.
Two of her brothers died in service, the youngest moved across country, never returning to the the family ranch, and the ranch slowly cased to function. Until relatively recently, the vast orchards had been harvested once per year by hired labor, but even that activity had stopped.
Alice is Matilda's brother's granddaughter, one of few (and perhaps most direct, but not necessarily) known living relatives. When she arrive there with Bob in tow (did they only expected to stay a few nights before moving along?), they discovered the huge house reduced to barely livable one-bedroom appartment, but are able to recover another room for themselves.
The barn is a time capsule with equipment not touched since 1970-ties and possibly longer. There's no obvious treasure, but perhaps some museum worthy stuff (is that a steam engine?).
Aunt Matilda thinks it's all junk, but still wouldn't easily accept any reckless actions, and certainly no strangers rummaging through it, it's junk, but still her junk, her memories about grand days of distant past.
And no, she's not ready to just die for story's convenience. However, she might eventually allow to act in her name, and care little what the youngsters are up to around the ranch, as long she's left alone and not asked much. Though it can grow into mutual dependency shortly, as her health deteriorates further.
Country living and the importance of neighbors:
(received this today as part of an email from my off-grid son living in the high Colorado outback)
"Betty had a wood cut this last Saturday, a fine Buckhorn tradition for senior citizens. I brought one load of aspen logs and one of pine logs off the property, and she had a couple loads already there. Neighbors from all around showed up and after a long day we had about 3 cords of wood bucked, split and stacked for her winter. She served spaghetti and cake and a good time was had by all."
Here's a thought - set the story in the 1950's or'60's. Kids could work back then. In fact,I recently figured that if instead of going to college I had taken a job pumping gas, and sleeping in the back room of the service station for a few years, I could have bought enough cheap mountain land that I would now be worth upward of $50 million. (Instead of living on a small pension and social security.)
Land was $25~$50 an acre and tax was near zero. Tax on my 5 acres was $38 in 1980, probably $2 a year in 1950.
And no (as in zero) permits, inspections or other requirements. In 1980, when I built my house (by myself) the only permit required was for a septic system.
Now, building your own house is illegal, and getting an occupancy permit for one built by a licensed contractor is a many-months long ordeal. They claim all this is done to preserve "the environment", but it really is just make-work for some politician's otherwise unemployable relatives.
There is always adverse possession to gain the land.
https://definitions.uslegal.com/s/squatters-rights/
So this is an appeal for ideas on semi-realistic ways that teenagers can start from basically nothing and legally acquire a homestead and become self sufficient.
"Fraser Doherty built his empire using a more traditional way. Fraser started making jams at the age of 14 in Scotland, and by 16 left school to work on his jam business SuperJam full-time. SuperJam sells around 500,000 jars a year, which currently has around 10 percent of UK jam market."
https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/trends-and-insights/articles/10-awesome-companies-built-by-teens-1/
SuperJam sells around 500,000 jars a year, which currently has around 10 percent of UK jam market.
I've never seen it for sale in an English supermarket. I suspect American Express have overegged some of their other 'success' stories too.
AJ
The article is ten years old, something to keep in mind.
As for the product, never had it, and doubt I ever will. The U.S. market for jams and marmalades is overrun with variety. Especially if you look for the craft variety.
American Express posting something like that does seem a bit outside their perview though.
I've never seen it for sale in an English supermarket.
If you bothered to follow the links, the article as a link to the Super Jam website. They sell direct from their web site or through specialty shops. No supermarkets.
Not being in supermarkets is not necessarily incompatible with him having 10% market share.
You might find this interesting.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-42413179
Edinburgh-based Fraser went on to prove that it's possible to make plenty of bread out of jam.
Before long, his products were being stocked in big chains such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Asda and his business was turning over about £1m a year.
But as the years went on, one by one the big supermarkets dropped SuperJam from their listings. Only his original backers, Waitrose, stood by him - as they do to this day.
If they are online only, they could have picked a better name. Searches for Superjams is littered with music related links.
Before long, his products were being stocked in big chains such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Asda and his business was turning over about £1m a year.
That explains it. The jam was only being stocked in a few branches to ascertain demand. The 10% figure was definitely bogus.
AJ
If he was turning over 1M pounds sterling a year, that doesn't sound to me like just a few branches to ascertain demand.
If only major branches of the big four sold his produce, and it was at an artisanal price of £2.50, I calculate each store would have sold approximately 2 jars per week.
1 million is a paltry figure. Some cottage industries churning out labour-intensive hand-made artefacts can match that turnover.
AJ
Nobody else read the other 9 names on that list?
How about 17 yr. old Fred, and Subway?
Zuckerberg must have been a late starter, and a college dropout. But then he's only worth a billion give or take.
Or Carl. "By 2020, Carl Churchill is expected to be worth $100 million. Carl founded DMC Internet in 2001 at the age of 15"
I think I will just trust American Express when they say that these guys have more money than you or I.
Depending on where, there are lots of ways for a country kid.
I grew up in Idaho, and did many things to make money as a kid. The most profitable was working small farms. I got to know a lot of farmers, and there was always little things that needed to be done at harvest time.
During the rest of the year, mostly I collected things I sold to local souvenir shops. Fossils and rock samples were always good. As were rattlesnake rattles, scorpions, and other such things I knew how to locate.
I had another friend that got paid well for hunting. No season or limits on hunting coyotes and rabbits. And some farmers actually gave him bullets if he would hunt their fields. I would go with him and together we would get quite a few, then he would skin them and tan the hides. He then sold them (and the fox tails) to the same shops I sold my rocks and snake tails and scorpions at.
And depending on the location, mining can also be done. I also did some of that, and sold little vials of gold dust to the shops for more than I would have gotten selling to an assayer. Those little vials you get now for like $5 I would have sold for around $2, and had maybe $0.25 worth of gold in it. It is not hard in the right area to find rocks with gold in it, and tourists eat that stuff up.
Maybe you should consider having your character sell something like "moonshine?" Of course he'll also need a combination of maybe a regular job in town or some other back story to explain the influx of money.
You should also consider to, something that always stuck with me that made sense.
Let's say you had 250k US dollars by questionable means. Now you wouldn't want to go out and do something stupid like buy a 250k sports no matter how much you want to. Because doing something like that will bring down the IRS and god knows who else on your head.
It's smarter to keep your purchases smaller, ie keep your rent paid, replace that beaten up car with a good used car you rebuild yourself. Basically the idea is to not come up on the government's radar
Rebuilding a vehicle got a bit more complicated with the 2015 Fixing America's Surface Transportation(FAST) act, along with the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of the same year.
In the past, there are people (including myself) who effectively replaced the entire vehicle. Some of the asshats in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have interpreted that to mean the vehicle is now a replica and not the original, which invokes the aforementioned 2015 laws.
That is circumvented if at least one location is all original from the vehicles date of manufacture. Specific instance in my particular case;
My father had a 1970 K5 Blazer 4x4 which I inherited. I was on the road working for 90% of the time between 1977 through early 2018. After he passed in 1981, it sat on the property for the duration as I had no time to do anything with it. What I was unaware of; he had taken it up in the North East just prior to his heart attack. The salt etc had rusted it out beyond repair including the frame.
I built a new frame, new motor and trans, all new body, everything. Transfered the frame Vin number to the replacement frame, etc. Since I'd never titled it, the state had me have it inspected. The asshat turned it in as a replica. That was in Dec. 2018. The title only cleared last month.
What I learned through that process was, there was a lot more to those laws than what meets the eyes on the surface.
The specific thing I learned that applies to this thread and your comment; is that the Feds are watching for the very thing you described. It's apparently a common enough attempt to laundry money and avoid official attention to warrant it. For me, it was just that one vehicle, but for the nefarious types, they avoid dropping 5-6 digits worth of cash on a new car every year by this method. 2018 and 2019 years was damn near a full colonoscopy by the IRS. Best we can figure, it was this incident that precipitated the audits.
All that said, the government's radar as you put it, is a lot more advanced than people realize. The government does not like cash only lifestyles. It will take far more than what you suggest to avoid that "attention."
Your problem came about because you replaced the frame, which is the serial (VIN) numbered part and legally considered the vehicle for registration purposes.
You could replace every other part without any legal problem if you start with a solid (or repairable) frame to build on. You could buy all those parts with cash, junkyards and private individuals usually still accept cash.
Your problem came about because you replaced the frame, which is the serial (VIN) numbered part and legally considered the vehicle for registration purposes.
Agreed. I had it in my head as a replacement part. If I had cut out even one area of the old frame with the original VIN stamp and grafted it into the new one, it would have been a repair instead of replacement.
As said, it was an expensive lesson. I have a IHC Scout that needs the same treatment, but I'll damn sure go about it differently this go round.
If I had cut out even one area of the old frame with the original VIN stamp and grafted it into the new one, it would have been a repair instead of replacement.
That can get you into trouble too.
That is how a chop shop will pass off a stolen car as a legal one.
That can get you into trouble too.
That is how a chop shop will pass off a stolen car as a legal one.
Agreed again. However, a chop shop doesn't document before and after.
Pictures, logs, dwgs, the whole spiel avoids that problem.
If I had cut out even one area of the old frame with the original VIN stamp and grafted it into the new one, it would have been a repair instead of replacement.
Or you could buy another junker of the same model which has a body and drive train in worse shape, but a sound frame.
I could, but then it wouldn't be a challenge nor help my son. I used the last to teach him, and using this one to do the same. They will both be his when I pass, but the scout will be his vehicle when done.
Well i wasn't talking about a full on rebuild like what you describe. I was talking more a fairly straight replacing of parts to an existing car. Because i figure doing something like they do on that tv show "Counting Cars" is another example of bringing government attention down on you.
I also realize you're right about what you said about it taking more than i was suggesting about avoiding the government's attention. But in my defense i am an amateur writer and i probably can't think of everything.
I also realize you're right about what you said about it taking more than i was suggesting about avoiding the government's attention. But in my defense i am an amateur writer and i probably can't think of everything.
I was no more aware of that specific trap than you were prior to 2018. I've learned a lot through that incident on the subject, though it was a very expensive lesson.
I do try to share knowledge here when relevant to the discussion. At a minimum, it should help the various authors knowledge bases when writing.
I didn't know what "counting cars" was before you mentioned here. After streaming an episode of it and a couple of other similar shows; it became apparent to me the producers etc are only skimming the surface of what is required legally, if they show anything at all. They are calling it reality TV, but I didn't see much there related to reality.
They are calling it reality TV, but I didn't see much there related to reality.
What did they show that you think is not real?
As for omitting the paper work, they are editing down builds that take a week or more to fit in a one hour episode.
Would you rather watch them work on the car, or do government paperwork?
What did they show that you think is not real?
As for omitting the paper work, they are editing down builds that take a week or more to fit in a one hour episode.
Would you rather watch them work on the car, or do government paperwork?
We can start with the cash sales. Try what was presented on that show in real life, and you'll be risking a root canal through your anus by the IRS.
Then we get to the fabrication. In particular cutting, welding, etc on the frame of the vehicle. No mention is made of heat treatment, grade of the metal, welder certifications, welding procedures/qualifications NDE, etc. Yet they are cutting a frame to add a four link. I can just see someone trying to mirror what they see on TV without knowledge of those and many other things required. In one particular scene, the idiot was welding downhill, meaning the bead was run from top to bottom vertically (3g welding position) on a square groove butt joint. Adding fuel to that fire, the show depicted a plate of A36 being cut. They did not show if that was the metal used.
The weld would not have full penetration and likely not have fusion due to welding downhill, the base-metal added would not match the original base-metal of the frame (read added stress riser), not to mention no heat treatment nor non-destructive examination.
The show might get away with it, but if Joe Public pulled that crap, he'd be sitting on a liability time bomb as soon as the car left the shop. When that suspension broke and crashed the car, there would be hell to pay.
A-Z there was little reality in those reality shows that I witnessed.
Is the teen male or female?
If male, there's always manual labor like construction, paving, landscaping, etc.
I used to know a guy who made better than 30G every year by going around to the thrift stores and buying stuff for cheap so he could sell it on ebay. It's real-life treasure hunting and he often came up with pieces that he bought for $5 but were worth $500 or more.
People donate the strangest things simply because they don't have the time or inclination to hunt down a buyer who will pay market value. Even more are just getting rid of things that were left to them by a relative. More importantly, there are folks out there wanting something that seems trivial, but they want it. It's nothing to spend $2 on a trinket and be able to sell it on ebay for $20. Might not seem like much, but when you have dozens and dozens of those things and can see what other sellers are offering them for.... it's pretty easy to rack up a tidy sum at the end of the month.
Even living in a rural community, there are sure to be real gems being donated by folks moving away and the like. Just one quilt or wool blanket in decent condition could fetch more than a grand if some loft-dwelling urban type sees it.
With the internet, you can literally sell small items all around the world.
The trouble is you still have to pay taxes i think, i remember someone talking to me about it years ago.
Sure, but it's still a job that allows you to build capital and invest. For someone in their late teens, it'd be an easy gig even for the lazy types.
Plus, you can minimize your costs by writing most everything off as a business expense. :D
Well i won't argue too much, "Counting Cars" isn't a reality show. I guess the point i was trying to make is that taking a 5k junk car and dumping about 20k or however much they invest in a car to rebuild it like in "counting cars" is another way to show up on government radar.
If you want to avoid attention, don't stand out.
Perception of anything requires contrast. Without contrast, you can't pick anything out of a background. Noise, smells, visuals, tactile, attitudes, body language, dress, language, idioms, everything and anything you can perceive.
Money is no different. You could have millions stuffed in a mattress, but if you show no outward signs of it, aka no contrast, there is no way for anyone to know short of you telling them.
Since i'm kind of interested in this subject, the way i'm handling large sums of money i'm writing is having an older "grandpa" type with kind of a shady past that helps the main character handle the large sums of money in question.
Kid bought $5 worth of bitcoin in 2009 and forgot about it. Finds note with password to get them. Good for about ten million or so...
That's another idea with prospects. One that could be tied easily into actual history.
https://www.investopedia.com/news/bitcoin-pizza-day-celebrating-20-million-pizza-order/
The story Emend by Eclipse by Lazlo Zalezac discusses how some do over teenagers get rich. Starting with lawn mowing, painting house numbers on curbs, and cleaning office buildings.
Here's a hint: LLC
A kid can be a member of an LLC (in most states, including CA). There needs to be a registered agent, who must be an adult to sign contracts, etc. The agent may or may not be a member of the LLC. Kids will need to pay income tax on income from the LLC, but that is not "employment", so no age restrictions are involved.
Crowdfunding for some type of retreat such as hunting/fishing/camping/horse with reward being future use of the retreat. They could be guides to hunting party or fishing guides to the best fishin' hole, or give nature tours.
They could apply for a grant to finance the purchase of property and build earthship homes. Could give seminar on building the earthship to pay costs of building it plus get a bunch of free labor in constructing it. Likewise could try crowdfunding with reward being a future B&B stay or just pictures worthless stuff used in construction to create a momento of the event.
16-18 yo to earn money...yardsaling then reselling. I had a friend who loved yardselling. His biggest consistent moneymaker was old jewelry, especially stuff handed down where they didn't realize it was real gold or silver, or actual gems and not paste.He'd buy a bunch of stuff for $5-$20 and sell to pawnshops for $50-$200 over and over. Nicer, modern looking stuff, he'd keep. Look at some of the Storage war shows. They are buying largely sight unseen and making enough profit to stay solvent while I assume paying their bills.
Which gives me another idea, they could make youtube videos of just about anything interesting or even just a hobby and monetize it. In the same vein is podcasting.
A different idea, they could refurbish/rebuild Phones or computers or even tutor how to use computers to older folks who couldn't even program a VCR. The tutoring or perhaps earning a small fee for setting up a computer or TV system for the same type of tech ignorant folks. Maybe they get suggested by parents to a friend at first, then word of mouth spreads to get them more jobs. They might even get hired to accompany the client when they go to make the purchase so they get what they need and don't overpay or over buy. This could be the seed money for the refurbish rebuild part. Really, they could refurbish/rebuild a lot of items people usually just dispose.
There is the old standby of collecting aluminum cans. Several states have bottle deposits and people still throw bottles away in those states.
They could buy or build a smoker for meats. Say they catch salmon and smoke them then turn around and sell. I know my relatives did something like this a while back. I realize doing it commercially would be regulated, but friends and relatives were always asking them to do it for them and were willing to pay pretty well. A neighbor had a smoker and it was almost always in use. He said he could buy cheaper cuts of meat, smoke them and people payed several times what it cost. In my area, there are always trailers set up seasonally selling smoked stuff. I do believe they get health department visits, but it must be worth the effort.
I hope that is enough varied ideas that one appeals to you or at least spurs a can do mentality instead of all the 'impossible because' statements I got tired of reading before just posting this.
16-18 yo to earn money...yardsaling then reselling. I had a friend who loved yardselling. His biggest consistent moneymaker was old jewelry, especially stuff handed down where they didn't realize it was real gold or silver, or actual gems and not paste.He'd buy a bunch of stuff for $5-$20 and sell to pawnshops for $50-$200 over and over.
Would make more money reselling on eBay. Pawnshops are in business to make them money not you, so they will pay you wholesale or less for what they buy. On eBay you can reach the final buyer.
Pawnshops are in business to make them money not you, so they will pay you wholesale or less for what they buy. On eBay you can reach the final buyer.
Even worse, they probably have a better idea of what something will sell for than you do, and will offer perhaps 25% of that amount to you (if you're lucky).