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- Jun 5, 2025
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I AM 62 YEARS OLD WITH PROPERTY. MY RETIREMENT IS $1498 MONTHLY, BUT I DON'T HAVE A HOUSE ON MY PROPERTY. I WOULD LIKE TO BUILD A SMALL HOUSE.
I have a piece of property without a house.
- Thread starter Laura Sweeney
- Start date
eDJ_
Well-known member
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- Apr 21, 2025
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Welcome to the forum Laura. Is your property in city/village limits? Or is it out in the countryside where it may qualify for off grid? Where your property is located, is there any access to electric, cable/internet, or other municipal utilities? Some jurisdictions will insist on being connected to at least one utility for security, tax, voting registration, .etc.
Your first step will be in doing this homework. Second will be finding who is the authority over that area. If there is no city/village then there may be a county/parish authority. Some counties are subdivided into townships or parishes and will have a board with members who have scheduled meetings. If you contact your county office you can get the contact info for these people. Then attend a meeting and inquire of buying a building permit and providing your lot info which you would get from the county engineer's office if you are out in the countryside. You may not have to go into detail about your Tiny Home proposal. The main thing is to get the building permit which will give you a historic date of the build.
Once you have your home, an accessor may visit to appraise it's value. Then you will have annual taxes established. Those who don't follow this procedure may years later be visited by an accessor and the value will be appraised at that date and back taxes charged at that value. Ouch!
If you are questioned about the home you are proposing, just explain that it's just you (cats or dogs and remember dogs may be required to have license and proof of shots from a Vet) and you are wanting a small cottage etc that may be built onto later should you need more room. You may be asked about water & sewage. A well or cistern tank and a septic system may be all you need to be OK with them. You'll just have to investigate. You may be asked who will build the house and whether it will be owner built or using a licensed contractor etc. Again, this is if you will be near other homes where a poorly built home could be a threat (like of fire etc) to other residents. Often those with cistern tanks will have a water truck to deliver drinkable water to fill the tank. Generally a cistern will have rain gutters from a roof channeled into it to catch rain water.
If I'm telling you things you already know it's OK as others reading this may not know of these things.
Good luck !
Your first step will be in doing this homework. Second will be finding who is the authority over that area. If there is no city/village then there may be a county/parish authority. Some counties are subdivided into townships or parishes and will have a board with members who have scheduled meetings. If you contact your county office you can get the contact info for these people. Then attend a meeting and inquire of buying a building permit and providing your lot info which you would get from the county engineer's office if you are out in the countryside. You may not have to go into detail about your Tiny Home proposal. The main thing is to get the building permit which will give you a historic date of the build.
Once you have your home, an accessor may visit to appraise it's value. Then you will have annual taxes established. Those who don't follow this procedure may years later be visited by an accessor and the value will be appraised at that date and back taxes charged at that value. Ouch!
If you are questioned about the home you are proposing, just explain that it's just you (cats or dogs and remember dogs may be required to have license and proof of shots from a Vet) and you are wanting a small cottage etc that may be built onto later should you need more room. You may be asked about water & sewage. A well or cistern tank and a septic system may be all you need to be OK with them. You'll just have to investigate. You may be asked who will build the house and whether it will be owner built or using a licensed contractor etc. Again, this is if you will be near other homes where a poorly built home could be a threat (like of fire etc) to other residents. Often those with cistern tanks will have a water truck to deliver drinkable water to fill the tank. Generally a cistern will have rain gutters from a roof channeled into it to catch rain water.
If I'm telling you things you already know it's OK as others reading this may not know of these things.
Good luck !
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2025
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It is parcel no 70108800, Unit D-2 BLK 46 Lot 968, in Costilla County, Colorado. There is a homeowner's association, but this is raw land. I am holding onto it for my future, in case I need to rely on it, but I'm nomadic.
eDJ_
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2025
- Messages
- 193
I looked at that on Google and this is what I saw
Is this similar to your lot ? This has a nice view and reminds me of when I visited friends in Loveland Co and saw the Front Range there.
I would look into that homeowners association and find out what they think about Tiny Homes and the authority they wield over the "raw" land. If the area develops and they begin to want the land to be cleared & maintained you may incur expenses for that. If nice/expensive homes begin to be built there the value of the property will escalate while you're a Nomad. (like owning stock) Now that the Prime Rate was lowered yesterday.....this may be in the picture for you.
As a "hedge" around the Tiny Home there are plans for "modular" style homes where they start with what would be a larger Tiny Home but with sections built onto it. The Architects who designed this concept wanted to provide for a starter home, that as the family developed extra rooms could be added. Then in time the home could be sold when the kids were grown and gone and eventually one spouse would be all that was left living. (known as the Family Life Cycle)
Some of these designs were built from plans and were popular in the 70's and today some are factory built and delivered on site to sit on a foundation. But this is why it is important to learn what the Homeowners Association recognizes as acceptable.
Otherwise, you could sell the property and put that money in a longer term Bond which will allow you to purchase other property in time that suits your needs better.
The main thing to remember about property & neighborhoods is that they change in time. Consider the age of the people living there when you buy or build. If it is a mature area then new owners will be moving in there sooner than later and that will bring change.
From Google:
Is this similar to your lot ? This has a nice view and reminds me of when I visited friends in Loveland Co and saw the Front Range there.
I would look into that homeowners association and find out what they think about Tiny Homes and the authority they wield over the "raw" land. If the area develops and they begin to want the land to be cleared & maintained you may incur expenses for that. If nice/expensive homes begin to be built there the value of the property will escalate while you're a Nomad. (like owning stock) Now that the Prime Rate was lowered yesterday.....this may be in the picture for you.
As a "hedge" around the Tiny Home there are plans for "modular" style homes where they start with what would be a larger Tiny Home but with sections built onto it. The Architects who designed this concept wanted to provide for a starter home, that as the family developed extra rooms could be added. Then in time the home could be sold when the kids were grown and gone and eventually one spouse would be all that was left living. (known as the Family Life Cycle)
Some of these designs were built from plans and were popular in the 70's and today some are factory built and delivered on site to sit on a foundation. But this is why it is important to learn what the Homeowners Association recognizes as acceptable.
Otherwise, you could sell the property and put that money in a longer term Bond which will allow you to purchase other property in time that suits your needs better.
The main thing to remember about property & neighborhoods is that they change in time. Consider the age of the people living there when you buy or build. If it is a mature area then new owners will be moving in there sooner than later and that will bring change.
From Google:
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- Jun 5, 2025
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Thanks for this valuable information. After I pay my property taxes in a week or two, I will ask them what they think of people putting small homes there. It sounds to me like people camp there a lot (on properties nearby) and that they have a lot of parties for the members, some of whom are nomads. Taxes are 350 dollars yearly. I paid $14,000, but the estimated tax value is $9,000. If not there, I'd like to have a tiny home at some point in the future, maybe Florida, but I don't have much money.
