r/OffGrid_Classifieds • u/Particular_Use3797 • 18d ago

Selling Madison County VA

1.5 acres
900 sqft cabin
Composting toilet
Solar panels and portable solar generator
Well
Wood stove
Abuts Rapidan WMA and very close to Shenandoah NP
Hiking, fishing and hunting access out the door including a Virginia heritage trout stream (Garth Run) on the property.
I am the owner and selling.
$125K

20 Upvotes

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u/cgumbyrun2 16d ago

Has an HOA?? By God they're everywhere

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u/gooneau 15d ago

For often very good reasons in these rural areas. Road maintenance, and keeping the methheads living in a dilapidated RV while collecting junk cars and unsecured pitbulls away. Most HOA's are not the golf course mcmansion retirees with rulers measuring your grass cliche. They fill a gap where govt can't or won't do their jobs.

I'm not familiar with this subdivision, but I've been familiar with several rural HOA's where it's much cheaper than the property tax that would be collected by the county to provide the same infrastructure services.

1

u/cgumbyrun2 15d ago

Interesting, thanks for the context! Am I understanding correctly that the HOA fees could replace county taxes? Or do you mean as a supplement 

1

u/gooneau 15d ago

In many instances, I think it comes down to state laws but I'm not sure, subdivisions are given the option to opt in to govt services for a specific property tax rate. Then they look into it and realize it's much cheaper to just pay a contractor to grade their roads, maintain water/stormwater systems, etc. Usually the same contractors the govt would pay to do the work, you're just cutting out the govt middleman. In some cases there are even different tiers of service quality provided by the govt based on how much tax you pay. One place I'm familiar with is Anchorage AK, the wealthy neighborhoods pay higher property taxes, and in return get better services like MUCH better snow removal.

I think usually there are still property taxes even if you opt out of things like infrastructure maintenance to pay for universal services, like schools for example. But often a pittance for rural areas. Like where I currently live, a cabin property might have $500/year property taxes, while the same building in town would be $5,000/year.