We are looking for property in central Oklahoma--really from Arkansas line to Seminole-- from 5 to 20 acres, reasonably priced, hopefully along a highway or blacktop road, with or without house or MH. Thanks

-- Shauna Rowan (shamelesscowgirl2001@yahoo.com), November 10, 2001

Answers

Tell me about yourself, I live 20 miles east of McAlester and it is very rural. I live on a few hundred acres but most is recreational. You will find that most people in this area live on at least 40 acres. I sure would love like minded people around. Anyway I can look. Would sell a few of mine which on blacktop and I do have road frontage but I have two girls that I hope marry and come back and build homes. So...until I know their future I haven't made a decision on the property.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), November 10, 2001.

Shauna, We live a few miles down the road from Seminole. There is a place down the road from us that is for sale now. Don't know the particulars, but you might not want it anyway. It's off a gravel road, which is off a gravel road, which runs into a very bumpy and lumpy blacktop road. lol That's the way it is in the country around here. The road is on the school bus route, so will always at least have gravel provided by the county. If you'd like me to find out the particulars of that place, let me know. It'd be so cool to have a neighbor of like mind, as Debbie said. From my experience in looking for good farmland, around her area is much more fertile. They have a great Farmer's Market over there too. A lot better than the ones in Oklahoma City and Shawnee, which is where we would take ours if we ever could grow something the grasshoppers wouldn't eat. Oh, from my experience, unless you luck into owner-finance, the loan companies don't loan on unimproved land around here. And I ran into trouble, because my place had 20 acres, a house, and outbuildings. The norm in this area tops at 10 acres. So, the other 10 acres in my deed were valueless to the loan company. Wow, about blew my mind. I'd have settled for land, no improvements, and a role of plastic to live in. lol Money lenders don't seem to be from the same planet for some reason. Good luck with your hunt and let me know if I can help. Iris

-- Iris (Sar_India@msn.com), November 11, 2001.

Iris, Hi - I think it is fertile in this area. I have a Blueberry U- Pick that does wonderful without any chemicals. We also planted a Christmas Tree Farm and they have all survived. Maybe its the land or a lot of "prayer". Anyway I shock that our Farmers Market is better because I was planning on using yours this year. My daughter lives in Shawnee at OBU and my other daughter lives in Stillwater at OSU, I also sell soap and I have a store in Stillwater. Trying to get my younger daughter to find me one in Shawnee. Did you guys go to the Expo last week. It was nice and I think it was bigger than Tulsa's, not sure about OKCity's. Land in this are runs anywhere from 100 - 1000 an acrea. I guess you can guess what gets the most. I paid 100 on all the woods and 400 on the pastures and more I believe on the hay lots. Now if you buy say a lot like 5 acres you'll pay a high price. Homes run in the 30 - 200,000 range. Can't figure out the income difference in this area. I don't see any real big business. My hubby is at McAlester Ammunition Plant where they transferred an Ammunition School from Ill.,which he works at. I have to say I preferred Ill., but that is because I had alot of good friends there. When you move to the country and kids are older it is harder to make friends. That is something Shauna needs to think about.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), November 11, 2001.

Hi, We live near Dallas and we are also looking for land in OK. It is so much more affordable! We are selling our land here for 3,000. an acre (33 acres)and have found lots of beautiful land in OK for 300 to 500 an acre. We are looking in southeastern OK in the mountains. We found a great web site for property there. http://okmls.com/ or just search for okmls. That is where we found the land we want near Clayton. Happy Hunting!!!

-- buffy (buffyannjones@hotmail.com), November 12, 2001.

Hey Debbie, I do understand about kids grown and harder to find friends when you get to a new place. That's us. Sometimes I go about mad with the isolation of it all. I can see my neighbors house from our sideyard, but they stay to themselves. Most folks do around here. It is only an hour from OKC, so a lot of folks have migrated to the country with their city attitudes. I guess. The grocery clerks at the local store know me by sight and seem to enjoy talking. I'm wondering if I make their work a little lighter with the chatter or they are just humoring me and I'm the crazy old lady from "out there". lol I hope you didn't get me wrong about the farmer's market around here. They just seem haphazard and not very organized like the Cherry Street Market, I think it's called. But, I know a local farmer that does very well, who has 40 acres and does both markets and has a store in Shawnee to sell his produce and trees in winter. They've put at least one kid through college on their income, if I remember right. So it all can't be bad. Since you go to Shawnee, I'm sure you know the store I'm talking about. Very cute. Extremely nice folks, too. Hope to see you at market someday. Iris

-- Iris (Sar_India@msn.com), November 12, 2001.

It's really nice to see so many people talking about the exact area where I grew up! I live in Edmond now, but Iris, are you talking about the Crow family having the market? I know them all, grew up less than a mile from the farm! We have 80 acres around there now, but it is off of a dirt road with no rural water (unless we want to pay for the piping), and according to my uncles (and my dad before he died) not enough water to run a household well. Oh, well, the schools are better here anyway, and after the kids are in college maybe we will build down there and can afford to pay for the piping from the water district. Land is pretty reasonable around there from what I have seen, and I wouldn't think you should have too much trouble finding what you are looking for. From what I was told when we were looking a couple of years back, if you buy the land unimproved you must have at least 20% to put down; of course, that may vary by lender, etc. I wish you luck, and let us know if you find something.

-- Christine in OK (cljford@aol.com), November 12, 2001.

I sure hope someone moves to Eastern Ok. Hey Iris and Christine lets start a OK. women in country club or who want to be in the county. Just kidding but I get to Seminole alot on the way to Shawnee to see my baby. It is true you can get alot more land for your dollor in this area. I wouldn't be able to get this much land any place else. Now for the country, in two weeks I have had 4 dogs and a cat dropped off. I found a home for two of the dogs today and have the other two in the back yard trying to figure out what to do with them. I am not sure what sex the cat is but I have four cats and they were all abandon. I have taken to a center that is just for city people (no one knew I was from the country) 3 dogs and 3 cats and I hear this is normal. That was just an insight on what "some" country folks do. Although, I am told that the city people drive to the country and drop off their animals so many it is "some" city folds.! Anyway, if any of you would like me to find ya land I would love it. Debbie

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), November 12, 2001.

Debbie,

I am in eastern Oklahoma, but I am north of you. We have camped at Robber's Cave. We took our horses there for a trail ride once. Maybe we could have an Okie meeting some day.

-- Mona in OK (modoc@ipa.net), November 12, 2001.

We are still looking too, for something SE of OKC, Mona I think Robbers Cave is great too, it and McGee Creek are our favorites Robbers Cave is more devloped and thus more crowded, so we like the off season best.

-- Thumper (slrldr@yahoo.com), November 13, 2001.

Christine, Yup, I think their name was Crow. I don't remember names as well as I do faces. lol I even forgot my own mother's name once when introducing her to one of my professors. lol I first saw them at their store in the old part of Shawnee, but then went on a farm tour and was surprised to find it their farm. They have the best soil I've ever seen. The whole family works it and they all look like the healthiest people I've ever seen. Edmond? Did you say Edmond? I earned 2 degrees from UCO and now my daughter will be transferring there next semester. Edmond is a nice place and now they have that great health market. It takes me over an hour to get there, but the drive is nice. But, then, almost everything is about 45 minutes from our farm. lol Hmmmm, did I miss the fall farm tours this year? I love doing that. We meet so many nice folks and learn so much. It's a good thing that we don't have a never-ending checkbook. lol My hubby would buy every tractor he sees. He will just have to be satisfied right now with his riding lawn tractor and his tiller. lol

-- Iris (Sar_India@msn.com), November 13, 2001.

Mona, we have horses too. Thought about taking them to robber cave, but have quite a bit of land ourselves so..we trail ride on our property. We use to be member of a trail club for gaited horses but by the time I wrapped their legs and covered them up I was tired by the time I got to the trail ride!

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), November 13, 2001.

I'm also from the Dallas area and am looking at Oklahoma for early retirement. Seems that when you cross the Red River the price of land goes from the thousands per acre to the hundreds. Does anyone drill water wells in central and southeast Oklahoma or is the cost/water quality prohibitive?

-- Randy Dyess (randy_dyess@hotmail.com), December 21, 2001.