Should You BUY LAND as a GROUP? Here's What to Consider... - Ep. 146 

Communication is key just like any other serious relationship. Getting lawyers involved early is also a pretty big factor if only to shed light on possible scenarios and to get everyone on the same page.

Thanks, Summer. Wish i heard this message a few years back. My hubby and I entered into a partnership with good friends. We were supposed to get things in writing, but we never did. After my husband and I paid the mortgage for 3 years, as they had cash for their payment, we parted ways. We did all the work, and we created a massive organic garden, using downrd cedar trees and reclaimed metal roofing. etc. We hand cut almost a mile of trails. As well as most labor on the property. Let's just say it didn't end well. And at this point, I never want to partner again. But if we do, it will be all in writing. Nothing will be left out. We don't want anyone to feel we used them, and I never want to be used again. It really hurt us. We are no longer friends. 💔 you guys understand the importance of everything in writing and that changing the details as you go is also important. Much love and blessings to you all.

Useful things she said. 1. Value the work at the real world rates. 2. Keep track of what each land buyer did. The value if work over time could change the percentage of ownership. 3. Have answers to all the situations that can happen. Divorce, death, wanting to leave the land group. Having children. 4. Write in plain speak not legal talk. 5. What if the group agrees one person needs to go because no one likes their attitude or energy.

We have a family community that is still working 70 years later. My grandfather, great uncles and some of their friends bought 65 acres and started a club. We have a community house, beaches, playgrounds. Each member got a 1/4 acre of their own to build and each child as they came of age could also become a member. We have dues, follow Roberts Rules for meetings and have details for community work to keep the club running. As generations went on, I am second generation, the comradery gets lost and younger generations loose the scope of the founding members. It is harder to keep it communal as those that live there permanently or plan to retire there feel differently than those that use it as a recreational place. I have hope that we will continue for many more generations.

Wow Summer, your way of explaining and interview style is just amazing. I wish I had access to the info your now providing 6 years ago. I am homesteading in TN. Started as a family thing with 13 acres. Pooling money and making decisions together. When my uncle passed in 2019, then COVID, things went down hill. In the process my partner and I did actually expand to 17 acres. For about 3 years we have just been holding on. This fall we have been able to get so much done and watching these wide range of people's experiences is just what I have needed to give me that second wind. Thanks so very much. Our properties has only one acres with grid power, most off grid, a swamp restoration and burnt down house. It is quite a mess lol but it is home.

This was such a great video. The talk was really stuff, everyday issues. I love your realism and truth it’s why I watch you on all channels. ❤️

Thanks for the great tips, Summer. Very timely since some family members and I have discussed buying and working land together. It is my dream to set up a permaculture homestead to steward and connect to the land as a group and create a life-giving legacy. All these questions and scenarios you bring up are invaluable to establish a clear foundation and avoid dreams from becoming nightmares. We have much to discuss and agree upon before we go land hunting. Thanks again!

Thanks for sharing. I wish you guys all the best. After retirement I tried to live off my land in upstate New York like my grandparents but found the taxes to be oppressive. I wound up selling my 90-year-old family homestead because I could simply no longer afford the taxes. It was always bittersweet because you would make an improvement and then have to pay for it every year forward. With more people owning the land it will make that burden less painful and perhaps since you are like a business you may get a better tax rate.

Amazing video! This is actually also good advice for a group of friends going into business together. I started a worker cooperative business with friends/colleagues and nearly all of the same issues discussed here were issues we had to discuss too (e.g. relative value of different types of labor, cash vs labor contributions). Everything is working out great bc we have had great communication all along and have a very clear (but still amendable) member agreement. Thanks for sharing this- it's really reaffirming.

Thank you soO much! Helpful & inspiring! I’ve been very excited about watching your channel! Thank you for sharing!

One thing I can say from experience, is you for sure need to cover yourself legally in what will happen when one of you unfortunately dies and who will inherit that part of ownership, because you do not want to be in our situation where our land co owner past away without legally sorting out the inheritance and the land past to a distant family we barely knew which in turn made us completely abandon the place after investing so much time and money due to legal complications.

I like the logic and attention to detail

So much valuable information! Thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge

Fabulous, thank you Summer!

Great advice. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for the insight!

Ex military here 33 years . I have 5 achers here . ! Not enough for what I'd like to do . I'd like to support our military with a bivwac symmercamp area for training . Why not I did that all my military life..! Miss my military peeps bad too . !

Thank you! I’m so impressed with how well thought out you all were before stepping into this chapter of your lives. Great advice you offer! 👍🏾😉

Great episode. It seems like marriage to me for sure for better or worse..lol. I think this idea would work with farming, too. Land is becoming so expensive. Very good advice and information.. Appreciate yah

trust: if you find a chance to do this make sure to set it up as a trust.. this will help in taxes and billing... and shares... and will help with makeing sure that this ''plan'' grows beyond the start

I kept asking myself … is that Summer?!!! * subscribed***

I have a question, I've "known" Summer the longest because of the house plant RU-vid channel, and I've seen Saunders on a few vids. May I ask how many people make up the FFL family? If you dont want to answer that, I COMPLETELY understand. Have a wonderful week everyone. 🌞☘️🌈

your ideas are a great alternative for many young people that will never be able to buy land on their own. it's true that there is an endless list of things that could go wrong and direct face to face physical discussion is the answer. i also like your idea of writing out in understandable language what each of you hope for or expect. we are getting older now, i'll be 70 soon and we have been considering the idea of bringing in others on to our land. we have become interested in restorative organic permaculture gardening and sustainable eco friendly living, so your videos have been a great source of interest.

Saludos desde Mexico

You are breaking a lot of paradigms here. Very interesting subject. I remember some vd debating your father intentions on being part of Flock. Very tough. I coudn't find how it ended. Was he accepted?

do you (meaning 2 people) have first option to buy the 3rd out if they want to leave? Just thinking going outside the group would be like starting over. (great video, people talk a lot, lol . But serious in depth isn't something many are so good at)

It's a business relationship, Period!!!

I going to be honest with you. Only reason I subscribed is to see how this will end.

Universal basic income will make all trades equal in cost eventually, so make sure you are doing what you like to do rather than doing anything for the money, otherwise you might not be happy

Good advice on communicating and especially legal issues in writing. I would highly suggest keeping expensive purchase receipts in a legal file as well. We are dealing with quite a dilemma with 160 acres & 2 ponds. Our land looks very similar to yours but in KS. My dad and brother bought it together built a beautiful home/cabin, barn, tractor, farm equip, 4 wheelers, atv and pontoon boat for the pond. Well, they both passed away within 5 years of each other from same cancer. Nothing was in writing in how the land was split just passed down to my mom and monstrous sister n law through a trust fund. We have no record on who bought what on all this expensive equipment out there. Now my bother’s widow is wanting to sell out her half for the most expensive amount possible. By getting property appraised at 1.2 million even though that’s no where near what my dad and brother equally put into it. My mom doesn’t want to pay over a 1/2 mill to buy her out. So what do you do when there is a snake in the group? Not even sure what we can do legally about an honest buy out. Not to mention how to split the costs on all the functional things out there. It would have made things so much easier if my dad and brother had every thing in writing on what to do, my brother should have known it would be a mess sharing land with his wife and her 2 adult boys that really don’t care about the property at all. Just what they walk away with in the end. It’s just sad that when shared large investments are not well communicated on all those potential “what if’s” it’s a huge stressor to the loved ones left behind. I just keep fighting for the property not to be sold. I definitely see how precious and valuable land is, especially in these times. And it’s just breathtaking and beautiful spending time out in the country which is how I grew up. Would love to turn it into a homestead and live full time out there. That’s why I appreciate you sharing these great information videos on important topics. It helps learning what others are doing along with their experiences. ❤

How do you pay for improvements to the property? Is it voted upon and where does the money come from? ❄️💚🙃

Is your dad still interested in joining the Flock? I remember you’ve mentioned something like that in the past. 💕💕💕

😊

It definitely sounds like a marriage in that it requires a lot of compromise and a prenuptial agreement. And like a marriage, it cannot possibly foresee all future challenges, is not risk free, and may have about a 50 percent chance of lasting "til death do you part." If the "pre-nup" makes dissolution of the "marriage" relatively easy, then the chances of long term success are likely pretty low given how much people's lives and values evolve as they age.

And that's the reason people/couples are better off on their own land/living space. The amount of discussing over every small topic - some of which there inevitably are disagreements on - is just not worth the energy and time. Besides, people will NEVER be equals, not in even in these types of communities (heck not even within romantic relationships...). There is always someone who's work is valued higher, which gives him/her power over others and that's the same slippery slope today's society went down.

I really hope this group takes into account that society under values work of women.. and any chore a man does is seen as more valuable because of patriarchal norms. If you didn’t take that into account over 50 years a women can get royally screwed

Everybody has the vision. Nobody has the work ethic. Ask the hippies. Ask the residents of Jonestown.

In other words, it's likely a royal pita.

No

What happens if one of you gets married and has a family outside the original group? And they get divorced and fracture there investment

If you can afford it, buy it by yourself. Don’t partner with anyone including family members.

I always saw Summer as more on the hippie spectrum, but she is actually a brute capitalist and sees this as a business venture and not a commune 😉.

I know my personality, it would never work for me ;)

Expensive land is a function of overpopulation. I was born in 1950 about 20 miles north of Seattle and my neighborhood was small acreages and lots of woods. Now it's one huge suburb. The woods are gone and the traffic horrible.

After the long commercials I expect that this video is rated PG, so that we don't get scared about already being adults. Mom, Dad?