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Vince P
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2009 04:20pm
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This has been my long term goal and were it not for my wife and kids, I'd be writing this from there right now rather than dreaming of my next visit. I'm fairly well aged already and do not want to wait for retirement or whathaveyou...you can never get back the years.
Is there anyone out there that has made the transition and if so what was the most challenging aspect of making such a major lifestyle change?
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CabinBuilder
Admin
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2009 05:09pm - Edited by: CabinBuilder
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I have not moved myself, but I spoke to few people who live year around in the area where my cabin is. Here is my summary impression:
They like it there, some "just love it". The main pluses are low cost of living, slow and relaxed lifestyle pace and quiet surroundings. I guess it's a personality thing - (relative) isolation is not for everyone. If place gets snowed-in during winter, they just wait until whenever (obviously you need food supply for at least couple weeks).
Daily commute to work usually is not an option, so the key is, in my view, to have some sort of steady income - even modest amount is OK. One guy I spoke to is on his own schedule at some part-time job far away – he goes there once in couple of weeks. Another one is a dog breeder. Other couple were writers/artists or something of that nature. And yet another guy is retired (I assume he lives on modest pension/savings).
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littlesalmon4
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2009 06:56pm
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In a heartbeat my wife and I would be there.
Only thing stopping us are an 11 and 8 year old.
We dream that once the kids are on their own we can move to the lake.
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lawnjocky
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# Posted: 19 Jun 2009 10:26am
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I would do it in a second but my wife still needs to physically go in to work. I can do all my work on line so that isn't an issue for me. Even if work wasn't an issue I think my wife would miss being able to grab some sushi on the spur of the moment. For me, looking out a hundred miles and only seeing a dozen lights at night makes up for the lack of fresh sushi, etc.
Jocko
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drmargy
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# Posted: 12 Jul 2009 10:52pm
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My husband and I found our float cabin on Powell Lake in Coastal BC before we reached retirement age. We really wanted to move there, but had to finish a few more years on the job before we could make the change. We both calculated our incomes and discovered we could retire early so we could enjoy our new lifestyle.
Now we live there about 3/4 of the year in all seasons. It's great and we love our off-the-grid cabin. My husband now writes books and I write grants in wonderful surroundings. The transition was easy except we had to wait two years to get our Canadian residency approved. But that wait was well worth it! - Margy
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lawnjocky
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2009 01:01pm
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Margy:
I hope you talked to an accountant before you changed residency. Canadian law is in flux regarding reaching to US assets if there is a minimal Canadian connection. This can have profound results to other family members if you have any estate planning entities or are a beneficiary of such entities. Furthermore Canada does not apply the tax treaties to many of these situations thus no credit for the foreign tax paid. There is a way to prevent some of this by setting up what is called an immigration trust. Such a trust can shield certain income from Canadian tax for up to five years.
Good luck
Jocko
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drmargy
Member
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2009 12:47am
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Thanks for the info Jocko. We have just completed our first tax year in Canada. We got Canadian tax credits for our US taxes paid. We used a Canadian accountant who is well versed in both systems so he was able to apply for our tax credits. Yes, there were a few areas in which one country's tax laws are different, but we did not have to pay double taxes. In fact, this year worked out to be less overall than last year when we paid only US income taxes. As far as estate planning, we have both US and Canadian wills. For us (with no children) it is probably easier than others with large families and lots of heirs. But I agree with you completely, you have to investigate a major change like moving to a different country. - Margy
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Lawnlocky
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# Posted: 30 Jul 2009 07:56pm
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You are lucky. I did a lot of work on a matter that involved a US citizen moving to Canada. Years earlier he set up a US trust for his kids. Since he was now a resident grantor the US trust would be subject to Canadian tax after he was a resident for sixty months. This caused a lot of problems for his kids who are US residents. The trust had no connection to Canada and the assets of the trust were not located in Canada. It got even more complicated because Canada is attempting to crack down on offshore trusts and the law is in flux. As it was, all we could use for guidance was the proposed law and that kept changing. The problem was/is so bad that the grantor is now moving back to the US because of the tax problem. We had law firms and accountants in both countries working on it and the best they could do was say the move was a mistake.
BTW, your place is beautiful.
Jocko
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 4 Aug 2009 09:03am
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i would move to our place right now and the cabin is not done yet.i wish hubby would be like this.well-we have a couple more years till he retires.so we still have time to work on getting things we need for out there.i love it so. cabingal3
hubby working on our new cabin.
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 4 Aug 2009 09:05am
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and that cabin in Canada is simply fabulous!! whew.its a beaut!
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mikej
Member
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# Posted: 11 Sep 2009 07:18am
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hey, hows it going? Me and my wife are in the process of moving into ower small cabin we just built together. located in maine. its a small 10x12 with a loft but we love it and we had to carrie all ower supplies about a 1/2 mile into the woods by hand no drive way here and no money for a small atv. we have put in some long hard days but where very excited. I was a truck driver that got laid off due to the econmy. and shes always just been a house wife. but we said to hell with it and took for the woods {off grid living} here we come. I do small jobs around town for people for an income and we could get by on about 600$ a month so its not inpossible to just go. we would like some more interior design sites to open like cabinett ideas and counter tops table and couch ideas but we will figure it out. well thanks for listening hope this helps
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lamar5292
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# Posted: 26 Sep 2009 01:02am
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I've been living off-grid almost 10 years now. Started in a small camp trailer while building my solar cabin.
Then stripped camper for all propane appliances, water tanks, and fixtures for the cabin and moved in.
Wasn't a big adjustment for me as I was raised a homesteader but you learn to reduce, reuse and recycle quick.
Getting rid of extra "stuff" I had accumulated was the hardest part and i still give away stuff all the time to keep my cabin from becoming cluttered.
Small cabins mean having less stuff and making the best use of space.
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SmlTxCabin
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2009 12:16pm
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I am about to start building my cabin (24x32) and it will be my permenant primary residence. I bought a 5th wheel almost 2 years ago and have downsized not only my possessions and "stuff" but my need for large spaces, therefore I decided that I would build my dream home which is a small cabin with a loft. I have loved the simplicity of living in a small space with limited stuff. Not to say that I never miss the convenience of having lots of room and space, but I have been amazed at the life change that it as brought. It ironically has made me want to spend more time at home cooking, and working outside, and I feel like it has brought me more peace. I cannot wait until I get my cabin built, because it is all I have ever dreamed of since I was a little kid playing cowboys and indians in my parents pasture. Soon I will have my own place. I already have my own trees and grass, now it is time to build my small home. This site has been such an encouragement and makes me believe I am not crazy for doing this! Thanks everyone!
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geekinthegarden
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# Posted: 16 Oct 2009 01:35pm
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I've lived in my 12x16 cabin for the past 16 months and have enjoyed every minute! More here: http://ourtomorrow.blogspot.com
Just me and a dog inside then a crew of chickens, guineas, a goose and a deer (orphan fawn I raised) outside... oh, and a bee hive too. 1+ acre of garden and food forests with apples, peaches, pawpaws, blueberries, juneberries. Cooking is propane camping stove. Heating is a wood burning stove. Other structures: Outhouse for the bathroom and a chickencoop/greenhouse combo.
I think that covers it as for physical description.
Living this life can be simple or complex as you want to make it. I've got animals and choose to heat by wood, both of which add a bit of work and need for planning. Also, I don't yet have water plumbed in and have to carry it via 5 gallon coolers from the well a few hundred feet away. I cannot imagine living any other way!
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elkdiebymybow
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2010 12:27pm
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I'd be up there in a heartbeat if it wasn't for income. My business is located 100 miles to the south and it is about a 2 hour drive door to door to my office- too far to commute each day especially on dangerous mountain roads in the winter. I can't do business away from the office so for now, we try to get up there on weekends, holidays and any other chance we can.
My wife would want some additional space and has already talked about expanding two wings on each side for a kitchen area on one side and a master bedroom and spare bunk room for guests on the other. We still have no running water or power of any kind. We can get along fine for 2 or 3 weeks the way we have things set up right now. As we continue to evolve towards retirement age I am hoping that we can expand the cabin to a point that when we do retire, we can sell our permanent residence, commercial property and other assets in town and make the mountains our permanent home.
I read a book over the weekend about a man who lived in the mountains of central Idaho. His name was "Cougar" Dave Lewis. In 1922 he made a trip to Boise- his first time to Boise in 44 years. Now that is cabin living at its best!
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steveqvs
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2010 02:21pm
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Work and raising kids keeps me from living on our vacation property. Oh, and only having a camper and not a cabin. But I really would like to spend a few weeks in a row there to start a cabin.
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Hunter12
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# Posted: 13 Jan 2010 10:49am
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Have been working on my "off grid" wilderness location for the past few years. I dedicate almost every weekend to it. However with a 14 and 16 year old I cannot make the jump quite yet. I am keeping myself strong and in good shape and in about 4 years we will make the move. You can follow along if you like at:
http://man-steadingaguidetowildernesslivin.blogspot.com/
Keep the dream alive. It is a journey that is most enjoyable.
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Jerry
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jan 2010 05:13pm
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It's good to hear and feel the enthusiasm in the above posts. I've thought about a permanent move to the cabin for some time now. My plan would be to sell most of our wordly goods, upgrade the cabin to make it easier to live in as we get older, and in general do what we enjoy. I'm already retired with a small guaranteed income, and with some modifications to lifestyle, that would suffice. I envision a garden, cutting firewood, hunting and fishing to fill the freezer, and gathering wild rice. I've got plans to build a sauna as well as a potting shed and a canning/food preparation room. Since I've got two adjacent cabins I'd like to entertain the idea of bringing in extra income by lodging/guiding bird watchers (I'm in one of the most well known birding areas in Minnesota) and offering multi day courses in wild rice gathering/processing and log furniture building. I would enjoy working with people who have the same interests as I do. But, maybe it's only a dream. The years are rapidly passing by and it's soon "now or never". Good luck to all of you in your quest to follow your dream.
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