Move To Terlingua, TX & Live Your Off-Grid Dream!!!

[@ricfly52]

I am a 45 year carpenter. Yes 45 years as a carpenter. I an 67 years old. I have built dog houses and billionaire mansions. And I can run a pipe and rope a few wires to make stuff work. Five years ago I would have checked the place out. But I just bought a place in my beloved Idaho. Down on the snake river. Not much snow in the winter. Loved your video. I wish you the best.

[@c69101]

I was stationed at Mtn Home, and those were the best 4 years of my life. Idaho had everything an outdoors person could want. Enjoy.

[@rodl.miller3353]

This is one of the best videos that just tells it like it is; for better or worse. Thanks for the honesty of what it actually takes.

[@albertoruiz3731]

He’s telling you to bring money. Or have a skill that makes money. I love this guy. But that’s what stock brokers told me too

[@unscriptedmomlife]

Thank you for not sugar coating this life. Love the honesty you have.

[@ecoranchusa]

Someone asked if there is a local realtor I WOULD recommend... but I seem to have lost that comment, sorry! Realtors, like car salespeople, are salesmen, they serve a purpose, but ALL are distasteful to deal with. Around here, the least offensive to deal with is a local resident who is with West Texas RANCH Realty: Don Houser. DO NOT, DO NOT get confused and get in touch with West Texas Realty, they are a major part of the problem out here!!!!

[@joelblea4992]

eco-ranch.us That was me. Thank you for the answer!

[@mak8422]

Glad I didn’t go through them. Sorry I’m browsing comments from a year ago.

[@vvvvmmmm11]

Now there's a real man! Experienced and wise. He uses his wisdom and knowledge to help others. Great personality too. If we all were like this guy, we would live in a better world. Thanks for the vid!

[@gamingsteinpc6874]

I moved from Chicago to a small village of 200 people in Argentina and I can tell everyone that I am much happier with the rhythm of my life l. I've been here for one year and I am loving every moment. Thanks for taking the time to read this comment

[@astoica1]

how is it there?

[@gamingsteinpc6874]

@@astoica1 the economy here is really bad every high inflation but my wife and I save for a while to be able to do this. We bought a 200 year old hotel for 14000 dollars that was in very bad condition and fixed it up and turned it into our home. Now what we do is live off the land and grow most of our vegetables and raise our own animals. It's very hard work but we enjoy it and have a better quality of life. Let me know if you have any other questions. Sorry it took me a while to reply very bad internet here lol

[@garthrichert5256]

You are an amazing man. How you have soldiered on with health challenges and desert temperatures and water issues etc etc, is inspiring.. Thank you so much.

[@ronniepirtlejr2606]

You have put a lot of hard work into your place and it has turned out to be a beautiful place! I lived in the Mojave Desert for 17 years in Southern California. It is a very hard place to live. Good job keep up the good work live life to the fullest!

[@ecoranchusa]

Thank you!

[@Rebeccamyst]

Very sound advice. Good for any undertaking anywhere. And preparedness doesn't always mean things will work out. Adaptability, I think is necessary also. Finances very important.

[@iamwhoiam4410]

I admire people like you that will be upfront and not make off grid living seem like a cushy lifestyle, especially in an environment like you live in. Skills today, especially working with your hands, for the majority of the younger generations consist of how fast you can send a text on your cell and sitting in front of a computers. We live in the Blue Ridge mountains and not off grid or homesteading. People tell us how beautiful your home and property is, and then ask us, how long did it take you to get this far. We tell them, started in 1974 and still haven't completed our goals. Who did all the work?, well we did because we had the skills to do it. Thank you for your honesty, I hope this video finds it way to a lot of wannabe thinks they can do it with no skills and the money to sustain them.

[@ecoranchusa]

I felt I had to try. Now if they move here, or one of the other off-grid friendly counties in the country, they have been warned.

[@davipervenom9151]

Visited that small town when my family and I went to big bend national park. It’s a quaint little desert town. It’s a different world in West Texas from San Antonio. We loved it. Going back in near future.

[@angelortega10]

Thank you for posting this educational video; I bought 20 acres in solitario and I am slowly learning to build and be resourceful, first and foremost establishing shade and water source. I visit the area 4-5 times a year and stay there a few days, perhaps one day I’ll have enough experience for my wife and I to live out there. It is no pic nic as you say, it takes time , patience, TRIAL AND ERROR, among other things. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the matter, subscribed

[@ecoranchusa]

Come by for a visit!!!

[@angelortega10]

eco-ranch.us would love to check it out! I’m actually in ghost town this weekend, perhaps I’ll stop by. Saw the Terlingua creek today, the recent rains were a blessing from the looks of the flow

[@driverdan6988]

I just caught you for the first time and the 1st minute of this video automatically made me want to subscribe!!!! You are a gift! Thank You!

[@ecoranchusa]

Thanks!

[@williammcintyre1054]

I been looking and concidering goinging off grid for a while. Now that I am retiring. I think I may come down your way look around. I've actually been looking hard because I do not like even close to city or urban. I am more than just a skilled carpenter. A master carpenter 40 years survivalist out of the missouri river bottoms. And I can still dig all day long even at 66 years of age.

[@Arturian.music.official]

"So how you gonna grow hydroponically, if you don't have the hydro to ponic it with?" Fair question... fair question. Love your straight talk!

[@ecoranchusa]

To the trolls that comment about my "disability" and how it seems I am "mooching off THEIR taxes", or cheating in some way...… not that you actually read anything.... you just post snarky, cretinistic comments that make you feel better while sitting in your Mother's basement eating a ham sandwich, wishing YOU has the skills and balls to do what I do…… this video is several years old. I was badly injured and did collect Social Security disability for a short time. However, those days are far behind and I am as fully able to work as any man my age NOW. SS disability, can be a short term, or long term benefit. Mine was short term. However, I qualified for it because I NEVER worked "under the table" as so many of you do and have. I worked for 47 years, paying FICA taxes as required. Now that I am over 66, I qualify for more SS retirement income than you probably earn at a job, if you even have one! This video was NOT about me, however you may want to make it so in order to be a simpering troll. It is about unskilled, ham sandwich eaters like yourself who think they can re-invent themselves in a remote area. Sorry folks, there is a saying you need to remember that goes like this: "Wherever you go, there you are". You are doomed to failure! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE YOURSELF AND THE MESS YOU MADE OF YOUR LIVES!

[@coprographia]

eco-ranch.us Social Security is an insurance program anyway, not welfare. Anybody who’s paid into it is entitled to the help, when they need it. I swear people who sneer at the disabled or retired are either brainwashed or must hate their own jobs, maybe both.

[@mak8422]

I haven’t seen any disability with you it seems that you are more than abled living in w tx. My father had a way of responding to me asking “where we were” and he would say, “we are right here! We must make the best of it!” He would always be lost, but he was right. We were there, and that’s where we were. You always have the stars to guide you somewhere else.

[@meldacano1525]

What an amazing life. Enjoyed the video. Thank you for sharing.

[@m.b.5198]

After two days in the desert fun My skin began to turn red

[@samsquanchoverland]

didnt the desert turn to sea? lol

[@margaretlocke7607]

Hilarious

[@SlappyG]

I’m skilled in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, welding, simple car mechanics, farming, and hydroponic growing. I’ve been building up this resume my whole life because when I was young I knew I’d end up in the middle of nowhere. Spent the last year researching places and stumbled upon Terlingua Texas. Made a planned trip for October 2018 to visit. Would be an honor to buy you a beer and talk to you about the area if at all possible.

[@ecoranchusa]

Absolutely!!! Get in touch as October gets closer and we can get together!!!!

[@lew419]

I thoroughly enjoyed your video. Wife and I have spent 3 months in 7 out of the last 10 winters volunteering at Castolon and love the Chihuahuan Desert. I hope our paths cross next time we're down there.

[@sandmanxo]

I've been to Terlingua several times in the past decade and camped on a friends land that's in the ranch right off the main road. It's fine for 3 days at a time and bringing a few gallons of water with us, but it would be a rough life until you get sufficient rain catchment setup and a good rainfall to get some water stored. I've also been to the field lab several times and really liked what John did with his setup out there. I doubt I would ever move out there though. While some friends and I considered buying land in the ranch around 2004 we decided the 650 miles from Houston was just too far as a weekend getaway. My wife inherited acreage in central Texas that gets 2 to 3 times the rain, over 100 miles from a major city that be plan to move to in the next few years.

[@ecoranchusa]

Given a paid off piece of land with better water, that is far enough away from a nuclear target and the Yellowstone "kill zone" and over 3000 feet above sea level and we would have settled there! We have made the best out of this place and use it as an example of what CAN be done, if need be!

[@angiekrajewski6419]

Your right...that is why people need to learn...they should have an off grid school for people who wants to live off grid...

[@Automedon2]

Thinking about it, I've spent most of my life learning the things I'd need to live independently, with the end goal of living a remote life. And this was long before the wave of interest that KZbin has generated. I've lived rough, I've had successful organic gardens, I build, I train dogs and horses, I've traveled the country with a trailer, camping remotely. I've worked many jobs (yes, even bartender, cook and handyman) I love the desert and I love the Northern forests. The list of random skills I've developed would take a page. BUT, now that I'm on the edge of 64, that dream seems to be more remote than Terlingua. Back issues and bouts of depression seem insurmountable. But, I still scroll through thousands of listings for a small, remote house I could buy for cash and ride out the balance of life away from the madhouse of society. Apart from small savings, I have just my 1,000+ SS check. looks like I'll be living vicariously through all the brave souls who took the plunge when they were younger. Got to temper those dreams with quenches of reality, ya know.

[@Garymayo]

Robert touched on a couple issues in a very large issue. Livability on The Ranch in Far West Texas. Everything that is alive wants to see you hurt or killed. Plants most places are not aggressive, but Ranch plants are angry vindictive things that use sharp tools to hide their stored water inside them from bears and mountain lions and feral pigs. Many species of poison snakes that can kill you. Tarantulas and scorpions are also going to brighten your day. 1% of the homes and businesses have utility power and 1% of those have a well. So everybody is forced to makes minimal electric and minimal water through alternative methods that are hit and miss. Temperatures reach way above 110 degrees on warm sunny days and it’s almost always warm and sunny. Most Ranch property is way away from limited services like schools, hospitals, doctors, veterinarians, post offices, UPS etc. Want to see a movie or get a Big Mac it’s about 200 miles away. When it does rain, 100% unpredictably, roads are often times closed for 2 days. In town when it rains, it will be 2 days before you can drive home. Most people have No cell phone service . Most places don’t have Internet, telephones or wifi, so you are living in the stone ages of technology. The one local gas station can easily and often does, run out of fuel. Many of the Ranch roads require high clearance 4WD. Because of the lack of services, if you do find a house to live in, insurance is about impossible to find or afford because if you have a fire, the volunteer fire department is too far away to put the fire out. And they can only bring so much water when they do show up two hours later. Have a heart attack or stroke? It’s a death call on this remote Ranch. Kiss it goodbye. Only people that make it here are people who could make it anywhere because they have money and resources to constantly wage a quiet war with the harsh desert. The ones who win the battle do so because they try to change very little, they learn to do with less, lots less. The romantic videos of John and Robert are like the serpent offering Eve an easy apple. Believe me, Terlingua Ranch is no easy apple. (I own 88 acres on The Ranch with utility power, well, telephone, internet, wifi, cellphones, satellite phone, two jeeps, and a nice house. People who scrape out a living in this desert are a special people, it’s not easy)

[@byronmartin9451]

This is the best informational vid I seen about off-grid living in west Texas, I noticed you said you worked the mines? I too work the underground coal mines in eastern Kentucky been running a roof bolter since 96 and I dream of getting the hell out of here but I don’t want to get out there and strike out, I’m sure a lot of people just can’t hack it and leave.

[@ValadiaKristoffersen]

I LOVE YOU!! Wise man, and very cool!! Message that needs to be out there. Thank you!!

[@jamestheeggplant5446]

I’m 31 and I commute to work by bike 3.5 miles, 7 over all. Sometimes I walk and it takes me over an hour to get to work. If you are 50, 60 and walk 5 miles a day to get to work you are pretty fit.

[@hstarnesdtx]

Terlingua and West Texas have a special place in my heart. I’ve been coming every year from Dallas as far back as I can remember and will be there this May! I’ve always wanted to buy property out there, and most likely will when I am older and have the funds to do so. So crazy how underrated this place is. Something about it calls me back every year (sometimes I go two or three times) When I leave Dallas I leave whatever stress or energy behind and completely cut myself off from the outside world (pretty easy when there is no cell service!) Thanks for making this video.

[@rationalmindriot7762]

"a man's got to know his limitations". - Harry Callahan

[@JamesJohnson-ls2ev]

love how you show the not so pleasant side of your passion... instead of hiding It like many other content creators seem to do.

[@ecoranchusa]

Thank you! That is the reason my channel is not "monetized". I am returning what Life has taught me.... TEACHING things we need to know to survive the new world we are creating. If I depend on money from these, my honesty will be jaded by the need for views. Right now my attitude is: "watch them or not, I don't care" and then the truth, from my perspective, comes out.

[@adammendoza4617]

I've bin out there 10 years and you are absolutely right

[@janier124]

A man telling it like it is ....thank you very much great video

[@rcas350pilot8]

Good vid. highly informative, not thinking of this myself but enjoyed watching.

[@artdogg50]

Very tough to words to live by, but somethings that definitely need to be said. I'm taken back by how many people have admitted wanting to come out there, seemingly lacking a lot of the things you've talked about.

[@mbsbrown7838]

Realistic and true, respect Sir! Hats off to you and your wife.

[@TexasWildlifeCams]

Really insightful video. A lot of people think moving out to the middle of nowhere is going to solve all their problems. You have to have the motivation, dedication and resources as well. I see people trying and failing out here all the time. Luckily we are in an area that gets a bit more water but we are working and learning all the time. If you move to the middle of nowhere with a woman you need to make sure you are on the same page. I'm extremely lucky because my wife and I are extremely motivated and love working hard. It's very rewarding when you are able to turn a piece of land into something usable. Don't let the hard work dissuade you from moving to the middle of nowhere, but come with a plan and expect an extremely hard life that can be very rewarding. Thanks for the great video, I'm very glad to have found your channel.

[@ecoranchusa]

Thank you!!!

[@1969fallen]

Great video I'll go off the grit soon I do it all my self thanks for telling the truth for those that have no skills or know the desert and what it takes to live there thank you

[@MaritaDeLaPenaDTG]

This seems like rock-solid advice. Greetings from your neighbor in west Texas.

[@reneethomas2901]

🤣🤣🤣Love your spirit and personality. You just save me in sooooo many ways. Such a wake up call.

[@montesheppard4719]

As always, I am late to the party, but this is an excellent video. The deserts of West Texas are hard, giving folks a heads up before they come out and learn the hard way, well, many thanks to you. You maybe saved a few folks from some very difficult lessons.

[@ecoranchusa]

That was harsh, but needed! After five years, it still stands!

[@jdright1157]

Hear that! I'm not looking to get worked to death, that is for sure, I've spent the last 46 years doing that! With a 34 year career in the HVAC trade with bad knees and back surgeries to show for it. I also realize a person is only fooling themselves with visions of living off-grid as the life. If anything it is more work! But a different kind of work and that is what a lot of people haven't figured out... And that "living off-grid" still takes money! And at times, more than you usually have. The same old game just different rules and faces.

[@kevinrigg1284]

Love the straight forward talk. I'm planning to buy a small ranch here in Arizona in a couple of months. I have my plan in place for my job but if I had to find different work I've been a welder fabricator for the last 26 years,however I'm trying to not do it professionally these days. I'm originally from Dalhart Texas in the panhandle, it's rather flat and empty there! Keep up the great videos sir!

[@cherriemckinstry131]

Your right about rampant consumerism..

[@khomikoow5994]

Never seen any of your videos before. Subscribed because youre fun to listen to. Thanks for the wisdom.

[@ecoranchusa]

Thank you!

[@ronniepirtlejr2606]

I'm thinking a water hauler. Everyone needs water at some time or another. I'm just throwing an idea out there for someone.

[@ecoranchusa]

W have a couple people who put 500 gallon tanks on trailer and haul water. The problem is that they wat too much for something that is a basic human right! We can do better and I can show them how...… but I have to finish the construction first...….

[@chrisbretney9068]

I like your videos , but please explain why is it wrong to want to make a profit off of water hauling vs any other way to make a living ? yes I can agree you have a right to water and maybe the price can be negotiated , but no matter where you live people pay for water ! it is not anyone's right to move out to the desert where very little water is , and then say it is a basic human right you need to lower your price ! the price is what the market will bear on anything ! be it labor , food , water, auto parts , mechanics. doctors ! water delivery has a cost of the truck , fuel , insurance , and licenses, and mostly labor ! do you think the water guy should be paid less because you chose to live in the desert and it makes the water too expensive for you ! please clarify your answer !

[@ecoranchusa]

"do you think the water guy should be paid less because you chose to live in the desert and it makes the water too expensive for you " This is the kind of statement that these "politicians" make nowadays: "Just because you are alive and we are the richest country on Earth, why should you get health care at an affordable price? If you are sick, you'll pay anything." Where ANYONE chooses to live is irrelevant and a ridiculous statement! We all know the water availability issues when we decide to live anywhere, be it Detroit, Bermuda, or this desert. The smart person plans for it. When I designed this place, a great deal of the initial outlay went toward water independence. I ran out earlier this year because I failed to fill my system in December when there was still water available, not because of "where I live". I am self-sufficient and by the way, live in the desert. The next World War will be fought over water and access to it being restricted. I never said that those who had means should not pay for water! I insinuated that those who had no means should be provided water for personal and personal agriculture use... This I believe. Those who have the ability to pay, should pay for the infrastructure involved in providing water where it is municipally provided. There should be enough of an extra charge to cover the cost of providing water to those with no means. NOTHING MORE! I said that NO ONE should profit from providing water, like the scum that has the world believing the only drinkable water in the world comes in those plastic bottles that are now polluting our oceans. 1500% profit is 1490 too much. The guy here that was selling 500 gallons of water for $150 is in THAT category. He is not recouping his infrastructure, he is making $100 per load PROFIT, after insurance, etc., from those without the means to drill a well of construct catchment. This is usury! THAT, like the bottled water scum, is criminal. Water is life, not a means to profit excessively! What having the greatest civilization in recorded history is about, is taking that great and abundant wealth and spreading it to those genuinely unable to provide for themselves...… not concentrate that wealth among a mere one percent of the population. When we actually "make America great again", we will again be doing that, providing a decent life for all citizens...… beginning with our "under the bridge dwelling" veterans!!! Water is life, not money!

[@sgibau]

@@ecoranchusa 👏B👏R👏A👏V👏O👏 IMO what the water guy is/was doing is no different than what other "people" do when they increase the price of food, water, gas, or medicine ⬆500% during a hurricane, tornado or similar disaster. No one should try to make a profit off of the basic necessities of life from people in need "just because they can" or because "the price is what the market will bear" SMH.

[@bigstagsgarage2285]

I wish I paid $150 for 500 gallons delivered to my corner of the high desert. I have to order 3000 gallons at a time and pay too much to advertise.

[@beaupeep]

Words of wisdom.... I've considered visiting the area and checking it out. I love working with my hands and seeing what I've accomplished at the end of the day. Its a satisfying feeling.

[@getreal4real169]

I went to Terlingua on my way to Big Bend. It was nice. Wide open spaces, beautiful sunsets.

[@ecoranchusa]

Pretty place to look at!!!

[@dianatuttle8044]

very bold, it takes a lot of courage to tell me the truth. I respect that.

[@johnd4348]

Well done sir. You most be the most honest person on Utube.

[@johndifrancisco3642]

Great honest, REAL advice. I had to subscribe to see more. Thank you!

[@freeloader69]

Hey, Robert. I was born in Alamogordo, NM, so I’m pretty familiar with desert living and feeling kind of homesick. I make $750/mo SSDI, and have some carpentry and masonry and survival skills. Could you please help me find a plot down there that I can owner finance for no more than $200/mo? The only reason I ask is because it’s hard to find legit realtors selling land down there, and I really distrust the online “brokers” like you talked about. Any suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the video, either way!

[@ecoranchusa]

You would have to come here and look, meet locals and ask. I can offer a place to camp and start out from, but that is about all.

[@freeloader69]

eco-ranch.us Thank you for the offer. I may take you up on that. I have found a few decent plots - one near Van Horn (10 acres for $4k), and one supposedly in Terlingua (no GPS, 40 acres for $20k). Both of them are on “buy cheap land” sites. There don’t seem to be any plots of land on legit websites unless they are being sold for thousands per acre. So real estate agents are either *really* ripping you off, or these other lots are so worthless that only total sheisters are willing to rip you off for them. The guy selling the 10 acre lot near Van Horn, Kyler Dawson, actually did an interview on some land investment podcast that was really interesting. Apparently, there’s a whole community of people who buy large plots from the towns for pennies and sell them for thousands of dollars more than they paid for them. And if they can get you to make monthly payments, they charge 10-12% interest and end up getting more than twice the cash price off you in the end. Sounds like a good racket, if you don’t mind being a parasitic scumbag. Anyway, I have a few months to save up some cash and see what I can do. Thanks again, and thanks for making all these awesome videos!

[@ecoranchusa]

There is land for sale in this area. People need to come here for a week or so. Meet some locals and ask around about land. Parcels will be available then, from honest folks. The cost of a week's "vacation" here, will be offset by the quality of the land found and the THOUSANDS less is costs than from a NON-LICENSED land broker.

[@freeloader69]

eco-ranch.us Excellent! Thanks for the invaluable advice!

[@hanorabrennan8846]

You are truly a man of integrity and truth. Wish there were clones of you worldwide!

[@bobjary9382]

Such wise words, I hope you put the dreamers off and you get the folks that are going to thrive

[@JimForeman]

Yeah, you have 6 to 8 inches of rain a year and you ought to be there the day it comes.

[@richiebeard994]

Hi Robert Earl, thanks for the heads up. I have been messing with this idea since the late 80's when I was driving trucks through the New Mexico and Arizona desserts on my way to deliver in California. I saw signs for $100 an acre right off of I-40. Family and friend ties always kept me from pullin' the trigger. I will most likely continue to live vicariously through you. Godspeed brother.

[@ecoranchusa]

Thanks for watching.... and commenting!!!

[@ChristyJeanLopez]

I just saved $188 a month for 20 acres to an "online broker"...THANK YOU.

[@donnmogul]

Great video Buddy....very well said with great insight.....thank you for the valuable information ill take it with me on my journey to off grid living god bless.

[@missmable6015]

I know a man who lived in Terlingua for 7 years, & left it, he left his home, & moved to Kingsland, TX. He just couldn't take the desolute no more.

[@adrianatoscano6528]

It is unbelievable,on point. I made almost every mistake you mentioned and even though I didn’t loose may properly I work ten times more than anybody around me so I don’t loose my property and I succeed only because I am extremely handy. May next property will be in Texas and that’s why I was searching for info and you nailed it. Thank you very much.

[@Jollyprez]

I used to live in Terlingua ( in the 1980s ) and it's not for everybody. I loved it there, and have visited several times since. But, my profession requires high-speed internet ( which was not available reliably back then ), and have since lived in Silicon Valley and that's a completely different life, obviously. The desert is a really great place to live - the primary problem isn't the heat - it's the dust. But, a swamp cooler and your house can mitigate it. My brother still owns a spot on Terlingua Creek, which I hope to buy from him at some point. The land costs are cheap, but the closest reasonable healthcare is Alpine - 80+ miles away. Study Butte has a small general store as does Lajitas, but most city-folk will not be impressed. Soooo - most of us drove once every week-or-two to Alpine, ice chests in the backseat to buy as many groceries as we could. If you are disciplined on the grocery days, you'll eat better overall. Anyway, we always said that NOBODY lives in Terlingua "by accident." EVERYBODY is in Terlingua ON PURPOSE.

[@paulaburns2291]

lol thats great i havnt meet anyone out there an owned land for few years im not there full time also have another home in new mexico but everythings great out there setting up everthing is going great

[@ImAManMann]

So you are saying that in Terlingua there was not high speed internet in the 1980s..... that is hard to believe...

[@northofyou33]

Where did you move where you could you get high speed internet in the 80s?

[@thesewingproject7724]

Robert, I really enjoyed this video! We have no plans to move and live off grid anywhere but we are coming to visit Terlingua for a couple of days in 2019. We'll leave uptown Dallas behind and drive out to your part of the state. I found a few Airbnb properties in the area for less than a hotel stay and a thousand times the charm. We loved Santa Fe, NM and now time to do my own state's desert lands. Subscribing with great appreciation for what you've shared on your youtube channel. Can't wait to watch the rest! Best to you and your wife. - Randy

[@ecoranchusa]

THANK YOU! Stay in touch!

[@leanbean8376]

Didn't take me very long to hit that sub button & the top bell for all vids after about 10 min. into the vid! Thanks for all the advice & seeking more throughout other vids of your's & the ones to come!

[@ecoranchusa]

Thank you!! I am trying now, harder than ever, to give you great information and remain "relevant"!!

[@zdc1100]

I love ❤️ your straight talk. Thank you. Good luck with everything. I would love to do this..

[@ecoranchusa]

I just received ANOTHER message from a guy who bought some land in the "Cedar Springs" area of Terlingua Ranch, from an on-line broker, sight unseen! It is hard to get more remote and inaccessible than Cedar Springs out here and the roads in that section are horrific!!! This fellow makes FOUR people in the last six weeks that contacted me who bought that worthless land! I wonder if some online broker type got its hands on a few sections and is promoting life out there......."ethically", of course! (uh huh) Remember, these "realtors" only are lying if their mouths are moving! People, DO NOT BUY LAND SIGHT UNSEEN, PARTICULARLY ON-LINE!!!!! We have some title issues out here like a lot of places and titles to land need to be proven clear or title insured before you commit to purchasing..... DO NOT buy land you have never seen (would you buy a car you never saw, or marry someone you never met?????). Much of that land in Cedar Springs, Solitario too for that matter, has pretty views, but crappy roads and like a Floridian shoveling snow in Minnesota for the first time, it is fun the first 2-3 times, but by December it sucks and there is three more months of Winter. The difference is that the roads and the drive suck year-around!!!!!!! MOVE OUT HERE...... IF: you have financial means....... know the property you are buying is accessible and does not flood (you read right)...... possess skills we need out here (we have enough bad handymen, cooks & bartenders)....... own a reliable, high clearance vehicle and have a reputation among friends, family & co-workers as the best self-starter they know. Without these, YOU WILL FAIL, or tough it out in a OSB cabin, eating Spam by candlelight! SPEND YOUR MONEY USING COMMON SENSE! Buying land anywhere sight unseen and/or from an online "realtor" (even one that is "legitimate) is just plain STUPID!!!!!

[@joelblea4992]

Are there any local realtors you would recommend?

[@mak8422]

We did the “big bend” land of the ranch. I looked at the flash flood areas per how the land laid. Half of our plot seems to be flash flooded where the other half isn’t.

[@Miss_Judy]

What an incredibly great video! So So needed! I have many friends on YT and we talk back and forth and so often you hear of a person doing just what you say not to do. This was an exceptional video - love your place too - wish you would do a thorough - updated - tour of your whole property :)

[@ecoranchusa]

It doesn't look like so much is done right now. Wait until May and I will do a complete video tour!

[@samrichards8251]

Having skills is key. Either that or a trailer load of cash! I have always tried to build and fix everything myself since I was 15. Now 42 I can handle most jobs myself. I can’t imagine anyone moving out there unless they can actually do things themselves. Most people I bump into these days can barely change a light glove.

[@OrganistRichardBunbury]

Great job on this video. Of course, I am like so many other people that daydream about living like that, but with my medical issues and minimal handyman skills, it will stay a daydream.

[@101perspective]

The problem is that most people that are sick of all the debt, high tech, and stuff are... well, the people that are also often drawn to it. I mean, you only have tons of debt if you are living outside your means. You only get overloaded with the technology and stuff if you are buying it. No one makes these folks do any of that... they CHOSE to do it. Them moving to an isolated place isn't going to change who they are at heart. All it will do is make it harder, if not impossible, to be who they are at heart.

[@Network126]

I'm in debt and I live in my dad's kitchen behind pieces of cardboard. I have no quality of life. No personal space or privacy. I've never had anything in life. A lot of other 18 to 34 year-olds are like me nowadays, especially in California with cost of living so high. It has much more to do with the economy these days than living outside of your means.

[@ecoranchusa]

Living behind cardboard in your Dad's kitchen sound made up. But if the comment is real, I am not trolling you, but blaming the economy sounds like an excuse for not trying. Even today with the damage that guy with the dead racoon on his head is doing to our country, new immigrants are coming here and not just surviving, but thriving! Try living exactly as they do for a couple years...…. we did. You WILL get ahead!

[@budblanke9688]

@John Brandt Absolutely agree John, you can't run away from what you are!

[@alfteck]

Dear Robert, I feel so lucky to have found your clips. First may God bless you for your great attitudes. When you have a heart to build up people and their lives it means that you have God's blessing on you. Recently I have decided to make the move and now I am in the process of informing myself. I am an x Doctor,engineer and electrician. My plan is to have an RV whiles my son and I I work on our place. I hope when i move out there I find a place near a people with good hearts such as u and your neighbors. God bless, Al

[@ecoranchusa]

Many people here have great hearts! But like everywhere else, there are a few sourpusses. Just throw some sugar on them and they are not too bad!

[@alfteck]

lol...

[@poisonwater7241]

I was planning to come out there, but you make it sound too hard! Now I've changed my mind! I've lived here in the lush green mountains for over eighty two years and I always wanted to go to the desert where it might rain twice in a year and the nearest stream or river was eighty miles away and didn't run but about forty % of the time! Now you've talked me out of it dang it!

[@ecoranchusa]

My friend, with NO ill intention intended, after 82 years of life, you need to stay right where you are. Visit here, maybe, but to live, NO! Your health may be fine now, or for 30 more years, but you and I both are ONE cardiac episode away from a nursing home. Make the most of where you are!

[@mnmistandformyflag7020]

It sounds Interesting . Closing in on retirement and thinking hard on looking into the area . Just me and think I'd like it . Will watch more of your videos . My skill set would serve me well out there .

[@Captain-Max]

All excellent reasons why I am in Arizona nomad. I don't have to own any land, I just move as the weather determines From government land to government land. BLM or national forest land. High altitude in the summer desert in the Winter. Always within reasonable Distance of a real grocery store.

[@kevkares1354]

HI Robert I think your a real American, you tell the truth good or bad and I love that. It may not be what I want to hear but is the truth. I used to live in Austin and was scammed by some land sellers in west Texas but I learned my lesson just as you said. I am being more careful now and am looking into Off Grid living but just as your saying I am prepping. I am a skilled plumber and know lots of electrical but know I have to wait till my disability case gets approved until I make any moves. That"s why I am taking the time to study different areas and county codes to make sure like you say I just don"t pack up and head east. Thanks for the great video and the excellent advice Kevin

[@ecoranchusa]

Kevin, contact me when you are ready to make a move. The area could use an experienced plumber. Most here are self taught, like myself...... but not a s good. You would have a niche.

[@kevkares1354]

wow that would great Robert I was just watching your glass brick video it is great. my disability case should go to hearing in about 6 months and I should get about 2 years retroactive back pay. I have been studying alot of earth bag construction housing and I started in construction when I was sixteen in Ohio it's very exciting

[@WayneTheSeine]

No one has slammed the door. DON'T BREAK THE LAW. DO IT.......L E G A L L Y

[@dannybeeson5084]

I am SO happy you made this video. I've been a regular visitor to the area for a couple of decades now and it continues to amaze me how unaware people are just VISITING the desert. Reality is the area is a harsh land and it does NOT forgive you for mistakes. You have my admiration for homesteading there and good on you for letting other potential homesteaders know what they can expect. As much as I love spending time in Big Bend NP, Study Butte, Terlingua and the state park I want trees too much to want to live there myself.

[@wkh4321music]

Need this to kill what was growing into an obsession. Thinking maybe I will just buy that Selmer bass clarinet after all.

[@dawnr6577]

My husband and I just visited about a month ago. We were only there for 2 days but believe me, I did not want to leave.

[@mountainman4410]

I agree with everything you said here. A little over 3 years ago, I moved off grid in the mountains of Tennessee. I have solar, and a natural spring for water. It's tough living a true off grid lifestyle in an area that has so much abundance. I can only imagine what kind of struggle would come with having little to no water. I commend you for your strength and perseverance out there in those arid conditions!

[@robinmurray5266]

Mountainman That's why I have my sites set on Ozarks. More water, game, fishing and farm land. I'm not above eating possum and dandelion greens.

[@justinmaxwell1608]

My wife and I looked at some property by you and the desert isn't for us. We have a camp in the north east on 35ac. With plenty of water, it was a better fit for us, if your looking for cheap land you either fight the heat or snow lol.

[@jackchivvis4188]

Been there; too hot, too dry, too dusty, no water. Too far to goods and services. Cheap land and no building codes are not enough. Fun place to visit tho'

[@jsnantic]

it says visitors welcome. Would like to visit when it gets colder and check your place out.

[@ecoranchusa]

We mean that: well intentioned visitors ARE welcome!

[@travistyeminent1791]

Good on ya brother. I respect your honesty. Maybe I'll have the pleasure of meeting you some day.

[@ecoranchusa]

Come any time!

[@ArmishFarmer]

Truck driver is a handyman, electrician, mechanic, plumber, dishwasher, housekeeper, an accountant, first responder and many more all in one. 😎👍

[@ecoranchusa]

So are all the other unemployed guys out here......

[@jamey48]

Awesome ! I have 5 bucks and a CDL, I'm on my way ! ... Not ! Very good video, people need to think it through. Planning is always the key. Education is the only way to achieve your dreams. Ya can't watch a few videos and think you can survive.

[@iRyan876]

IPHONE 272 LOL!! 🔥 I love it! Keep it up man! Love the videos!

[@RamonaRayTodosSantosBCS]

I am building my house out of rocks and mud. I know how to plumb am a finish carpenter I learned how to wire, I am learning how to pour concrete. Lol I taught myself how to cut tile, I used to farm apples and cherries I can knit crochet and sew. Jeje and I'm 67 year ol woman. Woo woo crept i moved to Baja California Sur where the desert meets the Sea.

[@PreppedReView]

God bless you brother thank you and may the Holy Spirit forever dwell in your temple

[@bluemountaindrivepae]

5 miles of dirt road is why that land was so cheap.

[@donnaadams1765]

Yes

[@OldLadyInFL]

Thanks for this video. I hope it helps someone not make a huge mistake. Do you have a video about getting internet? I'm going to look now.

[@larryneyii2162]

I have a feeling people will not hear what you said a hundred times You need skills ! I have worked in the trades all my life . It's funny today so many men can even change a flat tire ? Yeah I'm an old man too . It's very sad young people are so helpless ?

[@mlaub66]

LOVE your spirit! Fixing to hit the Subscribe button.

[@TheCyberRebel]

I live off grid. Everything is paid for and my bills are $180 a month. However, it cost me $250K to get here. The biggest problem with off griders is the misconception that lazy people can live for free or very cheap. Off grid living is expensive to set up and requires hard work and sacrifice to survive. It's not a free ride. If you're lazy or broke stay home.

[@antoninoarato8633]

I lived off the grid for about a year the only problem I found is water how did you solve the problem with water out there I like to know please which video you build a dome to create moisture with the plants how did you do it how did you solve the water problem

[@ecoranchusa]

Rainwater catchment and LOTS, LOTS of storage!

[@recycled3654]

For rich people. I better stay in New Mexico. Just kidding, love your place and what you done. Wishing you much luck.

[@liziwemabona1245]

Good word's bring more videos we support you from south Africa

[@oldtexan]

are those beer bottles making up those mud walls? Good incentive to build...more you drink, more you have to work...lol Good video!

[@chrissiesmall365]

Love your video! THanks for sharing.

[@DowntownSound1]

Dry, rocky place.... But still Looks nice. 👍 Great inspirations.👍

[@rebeccasuzannerustigian1257]

Okay, you convinced me, I'm not coming. Thanks so much for your heartfelt heartwarming video.

[@commercialelectrician133]

how far down is the water and how much would it cost to drill down

[@ecoranchusa]

700 feet. $25,000 Or do what we do and harvest rainwater. A rainwater set up will run about $3,000 or less

[@commercialelectrician133]

both my wife and i are both refrigeration and air conditioning techs we are both working on electrical i am working on my hours for my master electrical and she on here journeyman we do hold a contractor license with austin have any phone number to land companies in the area

[@altha-rf1et]

Would like to have my place all sit up, then move in RV, water collection system, water source, maybe rent a place for a few months until it gets sit up,