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Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Old Nov 16th 2019, 3:41 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Originally Posted by Boiler
H2A is the visa for agricultural workers if you need help.
Thanks for that. If I ever get through all the paperwork to get to that stage, I will give that one a go!
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Old Nov 16th 2019, 3:52 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for your comments. I always knew there was a lot more to it than I had thought. Which is why I decided to pick all your brains and see if i could find out just how little I knew!
Most of my reading has been about what to look for when buying land, access to utilities, etc, not the visa I'd need and just how difficult all that was to get!
All comments are much appreciated. And they've all given me some ideas in which direction I want to try and take to hopefully make it all work! Thank you all.
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Old Nov 16th 2019, 4:48 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Originally Posted by Rete
My daughter's in-laws live in Orza Valley, AZ. They have change of seasons.
This is one of the reasons I'm interested in buying there, climate is a lot more varied than people think.
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Old Nov 16th 2019, 4:57 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Originally Posted by Arizona_bound
Thanks for that. If I ever get through all the paperwork to get to that stage, I will give that one a go!
You can’t get an H2A to work for yourself, if that’s what you were thinking.
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Old Nov 16th 2019, 5:07 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Originally Posted by AdobePinon

You can’t get an H2A to work for yourself, if that’s what you were thinking.
No. That's the one if I work for someone else I think? There are so many different types it gets confusing! Sponsorship would be nice but that won't happen! So probably just the B2. 6 months a year. Unless I win the lottery and can just buy my way in!
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Old Nov 16th 2019, 5:40 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Am I the only one here who thinks there's a big risk of one, not be awarded the B-2 visa, and two, being considered an overstay risk and turned away at the port of entry even with a B-2?
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Old Nov 16th 2019, 6:23 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Wow, I never seen a post received so positively which is nice. However, no one has mentioned health care and the cost of it over here. Would living in the USA, still entitle you to NHS treatment? What about taxes? At 52, he would be considered very young to have retired which might mean the B2 could be denied. I really don't see it as a viable option to be honest but good luck.
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Old Nov 16th 2019, 8:52 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Originally Posted by jjmb
Wow, I never seen a post received so positively which is nice. However, no one has mentioned health care and the cost of it over here. Would living in the USA, still entitle you to NHS treatment? What about taxes? At 52, he would be considered very young to have retired which might mean the B2 could be denied. I really don't see it as a viable option to be honest but good luck.
I thought about the health insurance aspect too. At age 52 you could expect fairly high premiums. However, this whole plan seems a long way off, goodness knows what medical insurance will be in place by the time the OP gets here.

If he is only here in US for up to 6 months and lives rest of year in UK, then, yes, he should still be eligible for NHS.
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Old Nov 16th 2019, 8:59 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Originally Posted by Owen778
Am I the only one here who thinks there's a big risk of one, not be awarded the B-2 visa, and two, being considered an overstay risk and turned away at the port of entry even with a B-2?
Any plan that involves sinking money into a country where one has no right to reside and where, on any given day, one could be turned away at the border, is pretty risky.
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Old Nov 16th 2019, 9:02 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Originally Posted by Rete
My daughter's in-laws live in Orza Valley, AZ. They have change of seasons.
Hi Rete!

I googled Orza Valley, AZ and didn't find anything. There is an Oro Valley which is just a bit north of Tucson at the base of the Catalina mountains, but I don't think that would see a drastic change of seasons. So not quite sure where you mean.

Rene
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Old Nov 16th 2019, 9:05 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

There are a lot of snowbirds in the US, I know quite a few people from the UK who own property here, so not exactly uncommon.

And I agree that Health cover may be a non issue as we are looking at years ahead, Travel insurance would still be a good idea for the other benefits but should be much cheaper.
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Old Nov 16th 2019, 11:42 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Lots of new comments to reply to there. Unfortunately, I only have my phone so I'm sure I'll miss bits out as I can't see what I'm replying to!
My initial plan was purely to buy a large (relatively speaking) plot of land to call my own and use as and when I saw fit for a few months of the year (visa permitting). It wasn't to emigrate. Although that is definitely appealing. I enquired about it on here to see what people who've been through it had to say on it. From what I have gleaned from everyone's replies, that's basically a non starter. So I've pretty much dismissed that as an option. If it ever becomes a possibility then I'd obviously jump at the chance, but I don't see that happening, short of ditching the missus and finding a willing American woman! That's also a non starter as I'm rather attached to my genitalia where it is!
The main thrust of what I wanted out of asking questions on here was to see if it was viable to buy land and the ability to be able to use it as and when I wanted (again, visa permitting) and what I needed to get in place to be able to buy said land. From what I can see so far the conclusions I've reached are; I need the money up front as a mortgage is very difficult to get in my situation and getting any kind of visa will be extremely difficult.
In the long term, I'm lucky as I can retire relatively young, my job provides travel insurance for me and the family and the pension is nice and if its managed, will keep us going until it's no longer needed.
This all started with looking to buy somewhere in Spain to retire to. Then the internet searches got a bit further afield and ended up in America. And then we get where we are now. I know my job is a respected profession in America so that may help if I drop it into conversation in the right ears, I don't expect it to get me anything extra but it should go some way to showing that I'm trustworthy and not likely to abuse any visa I manage to get, as in show I'm not an overstay risk.
I'm very grateful to all the comments, even the ones that aren't positive as they all go on the ever growing list of things I need to consider to make a dream a reality!
I'm in a good position with regards to time so I can work hard to do what I can to make things happen. Whether they ever will is another matter but it won't be for lack of trying!
Any and all advice is gratefully received as I can guarantee there will be things I haven't given any thought to that someone on here will bring to my attention, as has already happened. I got far to caught up on the amount of land you can buy and the possible uses of the land without considering all the other bits that go along with it! I'd looked at taxes, weather, soil types, access to water and the economics around digging a well, power to any property, probably solar and the costs of getting that in place, what I wanted to use the land for and just assumed (stupidly) that a visa would allow me to use it. Not a resident visa but a B2 so I could use it for 6 months of the year. I will happily be the first to say I was naive. Well the responses on here have firmly placed my feet on the ground and I now have a better understanding of just what an uphill battle i have in front of me! Buying the land seems to be the easiest part and i thought that was the most complicated!
Anyway, I've waffled on long enough and most of you probably won't get this far cos I've bored you! Those that have read it all, thank you. And thanks again for everyone's comments and pointers and bringing me back to earth!
I will do it, because I want to. And I will also have a rethink about Spain as dividing my time between the two seems like a very nice way to spend my retirement! I'm sure I've said that already but that's why we all work, to enjoy the time you no longer have to!
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Old Nov 22nd 2019, 1:17 am
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Interesting thread. Can see the appeal but does seem possibly risky, and I say that as someone already in the US on a visa.

however, you might just make it work.

i would say though, do keep the risks clearly in view, sometimes we have a tendency to assume nothing will go wrong, but life isn’t like that. Even your pension in £ could go up or in particular down enough to give you serious money problems.

my initial thoughts are, regarding Spain and the EU, do beware of the future impact of brexit, you may well end up needing a visa for that too, and medical insurance.
In the US medical insurance is not cheap. The cost of A&E could be more than the 40 acre property you want to buy so factor it in carefully. Although retiring young, you’ll be entering the age bracket where ‘anything can happen’.
the visas you mention I think as was pointed our rely on you having a perm home base to go back to, so you’d have to have a house I presume in the country of origin. No problem, but that’s two or more properties to run. In itself not an issue but somewhat removes the chances of raising cash by selling up own home. I’ve no idea how that would work as a Brit with a home in say Spain for 6 months and in US for the other, as an immigrant to both that could be very complex if never in U.K. for long enough to be resident there and you may end up needing to pay out for two medical insurances, for whole family.
just my thoughts, I’m no expert and your idea is fascinating. If you make it work please ping me, as it sounds like I could literally retire today based on that idea.
enjoy Arizona, beautiful place, however, massive and very sparse and spread out, visiting as a holiday maker is one thing but living there I reckon entirely another, the growing of crops is probably the smallest of matters to worry about!

good luck!
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Old Nov 22nd 2019, 3:46 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Originally Posted by LouisB
Interesting thread. Can see the appeal but does seem possibly risky, and I say that as someone already in the US on a visa.

however, you might just make it work.

i would say though, do keep the risks clearly in view, sometimes we have a tendency to assume nothing will go wrong, but life isn’t like that. Even your pension in £ could go up or in particular down enough to give you serious money problems.

my initial thoughts are, regarding Spain and the EU, do beware of the future impact of brexit, you may well end up needing a visa for that too, and medical insurance.
In the US medical insurance is not cheap. The cost of A&E could be more than the 40 acre property you want to buy so factor it in carefully. Although retiring young, you’ll be entering the age bracket where ‘anything can happen’.
the visas you mention I think as was pointed our rely on you having a perm home base to go back to, so you’d have to have a house I presume in the country of origin. No problem, but that’s two or more properties to run. In itself not an issue but somewhat removes the chances of raising cash by selling up own home. I’ve no idea how that would work as a Brit with a home in say Spain for 6 months and in US for the other, as an immigrant to both that could be very complex if never in U.K. for long enough to be resident there and you may end up needing to pay out for two medical insurances, for whole family.
just my thoughts, I’m no expert and your idea is fascinating. If you make it work please ping me, as it sounds like I could literally retire today based on that idea.
enjoy Arizona, beautiful place, however, massive and very sparse and spread out, visiting as a holiday maker is one thing but living there I reckon entirely another, the growing of crops is probably the smallest of matters to worry about!

good luck!
Hi, thanks for the reply. Believe me, the risks are now at the forefront of my mind! And there are even more of them than I had considered initially so the whole purpose of asking for any advice on here has worked. Albeit most of it not the good news and the easy steps I was naively hoping for!
I'm currently pursuing the Spanish side of things a little more vigorously than I was before as I believe I can make that happen a bit quicker than anything in America as things stand. But the American dream is still definitely on the agenda!
Not sure how I would work it all out with regards to 6 months in Spain and 6 in America. Might have to cut down time in both to spend time in good ol blighty to make sure I still qualify for everything I need to.
Brexit is an issue, depending on if, and when, it happens. But I'm optimistic that there will be some arrangements in place to cover people like me with property in Europe. Knowing my luck that arrangement will be that the government just takes it off you but let's hope not!
if I make it all work I will certainly be on here telling people how as I'm sure I'm not the only person who'd like to be able to do what I plan on doing!
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Old Nov 22nd 2019, 4:43 pm
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Default Re: Trying to buy land in America, hopefully Arizona.

Originally Posted by Arizona_bound
Hi, thanks for the reply. Believe me, the risks are now at the forefront of my mind! And there are even more of them than I had considered initially so the whole purpose of asking for any advice on here has worked. Albeit most of it not the good news and the easy steps I was naively hoping for!
I'm currently pursuing the Spanish side of things a little more vigorously than I was before as I believe I can make that happen a bit quicker than anything in America as things stand. But the American dream is still definitely on the agenda!
Not sure how I would work it all out with regards to 6 months in Spain and 6 in America. Might have to cut down time in both to spend time in good ol blighty to make sure I still qualify for everything I need to.
Brexit is an issue, depending on if, and when, it happens. But I'm optimistic that there will be some arrangements in place to cover people like me with property in Europe. Knowing my luck that arrangement will be that the government just takes it off you but let's hope not!
if I make it all work I will certainly be on here telling people how as I'm sure I'm not the only person who'd like to be able to do what I plan on doing!
if you going somewhere and don’t need to work, why look at high cost developed countries, I see Americans going to Costa Rica, Panam, Mexico (look at Cozumel and the Yucatán and maybe islands of Belize as well.. All these places seem to be easy to live/own in as a foreigner, and are much lower cost.. they wound not if you want dry heat though and of course pay attention to height above current sea level if you are buying.
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