Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Lots o’ Land

“Towns need to grow to survive.”
Karen Lauer, Barnesville, Minnesota Economic Development

Land of the Free
Small towns and rural communities are using what they have to woo newcomers, and for some that means free land. In Kansas there’s so much free land they host an online site, Kansas Free Land, that provides links to all of the communities giving it away. In Curtis, Nebraska lucky homeowners can snatch up a lot overlooking the golf course. And in Marne, Iowa, one family not only got free land but also got $10,000 in down payment assistance. Sometimes when a deal sounds too good to be true, it’s just good.
Bonus Link ® Click on USDA Rural Development for information on getting low-interest loans to buy or build in rural areas.


I ran the following story last week. It’s about one town’s incentives for attracting newcomers. I thought it was worth repeating here . . . in case you missed it the first time . . . and in case you’re thinking about building in Minnesota.

If You Pay Them, They Will Build
Town leaders in Barnesville, Minnesota (population 2,314) have been hard at work attracting folks to their community. First, they offered free lots to newcomers willing to build. Then, they sweetened the pot with utility incentives. And now—cold, hard cash: twenty-five hundred bucks to the first four people who move to their town and build a home. This is one town that knows the way to a homeowner’s heart is through their pocketbook.

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