[coconutoctopus]

Where do people go living offgrid like this? I'm in Los Angeles and will probably never afford a house here due to the high cost, maybe a townhouse some day. Anyone has suggestion for good states or cities that will be good for building your own houses? I've never been out of California really and most of my friends are in CA as well.

[rubylark]

Pretty much anywhere in the Midwest is builder and home-buyer friendly, with the caveat that the further you are from a city, the easier and cheaper it is. Anecdotal stories I've heard put IA, ND, SD, WI, MI, MN, IN, NE and KS at about the same level for suburban to rural housing (though this depends on the size and popularity of the closest city). It is typically cheaper (not including maintenance costs) to buy an old house than to build your own. You can buy an old 2000 sqft house for under $200k within commuting distance of the Twin Cities but building a similar house on an empty lot will likely cost more than twice that and have a 10-20 min longer commute.