Moving has been on my mind for awhile, and doing some scouting north to Arikaree Breaks, I found a couple towns that could do. When I think
America, I think the right to keep my land and livelihood. For homesteading, I think Kansas, so here's law:
[TD="width: 486"]Kansas Statutes Sections 60-2301:
Homestead, Extent of Exemption
and 60-2302:
Designation of Homestead
Kansas Constitution Article 15, Section 9:
Homestead Exemption
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What is Homestead Property?
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[TD="width: 486"]Your homestead in Kansas can be any real and personal property, including your home, manufactured home, or mobile home.[/TD]
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Maximum Property Value That Can Be Designated Homestead
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[TD="width: 486"]Kansas has no property value maximum that can be designated homestead. However, they do have a maximum acreage amount that would effectively limit the property value saved.
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Maximum Acreage
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[TD="width: 486"]Depending on the location of the homestead property, the maximum acres that can be claimed as homestead vary. Properties located in incorporated towns or cities can be claimed exempt up to a maximum of one acre. However, in rural areas, you can claim up to 160 acres of farming land as your homestead.[/TD]
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Personal Property Exemptions
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[TD="width: 486"]In addition to your homestead, you can claim several
personal property exemptions
, some related to farmland. These exemptions include:
- Furnishings, equipment, food, fuel, and clothing in your possession as reasonably necessary to keep you for a period of one year
- $1,000 in ornaments or jewelry
- $20,000 for your transportation to and from work (typically a car or truck), for people with disabilities a specially designed or equipped vehicle has no max exemption limit
- $7,500 in trade tools, such as breeding stock, seed, tools, books, etc. that you need to carry out your occupation
- A burial plot
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So taking up ranching, if that's your line of work, and passing that life to your kids or grand kids, is still somewhat protected on paper. The only issues for Kansas being water, distance, and that your livestock are fair game creditors. (Unless there's another law to cover that.) I wouldn't be ranching though, just claiming my homestead. Most here probably agree, the law
must protect our natural rights to our own property and personal livelihoods.