# What is the appeal of owning land? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-owning-land/763922 "2016-08-25T16:42:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-owning-land/763922/41 "2016-08-26T15:34:55Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Haven’t you heard? What I heard was > [@Crocodile Dundee](#): > > See those rocks over there? They’ve been there for four hundred million years. Arguin’ about how owns them is like two fleas arguin’ over who owns the dog. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-owning-land/763922/42 "2016-08-26T16:00:08Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > As someone who is thankful not to own much land…what is the big deal about neighbors? Why such a strong desire not to have them? I don’t get this either. I love neighbors. I had one lovely neighbor in my old apartment complex, I love living in apartments because of all the lovely neighbors, that broke into my place and smashed up my living room because she stopped taking her meds and went crazy. That was lovely. For all you people who think owning land is stupid maybe you could help us out and fight a little ignorance. Would you please go and set up a tent and start living on the White House lawn and then get back to us about your experience about land and ownership? That would be lovely. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-owning-land/763922/43 "2016-08-26T16:17:58Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > It’s probably nice to have something you can tell people to get off of. Unless you’re old. Old farts like me can tell you to get the hell off 2 feet of grass we only rent. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-owning-land/763922/44 "2016-08-26T16:23:40Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > …Make no mistake, we do help each other up here. We are on the third set of neighbors in 24 years. They are a 1/4 mile away. They seem nice, **the one time I met them**. ehh… that didn’t come out quite right. Our new neighbors moved in about a month ago. I doubt they will be full time - but treat it as a second home. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-owning-land/763922/45 "2016-08-26T17:36:26Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > As someone who is thankful not to own much land…what is the big deal about neighbors? Why such a strong desire not to have them? Because the shrill voices of children annoy me. Equally, the voices of the parents yelling at the children, or each other, or their barking dog are annoying. I don’t want to hear their music, or loud drunken voices or cackling laughter until the wee hours. I don’t like the smell of their barbecue wafting in through my open kitchen window. I would like to be able to mow my lawn shirtless again, or walk around my house naked and not worry someone will see me, or listen to my own music as loud as I want knowing I’m not bothering anybody. I want to have a bonfire in my backyard, and space for a proper garden, and critters. I want space to run my dogs and not have to worry that I will be fined for having them off-leash. I want to see an expanse of scenery - field, forest, or whatever, not houses and cars. Been shopping for a property with some land attached. Can’t afford much, but still really want it. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-owning-land/763922/46 "2016-08-26T21:23:32Z")
In the 70’s, I was a hippie. Thinking that land was better than money in the bank, I bought 20 acres. A stream runs through it. It is the entire valley floor and surrounded by 10 of thousands of acres of BLM land. My daughter was born there. Living without electricity, but we had a good supply of water. We had a huge garden, goats for milking, sheep, ducks, chickens, rabbits. You could walk around nekid, and it felt great! Now, I rent the water shares and pasture. It pays the taxes, water assessment, and a few sheckles left over. I doubt I will ever return there to live. My daughter has no interest in the area. But it is mine, and paid for. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-owning-land/763922/47 "2016-08-26T21:28:11Z")
My dad owns lots of land. He never intends to “do” anything with it, other than look after it. The joy he gets out of it: stewardship. He likes to take care of his forest like one of Tolkien’s Ents. He plans some trees, cuts down others, puts fences up, observes the animals living there, generally just looks after it, which makes him happy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-appeal-of-owning-land/763922.md?page=2)