Free Land: Homesteading Reignited in America

Homesteading has always been a draw and catch for millions of Americans throughout history as well as today. While the free land given away by the government in the homestead act of 1862 was once Native American lands, today's modern free lands are not blood lands but are born from the great recession and housing crisis. Many townships and cities across America have been hurting due to loss of property income. By giving away free land as an incentive to draw residents to their towns, cities across the country are breathing new life into the word homesteading.

While the homestead act of 1862 gave away 60 acres of land, you could only keep it if you remained on the property for five years and farmed it productively. This raised the production of food in our country, filling our stores and silos with enough food for all. This mentality is being used to stimulate the economy in towns and cities across the country.

Kansas is a state whose economy was already doing poorly before the countries economy collapsed. Many townships like Lincoln, Kansas are giving away lots in city development projects. During the housing bubble, the town invested in subdivision development. Now that the future of the housing market is so bleak, 21 lots to qualified homeowners are being given away.

That's not the only town in Kansas that is giving away free land. In Ellsworth, Kansas, lots are being given away by the Smoky Hill Development Corp. Sign up with a contractor within six months, break ground in a year and you've got free land. Local banks will also take the free lot as a down payment on the loan for building the house. It doesn't get much better than that without giving the home away for free too.

But apparently it does. Not only will you get free land that you can immediately turn into money for a down payment, but you can also get a property tax break of up to 70% in the first year of occupying the home. Setting up local businesses, opening commercial developments and creating jobs gets you an even bigger tax break. They even can help you find work in town if you need it. They really want you to move into Ellsworth.

With all of this free land in Kansas, there is bound to be more all over America. Check the Center for Rural Affairs for more info on free land and other rural renewal resources.