Little-known programs and strategies to locate free U.S. land and housing have existed for decades, are rarely publicized, and most often come with substantial conditions.
Author’s Note
This article is free of opinion and bias, and is based solely on accredited media reports and U.S. government websites. No advice is offered herein on the part of the author, other than to undertake comprehensive due diligence regarding any potential opportunity. Sources for this article include ABC News, Business Insider, U.S. Housing and Urban Development, Point2Homes.com, GokceCapital.com, LowIncomeRelief.com, Investopedia.com, Goodreads.com, and former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
Introduction
What follows is not of the get rich quick variety, nor are these methods simple. However, in the United States today, several mechanisms exist to not only move into housing for free, but also to buy land at no cost and, infrequently, sometimes houses as well.
Prior to the advent of Covid-19, these opportunities were regularly listed online. See the following examples (with links underneath the article titles):
- A 2018 article from Business Insider: "9 Cities and Towns Where You Can Get a Home for Free — or Buy One at a Massive Discount"
- A 2018 article and video from ABCNews.com, regarding the photo under the title in this article: "Oakland House Up for Grabs - With a Catch"
- From the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website: "About Dollar Homes"
- A February of 2020 article from Point2Homes.com as the pandemic was breaking: "Free Land in America: Places in the U.S. that Offer Free Lots to Anyone Who Moves There"
As the Covid pandemic took its toll, opportunities for free land and housing appeared to have temporarily lessened.
Those opportunities have since returned.
2022 Opportunities For Free Land and Housing
As I will repeat at least once more in this article, undertaking due diligence on any potential opportunity is a must as not everything you see online in this regard will be as it appears. A further note: The U.S. government's HUD website, as listed and linked above, remains a viable outlet to look for dollar homes. They are rarely available, but when they are HUD immediately lists them.
See the following articles for explanations of present opportunities:
- "Want Free Land in the US? 33 Ways You Can Get it in 2022," from GokceCapital.com.
- "5 Ways to Get Free Housing," from LowIncomeRelief.com.
For an article from Investopedia.com that may prove more controversial than the others, see this piece about the rights of adverse possessors, "How to Get a House for Free." Though the laws vary in each state regarding this matter, and this method is not at all recommended within the intent of this article, this process has received its share of attention.
As far as personal reasons people in general have for giving houses away, they can range from philanthropic to desperation of being unable to sell. Another reason includes a personal motivation to move on with one's life and go elsewhere without spending the time involved in selling.
Unique methods that have been used to find free housing or land include Craigslist, referrals, inheritances, and the moving of historical or college houses as described in articles above.
Under very few circumstances will anyone simply be able to go online and find a house into which they could imminently move. As you review the links included in this article, remember that finding free land or housing only happens with a great deal of hard work.
Conclusion
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, once said: “Nothing in this world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty." See here for full quote as posted on Goodreads and attributed to "Theodore Roosevelt, American Ideals: And Other Essays, Social and Political," a book written by the former president.
As it regards free land and housing in our modern-day United States, the attainment thereof will not come easy, but it is certainly very possible to succeed in this effort.
My best advice is to scour the internet for such offers, and to always do due diligence on any such potential opportunity once located.
Thank you for reading.
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