Southern California doesn’t work because the land is bad and the lack of rainfall makes it impossible to live off the land (raise a variety of lifestock and veggies to survive).
In Florida, I suggest buying 100 acres + surrounded by woods so that from the road, nobody knows that the land has been cleared and is inhabited.
A buddy of mine’s parents have a rambling colonial mansion is such setting. It’s like driving to Tara when you approach their house. They rent out the land to farmers.
If you like solitude, horses and nature, it’s not a bad way to live, even in a small house. If you’re rich, you can also have a private airstrip.
