How it Works

A Community Built on Stewardship

Shepherd’s Valley Homesteads uses a long-term ground lease model rather than selling individual deeds.
This approach is not new. It is the same model used for generations by:

Native American tribal lands
Appalachian family trusts
Long-standing Christian retreat communities

Why?

Because keeping the entire 1,300+ acres as one unified property allows us to:

preserve the valley
avoid intrusive government subdivision regulation
protect the culture and Christian identity
avoid costly surveys for each lot (we use GPS boundary lines instead)
allow immediate building
maintain freedom for off-grid living
keep homestead costs low for families

As a leaseholder, you will own your home, your cabin, your improvements, your gardens, and your animals.
The land itself remains under the protection of Shepherd’s Valley so the community endures for generations.

36-Month Lease → Then $1 for 99 Years

Every homestead begins with:

✔ $150/month for 36 months

(After your reservation tier schedule)

After the 36 months are completed, your homestead lease becomes:

✔ $1 for 99 years — renewable and inheritable

This gives you lifetime rights to your land while avoiding the legal complexity and taxation that comes with subdividing mountain terrain.

You may prepay the 36 months at any time with no penalty.

After the 36-Month Lease: Membership Options

Once your 36-month lease period is complete and your renewable $1 for 99 years homestead lease begins, you may choose your ongoing level of participation:

$75/month Community Membership

Receive 50% of community harvest credits
Participate in shared farming, orchards, livestock
Use barns, greenhouses, tools, skid steer, sawmill
Join food-subsidy programs
Help guide future community land use

Homestead-Only (Free)

Keep full homestead rights
Retain full Board voting power
Submit to the same dispute resolution
Participate in faith gatherings

But:

No food credits
No community agricultural benefits
No shared equipment or barn access
No participation in community land proposals

This two-path system respects families’ financial realities while protecting the valley’s ability to function as a Christian agricultural community.

Reservation Tiers

To secure the land, we are taking reservations in four groups of 100 families.
Each tier contributes to the down payment and receives specific timing advantages.

Tier 1 (First 100) $150 First choice of lots

Tier 2 (Next 100) $300 Early lot access

Tier 3 (Next 100) $450 Standard lot access

Tier 4 (Next 100) $600 Final priority tier

Your reservation is fully refundable until the land officially closes.

Once Shepherd’s Valley is purchased, your deposit converts into your lease payments and is deducted from the total due.

Community Tools, Equipment & Future Improvements

A central part of the Shepherd’s Valley vision is cooperative progress, neighbors helping neighbors, sharing knowledge, tools, and labor, and building a resilient community over time.

While each homestead is independent, the Founder intends to guide the early development phase by establishing key shared resources as finances allow and as the community grows.

Founder Intent & Development Priorities

The following improvements the intended roadmap, based on projected monthly surplus and responsible budgeting.
All timelines depend on actual revenue, costs, and the pace of community development.

Planned Early-Stage Infrastructure

Three community wells, placed to serve community land and supply water to those without access
Road and trail improvements focused on safe initial access
A central community zone for worship, homeschool groups, Bible studies, workshops, homesteading classes, meetups, and shared tools

These will be pursued gradually as finances permit, not on a fixed or guaranteed timeline.

Planned Community Equipment

We plan to acquire the following shared equipment in a phased schedule, with target months outlined in the roadmap:

Tracked skid steer (high priority for initial work)
Mini excavator (for digging pads, trenches, drainage, utilities)
Portable sawmill (to support lumber needs for cabin building)

These tools will be community-use assets, not a construction service.
Their purchase timing depends entirely on the monthly surplus after land payments, operating costs, and family needs.

How Shared Equipment Will Be Used

Once acquired, members may sign out the equipment for personal or community use:

cutting homestead pads
building cabins, barns, decks, retaining walls
milling lumber for personal or shared projects
terracing garden plots
improving trails and access
supporting neighbors with heavy lifting or grading work

Use will be collaborative and cooperative, reflecting the culture of the community, not centrally orchestrated construction.

Community-Led Projects (Voluntary Only)

Beyond the above, residents may choose to initiate shared projects such as:

terraced gardens or orchards
pasture or livestock areas
workshops or communal structures
additional trails and recreation areas

These arise from voluntary participation, not assessments, dues, or obligations.

Full-Time Living or Weekend Retreat

Shepherd’s Valley Homesteads is open to:

Families who want to live full-time
Those seeking a peaceful vacation retreat
Hunters, gardeners, and homesteaders
Families wanting a safe Christian environment
People seeking a future refuge or off-grid backup location

There is no requirement to live here full-time.

Some will build cabins for weekend use.

4WD Access & Rugged Mountain Terrain

The land is raw Appalachian wilderness.
Most areas require:

4WD
AWD
ATVs / side-by-sides
or hiking access

This is part of the pioneer experience, and it allows us to keep the land affordable and wild.

Homestead lots will be placed primarily along existing logging roads.
Some lots may not have direct road access.
Leaseholders may build simple trails or collaborate with neighbors.

The ruggedness is a rare opportunity to tame the land and shape it with your own hands.

Lot Selection

Once Shepherd’s Valley Homesteads is secured, we open a Lot Selection Window, and the process follows clear, fair guidelines:

1. Selection Occurs in Reservation Order

This honors early supporters and ensures fairness.

2. Multiple-acre deposits

Leaseholders may reserve additional acres. They are not guaranteed to be contiguous. Those with earlier reservation order have a greater chance of contiguous lots because as the selection process proceeds, earlier selectors may choose areas that interrupt the acreage.

3. Homesteaders may walk, camp, and explore before choosing

Families are encouraged to:

walk the ridge lines
explore access roads
hike potential lots
pray over their choice
meet neighbors
camp or RV on the land after closing

This helps each family find their ideal site.

4. Bartering, trading, and voluntary transfers are allowed

After or during the selection window, leaseholders may:

trade lots
barter acreage
combine or swap areas
sell their lease rights to another member

Shepherd’s Valley encourages cooperation and flexibility as members settle into the land.

5. Lots will be shaped according to access and terrain

Most lots will follow:

existing logging roads
ridge spurs
contour lines
natural drainage patterns

Many lots will be steep, a reality of Appalachian homesteading, and members are encouraged to build creatively: terraces, platforms, goats, decks, stilt foundations, and hillside gardens.

Utilities & Off-Grid Freedom

Leaseholders are responsible for their own:

Water (well, spring, rain catchment, hauled water)
Power (grid, solar, generator, propane, battery systems)
Sewer (compost toilet, outhouse, porta-potty, or code-compliant septic)
Driveway or trail access to their site

This gives every family maximum freedom to build the life they want.

Shared Grid Power Option

Community members may band together to bring in grid electricity:

Costs can be shared among participating leaseholders
This makes hookup drastically cheaper per family
Participation is 100% optional

This hybrid model keeps Shepherd’s Valley flexible and future-proof.

Cooperative Neighborhood Wells

Leaseholders may voluntarily pool together to drill “neighborhood wells.”

In Appalachia, this model is often the most sustainable and cost-effective approach:

It is possible that one good well can support 10–30 homesteads
If 10–20 families share the cost, it often comes to $500–$1,000 per family*
Participation is always optional
Each neighborhood decides for itself whether and when to drill

This cooperative approach ensures affordability, resilience, and fairness without obligating any one family to shoulder the entire cost of a drilled well.

Leaseholders may also choose spring development, rain catchment, cisterns, or hauled water depending on their location and personal homesteading style.

*this is only an example, not a guarantee

Community Land, Farming, and Food Credits

The valley land is reserved for community use so we can have:

fertile soil
shared agriculture
pasture
orchard land
a future greenhouse
clean food grown without chemicals

How the harvest is shared:

50% of community land production →
distributed among all leaseholders as food credits, produce boxes, or monthly-payment reductions (if sold)
50% →
distributed among the workers who tended the land

This keeps the system fair, rewarding participation while ensuring everyone benefits.

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The Stewardship Board

Leaseholders will elect a Stewardship Board to:

oversee community land use
propose crops, livestock, and projects
resolve right-of-way questions
handle disputes involving damage, waste, or illegal activity
maintain peace and fairness
organize community efforts (farm days, work bees, building projects)

The Board does NOT control:

your building design
your lifestyle*
your faith
your garden
your animals
or what you do on your leased homestead*

*Except as you agreed to community behavior guidelines regarding respect for our neighbors and our Christian culture

Its authority is intentionally limited to protecting your freedom, not governing your life.

Property Taxes & How They Are Covered

One of the blessings of Appalachia is very low property taxes, especially on large rural tracts. Because Shepherd’s Valley Homesteads remains one unified parcel under the community lease structure, the total tax burden is:

far lower than it would be if subdivided
simple to manage
predictable year to year

At present, property taxes on this land are less than $5 per acre, which means the entire valley’s tax bill is low enough to be covered easily through lease fees.

Under normal circumstances:

no special assessments are needed
no surprise tax bills are added
no individual leaseholder pays separate tax obligations

The ground-lease model allows Shepherd’s Valley Homesteads to remain stable, affordable, and focused on building wholesome Christian family life rather than bureaucratic overhead.

In the Event of a Substantial Tax Increase

If, in the future, property tax liability were to increase substantially due to changes in county assessment, state policy, or outside factors, leaseholders may be required to contribute their proportional share of the tax increase.

This ensures the valley remains financially healthy and sustainable for generations. However, given the current tax rate, such a scenario is considered unlikely.

A Christian Community With Purpose

The purpose of Shepherd’s Valley Homesteads is not to escape society.
It is being built to:

provide safety, stability, and community for our families
help children grow up in a wholesome Christian environment
encourage homeschool groups, Bible studies, and fellowship
allow families to build meaningful relationships
serve each other in times of need
engage in missions both locally and globally
live cleaner, simpler, more grounded lives

This is not a retreat from responsibility, it is a return to purpose.

A chance to live out our faith with intention, community, and stewardship over God’s land.

Reserve