Side Gigs and Unconventional Income

[Triplethought]

Bill Gates owns almost 300,000 acres is a lot of land for one family or private individual to own, but it’s still just a small part of the estimated 911 million acres of farmland in the US.

I fail to see how owning 0.03% of farmland gives him any sort of nefarious ability to threaten food supplies or corner any markets.

How cheap is farmland in Romania? Can non citizens own it?

[Yodean]

How cheap is farmland in Romania? Can non citizens own it?

Naturally, it depends on the specific area. One of the more desolate areas (just empty land) we are starting to look at is roughly about $4K Euros for approximately the size of four soccer fields or so.

Agricultural land is approximately $5k Euros per acre on average or thereabouts in Romania, from my understanding.

My wife still has her Romanian citizenship, so if we end up buying it will be through her. I believe there are some restrictions on non-citizens owning agricultural land.

[Triplethought]

How cheap is farmland in Romania? Can non citizens own it?

Naturally, it depends on the specific area. One of the more desolate areas (just empty land) we are starting to look at is roughly about $4K Euros for approximately the size of four soccer fields or so.

Agricultural land is approximately $5k Euros per acre on average or thereabouts in Romania, from my understanding.

My wife still has her Romanian citizenship, so if we end up buying it will be through her. I believe there are some restrictions on non-citizens owning agricultural land.

Even if it's empty land You need water, sewer, electric to live on or develop anything. Can you punch a well typically? Assuming the soil is good. I looked at price of houses there and it didn't seem that cheap. Is "rule of law" reasonable - meaning no one is going to tax you out of existence or steal your land? Any threat from foreigners (ie russia)? I'd like to visit there next year.

[SOL]

How cheap is farmland in Romania? Can non citizens own it?

Naturally, it depends on the specific area. One of the more desolate areas (just empty land) we are starting to look at is roughly about $4K Euros for approximately the size of four soccer fields or so.

Agricultural land is approximately $5k Euros per acre on average or thereabouts in Romania, from my understanding.

My wife still has her Romanian citizenship, so if we end up buying it will be through her. I believe there are some restrictions on non-citizens owning agricultural land.

Even if it's empty land You need water, sewer, electric to live on or develop anything. Can you punch a well typically? Assuming the soil is good. I looked at price of houses there and it didn't seem that cheap. Is "rule of law" reasonable - meaning no one is going to tax you out of existence or steal your land? Any threat from foreigners (ie russia)? I'd like to visit there next year.

The threat of Russia is over exaggerated. The US is encroaching on Russia. Imgine if Russia placed missiles in Mexico and Cuba all hell would break loose. They attacked Crimea as Ukraine as indicating that they wanted to join Nato and that the Port Russia has in Crimea is of strategic importance.

The same applies to the east of Ukraine, the Elections that were held after Yanokowich was illegally removed as per the Ukranian constitution were a sham so russia took the East to put the concept of Ukraine Joining the NATO into the toilet forever.

Bucharest is a quaint city and if you don't flash your cash and act American (most Americans talk too much about what they do and how much they make etc) then you should be fine. I have not visited the country side so can't say, but land is also very cheap in Bulgaria and the countryside while nice, its like going back to the stone ages.

As for owning land the workaround in almost any country is to buy through a company and the same applies to Romania

As non-EU, you can own property, including land, through a Romanian company. The fastest solution is to incorporate a limited liability company (in Romanian “SRL”) as sole owner and buy property through it.

Also, if you married to a Romanian or otherwise EU citizens, your spouse can buy property in their own name. Then the real estate will belong to the couple together, as common property obtained during marriage – unless you have a prenup agreement that states otherwise.

https://brcconline.eu/new/can-foreigner ... n-romania/

[Yodean]

Even if it's empty land You need water, sewer, electric to live on or develop anything. Can you punch a well typically? Assuming the soil is good. I looked at price of houses there and it didn't seem that cheap. Is "rule of law" reasonable - meaning no one is going to tax you out of existence or steal your land? Any threat from foreigners (ie russia)? I'd like to visit there next year.

I am a bit biased in terms of how I view real estate prices, likely due to the fact I spent most of my teens in Vancouver, Canada, and have lived in Toronto, Canada, for over the last twenty-five years. These two cities boast some of the highest urban real estate prices in North America, I believe, and there are also quite high property taxes (and heading higher) with which to contend annually.

In terms of Romanian real estate, there are actually two areas I would like to buy within the next five years or so. The empty land mentioned previously is near Lugoj, a small town where my parents-in-law live - they are retired, in their early-sixties barely, and are really healthy and active physically, so I would have "boots-on-the-ground" to help with managing the land, hiring help, etc. The land does have basic plumbing and electrical infrastructure, and even an old, dilapidated farmhouse that is included in the price of the land.

The other asset of interest is some type of house in Timisoara, a beautiful, mid-sized city in western Romania. It's fairly close to Lugoj as well, and in the event of some type of black swan political event, it would be a little bit easier and faster to leave the country from western Romania (vs. eastern). With that said, my views on past political events involving Crimea, Ukraine, Russia and the West pretty much echo Sol's - I think there's even a post where I specifically opined on the Crimea situation from quite awhile back.

Property taxes are comparably low in general.

"Rule of law" is getting better, but certainly it does help if you have "boots-on-the-ground," as I do, to navigate what's on the books and what actually happens. Things are changing fairly quickly and becoming more "Westernized," but some intelligent bribery, etc. may get you a long way. For example, if you get pulled over for speeding while driving (btw they are absolutely insane drivers, be careful if you plan to drive), it's pretty normal to bribe the police to let you off - they save time on completing the paperwork and make a little extra cash, while you pay a little less than if you paid the official ticket. Everyone wins.

Bucharest is the capital of Romania, and was once moniker'd "Little Paris." I have been there a few times (pre-cv19), and each time enjoyed myself thoroughly. The local people there, especially the younger ones, generally know some English and love to practice their English with visitors. They tend to be quite friendly, as they also tend to have an idealized view of the West, especially North Americans, the French, Germans and English-types, and love to interact with them. During one of my stays in Bucharest, I played some poker at night with the locals at a downtown casino and it was a lot of fun. I felt pretty safe even walking around alone late at night in the touristy areas.

With that said, I've heard that the organized crime element is fairly strong in Bucharest, but my understanding is that they generally won't bother you - they want tourists, visitors to invest in their city - and small bribes may generally get you out of trouble, as long as you don't act like the stereotypical, loud American tourist.

If you are planning to visit, Timisoara is really beautiful and has a lot of history (there's a church with bullet holes that you can visit - it's where the first shots of the Revolution of '89 were fired, when a Hungarian priest stood up against Ceausescu's rule and touched off a chain of events), Brasov in worth visiting, and Bucharest has something for everybody. If you are more adventurous, the countryside is quite scenic and aesthetically-pleasing.

[stefk]

Romania and the carpathians, the last virgin forrest of Europe, the unknown country of Europe. Romanian government is corrupted like everywhere in Europe. Ikea is the biggest client of these illegal timbers.



https://youtu.be/OMdzcq_HaF4

[Yodean]

Bill Gates owns almost 300,000 acres is a lot of land for one family or private individual to own, but it’s still just a small part of the estimated 911 million acres of farmland in the US.

I fail to see how owning 0.03% of farmland gives him any sort of nefarious ability to threaten food supplies or corner any markets.

Many pendulums beginning to swing behind-the-scenes, in a similar direction:

***

America's small family farms could be destroyed if Congress passes Biden's proposed tax change plan, said Grover Norquist, President and Founder of Americans for Tax Reform. Tucked away in Biden's American Families Plan is the elimination of a step-up in basis tax benefit on appreciated assets like farms.

"There's the normal inheritance tax that the Democrats want to push higher as well as wanting to end the step-up in basis, which was put in a hundred years ago to protect family farms from being crushed every generation," Norquist said. "The Democrats actually took that protection away in 1976, but put it back in 1980 because it was unworkable. Biden saw eliminating the step-up in basis fail, and he decided to get rid of it again. It's a very bad decision."

"The step-up in basis allows farms to keep moving through family businesses from generation to generation without being chopped up each time because of the death of family members. It's protected family farms, and now they want to take it away," Norquist explained.



https://www.kitco.com/news/2021-07-30/B ... quist.html

I am eating as many of my favourite steaks these days. Prices due to skyrocket in the years to come (supply shock price inflation in high-quality meats). Yum.

[SOL]

Make sure it's grass-fed and don't eat copious amounts. Muscle meat is inflammatory and leads to an increase in endotoxins. You better off with bone broth soups, consuming organs and some oxtail. I noticed that when I reduced red meat consumption and increased consumption of shrimp, shellfish, non-fatty fish and lots of right veggies and fruits. I felt significantly better

Endotoxins are deadly and there is a theory that a lot of them come from the meats we eat, and commercially raised livestock in the USA go through horrible conditions. One would almost be better of by consuming dog food. lol I emphasize that I am not vegan


Some random info on Animal husbandry

As for the condition of the animals, is it bad.

More than 80% of pigs have pneumonia when they are killed. This is a result from living in small and dirty spaces. Huge amounts of gas from manure, which includes high levels of ammonia causes the pneumonia.
Chickens in battery cages (metal mesh cages, housing system for animals, primarily egg-laying hens) have to live their whole lives in a space no larger than an iPad.
Chickens, cows and pigs raised for meat, grow three times faster than they would naturally. This is due to selective breeding, growth hormones, and antibiotics in the feed. Chickens reach desired weight in just 35 days. Pigs are usually killed at six months old.
Mothers are separated from their children at birth. Female animals are impregnated as soon as possible to increase the number of animals in the farm. Thus increasing production.
Harsh conditions are not just the case for animals raised for meat. Dairy cows are also affected greatly. In fact, dairy cows are killed after just three lactation cycles.
Often “debeak” chickens to avoid hurting other chickens or themselves as they are likely to get aggressive.
Baby pigs’ teeth are clipped, tails cut and neutered. This is to prevent the pigs from, like the chickens, hurting themselves or other pigs as they are likely to get very agitated.
A result from faster and heavier growing, the bodies of these animals can not cope with the new weight as it is mostly fat and not muscle. 90% of broiler chickens are unable to walk correctly because their legs can not deal with the excess weight of their bodies.
Sick or injured animals are rarely given treatment. If an animal is sick, it is given antibiotics to limit the illness and keep it alive until it is slaughtered.

https://www.greenandgrowing.org/factory ... formation/

The most memorable sight was when I went into a low, dark barn and saw 1,500 sows. These huge animals spent their entire lives inside metal cages that were so small the pigs couldn't even turn around. Their sides pressed out. They were like fat people on the middle seat of an airplane. Their sides pressed out through the bars. This is the way they lived their whole life, just producing piglets. They were like machines.

The smell hit me viscerally. It was like nothing I'd ever smelled. What I was breathing was ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. Those are poison gases

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IencEit1q4

LRK: Coming from the waste?

BE: Coming from manure, which is held in vast pits directly below where the pigs live. It would be the equivalent of filling your basement with sewage from your toilet and emptying your basement once a year.

These gases would kill the pigs, except there are huge fans on the ends of these barns that look like jet engines blowing that air out.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NycfbN3DDk

LRK: How do they survive under these conditions?


BE: They're basically kept alive just long enough to reach slaughter weight. The fans keep them going, but much of it is because these pigs are fed constant, low-level antibiotics just to prevent them from getting sick. It'd be like you waking up every morning and taking an antibiotic even if you weren't sick. That enables them to live long enough to reach slaughter weight at 6 months of age.

LRK: This is the way commercial pork is produced?

BE: This is the way 97 percent of the pigs in this country today live. They never see the light of day. They never set foot on anything but a bare, hard floor. They breathe that poisoned air 24/7.

LRK: Aren't there laws against this?

BE: There would be laws against this if you did this to a dog. But no, there are no laws. This is all perfectly legal. In fact, it's state of the art. This is the way pigs are raised.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_Weq4iZQ48

https://www.splendidtable.org/story/201 ... are-raised

[stefk]

Thank you for your message Sol. Billions animals across the world live horrible life. Its proved that animals are sensitive beings. If you have dogs or cats you know it. I have decided some years ago to become vegan, enfin it is not strictly vegan. I have eight chickens in my permaculture garden, and we have everyday seven eggs, I think that the real vegans dont eat eggs, and my chickens enjoy their life in my garden, its the goal, making everybody happy. And sometimes we eat sardinhas and maatjes, yes Im not strictly vegan, sorry for the sardinhas.

The ancients didnt have big cow herds, they didnt need to eat meat everyday, only for certain religious occasions.

https://www.greece-is.com/what-the-anci ... ey-ate-it/

The basic food of ancient Greeks was bread, olive oil, cheese and wine.

The majority of the population on the planet India is vegan. Its possible to be strong and powerful without eating meat. The kushti wrestlers, their patron is lord Hanuman, a super hero, an example for the yogis, he was vegan. Ahimsa, no violence, is a basic principle in hindouism and also bouddhism. And ahimsa is essentially for animals, they are considered to have a soul.

https://www.oh-i-see.com/blog/2019/07/1 ... -in-india/

[SOL]

Romania and the carpathians, the last virgin forrest of Europe, the unknown country of Europe. Romanian government is corrupted like everywhere in Europe. Ikea is the biggest client of these illegal timbers.

I had the good fortune to visit parts of this Forest when I was in Ukraine, The Carpathian area in Ukraine is really beautiful but like most governments, the Ukrainian government is completely corrupt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgHsG5CZieE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoM11Bif9-Y

[Yodean]

I think that the real vegans dont eat eggs, and my chickens enjoy their life in my garden, its the goal, making everybody happy. And sometimes we eat sardinhas and maatjes, yes Im not strictly vegan, sorry for the sardinhas.

I think various types of food affect individuals differently. Also, we all have different levels of compensatory mechanisms that interact with each other in complex ways. For example, when you eat one type of food, that particular food may give you benefits in one area of your particular physiology, but be detrimental to another area.

But a given individual may have really good "reserve" in a specific physiological pathway that allows said individual to neutralize the given negative effects of a particular food, while preserving the benefits that that food bestows upon another aspect of that individual's physiology. And of course you may always combine foods that happen to neutralize the negative effects of each other.

"One man's poison is another man's remedy."

Food is ultimately a deep topic, as human physiology is very complex. Ideally, the best food regimens are individualized to each person, and may even change for the same person depending on changing activity levels, age, weight, body fat composition, etc.

The ancient practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine recognized this thousands of years ago, and advised different diets depending on your "doshas." There are three main ones: pitta, vata, kapha. I play around with these concepts with both my eating and activities - I'm pitta-dominant, vata secondary, weak kapha - and even on a fairly superficial level of application, they have proven extremely effective at improving my health, both physically and mentally.

But if I had to simplify and be really superficial about a "one-size-fits-all" approach, from my years of traditional medical practice (my specialty was gastroenterology and advanced therapeutic endoscopy), my healthiest patients, as a group, when it came to food consumption and all other things being equal, were generally those who followed a primarily plant-based/vegetarian diet while still eating fish and eggs regularly - i.e. "pesco-ovo vegetarians" - and very occasionally "cheating" a bit and eating some red meat here and there.

Of course, correlation does not equal causation, but still, some "food" for thought.

[stefk]

I am pesco ovo vegetarian, I didnt know it, I have learned something today, I am like monsieur Jourdain who was speaking prose all his life without knowing it.....Thanks for the info

[Eric]

I guess my current side-gig is to finish fixing my new (to me) car so I can sell our old compact-SUV and deposit another $15k into the brokerage to go forth and multiply.

I thought I found a SWEET deal on this car...less so when I got it home and found out it needed $2,000+ in work (mostly labor). I have the knowledge, experience, and tools to fix it myself...and I'll save more $$$ per hour fixing it myself than I would make working my normal job so that's the route I'm going.

[SOL]

I guess my current side-gig is to finish fixing my new (to me) car so I can sell our old compact-SUV and deposit another $15k into the brokerage to go forth and multiply.

I thought I found a SWEET deal on this car...less so when I got it home and found out it needed $2,000+ in work (mostly labor). I have the knowledge, experience, and tools to fix it myself...and I'll save more $$$ per hour fixing it myself than I would make working my normal job so that's the route I'm going.

There you go. You might have just found a side gig. Look for cars that need work but that you can turnaround and make a profit on. It appears that you have a passion for this kind of work and it could prove to lucrative when you combine the fact that you can get paid for doing something you like.

[jlhooter]

I guess my current side-gig is to finish fixing my new (to me) car so I can sell our old compact-SUV and deposit another $15k into the brokerage to go forth and multiply.

I thought I found a SWEET deal on this car...less so when I got it home and found out it needed $2,000+ in work (mostly labor). I have the knowledge, experience, and tools to fix it myself...and I'll save more $$$ per hour fixing it myself than I would make working my normal job so that's the route I'm going.

There you go. You might have just found a side gig. Look for cars that need work but that you can turnaround and make a profit on. It appears that you have a passion for this kind of work and it could prove to lucrative when you combine the fact that you can get paid for doing something you like.

Eric there you go. You can set up shop on your property and when you fix a customer's car they can eat some garlic bread while waiting for the car and buy some high end garlic from you before leaving; kinda of like a side, side gig.