Legalese: The below is our own personal experience. Use your own best judgment when buying a house or a lot of land. We can not be held liable for any damages to you resulting from following the below advice.
The story: Not everyone can afford that 20+ acre lot in the mountains, the solar setup, the well and the independence that comes with it. Most of us have to work for a living and that probably means being close to a city. However, even then one can be smart about what they buy and where! Do your homework – there are bound to be rural areas around the city within a driving distance to work. In our neck of the woods (or palmettos), we settled in on a 1.5 acre lot near West Palm Beach, a part of an equestrian, unincorporated community. 1.5 acres are plenty for two horses, a few dogs and for a garden that could fulfill most of your needs. You have enough space to even have some chicken. It is our personal experience that 1.5-2 acres are probably the optimal land lot size for a working family. Anything smaller and you would probably not have the option of having a barn and a paddock, a chicken coop and a small organic garden at the same time. Anything larger and you would be stuck mowing the grass, cleaning debris and maintaining a too large of a property most of the time (work and no fun…)
Here are some issues to think about when looking for an acreage near town:
1. Access: how many different roads lead in and out of your community? We currently have two completely unrelated two-lane roads, one going north and one going south. Obviously, if there is serious construction on one of these roads, the other one will be backed up and it could affect your daily commute for time to come. The occasional traffic accident will also shut down one of the roads. Make sure you understand this before you buy.
2. Water and utilities: Our community allows for private wells and we like it that way. We have cable TV/internet and there is enough competition in this sector so that there is not one single, poor-quality monopoly.
3. Schools and Hospitals: There are a few in the area. If they are important to you, inquire before you buy. If you are older, quick access to a hospital could be a must.
4. Hardware stores, grocery stores: We have a few in the 20+ miles radius – the usual suspects like Lowe’s and Home Depot come to mind. If you don’t have one close by, it will make you plan your projects better since every trip will have to count!
5. Gas stations: We have only one in the 10 mile radius. They know it, judging by the fact that gas and diesel is WAY more expensive at that gas station than anywhere else – location and convenience are what you are paying for. Some careful planning will allow you to avoid paying extra for the convenience (you should plan on picking gas up on your way to work or back, wherever it is cheaper).
6. Crime: “Unincorporated” means (to some people) the same as “I can do whatever I please”. This includes drinking, loud music, people riding ATVs at any time of day or night, people growing illicit plants… We were lucky that our street is quiet and that we have a Sheriff’s deputy living next door. You might not be that lucky! Open your eyes! Maybe go back a few times to the same house you are thinking of buying. One of our experiences was looking at a beautiful home in the same neighborhood: the house was all marble, really pretty backyard. But then (it was a Saturday morning) a huge rumbling noise came from the outside and with it the smell of diesel. It was the neighbor with his dune buggy! Clearly you might not want to buy your dream home and spend your weekends listening to the neighbor rev up his engines. Moral of the story? Go back a few times, only then will you know everything you need to know. Go back at night on a Friday, go back on a Sunday morning, Saturday morning, weekday morning. See the surroundings in all possible lights and at all reasonable times.
7. Weather: Here in South Florida it rains a lot in the summer – sometimes for months. This is the ideal time to visit your lots/house of interest. Why? If there are low lying spots where water will aggregate, this will be the right time to spot them. Buying in winter (during dry season) will not reveal the entire story. In the mountains of the West you want to go during rainy season too – how much do the local arroyos swell up? Are they uncrossable and do they make your property inaccessible? If you are buying in Arizona, go during dead of summer – if you are looking for greenery and are stuck on Arizona, this time of year is least green. If you can live with that, every other time will be even better! If you are wanting to buy in Colorado go during winter – how much snow are you willing to take?
8. Nature: how much nature do you have around your community? None? Within 10 mile radius? 20 miles? Where we bought we have a Wildlife conservation area within 5-6 miles from our house. It is accessible on foot, on horseback or in a vehicle. It is about 60,000+ acres connected to other horseback trails and areas. The ocean is within a 30 minute drive from home and less than 5 minutes from work. Yes, we live in Paradise. So, decide what is important to you and search for it.
Above was just something to think about before you make the plunge into the semi-homesteading life you always wanted. You can also always hire us to help you 
ognen@gocountryrural.com