As of Sunday the leading candidate is Arizona.
Arizona offers the weather climate I was hoping to find in New Mexico, the tourism & snow birders offer seasonal employment and the crime is lower.
Permitting looks like it may be a bit more expensive but the “Owner builder code opt out” in most counties is much clearer to work with than in NM.
New Mexico = Allows earth bag/Adobes with inspection and has a lot of lenient exceptions but you are still at the mercy of the inspector and it sounds like it’s subjective discretion. Basically they are allowed but if you get a prejudice inspector that doesn’t like your hippy party hut he can kibosh the whole affair.
Arizona – Will charge you most of the traditional permitting fees, but one signature on the Builder owner Opt out and you are inspection free unless you are connecting to Sewer or Grid electricity.
I may also give Montana a look after passionate endorsements of it on other forums but I find the weather to be a big turn off.
