This first-time homebuyer in New Mexico traded city conveniences for an off-grid house and 55 acres

. This first-time homebuyer in New Mexico traded city conveniences for an off-grid house and 55 acres "...Among recent buyers is Laurel Santos, a first-time homebuyer who closed on her place in Tres Piedras, New Mexico, earlier this year. However, she went a different direction than most homebuyers: she chose a home that’s “off the grid.” The adobe house she now calls her own has 12 solar panels. Santos collects water in cisterns. “I now have a P.O. box and have to drive 30 minutes to go to the grocery store and pick up my mail..." Reference: www.marketplace.org