Hey all,
What the general situation concerning buying buildable land in Iceland? Is the countryside much cheaper than city land? I'm not interested in living in Reykjavík or the other largest cities and I'm absolutely fine with living in a rural area.
Are there specific locations around the island that are the cheapest? Here, land in Washington state is about 15,000-30,000 USD per acre, and those are properties semi-close (20-40 miles) to medium cities like Bellevue, Bellingham, or land in Sequim. Whereas Alaskan land can run for $5,000-15,000 an acre, and that's being approximately 30 miles south of Kenai and Anchorage, or about $5,000-10,000 an acre for land in the Fairbanks area of central Alaska.
I've been reading and deciding between Alaska or Iceland for permanent residence. There's pros to both, but I like more of what I know about Iceland and what I know about its coastal climate rather than central Alaska's -40 degree tundra for almost half the year. The biggest problems I see would be the language and European union barriers for moving to Iceland.
For my entire life I've lived in rural areas and it's what I'm used to. I can build, plant and harvest, raise livestock, and I'm much more comfortable living off the land than owning a flat in the city.
Within the next four months I'm starting work on a baccalaureate degree in music technology, and post-that I'll be looking to attend a university to pursue a Masters degree in Composition.
ECS showed me the Iceland Academy of the Arts, Listaháskóli, which is in Reykjavik, so I'll need to be nearby while I study there. The school looks like a good fit and they seem to offer a more comprehensive and interdisciplinary program than what the University of Washington has.
I don't think it would be possible to buy land during the time that I'm also studying at iaa but it would have to come after. I'm guessing the job market for composers isn't the same in Iceland as it is in the USA entertainment industry.