UPDATE in OP -Walking away from the house

And while I appreciate the "there will e other houses!" comments, honestly there's not going to be a better house. There's not. This house was updated, tiled bathrooms, great layout, wood stove, whole-house generator, huge garage with storage, TWO ACRES and my IDEAL location. If I could live anywhere in my county, it would be there. We're going to spend the rest of our house-hunting comparing every property to this one. We're going to end up with a fixer-upper on an acre. That's what's going to happen. And I'll deal with it. But right now I'm seriously like dead inside. That was my house. That was supposed to be my house. When we walked out after the showing, there was a beautiful butterfly on the front steps. We both immediately thought it was a sign that this was our new home. And we got stuck behind a tractor on the way home, which reminded us so much of our current property.

And now I'm crying.

I'm sorry (((hugs)))

I'm sorry, that really stinks. I know how it feels to get so excited over a house!

I'm sorry. Hugs @supergreen

sjh722 and @this, we did ask for the covenants, they should be here soon. But a huge reason why we moved out here was because we don't want restrictions on what we can so with our property. If I don't want to mow the grass, I shouldn't have to mow the grass, KWIM?

For the conservation easement, we have to get permission from the zoning board to do anything with it at all. With the right-of-way, the potential road goes to the large parcel behind us. So at some point in the future it could go to 2 homes or 20, there's no way to know. And we certainly don't want to be buying our "forever home "just to have a subdivision put in behind us.

I am so sorry.

That's so disappointing.

I'm sorry.

I like to refer to myself as a realist, not a pessimist.

When you said "road", this is what I thought was the situation and for this reason alone, I'd probably walk too.  A road behind your house to more houses?  No thanks.

Ditto, mine is to expand the levy for updates in the future, possible road on top of the levy, but there is a green belt back there, so no house can ever be built.

Hoping you can find something just as good!

I'm sorry, that is so disappointing

I'm a pessimist. Can't say I've ever thought of you as one, but if you are, it's cool. We provide balance.

Doesn't everyone love Eeyore? I do!


And I'm sorry. House hunting can be so freaking agonizing.

My questions would be, is it possible to access the adjacent property with the easement from another road?  If so, then you could fight any expansion of the easement.  You would currently be providing a driveway to a private family, not a road.  I would call the county and ask them exactly what the easement means.  I have found our rural county to be much more pragmatic and honest about these things than our city county.  I would not try to buy back the road, which is really a driveway for one family, unless they would prefer another access point, but can't afford the gravel.  If there is another access point, would it be more desireable, if ithe land was developed in the future, if so, your worries may be mute.  The HOA covenants sound like they are generally in line with your beliefs.  

Is is there a written paper about the easement and what does it say?  Many easements are grandfathered based on historic use, and can not be expanded for something like a neighborhood.  Others are based on land purchased.  It might be worth an attorney to find out which this is.  In our case, it is clear, no legal easement, a historic use one has different connotations in different areas.  You may also ask about liability for accidents that happen on the easement, we carry extra liability insurance for other reasons, but It helps me sleep better at night about this concern, unlikely, but possible.  Who is responsible for maintaing it.  If it is a legal easement, these things should be answered by county code or the easement, itself.  

 Since you are interested in animals, can you fence the conservation land, or is it a wildlife only covenant?  Many conservation easements are also allowable for agriculture and grazing land.  

If you do want animals, do the covenents prevent building a small barn or garage?  If so, that would be a deal breaker, since you need someplace, preferably away from the house, to store grains, food, and animals in bad weather.  Other structures is a broad term, and I can't imagine a two acre property that can't have any sort of garage or out building in a rural area.  

Good luck in finding your home.  This may be it, or not, but it is worth doing the due diligence to get what you want.  

Ugh, how disappointing I am so sorry.