/diy/ - Do It Yourself

You might want to check the current politics against homesteading in that area OP. There has been a government war on people who have been living in the Lancaster/Palmdale area. They've been using code enforcement to remove longtime landowners/residence who don't comply with their rules. (mainly DIY'r types)

I believe the issue has to with the growing bedroom communities from Los Angeles. They want the area to appear to civilized to their to their community standards.

This may be isolated to your west though -- http://www.laweekly.com/2011-06-23/news/l-a-county-s-private-property-war/