Yeah that’s $150k+ right there in a lot of states. These aren’t just hippies skipping rent.

What was the conflict–he didn’t want to evict squatters? Or he didn’t know what to do once he found the stash?

As a fellow itchy person, of course! Happy to help!

This is going to sound unhelpful, but the trick is just don’t itch. You have to rewire the part of your brain saying that scratching is how you make it itch less, and convince yourself that it’s the opposite–noticing the itch and not touching it is how you’ll make it go away. It’s a bit like getting into an ice cold pool, feeling all your muscles tense up and your breathing gets tight, and telling yourself that staying in is how you’ll get used to it. Fake it til you make it, then your brain will start to believe you.

No, you’re right, and your husband is romanticizing the countryside. You’d be significantly better off looking in places like Virginia, where you can find ranch properties and feel like you’re well out into the country while still being ~30 minutes from a Richmond-sized city.