As a contractor I had to work for money, be at the mercy of the customer, jobs and timelines never seemed to go as planned, only to pay tax on the money I worked for.

This address is reflected in the land survey, tax collector, and mortgage. 

I am in one of the higher tax brackets and could be saving around 40k~ a year on taxes with this.

The big pro that sticks out to me in Birmingham is the tax rate. 

I’m looking for ideas of how to do this, and any advice on how to protect my primary property along with paying low taxes. 

There are tons of other metrics to consider such as rental rate, job demand, growth, path of progress, taxes, schools, crime, and on and on.

First step is to figure out how to buy the land (if it is even for sale); I have the name of the owner from the tax rolls, so I think I will start there. 

Also, consider the appreciation and tax benefits.

You would have had to be there for at least that to save on the capital gains taxes (up to 250k). 

If you are setting aside funds for capex, taxes, insurance, or other expenses that don't occur monthly, transfer those funds to Savings each month and hold them there until it's time to spend them.