I am considering purchasing a 1918 farmhouse in Kansas. The interior looks nice, but the owner says it has a lot of termite damage. The 3 porches have rotted. I fell in love with the house - it has a great floor plan, has never been remodeled, and I could purchase it for $300, but I would have to move it to another location. Any advice?

Contact a local pest control company and have them come out and do an inspection, or contact a Home inspector and have them check out the house. Any wood that is in contact with the ground will have the potential of termite damage,
You may also want to contact a house moving company to see just what it would cost to move the house. It may be cheaper in the long run to copy the floor plan and build new.

Remember the adage "if its sounds too good to be true, it probably is".

Lets see, 3 porches are already rotted. You'd have to move it, which won't be cheap. You don't what other structural damage it has. Would it survive the move?

This is a questionable purchase if left where its at. It would be an interesting project (and involve a lot of work) to rehab it where it sits. Do you have the time and $$$ and know-how to do the work?

But to move it and still have to d othe work?

Besides the cost of moving it and replacing the porches (not to mention repairing any other structural damage) do you already have the real estate and foundation to move it to?
The 300$ purchase cost is basically a give-away. If you can get it moved, have a place to put it, can wait a long time to move in, and are willing to do all the necessary repairs, then I'd say "Go for it." Just be prepared for a long and expensive project.
ps. Have you considered things like plumbing and electrical wiring? What kind of heating system might you use? (I was raised in Kansas and remember the winters. Summers aren't much better.)

Thanks for the advice. I called a mover, and it would cost $10,000, so I guess I'll pass on this house. It did tug at my heart quite a bit, though!

I also grew up in KS, so I've thought about the heating and a/c requirements. We plan to move there in several years to help out my Dad on his farm, and simplify our lives by "retiring" from the corporate world.

Does anyone know where I could get house plans for old farmhouses?