Table of Contents
Border and Wilderness Developments
The first thing to remember is that many wilderness developments, with a few exceptions, cost 150% of the listed prices. Tree Houses, Large Camps, Witch Huts and Redoubts are the exceptions, and cost the listed value to build in the wilderness. Buildings in the borderland cost the listed price.
Don't be put off by Bandit camp, large or Witch Hut. A large camp could serve as a base for a band of rangers or scouts, while a witch hut could serve as a home to any sort of caster who wanted to live out in the wilds, a redoubt could also serve as a permanent base for a couple of units of scouts, or rangers, while a tree house could serve as a forward scouting point, or a base for a group of hunters. They could be used as part of a larger holding, or alone.
Wilderness Stewards
Rangers, Druids and some other characters, might want to build scattered holdings, that allow them to act as Wilderness Stewards. You can scatter single developments across a large area and populate them with scouts, hunters and other 'wilderness people' capable of looking after themselves. You still need a central stronghold as a base. It might just be a redoubt, that your people can fall back to - or even two or three scattered around. However, there is no reason why you can't have a fort or even a castle, set somewhere in the wilds - in really dangerous areas, you might want more than one of them. Then build settler Large Camps, Hamlets, Tree Houses etc. You won't attract many settlers, and you won't get rich - But, in RP terms it can work quite well.
Taxes: You don't really have a stable population, and you do not collect any taxes.
Titles: Once you have established a reasonably sized Wilderness Reserve , you may take the title of Lord.
Wilderness Settlements
If you want to build a settlement of any sort, in the wilderness, you need to start off with something defensible. The PF rules suggest that a Redoubt is a good choice, although a large camp would work as well. A redoubt, however, could become a 'last resort' defensive stronghold for your some of your population (when you get one) or as a base for a scout unit. Large Camps are less permanent. However, you can use either as a defended base for the workers who build the fort, which then become the central point of your settlement. Put a few Defensive Walls around it to define the new settlement's limits, and then start building. You will need to add defences and administrative buildings and, eventually, build your castle. Check out the 'Building a Town' guidelines, if you haven't already.
To make it stronger, you could fortify the fort and castle and build the walls up, add guard posts and perhaps a gatehouse (from the Rooms list) - and then you would have a proper little walled town with a good chance of surviving most attacks. If the town is ready to grow, create a second district, enclosed in another defensive wall, and start the upgrade process again.
If you want to spread out and claim land for development, you will need to build tree-houses, forts or camps to mark out your borders and house the troops needed to patrol the area. However, if you have, at least, a well defended small town as a base, these developments count as 'Border Land' and don't attract the 50& premium. Good luck, and have fun :)
Taxes: As you are not beholden to an overlord, you can collect taxes from your population. This amount to 2gp, per bed space , each level. You might want to put this towards Admin buildings which keep you settlement running smoothly.
Titles: Once you have a secure large town, you can claim the tile of Sovereign Lord.
Borderlands
In the borderlands, assuming you have permission from the Local Lord, the risk and cost are lower. There is probably already a road or track of some sort, and you will get visits from the Local Lord's troops to check on you, as well as scouting reports from adjacent border keeps. While you still need a few troops on site, you can (probably) start developments with a fort or castle, after that, you can build a town (See Building a Town note), although you will still need defensive walls around the outside.
To get permission from the Local Lord, you will either have to pay a licence fee, or perform some sort of service in lieu of the fee. It might well be that the requirement is something like 'Clear out that nest of Goblins, and you can build on their land', however, it is certain that the Local Lord will have some reason for granting the permission - it might be the goblin bandits, but it could also be that they want to develop a mine in the area, clear some forest or develop some other resource nearby. There will always be the expectation that you will, eventually, have some cavalry to act as fast messengers. After all, one job of a border keep is to alert the Local Lord, and the neighbouring border keeps, of incursions. That works in your favour, as they will (almost certainly) send reinforcements or a relief force.
Taxes: You are beholden to an overlord, and they want a share of taxes. However, you can collect 1gp, per bed space , each level. You might want to put this towards Admin buildings which keep your settlement running smoothly.
Titles: If you have a Castle and a Small Town, you will be awarded the title of Marcher Lord.