After reading this forum for several months now I have finally decided to take the big step of beginning to look for land for my "dream retirement". My last child will graduate from high school in June 2002 and I will have the opportunity to go where my heart will take me. I own a small older home in California's booming real estate market and hope to be able to finance my dream when I sell it. It still needs some work but I can do it by myself (so far). My need is for advice on looking for property. I have narrowed the geographic area to two where I already have friends or family. I am alone and do not plan or forsee that changing and do not want to go to a totally new place (my children think I talk to the dogs too much already). I have chosen two areas in California-both growing not as fast as where I live now. The first is the north coast where I grew up. The second is the gold country of the central Sierra foothills. My questions are-do any of you live in or near these places? Does it work for you? Which would be better-buying raw land and building or buying land with an older home and buildings and doing the fixing that is always needed.( I should be able to afford to do either when I sell) I prefer what is commonly called "unique" homes or as I like to call them "casual, country funky" ones. I have an education that will allow me to work anywhere there may be a town or community but will not earn much. (I have a Masters degree in the field of early childhood special education) I hope to be able to raise a garden, plant an orchard, raise poultry and a few goats. I have raised poultry for show, pleasure and eggs for several years now, have kept milk goats, raised a calf and a pig for the freezer in the recent past (about 11 years ago) and generally grew up with gardens, canning, chopping wood, lighting a wood stove and, except that I'm not mechancially inclined with motors, have been able to do the minor routine repairs on my current home as well as some light plumbing. I'd like at least 5 acres because I'm not sure I could keep up with more-but I have seen at least one 40 acre parcel that looks divine. Any advice would be appreciated. I know I can do by myself if I have friends near by. Thanks. betty

-- betty modin (betty_m9@yahoo.com), October 25, 2000

Answers

Betty, are you sure you couldn't be talked into moving out of CA, everything is so expensive there! In 1994, we bought 104 acres in SE Ohio, with house, 5 barns, 50 acres of pasture, most of it fenced, on a dirt road with no visible neighboors for 83,900. Prices have gone up a little, but decent houses on 10 to 20 acres are still around 45,000 to 55,000, usually with barns and fencing of some kind. Good luck!!! Annie in SE OH.

-- Annie Miller (annie@1st.net), October 26, 2000.

HI!

Yeah..can we convince you to move out of CA? We did. Moved from San Diego up to North Idaho and love it here! We bought 8 acres and then bought another 10+ acres for $32k. The last one had a cabin on it that we're fixing up to house comfortability. It's across the road from the 8 acres (which we're selling now). The 8 acres has electricity on it and the phone lines to it. It has no water yet, but we were going to work out a deal with one guy who got transfered just before he bought it and he would use a cistern and pump from our water.

The property next door to us is 6+ acres and is selling for $14k. But it has no electricity on it at all. It would cost about another 6-8k to put it in. (We paid 5k to put ours in and it was closer to the transformer).

But either way, it's still cheaper than living in CA!

come on up north...the people are friendly and helpful!

Idaho Cher

-- Cher Rovang (fullcircle@nidlink.com), October 26, 2000.

Make certain that when you are looking for land you buy land where there is no zoning, that there are no restrictions or covenants on the land, and there's no big push for land us restrictions going on there. (call the local newsaper to find out if someone in the area or some organization is pushing for "land use management" which is usually a way to get zoning into an area. Some places will try to tell you how many animals you can have, (if any) and all kinds of other things...even in rural areas. Also make sure you have a good reliable source of water that doesn't depend on a city or county system. (I'm a newspaper report and I cover all the complaints and stuff so that's why I'm so adament about all this!)

We have 13 acres which a small town would love to annex but I will fight them with my last breath. I would love to have 100 acres in the middle of no where and live right in the middle of them!!!

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), October 30, 2000.

Thanks for the invitations to Ohio and Idaho. I once checked out the area near the lakes there, pretty place. At one time I would have been willing to go to an unknown place to start over-now am old enough to know I would have a very hard time adjusting. The weather in this part of the state and the two areas I'm looking at is blissful. Never really to hot or to cold, no real violent weather, few surprises. Just long warm summers, beautiful Indian summers, short wet winters and lovely spring times. Some snow in the higher elevations. Have not had that experience as I visted other areas of the country- weather wise that is. I do find that people are just as wonderful as you let them be all over the place. But the two areas I have mentioned are very different from other parts of California and at this point in time have prices that are about 1.5K to 2K per acre with no buildings-and they have water. After that the price depends on the number and quality of the buildings and other improvements. Of course it all depends on the remoteness and accessabilty of the land (which I will consider since I plan to spend the rest of my life on the property I eventually choose) Thanks also for the reminder to check on deed restrictions, etc. I would think to do that in the area I live in now (if I could afford land here) but hadn't yet considered the check elsewhere. I doubt that the area I'm looking at in the north coast area is restricted as it is ranching land and has been for generations. (My sister's mother- in-law owns a ranch in the area of about 1600 acres and a couple of smaller pieces as well and runs a few cattle still, though mostly she just feeds her children and grandchildren with them). Anything else I may have forgotten? I do think I can do this and am looking forward to it as I repair dry rot,plan for putting in new floors and new bathroom fixtures, painting walls, planting my garden and landscaping the rest of the yard to prepare my home for sale. I enjoy my house, my neighbors and the region I live in so the work will be easy and I will enjoy my time remaining as I plan,research and dream. betty

-- betty modin (betty_m9@yahoo.com), October 30, 2000.

Hi, Betty, Where are you thinking of on the "north coast"? I used to live in Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Eureka, Arcata, and McKinleyville. Also worked measuring rivers and creeks around Gualala, Point Arenas, Jenner, Bolinas, Novarro, Pudding Creek, Big River, Bodega Bay, Tomales Bay, Crescent City, Orick, Ft. Bragg, Mattole, and many other areas of N. Calif.

This was over twenty-five years ago. The weather seems to have changed, at least temporarily. When I lived in the Humboldt Bay area, for instance, a seventy degree sunny day would result in the natives suiting up in bathing gear and having hose and water balloon fights. We'd only see the sun six or seven times a year. No jive! Now, there seems to be more dry, warm weather when I go over to visit. I don't know how long this will last, though.

I loved living on the N. Coast, but got burned out on the weather, what with (literally) mold two inches deep on boots and briefcase some Monday mornings, raingear rotting out from mildew in a few weeks, etc.

If I knew where you were thinking of, it would make it easier to evaluate. Please feel free to e me.

I haven't spent enough time to be of any help on the Sierra foothills, although a couple of friends moved to the area around Grass Valley ten or fifteen years ago, and tell me the climate is similar to that of SW Oregon, where I have lived for the past twenty-five years. Climate's quite nice here.

One of my favorite climates is that of the inland valleys of the north coastal area-five or ten or fifteen miles from the ocean, with at least a small ridge for protection from the marine air. For instance, Fickle Hill east of Arcata, where I lived for a few months. I was at 1800 feet, and was almost always above the fog in the summer; winters were also nice, except for the seventy plus mph winds whenever there was a storm coming in. But it was really nice; highs in summer about seventy-five to eighty, lows in the winter generally about forty-five or fifty. Occassionally it snowed, and the roads got clogged up with stranded "townies" who came up to my 'hood to play in it.

If you can afford to buy a place without going into debt, go for it. But otherwise, I certainly recommend building your own place--preferably a little bit at a time as you save up money.

Gotta go; good luck, and hope to hear from you!

JOJ

-- jumpoffjoe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), November 01, 2000.