Escape From the Prison Planet

[Laecaon]

Definitely looks like some really cool land, and a fun way to explore!

[DRIVEN]

There's plenty of places to get lost out here, it would seem. I haven't done nearly as much exploring as I had intended but I suppose I will when I get settled. Unfortunately the dirt around here gets really gummy when it's wet so winter riding isn't much fun. Luckily the dry summer season is much longer over here. I have to say, I've been really impressed with this little TW200. It's gone everywhere I've asked it to and done a better job than I would have expected. I'd really like to pick up a second one to use as a loaner for visiting friends.

Also, we've accepted a second offer on The Compound. I mentioned earlier that we were under contract. That really doesn't mean all that much since it was contingent on the sale of their house. There is earnest money but that apparently doesn't mean a whole lot anymore either. That buyer is preapproved for additional financing but until they have the money from their house sale to go with it they remain "bumpable".
Buyer #2 is also preapproved and has earnest money to put down. They are from out of state and are in love with the location and the shops but indifferent about the house. It's a full price offer and they aren't asking for any closing costs. Sounds like they've done a lot of research and recognize the investment potential. I'll sign papers on that offer later today.
Really, either deal could fall apart for a million different reasons. We'll have to wait and see how it plays out.

On the new house; We have the final plans in hand and the bids are trickling in. Hopefully it starts soon. I'm getting anxious.

[Taterhead]

I'm sure you're ready to be done with all that stuff so life can get back to normal. Good luck with all of that.

[DRIVEN]

Thanks. I am sooo ready to be done.

How's your new place? Getting the garage set up? Needs a thread.

[DRIVEN]

Met with the excavation guy on Tuesday. He may be able to start around Oct. 1st. The cool thing about having him do this job is that he's the fire cheif and also knows just about everyone in the valley.
This morning the fire marshal came out and signed the forms that approve the driveway before the county will issue building permits. Then we went up to the top of the hill and pounded stakes to place the house. This hill is a lot steeper from the top than it looks from below. There's gonna be a whole lotta dirt to move.




Turns out, most of the garage will actually be above the existing fence. I'll probably begin the new fence next week.
While I was up there I hiked to the top of the hill to see what it looks like on the other side. If anyone ever decides to go through the trouble and expense to build up there, they're going to have a million dollar view.


Hard to really appreciate it with all the smoke. You can just barely make out the Owyhees in the distance. On a clear spring day that would be green fields all the way to the foot of the mountains.

[wayno]

How far up the hill is it?
When your house is built will you be able to see that side as well or will your house be down the hill to far?
What about standing on your new houses roof?

[DRIVEN]

I'll be 28' from the upper property line. The line is about 80% to the top and the hill gets steeper as it goes up. I doubt I'll be able to see over the top to the west even if the house had a second story and I stood on the roof. I'm not complaining though, it'll keep the hot evening sun off of me. My view to the east doesn't suck...at least when its not too smokey.

[wayno]

That view is great, all I can see where I live is houses no matter where I am(top of the roof, in my driveway), and a few of the houses are run down(across the street).
I suppose having acreage has its drawbacks also, but I never have had the pleasure to find out.

[DRIVEN]

We could still be neighbors. Just promise not to build a giant shop right above me.

[wayno]

I could live in a shop, but I cannot get the vehicle in the livingroom.
I am positive that is why they make laws that require the house to be built first before one can occupy the property.

[DRIVEN]

They might have laws like that around here (I really don't know) but I know for a fact that there are plenty of big shops around here with little apartments built inside. The guy just north of me has that setup. Probably a 30x60 with one big roll up door on the end. No house on the property. Actually, when I was house hunting a couple years ago there was 5 acres a couple miles to the south of me that had 2 large shops. Each had an apartment at the rear. The seller as a long haul trucker. Whoever bought the place brought in a mobile home.
There are also quite a few people around here who have big shops with water/septic/electricity and live in RVs and travel trailers parked inside. Some are full time residents and some are snowbirds.
This county has tightened up it's building code enforcement over the last couple years but there is still a lot of room for creativity. It's pretty easy to claim ignorance and ask forgiveness after the fact.

[wayno]

If I won the lottery it might happen, but one has to buy lottery tickets to win the lottery, so it's not looking good.
I have never been good with money, hand to mouth most my life.

[Taterhead]

Thanks. I am sooo ready to be done.

How's your new place? Getting the garage set up? Needs a thread.

I know you are.

New place is going good but we've ran out of money from the sale of our last house that was allotted for improvements to this house so I'm still working on it as I have spare dollars. I'd like to get the living quarters done before starting on the garage. Mainly because I know how I want to finish one thing before starting another. I brought my portable building with me from the other house and it is packed full of stuff that my father-in-law moved to the new place while I was at work. I'm grateful he did but now I'm halfway through going through it and getting it organized.

The only thing I've gotten done in the garage so far is this.


It's in there, just no work being done yet.





And the views you have are beautiful. I have never been disappointed with pictures of scenery from that area of the US. I swear if my wife could take the temperatures up there I'd have no problem moving.

[DRIVEN]

Glad you're still doing good with the new place even if its taking a little longer than expected. One project at a time is wise. I can absolutely relate to the financial limbo thing. I have secured funds to move ahead on the new house but I just don't like thr feeling of a shell game. A absolutely hate debt of any kind and don't normally have any beyond the mortgage.

[Taterhead]

Thanks, yeah I hear you. That robbing Peter to pay Paul thing sucks. Which is exactly why I'm doing what I can when I can. I always get nervous when I'm "counting" on someone else.

My wife says I can't multi task but when she does she always burns the garlic bread.

Hopefully you can keep things moving, at least on your end.

[DRIVEN]

Well, we bumped buyer 1 for buyer 2. All was well until the husband decided he didn't like the view from the front window. Fucking Californians.
We scrambled and got buyer 1 back on the hook. Now they're making a bunch of improvement demands. Fucking Oregonians.
It's still in negotiations at this point.

Back here in paradise, I haven't done a whole lot. Mostly just waiting on everyone else. With any luck my building permits will all be approved by close of business today.
My dad and I relocated the upper fence over the course of a couple days. Really wasn't too tough but I sure got tired of walking up and down that rocky hill.


Did gain quite a bit of ground though. This gives a pretty good idea of just how steep it gets at the top of the slope.

I also did stone pillars at the corners just because I've always thought they were cool. Plus...free rocks.


This morning I finally located the irrigation line that comes across the top from the neighbor's place. I'll be capping it off because it runs right through where my basement will be.

[wayno]

Why wasn't the fence on the upper property line to start with?
What did that pipe go thru your property in the first place, or have you already told us and I forgot already.

[DRIVEN]

My next door neighbor moved here in 1969 and has several kids. He cross fenced and irrigated the original 40ish acres to fit his needs. That irrigation pipe runs south to north from a pumping station across 3 active pastures and along the top of my lot. It's buried 3-4 feet deep and has vertical sprinkler stands every 40' or so. We have an agreement where he has granted me access to that pipe but I'm temporarily capping it at my southern property line.
Anyway, Jack's plan was to slice off portions of his original parcel and give them to his kids. One of his sons lives to the south of him and one daughter to the west. He had given my portion to another son who brought my house in and set the place up. Less than a year later he got a job offer and moved out of state. Jack wanted to buy the place back but couldn't quite swing it at the time. The couple I bought it from were here for about 16 years.
To answer your question on the fence, I'm not entirely sure why it wasn't on the line. The north and south fences are. Best I can figure is that the old fence was already there and no one really seemed to care about a 1/2 acre of rocky steepness. Both sides of the fence have mainly just been horse pasture.
Whatever the reason, it's in the correct place now. I actually built the fence 1' inside the line as to leave the survey pins visible and not have to share the actual fence. The old fence that Jack and I share, running east-west up the hill, looks like shit. When my place is all built I may approach him about rebuilding/replacing it. I'm also planning to cross fence in a couple smallish pasture plots and possibly renting or even just loaning the space for goats, cows, or horses. They do a nice job of keeping the weeds down. I don't really want my own animals that bad. I'll be traveling for work too much.

I think I mentioned earlier that they have rules in this county about how many times a property can be divided since 1978. Jack's original 40 has been divided the maximum amount. His house is on 5 acres and there is a large rocky horse pasture that basically covers the top of the hill. It's 20-something acres. Both are for sale but he wants quite a bit more than the current market will give. He'd love to sell and move to a cabin in the mountains but his wife's health isn't great. He's an awesome neighbor and I'd love it if he'd stick around but he just turned 80 so I can understand his desire to stay active in the mountains for as long as his body allows him to.

[wayno]

How much is land going for there?

[DRIVEN]

That's a tough question to answer. All depends on what you're looking for and where you want to be. A bare lot in a subdivision might go for 30-60. You can buy a small older house in town for 80-100k any day of the week. Lots of commercial buildings for sale too.

Once you get out of town you can pretty much spend as much as you want. Large building lots on the river bank will be 150ish. Away from the river you can usually find several manufactured homes on varying sized lots (1.5-5 acre) anywhere from 150-250k. There's also a few really nice places in the 500-800k bracket.
My dad's farm is going on the market next spring. Nice 1935 house with the big barn and 2 other out buildings on 4 acres with irrigation. He'll probably want about 225k.
Depending on what I can get for the manufactured home I'm living in when the new house is done, I'll be anywhere between 105-120 into my 5 acres. But I'd have to also factor in the cost of the well that's already here too.
I've had people say I paid top dollar for it and others say I stole it. Personally, I feel I did really well in the sense that it's exactly type and size lot I was looking for in the geographic area I wanted to be. For someone looking for flat farm land at 10k/acre, I waaay overpaid.
I found an old listing for my neighbor's house. It was 235k for the house on 6 acres. He has a nice shop and a couple other outbuildings. It's off market now. Not sure what he wanted for the bare land on top of the hill but I don't think it's financially realistic as a building lot. Might make a good vineyard though.

It's a unique little area. You can live in a subdivision, on the river, in the middle of a corn field, on a hillside surrounded by goats, horse or dairy property, acres of orchards or vinyards, or just out in the desert sage brush...all within 5 miles.

That probably isn't the specific answer you're looking for but at least it gives you an idea.