Looking in WA state

[Denise_in_Alaska]

I'm looking for property in NW Washington, preferably Whatcom county, possibly near VanZandt.  I'd like more than an acre, and would be interested in splitting a larger piece with compatible neighbors-to-be.

[Greenbank]

Denise, I'm sure you're aware, but you can search the MLS for, er, listed properties. Of course, many aren't listed. Big local Realtors include Windermere, John L. Scott, Coldwell Banker and others, of course, and their websites usually have better interfaces than the main MLS web site. The "raw" MLS is at http://www.nwrealestate.com.

Be careful about sub-dividing plans. Most land which isn't already divided is going to have restrictions on how small the parcels can be...generally five acres in rural areas. A friend was stymied in Stanwood as his partner's mother was willing to sell them four of her nine acres, but the county would not issue a building permit for a four-acre lot, nor would they let her existing house occupy less than five. They tried to buy an acre to add to the four from a neighbor but ultimately were unsuccessful.

That said, many counties (not sure about Whatcom) allow rural "clustering" where you can put, say, two houses on five acres but have to designate 60% of the land as permanent open space. (So each ends up with an acre of "private" property and the three remaining acres are owned by both parties, but cannot be developed or even cleared, I think.)

http://www.theecho.com: The Echo is a local "giveaway" paper that may have FSBO land offered that isn't on the MLS. Worth looking at, in any case.

Hope this helps.

[Denise_in_Alaska]

Hey Greenbank -- Thanks for the info, especially the part about minimum parcel size for building permits.  I'll try The Echo website -- I've spent many an hour cruising the MLS listings, and have finally decided I need to make a scouting trip down there and just drive around the county (I lived there 19 years ago, but I suspect things have built up a bit since then...).  Perhaps I can find a buying partner down there who would go for the "rural clustering" you mention -- I like the idea of permanent designated open space.

I'm also interested in Island County/Whidby area, but am nervous about finding a job away from a college town.  But if any of you Islanders hear of property over your way, I'd be interested in looking (I'll be down that way in March).

Thanks

Denise

[atomkbabe]

I am looking to rent a house that has an apartment in the basement in Stanwood, Washington.  If anyone can help me find this by June, 2005, it would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

[DavidLeBlanc]

I'm fairly sure that in some parts of W. WA, where they're trying to prevent growth, the minimum parcel is 10 acres. I know this to be true in some parts of the eastern slopes of the Cascades (in E. WA)

If you want to get really rural, I found land in E. WA 3-ish hrs. N and a bit W of Spokane for deals like 3.4 acres for $23,000 - mixed trees and open space and some nice rock outcropping features backed (sloped) onto public land and there was a beaver pond on the public land even. Far too far out for me, but if anyone is interested... (For an extra ~$10,000, the guy would put up a 16' x 20' cabin on piers and finance it.)

[borgdog]

I would shoot for the east slopes of the cascades.  Visit http://www.leavenworthproperties.com/ and look at the listings for Stevens Pass; several 2.5 acres parcels for around $50000, or the Cashmere area has a couple 20 acre parcles for $52000.  

[Denise Moriarty]

Dan & David -- You're both totally right about eastern Washington -- land is cheaper and more rural over there, summers are warmer and winters colder.   But my heart is set on NW Washington.  After 23 years of icy, cold Alaskan winters, I can hardly wait for some nice cool western Washington rain.

Denise, still looking....

[DavidLeBlanc]

Don't plan to live in Seattle!

Median Listing Price is now $415,000, up 15.7% from a year ago. 13% of all homes in Seattle are valued at $1,000,000 or more.

@#%@!!! Krawlifornians!

[kimberly kincade]

Hi Denise
We also started by looking in E Wash because of cheap land, but soon realized that I wanted something that would grow a fern, at least sometime of the year.  We ended up N of White Salmon with a beautiful piece, 10 acres w/improvements, at around $60,000. We're about 1.5 hours out of Portland/Vancouver, if you're looking for College towns. And just across the Columbia River from booming Hood River, OR. Just thought I'd throw that out there, we never would have thought to look in that area, but it's made us very happy.

Have fun and Good Luck!
kim

[DavidLeBlanc]

I found 4 acres with a view of the Columbia River for $39,000, 5 acres on the river for $85,000 to $125,000 and 2 town lots for $23,000 and $25,000 respectively.

If I only had the $$$

[Chuckca]

Hey JOHN....how are prices in you nec of the woods...how's availablity.....

We could start a John Raabe subdivision!  

[Denise_in_Alaska]

I just got back from a very discouraging 3-day scouting trip to Bellingham/Whatcom county.  I still love it there, it still resonates with me, but land is SO expensive, AND there's hardly anything for sale!   Island County sounds even more expensive  -- I'd really like to keep land cost under $75K.  (Yeah, I know, dream on....)  So unless John gets his rural subdivision up and running on Whidby, I plan on spending a focused month in August searching desperately in Whatcom county, and if I can't find anything I'm probably going to start looking in Oregon, starting around Eugene (still want a college town...).   Designing and building my house is starting to seem easy compared to finding affordable land.  
Thanks for all your input and suggestions. Know of anything near Eugene???...

[Greenbank]

Denise, how much land, again? I'm pretty confident you could find something for under $75K.

Do you have any requirements as far as view, blah, blah, blah goes?

[Denise_in_Alaska]

Well.... my dream requirements are:  3-5 acres, not too heavily wooded but some trees, not east of Maple Falls, northern Skagit county O.K. (like Sedro Woolley area), a flat area to build on, neighbors with less than 5 dead cars on their property, permittable (no flood plain), possible to drill a well and put in a septic tank.  I looked at property on Fruitdale Rd, described as "nice 5 acres with creek", and it was very dark, and steep (the creek was in a ravine...).  I looked near Alger, and found 4 acres, but the neighbors on both sides had at least 10 dead cars each, barbed wire, several "no trespassing" signs and very large barking dogs.  I really want NW Washington, but if I can't find anything I'll skip over high-priced Seattle, polluted Tacoma, nuclear Longview-Kelso, and big-city Portland, and keep looking.  I'm done with snow (other than as an isolated "event"), so I'll be happier west of the Cascades.  View would be nice, but I've lived for the past 19 years with just about the most spectacular view one could ask for, and I've learned that you can't look out the window all day long....

[Greenbank]

Here are some on the south end of Whidbey, I'd be happy to do a drive-by and shoot some photos, if any appeal (these are all MLS numbers):

25011007 -- 3 acres, $64K
Lancaster Road, Freeland. Nice quiet area though I wonder about "Some wet areas along the Lancaster Road lot line" which in Realtor-speak could mean six-foot deep standing water over 3/4 of the lot.

23044398 -- 3 acres, $55K
Mutiny Bay Rd., Freeland. I actually don't know the park described in the blurb, it must be a private park. The "paved roads on east and west" is interesting, one is either a private drive OR one of them is Highway 525, if the house is at the very northern end of Mutiny Bay Road. Assuming the land itself is actually on MBR.

24120516 -- 5 acres, $52K
Anders Park Road, Freeland. This one would be pretty quiet. The "larger parcels" are about ten acres in size, we looked at one before we bought our land. It's an interesting location. Someone spent a bunch of money putting in gravel roads, etc. many moons ago (there are decidely vintage real estate signs along said roads) and nothing seems to have come of it, as there were only a couple of houses back there, well off the road. Very quiet and heavily wooded. Some steep terrain so be careful the lot isn't in a hole.

Bonus for buying in this area would be the ability to personally hound John.*

* We looked at a house for sale not too far from where I think John lives, at a very reasonable price. The reason, it turns out, was the local gun club's land backed up to it. It sounded like what I imagine the Somme sounded like during the Great War, not exactly a peaceful island oasis.

[jraabe]

Yep, that's near me...

There were two things I found about about the property after I bought it. This one, the target shooting club, was a potential problem and turned out to be a real one (at least for now). The other one, a grass airfield nearby,  in reality turned out to mean biplanes cartwheel through the summer sky — this was not a problem. So I'm hitting 50/50!

Thoughts:

You pays your money (not much in today's dollars) and you takes your chances.

Nothing is perfect, and anyway, if it is, just wait a bit and things will change.

[Greenbank]

John, totally agree. As Langley fills out a bit it will be increasingly difficult for the club to hold onto their range, if for no other reason someone will offer them $$$ to develop it. Assuming there isn't a lead poisioning problem.

Our land is under the approach to that airfield (well, a couple of miles away), and it's not bad at all. You want bad airfield noise, just totter up the road to Coupeville or even where our last rental was in Oak Harbor. Fighter jets make the gun club seem like a picnic.

[JimK]

One place to look here is The Echo
http://www.echoads.com/browse/

Here are 2 listings for this week:

2.7 acres foothills level, easy septic and water with possible divide (UR4) modular or stick, going fast at $41900. Call Jim Dawson at Aero Properties at 815-4776
Five timbered acres secluded, needs well septic, beautiful area, great building site. $99,000 cash. Call 854-0480 360-854-9644

[Denise_in_Alaska]

Thanks for the postings of property listings -- I'm much less discouraged now.  When I go back down (for good) in August, I'll have time to focus on finding the right piece of land.  I'm determined to find something in the NW corner -- Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan or Island county.  I wouldn't be happy in Oregon anyway -- to hot for my Alaskan blood, and probably not enough rain.

[conohawk]

You may wish to take a look at the posting I just entered.  I'm selling 15 acres near Bellingham, WA.

[afternoonwillow]

this is fun...here I am so sick of rainy winters and desparate for snow...and you are so sick of snow and want rain...have you thought of northern crawlifornia?  it gets so much 'gentle rain' here that the horses have asked for pontoons before the season....good luck Denise, I know what you're going thru...I'm in the same boat...different part of the country..actually, I'd move to Alaska in a heartbeat if I could.  willow

[Amanda_931]

whoooie, if we could average the weather out over the country, we should be pretty happy (we'd find something to complain about, fussing about weather is how you break the ice with strangers).

Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois are in pretty serious drought this summer.  Internet acquaintance in Arkansas has had under half an inch since early June, and I think she's having to buy drinking water, at least.

[teripittman(Guest)]

I'm selling my older, small home on a third of an acre in Camas, WA. It's surrounded by places with acreage so it feels like the country even though you are close to town. This is in the Portland OR area, so there are lots of jobs. Please contact me off list for more details.

[CREATIVE1]

Even in Washington, there are pockets of reasonable land.  5 acre lots near Belfair, overlooking the Hood Canal and Olympic Mountains, were $25,000 last summer.  Lots of choices, too.  Even found a big house on the ocean, Olympic Peninsula, two story on two acres, for about $125,000 last year--but it was quite a drive to everything.

So we settled on four acres that feels like 40 on Dow Mountain (private road, no one can build nearby, KILLER creek, buildings, Rvs, septic and well etc. etc..  5 acre plots were selling on the mountain for as little as $3,000 last year--these are the hard to access ones, but the general location is very convenient.  OFF GRID, but maybe not forever.  Look up Lake Cushman.  It's NOT in the middle of nowhere, as prices would suggest.  

[jraabe]

Lake Cushman. A Nice Area!

Here's a LINK