Need feedback on property for sale

[Dace]

OK this is a new area for my family and I could use some good information and I know you all will not sugar coat it.

We looked at a 24 acre property nearly an hour away, this would be a big move for us and I want to really weigh all the pros and cons.

First of all the house is nice, it is quite large and almost perfect. It could use a guest bedroom, but we can work around that.

The house was built around a very large boulder which is the focal point of the small backyard patio area and a fountain as created to flow off of it. Astheltically this patio is nice, flowers, water feature, simple.

The rest of the property is natural. there is a small flat area out front with some flowers, and could be made into a nice little seating area...maybe a little fire pit. Again talking aesthetics and relaxation.

Down to more important stuff....nearly all of the property is hilly/rocky. there are at least 4 distinct, fairly level workable areas. One is under 4-5 oaks and right off the back patio, so I am thinking that would make a good chicken run and maybe a little goat barn. There is another area off the drive way that could be turned into a large garden and another more rolling area in the front of the house that could be turned into a small pasture for a horse or mini cow. There is some semi flat space if you take a little bit if a hike, maybe a hundred yards away that could be used for horses as well. I have this thing about liking to see my animals though.

There is a 5K sq foot building with offices which DH would like to launch some sort of business out of and use for storage. It is about three hundred yards behind the house.

Most of the terrain consists of Manzanita and scrub, a few smallish oaks and lots of large boulders. There is a neighbor in close proximity and another one within site, but further away. The house it self seems to sit at the front of the property line and the bulk of the land is behind the house and does not seem to be usable...other than hiking of course. It is beautiful though.

The house has a well and a 1200 gal water tank and propane. ...both of which are new to us. Not sure what we need ot know about those.

So I am trying to get photos on line but I am having trouble isolating the property.

I would make the move, it just depends on how hubby feels about the drive and what the seller has to say. We are at the mercy of an owner carrying the loan as we do not qualify for a loan for two years...so there is some 'settling' for less than perfect going on. In a perfect world I would not want to see the neighbors and I would want more flat land. But since ownership is more important we are willing to sacrifice perfect. It is hard to keep perspective though since it is my dream to move a way and have land...even if it is not all usable!

Thoughts? Things we should consider?

Dace--as great as it sounds, I know how you "want this soooo bad" that you might just jump and buy anything. be sure it is truly what you want!!!! want vs. need and need vs. want. you know.,....

now second is, WHAT do you want 24 acres for? Honestly if you WANT true usable farm land this is not it. boulders and rocks is not farm land and if out of 24 acres you have ---maybe 4 good usable acres, then you lose big time---20 acres of loss.

So again, what do you want????? that is the key????

you just need to truly know in your heart if "the usable" land is really enough....and if it is, then great, if not, do not settle for less than what you are paying your hard earned money for.

best of luck---hang in there...great things will come your way!!!

Thanks for the good feedback Karen. Why do I want 24 acres....well I don't really. I mean I would be happy with 2-3 usable acres...I would actually be thrilled with 2-3 usable acres! This is just the 'package' that we came across.

As much as I WANT more space, I do not necessarily WANT this place. I would take it if my family was in, but it is looking like it may not come together and I am totally ok with that. Given my choice I would stay as close to here and I could for the kid's sake.
But, thank you for being honest and trying to help me to think clearly

 

[Dace]

Did you talk to the neighbors about the immigrant problem? Is there one?
I have a well....we don't have to do anything with it.

Pam, the neighbors have said that in 3 years the have never had a problem or even seen an immigrant passing thru. Although my gut questions that.

 

[freemotion]

Sounds like perfect property for goats!!

 

[Dace]

Henny, yeah here in the summer things look their worst...especially this year with water shortages. But visiting the property a few more times is a good idea.

Bee, I am concerned about the well. I have never had a well but as dry as we are i wonder how long a well would last. We will eventually find the right place.


After another night's sleep and a full day yesterday...I am thinking this is not the place for us. As much as I would love it, I just do not think it will work. The new school starts this month, which puts pressure to make a decision, that kind of pressure is not conducive to a good decision. Dh is looking at work about 45 minutes in the opposite direction, which would be too difficult, the usability of the land, relative closeness of the border.
I don't know, there seem to be several things coming up in my mind that say this may not be the right place.

 

[sylvie]

I would not buy property that wouldn't be able to supply 75% of my families food needs. You may not need it now but this economy has shown that a crisis could occur suddenly, gas could drive prices up again.

There are so many foreclosed properties that it is a buyer's market. Go check out sheriff's auctions if this one isn't a good fit.

 

[patandchickens]

You know what, Dace, if you hang in there you WILL find the right property, one where you're not paying purchase price and taxes on 20 acres of land you do not particularly need/want except for purty. New places are constantly being listed, something will turn up

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Dace]

Thanks Pat, you are right

 

[lupinfarm]

We would say all land is usable land hahaha... We have large rocky area that is quite well covered with long grass by the house, it'd be a sizeable bit of pasture if you could put horses on it but it's too rocky for horses. We can't sink posts there, so we're putting up buck fence... if you have areas you'd like to fence for goats or even a horse, buck fence is a floating fence and you can just run your electric on the inside of it.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I think growing 75% of your own food on the west coast is probably not going to happen, unless you live along a large river and have water rights. OK, I am possibly exaggerating, but I do think that if you want to buy a piece of land on the west coast, you are really going to have to think hard about water issues and about how large of a garden you can keep watered through droughts. What animals can produce for you with the least amount of water? Anything you can learn about your aquifer before you buy will be hugely advantageous, IMO. Also, look into feasibility of rain water supplementation. Water will probably be your biggest limitation.

Generally, I think 2-5 acres is a more reasonable homestead size for CA, if you are looking to maximize usability relative to property tax rates.

 

[TanksHill]

Water is a serious issue for us. I want to put up a gutter/ cistern system before this fall. They say this winter my bring El nino rains. We will see. We have had about 1 inch of rain in the last year. no joke!!

It is very hard to be ss when you don't have access to water. One of my main concerns at least.

Dace I had a huge post answering a few your questions but it's not here. Sorry I must have never posted it.

It seems though yo have made up your mind. g