Hi Samantha, and welcome! I’d encourage you to look into Del Norte County and across the Oregon border in Curry County. This is the northern extent of Redwood country, with:
- the highest biomass places on Earth
- the largest undammed river in the continental US (the spectacular Smith)
- the lowest real estate prices in CA (at least for anywhere w
water)
- 75% of the land is public (world
class zone 4-5 for all)
- idyllic summers (choose your temperature from 55-95 from coast to inland)
- 2nd highest botanical diversity in North America
- amazing, relatively uncrowded mountains rising from the sea
- a growing and active Wild Rivers
Permaculture Guild, which you can reach via FB (I am not on there but we have a page), or message me and we can get you on the email list.
I have several realtor friends here, and know several guild members looking to go in on land together. They are wonderful people who have helped me and many others with
permaculture projects.
The main challenge buying property here is that much of the land must be purchased cash or owner/privately financed due to unpermitted building being the norm in many areas. For better and worse, this place had no permit office before 1973, and even then it was shared with Humboldt county (a collective area the size of several eastern states) until the 90s. Even now, we struggle with the common rural American issues relating to good-governance and the lack thereof. Still, acreage can be bought outright here for less than a bay area condo down payment, and its the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.
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