|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brenda
Bloom where you are planted.
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/
Kylejamesp81 wrote:
I currently live in Union City, CA working for a bank, living frugally, saving $. I should have nearly 10K by February. I am wondering if anyone knows of land for sale right now that is priced under 10K. Also, does anyone know of any websites that list land for sale by the owner to where I would not need to deal with banks. Thank you for any help!
Off The Grid wrote:
If you spend the time I spent to locate the right seller, you can get 2.5 acres in California Valley for less than $5000. If you wait until the right moment you can find for half that. California Valley is in eastern San Luis Obispo County amidst the Carrizo Plain. It's not for everyone, but if you or anyone is interested I will help you find a lot. The best part about California Valley is there are more than 300 days of sunshine (the largest solar farm was constructed there in the past and in the future will be three solar farms).
Kylejamesp81 wrote:
I am very interested in land in CA as well. Could you provide me with some additional assistance in this task? May I contact you by email to chat more? Thanks
SLOrealestate wrote:
ABOUT CALIFORNIA VALLEY...
Please be aware that there is always a reason why specific land prices seem remarkably low, particularly in California. CA Valley is extremely isolated, with few services and some difficulty with access as most roads are unpaved (though maintained by the county). It is a four-season environment, with regular frosts and some snow in the winter, very hot summers (temps well over 100 are not unusual, and the average in summer is probably in the low 90s), but gorgeous spring and autumn weather.
The main issue, and probably the largest reason for bargain-priced lots, is the combination of a lack of water and poor quality water if it is available at all. There are specific areas where water is USUALLY available and USUALLY good quality and enough for living and agricultural usage. 2.5 acre parcels in these areas will cost you anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 and up. Improved lots, with a well already in place and some sort of home to live in, will run between $40,000 and $200,000.
Yes, you can buy property for $5,000 for 2.5 acres...but it will almost certainly have no access to water, and may also be in an area with no maintained roads, dirt or otherwise. DO NOT buy land out here without personally inspecting the lot in question and having it tested for water quality and access, as well as other items of importance to you.
And BTW, it is a 45-minute drive to the nearest very small town with gas, groceries, etc. More like 70 minutes to an actual small city (San Luis Obispo). All of these factors affect the price of land.
DISCLAIMER: I am a licensed real estate agent, and deal in property in CA Valley. For that reason, it is important that this area be honestly represented. There are several successful farms and ranches in the valley, but the property cost far more than $5000, and improvements added to the value and usefulness of the land. BUYER BEWARE!
I dug a 1.75 mile trench down Clarksburg Road two weekends ago because I made a stupid mistake of going down it instead of taking the longer trip down Arrowbear. But even in the worst rainy weather out there, I can still get to my property without spinning tires or throwing mud all over the place. The roads with the problems in wet weather are that way from lack of use. But not to worry, all you have to do is wait until the sun comes out, usually in the same day, and in that case a few hours later and the roads are hard enough to travel on again. I don't quite consider that a real problem for the person who wants to escape the maddening world of city living. The benefits, in my opinion, far outweigh the negatives. As you mentioned, spring is something else! WOW is the word! The Carrizo Plain, which California Valley is located on, is 60 miles long and it is nearly solid wildflowers for at least 3 weeks of spring. This year lasted 3 months of wildflowers! And even in late summer, the stinky sage and several varieties of tumbleweeds were in FULL bloom!
Off The Grid wrote:
Well... that ought to scare them away! Most of the things you mention, the 4 seasons, the remote location, those things are music to my ears! Go ahead and scare them away because I like a vast remote wilderness view!
By the way, obtaining water is not a problem where my property is. It is only 90 feet down and plentiful. I'll have to get a reverse osmosis water filter to reduce the brackish quality, but that's not a big deal. You can get a very nice filter these days for a real decent price. It is affordable for most people, even people on fixed incomes can budget it in.
Off The Grid wrote:
Well... that ought to scare them away! Most of the things you mention, the 4 seasons, the remote location, those things are music to my ears! Go ahead and scare them away because I like a vast remote wilderness view!
I agree, actually, and I love going out there to visit, especially during wildflower season or when the whooping cranes visit Soda Lake. But the reality is that no matter how far off the grid you are (or want to be), there are some things you will still need, like gas for your vehicle, medical attention, some groceries, etc. I can't swear to it, but I rather doubt that UPS goes out there, and I understand that people don't get mail delivery to their houses. You can get it at an unlocked postal station in the valley with open drawers, not locked boxes, or you can get a standard post office box in Atascadero or Santa Margarita.
By the way, obtaining water is not a problem where my property is. It is only 90 feet down and plentiful. I'll have to get a reverse osmosis water filter to reduce the brackish quality, but that's not a big deal. You can get a very nice filter these days for a real decent price. It is affordable for most people, even people on fixed incomes can budget it in.
You're lucky that water is available fairly close to the surface. You must live at the Soda Lake end of the Valley, as that is where the brackish water comes from.
I would say the single most sizable problem per se, is the roads in wet weather.... I don't quite consider that a real problem for the person who wants to escape the maddening world of city living. The benefits, in my opinion, far outweigh the negatives. As you mentioned, spring is something else! WOW is the word! The Carrizo Plain, which California Valley is located on, is 60 miles long and it is nearly solid wildflowers for at least 3 weeks of spring. This year lasted 3 months of wildflowers! And even in late summer, the stinky sage and several varieties of tumbleweeds were in FULL bloom!
SLOrealestate wrote:
Kathleen, the link below is to the San Luis Obispo County Building Department (which would handle permits in CA Valley) and gives a table of approximate building fees. I would suggest that if you are interested in land in other areas, that you search their building department websites for similar information. Rural counties and small towns have far less expensive permits, as they do not support the kind of infrastructure that you have in a large city. SLO County is probably somewhere in the middle. It's more to build in L.A., and probably a lot less in, say, Modoc County. I hope this helps!
http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Assets/PL/pdfs/Residential+Construction+Permit+Fees+7-08.pdf
SLOrealestate wrote:
I've avoided driving out there in wet weather, because I drive a Prius sedan and I'm not sure that it is built for mud.
SLOrealestate wrote:
Some other facts of interest: There are plans for at least two "solar farms" in the Valley, which will make land more valuable. One may actually start construction in 2011; it's going through the final approval process right now.
SLOrealestate wrote:
Cell service is very unreliable and most companies don't seem to have any service at all. I have Verizon, and I'm the only person I know who is able to regularly make and receive calls out there. This is definitely a factor of interest, unless you don't care about being able to summon help in an emergency or any other form of contact.
Hey, this land is not for everybody. If you have money you only live out there because you want the solitude and to hear the birds. Most others are there because they cannot afford high priced California real estate.SLOrealestate wrote:
Really, I don't want to scare people away, I just don't want folks to think they can slap down $5000 or so and magically have a working homestead. An understanding of the realities of life in CA Valley will help people make an informed decision about buying land out there. [/color]
Kathleen Sanderson wrote:
I live near California, and could easily afford land just over the border, but have heard that building permits in California are extremely expensive. Do you have any input on that?
kathleen
SLOrealestate wrote:
....There are no springs located anywhere near CA Valley, but it's a useful tool that I will pass on to folks looking for raw land.[/color]
Off The Grid wrote:My idea assumes that a person is responsible.
Off The Grid wrote:
I have input on this but this won't work for everyone, especially the timid. Don't get any permits. Just do your thing. Be sovereign. God made you a human being. Humans need homes to live in. The government shouldn't require you be a slave. This is USA. Land of the ... what again?
Not for everyone. I know. A couple hundred years ago there were only about 10% of the population as the brave people who wrested this country from the claws of King George. That's about where things stand today. I'm part of that 10%, might as well be clear about it.
I'm going off the grid in every way. Off the grid permits. Off the grid well. Off the grid everything. I'll pay the real estate tax because I'm not yet able to fight that in court, but some time down the line I'll be attempting to do that very thing.
If you're an independent spirit, and have that pioneer ability like you have a lot of talent and ability to do things, take care of yourself, you can also work with the system but to your advantage. By that I mean some creative look at how to build your home. You could build a series of small storage buildings which you convert later on to dwelling spaces. You could get creative with how they are positioned so that at a later time you could extend more walls between them to make a courtyard. Doing this conversion slowly will not arouse the slave masters. Over a long period of time you can build a nice layout that way and then if the slave masters come after you for living in a non-living space, you can go scream to the newspapers, TV stations, and Amnesty International. Go blab it to the world that the land of the free is really not anything free at all. Certainly not free in cost. But even the idea of you able to build your home to live on and that being taken away from you is a very foreign idea to all the other countries in the world except for Britain and Western most part of Europe. Everywhere else in the world, common sense is applied to living space. Everyone needs a home and if you own the land, you should be able to build yourself a hut and live in it if you want to.
My idea assumes that a person is responsible.
Kylejamesp81 wrote:
I currently live in Union City, CA working for a bank, living frugally, saving $. I should have nearly 10K by February. I am wondering if anyone knows of land for sale right now that is priced under 10K. Also, does anyone know of any websites that list land for sale by the owner to where I would not need to deal with banks. Thank you for any help!
|
I'm full of tinier men! And a tiny ad:
turnkey permaculture paradise for zero monies
https://permies.com/t/267198/turnkey-permaculture-paradise-monies
|
