So, hopefully, you’ve read our “About” page and my “Hello World” posts as those are quick overviews about our plans and a tiny bit about how we got here. Now, I’ll give you a lot more details.
First, we had already been looking. And, we had a list of things we wanted. But, every property we visited or found online (and, IMO, you want to do A LOT of online looking long before wasting time visiting all sorts of places). And, even if you think you’ve found a “good one” (on Zillow, or Windermere, or whatever) you should check other real-estate sites AND google maps for the area. You should also look at local crime reports, weather reports, etc. I eliminated a few places because of what was around the location. And, as you find a spot / house / lot – consider what you’re willing to sacrifice as well as what’s a deal-breaker. And, try to visualize the area.
For us, since we’re planning to retire here, one thing that was relatively important was “access to civilization.” We definitely wanted to be away from things but we also wanted to make sure that we could get to a clinic or a hospital within a reasonable timeframe. But, when we build – eventually – we’ll also make sure to have a few critical safety items at home (like a personal / home AED). Both of us are rescue divers and certified in CPR / first aid, etc. but, I have to admit that we’re not “current” with those. That’s something to add to our ever-increasing list: finding a local first aid class / CPR class and make sure we attend every few years. My point, if you’re going to be remote and you’re thinking about your elderly years, you should at least think about that. Maybe that seems a bit overkill but I’d rather be safe…
Most importantly, spend a lot of time thinking about what you want. Use the measure twice, cut once rule – but here you’ll want to think, debate, research, again and again before finally purchasing!
Your List
So, put together your list – here’s a bit of ours:
- SPACE – we both like our space (inside and out). We both have extrovert qualities but largely, we’re introverts that truly enjoy solitude and nature. We love our friends and get togethers but we also like just chilling with each other.
- LAND – we both love gardening (Paul a lot more than I). Paul NEEDS land. He adores bonfires and cutting wood, stacking wood, splitting wood, etc. He LOVES to be “working” outside; he absolutely hates working out but he LOVES working outside. He absolutely NEEDS outdoor jobs to stay fit and he LOVES to garden. This, we could NOT cut off the list. For me, I like very tidy things. I want a very natural garden (less work) and I love having lots of little places to discover as well as to sit and relax. This kind of goes back to space. And, I’ve always wanted to be able to have more animals. I love the idea of chickens (fresh eggs) and goats and horses. We’ll start slowly with these but I’m fairly certain they’re going to be a big part of my retirement time!
- VIEWS – I want an open view. I love trees but I don’t want them on top of my house. Our house in Redmond is COVERED in needles and leaves and I spend DAYS every spring cleaning the roof / the decks, etc. and I want the trees to be a bit further away from the house.
- SEA VIEW – I wanted a sea waterfront location with a view (at least I thought I did)I absolutely love water and especially sea water; out of high school I considered joining the coast guard. In high school, I taught swimming and was a lifeguard at the Y as well as in Chicago (go LEONE BEACH)! Anyway, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE water.
- And, I also didn’t realize the “premium” that goes along with water views in the San Juan Islands / Whidbey Island – which is where we were looking
- But, more than the money were the trade-offs:
- We’d find somewhere with amazing views but then it had no land
- We’d find somewhere with waterfront but then the neighbors were right on top of us
- We’d find great parcels of land but they weren’t on the water or didn’t have views
- Or, we’d find chunk of an island with incredible waterfront and even ONE small/private island a 4M+ price tags. And, we’d need our own boat or plane to get there. YIKES!
- And, in the back of my mind was always the question – how far are we from civilization? Do we need to rely on the Washington Ferry system? Which, btw, I LOVE ferry boats! I love ferry crossings. But, I think I love them because I don’t HAVE to rely on them. And, while I have no experience with building in the islands, I suspect it’s not the cheapest location to build. Often supplies are “barged” in.
- I could talk about this for a long time but in the end, sea / waterfront wasn’t a deal breaker for me. But, I still wanted to be reasonably CLOSE to the sea. And, possibly, someday – get a boat or join a charter group. Paul and I had a sailboat for a short period (we loved it but we really want a way to dive more than sail. And, we really like just cruising. So, while my Father probably wouldn’t be happy (he was a Hunter salesman before he passed), it’s the right kind of boat (a STINKPOT he’d say) for us. But, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. What we might end up doing is just keep diving and spending our dive-time on “liveaboards.” Again, the more I thought about these things, the happier I was with backing off of a “sea view with waterfront.”
- FEWER STAIRS – without all sorts of crazy details… our Redmond house is amazing but it has A LOT of stairs. It was built by an architect (Thomas Harader, now retired) who (with his wife) found one of the last undeveloped hills in Redmond and bought it (in the early 80s). With a few other architect buddies, they divided the hill between them and designed/built a group of six houses. Our lot was the most challenging (as it’s on a steep hill) and apparently Thomas wanted the challenge. The house has incredible views because it’s built against the hill – on pillars (made from recycled telephone poles) – with the garage at the top. It’s similar to a 3-story house that was broken in half and shifted up so it has 7 half levels plus a rooftop deck on top of the garage / entry. So, 64 stairs. I’ve now been here for over 20 years and I’ve loved it. But, I’m ready for a main-floor master / kitchen / dining / laundry / living room. And, if the price is right – an elevator. 🙂
- DESIGN THE HOUSE MYSELF – I know this one isn’t for everyone but every house we’d seen – I wanted to tweak. I’ve loved designing the remodeling projects for this house (in Redmond) and everyone (especially Paul and I) LOVES the end result(s). I’ve always loved architecture; there was a Frank Lloyd Wright house just down the street from us in Roger’s Park, Chicago and I used to stare at it and just think about “why this / why that” and now every place I’ve ever lived, I’ve tweaked it and tweaked it and tweaked it. Now, I want to DESIGN it from the ground up. I’ve got a long list of “must-haves” and ideas that I’m putting down on paper and will bring (eventually) to our architect as “v1.” But, don’t worry – we’re get a properly architected design. And, we will NOT be the ones to build it. Our joke is that neither of us would live in a house that the other built. lol The main point for this one was that we needed a vacant lot.
- PROJECTS – This is almost comical given where we ended up. And, if you stick with me you’ll see why. Paul and I both do MUCH better when we have LOTS to do. I like organizational projects and designing projects. I like working too but I really like DESIGN (layout – but with a major focus on function WAY MORE than form). I actually like to OBSESS about how something will be used and where it’s positioned (relative to other things) to make it optimal / ideal. I have some interesting ideas for the house… I can’t wait to get to that point! But, for now, we definitely have a LONG LONG LONG list of projects.
The most important thing about your list – have one. Think it through. Take your time. And, decide if there are any items you do NOT want to give up or items that are just “nice to have.” Consider where you might compromise but also stand your ground on any absolutes. I had wanted to buy a place in Whidbey (the house was GREAT and the views were fantastic, but there wasn’t much land). Luckily, they didn’t take our offer, we wouldn’t increase it either, and Paul decided that land was actually more important. I’m so glad we stuck to our guns on this one.
Now, looking for a vacant lot is one thing – buying forestland is another. So, let’s start with that.
Vacant Lots
Community Build: You can buy a vacant lot that’s already part of a community (it will have electricity / sewer or septic potential / and water – either city or well). The good part about this is that there’s a process to follow and some of the really difficult items have already been researched / confirmed. And, if you want to be closer to people – this might be a great choice. You might even be able to choose a lot about what you’re building (from a model) but still make a lot of tweaks. There are A LOT of great things about buying into a community. You will pay a bit more to have access to these things but you might also get a community pool / fitness, etc.
Random Vacant Lot: Be sure to read ALL of the details. Even if it says “electricity on street” it will also likely say “buyer verify” and VERIFY YOU MUST! It might not be as easy as you think to get electricity on to your vacant lot. And, depending on the area – a well might not be as easy as you think either. In Skagit County, water rights can be complicated. And, even when we dig (eventually) our well – it will be mitigated (limited to 318 gallons per day).
Forestland: Well, this is not one we really even considered until we stumbled on a vacant lot that happened to be defined as forestland. The good news here is that forestland is generally less costly and taxed at a much lower rate (than residential) but that’s because it’s not PERMITED for residential. So, if you plan to only use it recreationally for a few years before you build, this might work out well. And/or if you plan ONLY to convert a subset of the land for residential, then this may also work well. However, when you do convert – KNOW THE RULES! There are numerous requirements for land conversions – including a moratorium on conversions for 6 years after harvesting so make sure you know the details about the land and its history! I think this might require another post altogether but we want to use the land recreationally for now. But, after VERY cold nights at the end of April and early May, I decided that tent camping might not be the best for me (it was just too cold in the 30s / 40s overnight). So, I want to get a container setup for “sleeping.” This would require land to be “converted” out of the forestland to allow a structure – which requires a building permit. But, a building permit also requires that our roads have “residential access” to the main roads, and that in turn requires a CAR (Critical Area Review so that we’re not infringing on a wetland or stream, etc. – for both the roads AND the land that we’re converting). BUT, all of these requirements are specific to Skagit County. So… I have a better sequence of recommendations for this one. If you’re even THINKING about forestland –HIRE A FORESTER! This was one of the first things we did and we’re soooooo glad! Local foresters will be aware of the rules, regulations, and options. And, they can help you with the land history and the current health of your land / trees.
HIRE A FORESTER: The forester will help to evaluate the forestland. They can address your specific concerns (I had a list of questions I wanted to answer like does the main road close often due to snow or floods, etc.). They can walk the property line, determine the health of your trees/forest, create maps of soils, wetlands, property history – harvesting details, etc. We did a lot of this during our “feasibility study” that we built into our offer. We needed to make sure that we could do what we wanted: build a house (eventually), have a barn and animals (probably), have a cabin / guest house (maybe), have accessory buildings (like a barn and/or utility garage for a tractor, etc.). They can’t tell you all of this but they can guide you. One of their biggest recommendations was also to talk to the Skagit County Planning and Development Services office and they even gave me a contact (you can often find a lot of this on the web but a forester might be able to guide you and give you a lot of initial information). You’ll want to work with them initially on feasibility. And, if you decide to buy forestland, you’ll also need a “Timber Management Plan” for the land you buy. This will need to be submitted to the county with your plans to “continue as forestland.” And, you’ll also learn what will be required if you want to take land out of “designated forestland” (DFL) status.
Our foresters – who we HIGHLY RECOMMEND are Roots Forestry: Roots Forestry Consulting, LLC – Forestry Consultant, Washington. They’ve been INVALUABLE during this process and we’ve learned so much from them.
County Planning and Development Services: I contacted them to setup a Predevelopment Feasibility Meeting and I thought I was only going to speak with the one contact I had. We setup a meeting for about a month later. A couple of weeks after that discussion, I received a meeting request with 26 people on the meeting invitation. This included the Fire Marshall, Fish and Wildlife, Lot Certification, Building Permits, Code… I was a bit intimidated. I ended up creating a presentation (this is something I do often – for conferences, etc. and is NOT required). However, it made me feel better about what I wanted to ask and how to position both our short-term and long-term goals and uses for the property. It was definitely nerve-wracking to prepare for the meeting and I was terrified that I was going to get grilled. Alas, it was HUGELY helpful. Not only did I learn a bunch of requirements during the meeting but they sent me a 14-page summary document from the meeting detailing the land-use/zoning comments made during the meeting as well as what the zoning requirements are. Most importantly, they also issued this statement: Single-family residence and accessory residential use are out right permitted within this zone. Personal recreational activities such as camping, hiking trails, and areas for horses are permitted as an accessory use to the residence.
And, the contacts I made at that meeting have been INVALUABLE at helping me and guiding me through additional requirements… I cannot recommend “getting to know” your county requirements / people enough. It’s not always easy. And, I’d recommend giving yourself way more time than you think. We don’t really want to build for a few years but we’re already doing a few things now just to make sure we know the requirements and can navigate the waters. It’s been quite a learning process so far.
The long story short – this is a MASSIVE PROJECT. And, if you like projects and challenges and you’re not in a hurry, this might be perfect for you. But, if you want to move right away OR you don’t want to read pages and pages of codes – you might want a community build instead.
In the end, it’s all about YOUR GOALS and what YOU LOVE. I love a challenge. I WANT to design our home. We want lots of trees around us and a very secluded lot. But, again, this isn’t for everyone.
OK, if you’ve read this all – WOW! Thank you! Feel free to leave comments or questions. I’ll try to answer as best I can! I’m truly enjoying this challenge so far but it’s not without its occasional frustrations. The good part is that I’m like a “dog with a bone” as far as a challenge is concerned so this has been incredibly rewarding!
Next post will be a photo post. I think you need a break from reading. 😉
Cheers
-k
