I'm back! What are your "must haves" in a property?

[tressa27884]

I lurked here a year or so ago, and then pretty much gave up on the idea that I'd ever be a "real" member, thinking I'd never get to have livestock.....
Now I'm in the process of pre qualifying for a loan and it looks like it may actually happen! I'm in California, looking for properties in Calaveras and Plumas Counties.

I'm looking for a minimum of 5 acres, and want to start my own little homestead with chickens, goats and maybe a Dexter.....

So my question is - for somebody starting out buying a property what would your "must haves" be?

 

[Latestarter]

In CA? WATER!... Since I'm older, I would hope the property was already fenced. #1 it's expensive, #2, it's hard work self installing it, #3 did I mention it's expensive? Oh, and I would also hope to have either a spring fed pond or year round stream on the property. My own water source. Barring those, at the least a good high quality/reliable well water source. I hate having to pay "someone" for water.

Good luck w/your purchase and I hope you find the exact right place for you.

 

[tressa27884]

Thanks Latestarter! Fenced / cross fenced is on my list......I'm also too old to do that...

 

[cjc]

I would agree. Water and fencing would be ideal. Water is a big one. We are on well water and many properties are on a no go because the water is un drinkable. A shelter for your goats/dexter is nice...but you could always build one for relatively cheap.

 

[tressa27884]

How is it having well water? I don't understand what you mean by "no go" - sorry.

 

[cjc]

Sorry. For me personally I wouldn't buy a property that had a well that didn't have potable water. I know people that are always having to truck in water because their property doesn't provide potable water. I would always have the water tested before purchasing a property.

 

[babsbag]

Yeah, another person from CA. I live in Shasta county so your aren't too far away. Grew up in Sonora and lived in Arnold for 3 years after I got married. Come to Shasta county, there is 16 acres for sale next to me and I would love a animal person to buy it. Why Calaveras and Plumas counties? They aren't exactly near each other and certainly not over poplulated, but Calaveras is getting to that point.

Water would be nice but a well will do but if you want to raise dexter you need irrigated pasture or a lot of hay so lots of water would be really really nice. I have goats so oak trees and browse is essential; I love my hilly woody property for my goats and chickens. Cattle is a no go. Fencing would have been nice but we finally got the 5 acre fenced, I hired a young kid to do some of it for me.

LEVEL LAND, I would die (almost) for level land. A soil that will grow things, like pasture. I have none of either of those.

 

[tressa27884]

How are the schools in Shasta county babsbag? How much snow? I like Plumas because of the many little smaller towns like Quincy - but I could be persuaded to go somewhere else. I'm doing a USDA loan, so it has to meet the terms they set forth....but please tell me about Shasta, it would be nice to know somebody where I'm moving

 

[Baymule]

We just bought a house on 8 acres, moved in February. There was nothing but the house. Nothing. Bought one of those carports and had it put up. Right now one side is stacked with used lumber and tin I scrounged. Park car in other half.

Painted inside, laid wood floors and new vinyl in house. Hired neighbor and day laborers to fence in 2 acres for horses, and back yard for dogs.

Only kept 7 of our hens, threw up quick coop using horse panels and chicken wire. Moved in a portable building, 12'x24'

Have been working on fence, with help of neighbor. Have one side, front to back, front on both sides of driveway, fenced. Now working to close gap from opposite front corner to corner of horse pasture. That will leave several cross fences to do. Also have front to back stretch of 1186' then about 200' across back to horse pasture.

We are using 2"x4"x4' rolls of horse wire, topped with 2 strands of barb wire. At least by having no fencing, we are able to fence it the way we want it.

We are on community water. A deep well is $12,000. That price tag sure makes that water tower down the road look real good.

We have sandy soil. Think beach without the ocean. Devoid of humus. It will take a lot of work, cover crops, rolling out round bales of hay, etc to get soil able to grow sustainable grass.

We have nice trees and some forest. Oaks, cedars, hickory, wild persimmon, sassafras, pines, elm, brush-sumac, briars, Yaupon American. beauty bush and weeds and wild flowers.

Is it perfect? YES!!!! Was it move in ready? NO. It will take a lot more work. It gets done one fence post at a time. One stretch of wire at a time. One gate at a time.

It would have been beyond fabulous to have found just what we wanted. And for half a million, we could have. LOL I would adore having a pond. I have a 300 gallon horse tank. I would pee my pants over a BARN! I have a pile of telephone poles. (I am an incurable scrounger) I would love to have a few solar panels, I have sunshine and a reasonable electric bill.

Deal killer? Nothing. Must have? Somewhere to sleep so I can get everything else done. BTW, I am 60, DH is 70, neighbor that likes to help out is 66. So we aren't exactly spring chickens here. It will take time, so don't pass up any good deals looking for that "perfect" place.

 

[babsbag]

@tressa27884 The schools are good and not so good depending on where you go. We have an open enrollment agreement so you can go where ever you want if there is room and you are willing to provide transportation. It is a very rural area and has some small towns, and a big one, I didn't want to be too far away from a city or a Lowe's LOL So this is kinda a hybrid. I lived in the bay area for 23 years prior to here but this reminds me of where I grew up and I love it. On the whole the people are very friendly, a little "back woodsy" at time and pretty conservative. Like many places though the homeless and drug addict population is growing as is the crime rate. There have been transplants from the big city, me included, and I really think they brought a lot of this crime with them. The city of Redding is just going through some growing pains, they aren't the little town they used to be and the "natives " aren't sure how to deal with it.

We get almost no snow, one storm in 7 years but it is hot here in the summer, much more than Quincy, but not a lot hotter than Angels Camp or San Andreas. Our scenery is gorgeous, if you live in the right place you can see Mt. Shasta and / or Mt. Lassen. While we are in a drought if you live where there is a well you will likely have water. Our well driller told us that no matter where you dig in Shasta county you hit water, but we are on top of a hill so our well is 300' deep so it was expensive, but we have good water.

USDA loans are approved up here, I have looked into it for my son. If you decide to come and look around let me know, I'll give you the grand tour.