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  • From: Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com>
  • To: Homestead mailing list digest <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Homestead] Real Estate Question
  • Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 15:05:25 -0700

I'm trying to buy a 2-5 acre parcel in Oregon's banana belt where we can take the sheep for the winter when we're retired. I guess I'm naive about "the way things are". I wish someone could explain these paradoxes to me. Thanks in advance. I feel really stupid asking these things of a realtor. Should I find a realtor other than the seller's? At what point do I become obligated to follow through with a particular realtor?

1. "You can't build on the land if it doesn't have water." I see how this fits in with the world of home loans. But I'm paying cash. And enough rain falls there that we can easily manage with a small cistern, just for the winter months.

2. "You can't stay on the land unless it has a government-approved home on it." I'm not sure about this one. But I'm pretty sure they've found a way to keep the riff-raff away. What if my RV is really nice?

3. "You can't keep animals there unless you stay there with them." Once again, don't know. Either way, it would AYOR to leave them alone.

4. "You have to 'develop' the water source before you know if there is any, because you can't use the creek water." Should I expect the seller's realtor to disclose details about water, the geological report, and access? If I have to dig, even though I don't want to, then do I only find out after I'm screwed whether I can build?

I'm happy to build a 12' x 10' solarium with a cook stove, but I'm not sure if this would buy me the privilege of staying on my own land.

So what I don't appreciate overall is, I started out with only the simplest demands, since I already own a summer farm, yet I end up having to build a McMansion whether I want to or not? Should we just ignore it all and go park the RV there and enjoy a balmy winter?

Bill
S. Oregon coast




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