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Thanks, the land was advertised with "no restrictions on what type of home" witch means I can live in a tent if I want to. So mabey I was pretty dumb to buy this, but mabey it was a great idea, and a great investment. It might be worth something someday. Just like how people bought NYC blocks in the late 80's for $1. And now there making millions off rent.
I know this reply comes a couple years after the post. But, I wanted to answer this as I just recently bought a parcel there myself. I checked with Klamath County and the zoning is Residential. As for a motorhome, yes, you can live in it, providing you have active permits to build a permanent residence and a temporary permit to to live in the RV. Permanent building permits are good for 6 months each and the temporary permit is good for up to 1 year, AGAIN, as long as you have active building permits. That's straight from the Klamath County Offices.
I've been to see the property. If you are still wondering about the area, it would depend on where it's actually plotted for road access. the main road (oregon pines road) is maintained by current residents in the area, estimated about 6-8 per square mile according to a resident I spoke with on site. Some roads are clearly marked on google maps because they DO exist on county maps. Whether or not it has been maintained is another story. Generally, there's a way to most properties, just might have to use alternative routes.
The CITY as far as GPS goes and even Google Maps, IS Chiliquin. This may just be the fact that it's the biggest/nearest town that was used for reference. It's about 30-35 minutes from Chiliquin, much closer to Sprague River and Beatty, but those are very very small towns, whereas Chiliquin is more like a tiny city, therefore better for current mapping???
I'm doing research on the area, which is how I found this thread. According to the guy I talked to on-site, he stated this is subdivided land from a 1960's government sell-off to raise some money. Although you can clearly see that roads and properties were bulldozed into the land, it also shows many years of weathering. Since this is on the East side of the mountain range, there is much less rainfall (Being that Oregon is known for it's more then enough/average rainfall) that the west side, so erosion happens much slower.
If the 1960's story proves true, then I would say this is definitely a LONG term investment, or a great place to build if you want to be far away from many things. It was warned that you don't want to count on the county sheriff's for protection, so be prepared to protect yourself. Although out in the middle of nowhere, it is known for people that WILL protect their investments, so it is warned by locals that you better get to be known and be respectful of others property in the area and the speeds in the area. Also, best to get known during nice, clear, sunny days. Don't be a stranger in the night. Basically, it's like the old west, in a sense.. Depending on where your property sits on the subdivision, you could be a few hundred feet from a paved highway, or you could be a few miles from one. My property took me about 8.3 miles of roads from the hwy to get to. Nice area, but very very rural.
Hope this information helps. I don't think it's any sort of mistake to buy this property, especially since now (in 2011), inflation is going to prove to devalue the dollar. Property is a great way to beat inflation in the long run. As soon as improvements can start being made in that area, things will change. When that is??? is anyone's guess. But, Bend, OR, was (not long ago), the fastest growing city in the US and it's about 80-90 miles away in the middle of nowhere, so anything is possible. For those who keep buying such properties, if they would begin to build out there instead of holding the land for investment only, that would change things. And, of course, as it is these days, if the economy would ever shape up and the price of gas would drop. It's a long commute to jobs from there, so not much incentive to build if the price of gas keeps going up an up.
OH, and cell phones... Verizon has great 3g coverage out there. The least amount of bars I got was 2 out of 4, mainly stayed at 3 and 4. Even the map on Verizon Wireless shows excellent coverage for that area. Heck, it's all raised, flat land without much to block signal. I was getting better coverage out there that I get in most of Portland, OR.
Hope to see this thread come back alive with some others that may have invested in land there to see there thoughts.
Hope this information helps. I don't think it's any sort of mistake to buy this property, especially since now (in 2011), inflation is going to prove to devalue the dollar. Property is a great way to beat inflation in the long run. As soon as improvements can start being made in that area, things will change. When that is??? is anyone's guess. But, Bend, OR, was (not long ago), the fastest growing city in the US and it's about 80-90 miles away in the middle of nowhere, so anything is possible. For those who keep buying such properties, if they would begin to build out there instead of holding the land for investment only, that would change things. And, of course, as it is these days, if the economy would ever shape up and the price of gas would drop. It's a long commute to jobs from there, so not much incentive to build if the price of gas keeps going up an up.
The only thing I'd quibble about is the idea that growth and appreciation are inevitable and particularly the comparison with Bend. Look at pictures of Chiloquin from the 40s, when there were still jobs and people.
Multiple dry goods stores, grocery stores, a bank, restaurants, a theater. Since then the timber/lumber mills have all closed, the only employers are the Tribes, the small casino or Jeld-Wen (which hasn't been hiring for years) or a half-hour-plus drive to Klamath Falls (a city which is likewise struggling). There are two "grocery" stores, both of which are barely above a 7-11 in terms of stock and both BADLY in need of cleaning and refurbishing. Look at pics now and you'll see a lot of things boarded up.
The unemployment rate is above 35% - but that isn't new, nor is it a result of the housing bubble, it's what it's been in the last few decades. Look at housing inventory, which has done nothing but pile up the last 4-5 years.
What Bend had that sparked the bubble is a thriving outdoor recreation industry - downhill skiiing, crosscountry skiing, hiking, fishing, hunting. While some of those opportunities exist down here, they are not well developed and don't have the draw that Bend has. The local equivalent of Bend/Sunriver, Running Y, has not been a stunning success. Yes, there are some high-priced homes, but the resort is struggling to attract visitors, much less buyers for homes.
Buying a remote property with expectations that the value will increase substantially is not a good bet, imo.
Counting on the price of gas to drop is likewise a very bad bet.
My parents purchase about 3.5 acres (3 adjoining lots) in Oregon Pines in the early seventies intending to build a home there. We spent every weekend for over a year tearing down a wing of a decommissioned Army hospital for the wood for that house. Needless to say, the house was never built. The land is still there and was passed down to me following the death of my mother. I always thought it was my back-up plan for my retirement - I could stick a manufactured home there and be ok. I grew up in rural areas but this really doesn't sound so very feasible for someone in their later years.
Location: where the moss is taking over the villages
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cybie257
I know this reply comes a couple years after the post. But, I wanted to answer this as I just recently bought a parcel there myself. I checked with Klamath County and the zoning is Residential. As for a motorhome, yes, you can live in it, providing you have active permits to build a permanent residence and a temporary permit to to live in the RV. Permanent building permits are good for 6 months each and the temporary permit is good for up to 1 year, AGAIN, as long as you have active building permits. That's straight from the Klamath County Offices.
I've been to see the property. If you are still wondering about the area, it would depend on where it's actually plotted for road access. the main road (oregon pines road) is maintained by current residents in the area, estimated about 6-8 per square mile according to a resident I spoke with on site. Some roads are clearly marked on google maps because they DO exist on county maps. Whether or not it has been maintained is another story. Generally, there's a way to most properties, just might have to use alternative routes.
The CITY as far as GPS goes and even Google Maps, IS Chiliquin. This may just be the fact that it's the biggest/nearest town that was used for reference. It's about 30-35 minutes from Chiliquin, much closer to Sprague River and Beatty, but those are very very small towns, whereas Chiliquin is more like a tiny city, therefore better for current mapping???
I'm doing research on the area, which is how I found this thread. According to the guy I talked to on-site, he stated this is subdivided land from a 1960's government sell-off to raise some money. Although you can clearly see that roads and properties were bulldozed into the land, it also shows many years of weathering. Since this is on the East side of the mountain range, there is much less rainfall (Being that Oregon is known for it's more then enough/average rainfall) that the west side, so erosion happens much slower.
If the 1960's story proves true, then I would say this is definitely a LONG term investment, or a great place to build if you want to be far away from many things. It was warned that you don't want to count on the county sheriff's for protection, so be prepared to protect yourself. Although out in the middle of nowhere, it is known for people that WILL protect their investments, so it is warned by locals that you better get to be known and be respectful of others property in the area and the speeds in the area. Also, best to get known during nice, clear, sunny days. Don't be a stranger in the night. Basically, it's like the old west, in a sense.. Depending on where your property sits on the subdivision, you could be a few hundred feet from a paved highway, or you could be a few miles from one. My property took me about 8.3 miles of roads from the hwy to get to. Nice area, but very very rural.
Hope this information helps. I don't think it's any sort of mistake to buy this property, especially since now (in 2011), inflation is going to prove to devalue the dollar. Property is a great way to beat inflation in the long run. As soon as improvements can start being made in that area, things will change. When that is??? is anyone's guess. But, Bend, OR, was (not long ago), the fastest growing city in the US and it's about 80-90 miles away in the middle of nowhere, so anything is possible. For those who keep buying such properties, if they would begin to build out there instead of holding the land for investment only, that would change things. And, of course, as it is these days, if the economy would ever shape up and the price of gas would drop. It's a long commute to jobs from there, so not much incentive to build if the price of gas keeps going up an up.
OH, and cell phones... Verizon has great 3g coverage out there. The least amount of bars I got was 2 out of 4, mainly stayed at 3 and 4. Even the map on Verizon Wireless shows excellent coverage for that area. Heck, it's all raised, flat land without much to block signal. I was getting better coverage out there that I get in most of Portland, OR.
Hope to see this thread come back alive with some others that may have invested in land there to see there thoughts.
Cybie257
Thanks for the great post, especially about cell service, which I would NOT have expected to find... Good luck with your land!
I think if you are into pioneering and new frontiers--much like people who decided to settle in Alaska--this is for you. If you are into survivalism--this is for you. If you like seclusion and space--this would be for YOU. If you want to leave something to your grandchildren or great-grandchildren--this may be something worth more by then. Keep positive. I bought a piece of property from Land Central, sight unseen. Many are in subdivisions with no occupants, but that doesn't mean there never will be.
I have owned land in the subdivision for quite a while and spend a fair amount of time there. Just want to give some advice to those unfamiliar with rural Oregon.
I never go without my firearm within reach. There is wildlife of many species around, including the most dangerous, homo sapiens. As discussed earlier, response times for law enforcement could be in the hours. Oregon Pines Road is so heavily washboard it takes me over half an hour to get to pavement sometimes. The neighbors and the good guys aren't the only ones who know this. I have talked with some of the residents and was told of one guy who went bow hunting and stayed on his land, was unarmed (other than a bow), and went missing. They apparently found his truck at the Mexican border and the man was never found. Speculation was that Mexican drug growers liked hist truck and equipment and decided to take it. There has been lots of grow operations by drug cartels in rural Oregon lately, especially in the National Forests. If one of these groups of people see something they want, they wont hesitate to take it and kill you, especially if you are an unarmed target.
There was a murder within the subdivision a couple of years ago. A man was shot in the back of the head with a shotgun and his body thrown in a garbage pit and mutilated beyond recognition with a bulldozer by a neighbor. You can read about it here: A life ended
There are a lot of people with mental illness in the area and the area suffers from high unemployment and poverty. The town of Beatty is pretty much shut down. The restaurant/bar and motel that used to be there have recently closed.
I'm not saying all this to scare people, but just to make them aware. This isn't a place for city folks to run out to willynilly and end up shanghaied somewhere in Mexico. If you keep your eyes out and be aware and ready, you should be OK. Mind your own business. Don't go poking around at night. Obey no trespassing signs.
Man, and you're asking all these questions after you bought land? You need to research that before you buy--CC&R, niceties of county regulations--there may be no HOA restrictions, but county restrictions on type of home. Living in a tent may be illegal in many counties, other than temporary on weekends... you don't want to live in a tent in winter anyway. County can have many restrictions before the land is occupied, pertaining to sewage/septic, fire regulations (fire safety), water availability for fire department, etc... Where I am, if land can't pass perc and mantle test, it's not even buildable or liveable (unless one pays for super-expensive special septic).
To just live on land, without anything or codes.... one has to go to Montana for that, I think.
bought property last year in oregon pines and looking to get an estimate for water/sewer. does anyone know who to contact? and what about power?--any idea about estimates to run power? hoping to put single wide trailer on parcel at some point... will report my findings from power co. and water/sewer results... also, the boxes at thefront of each propert... are they telephone lines?
What do the boxes look like? Squat low boxes (maybe 3' square) or taller boxes, sort of like a post? In the first case that would probably be a transformer box from Pacific Power and in the second a telephone box from Centurytel/Ceturylink.
Hopefully the property was sold to you with a valid DEQ perc test to prove that a septic system (there is no sewer) can be installed. Otherwise, you have to get approval from Oregon DEQ about the type of system and the location of the system. Go down to the County Service building in Klamath Falls (on Main Street, across from the County Court House) and talk to the Onsite Services department for info. While you are there, talk to the Permitting Dept about what you will need to put in a mobile home, as well as asking about any zoning restriction on fencing or outbuildings (it isn't likely that you will have any, but there are some winter deer/elk migration areas out there that limit fences or fence height).
For power, call Pacific Power and give them your address and hopefully that box just off the property not only is a power box, but it is a live one (we had a box on property but it had no lines run to it -the point of which absolutely escaped me, but that is what Pacific Power had done).
For a well, I'd ask you neighbors who drilled theirs. We used Norm Seavey out of Lakeview, but there may well be someone who specializes out there.
Expect to pay about $120,000 upfront for utilities and roads, driveways, surveys, and permits. That does not gurantee you will be allowed to live in that subdiivision by the county.
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