what can you tell me about elk city/new meadows, idaho? (Payette: real estate market, crime rate)

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by Toyman at Jewel Lake

It's one of the handful of towns even in Idaho w/o cell coverage. It's debatable what's more remote, Elk City or Avery. Both are pretty much in the middle of everything. Thousands of acres of back country, miles of roads and trails to play on. Lots of hunting and fishing. Except Elk City has too much designated Wilderness around...not much in the line of motorized rec activities to the East.

There are dead spots all over the state from one end to the other when it comes to cell phone coverage. The same is true with much of W. Montana and W. Wyoming.

Bone, Idaho, a tiny spot that is still on most road maps (look to the north and east of Blackfoot to spot it) had no telephone coverage at all into the 1980's- it was the last place in the U.S. to get telephones.
Bone is remote, but not as remote as the high Owyhees on the Idaho-Oregon border southwest of Murphy. Once you are in that country, you had better have a full gas tank and a 5-gallon spare!

Idaho is one of few places where 'remote' is still vertical and/or horizontal in full measure of the word. I believe that only Alaska beats it.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by AnnieGetURGun

Are you saying Idaho or Montana are attempting to prevent 4-wheelers on trails? Can you elaborate? We love to ride responsibly on the back trails.

The state of Idaho, through the department of parks and rec (largely funded by OHV $$) is supportive of the sport. They do a lot to build/maintain trails and train riders. I can't speak for Montana.

The Forest Service, not so much. The OHV community is constantly fighting additional closures of roads and trails. It's been quite a battle. Just one case. A year ago Cemetary Ridge Road washed out. It was a popular access and connector trail between the St. Joe and CDA forest. FS does nothing about fixing the road, they claim they are too poor and have no money to fix it. Residents clear some downed trees off an old skid road and work out a connector around the washout. All is good, right? Nope. FS comes in with an excavator and tank-traps the skid road. So...there is no money to fix the roads they ARE responsible for, but no shortage of money to destroy bypasses.

[AnnieGetURGun]

Thanks, Toyman, for the info. Guess it is the same everywhere; Feds trying to "manage" us. Glad to hear Idaho is still supportive. We have chosen Idaho instead of other states to retire specifically because of their stance on OHVs. Plan to spend our retirement outside playing with our toys. Can't wait!

[idahojoe]

New Meadows has possibly the highest unemployment/home foreclosure rates in the State of Idaho. It was a 'bedroom-community' for the late-great-bankrupt Tamarack resort in neighboring Valley County. NM was at the oustide edge of the commute range to work at the new resort. It was hit very hard by the real estate melt-down, and will probably not recover for a decade at minimum, more likely 2. Prices bubbled 5-10 times higher in the Tamarack Resort market than in the rest of Idaho. Both Valley (McCall-Tamarack) and Adams (NM) counties are complete real estate disaster zones.

The upside, I suppose, is that the fire sales in real etstate in both counties are everywhere. The economies of the entire US as well as the state of Idaho do not point to a draw-down of the huge inventories of properties anytime soon. So, if one is looking for bargains, these 2 counties offer plenty, as well as stunningly beautiful natural surroundings.

I'm a real estate broker - as such, I get the foreclosure reports of both counties from the title companies. In addition to the formal defaults, I am certain that there are numerous 'up-side-down' properties, as well as those in arrears. These two counties are as good as they get for the buyers in the right position.

Both counties offer many benefits as American Redoubt properties. Each are approximately 100 miles N of Boise, and are far enough away to provide a buffer in a TEOTWAWKI situtation. They range in altitude from around 3500 to just over 5000 feet, and have limited growing seasons. However, the overall benefits outweigh that point. Both counties would be low-priority targets for the unprepared populations. There would be very limited rewards for the cost of getting there.

Regarding Elk City, it is almost the 'end of the road' in Idaho County. There are few roads, and no towns east of that small mountain town. It is very parochial - one old-timer, Trapper, told me it to over 20 years for him to gain modest 'standing' as a local. Elk City would probably be one of the last places the looter would get to in the Redoubt. It's simply so remote, and so small, that it wouldn't be worth the trip:-). Hint...

[Canine*Castle]

Does anyone have an insight/comments about Idaho City? Thank you.

[CTC]

all of these experts on Elk City and no one mentioned the Magruder Corridor?

[The Lyin' King]

Many thanks to folks who were past contributors to this thread!

Nearly eight years have passed since that last post, I am curious whether anything has changed since 2012?

My Wife and I are looking for a safe quite place to retire that at least has services deemed basic in the 20th century and weather that isn't too extreme in either direction.

I've looked at current Real-Estate availability, Health Care and other services but not having done so in 2012, other than the information contained in this thread I'm at a disadvantage in trying to recognize subtle changes that may have taken place.

On the face of it, things appear be frozen in time!

Modern day insight would be greatly appreciated . . .

Thank You!!

Bob

[nm9stheham]

I looked at the New Meadows area about a year back. Fairly rural. Employment wise, Adams county is back where it was just before the big crash so that part is good. It tends to have seasonal swings in employment but has been forever, per this graph; the winter unemployment has been perhaps due to timber work in the past, or summer employment for tourism in these times.


Vacant land prices are pretty low and price per square foot is lower than a lot of places too. So looks like real estate is still slow there. Crime rate looks to be below average for ID... and ID is very low in the USA. A bit of a hike for any major shopping. There's an Albertson's grocery store in McCall.



https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IDADAM3URN


Elk City looks to be a whole 'nother galaxy of remoteness.

[The Lyin' King]

Thank you very much, I appreciate your input!

That's basically what I discovered with regard to New Meadows.

There are what I would consider zero basic services to support the existing community, never mind enticing potential buyers for all the homes for sale.

Perhaps the City Council and residents like it that way?

I differ on ID crime based upon HITDA statistical data.

https://www.dea.gov/hidta

http://www.nhac.org/news/HIDTA_Counties.htm

Have a great tomorrow . . .

Bob

[nm9stheham]

More likely the population and tax base just does not support the services which you seek to have nearby. What are those services that you want?


Not getting the crime question....??? The first link does not show any outstanding drug activity in Adams or Valley counties. Looking at property and people crimes overall shows Adams County to be low. But I did not look at stats later than 2016.