May Be Moving To Roosevelt

[Esther4371]

Thanks for all that Viking! I"m not an RN, just a regular caregiver on and off for about 25 years, and done other things in between, so though I'd like to stay with home health care, or a facility, I'm not adverse to other menial stuff lol Even though my dogs are Setters, they're very much indoor dogs, so no worries there :-)

The place I'm considering is a mobile home, an old one, that's been vacant for about 5 years and will need some fixing up. I actually can't remember if I asked about it being winterized or not, but the realtor seemed to think it was livable as long as the well/septic/plumbing are ok when they're able to check that out after the snow is gone. It's on what looks like a really nice 6 acres though. The septic is compliant, just not sure if the pump is working until the snow is gone. I'm pretty sure the house is electric heat.

I don't think I'll be able to afford a pickup with a plow after a move like this. Are there no snow removal companies in the area? That could be a problem. Maybe a cheap tractor plow. That reminds me, which region of Craigslist is best to look at for that area? I see Warroad and Roseau pop up in Fargo, Bemidji and Grand Forks? I actually already have 2 pair of Sorel boots! Also gloves and bibs and other stuff from when I used to ski 100 years ago.

Wolves could be a concern with my horse...though I have seen her chase coyotes out of her pasture a couple of times through the years LOL She'll be 30 years old in May though, so I'm not 100% sure yet I'm going to put her through that long of haul and bring her with me. I have a friend here who will take her for me if I want, but she's an amazingly healthy 30 year old, and I've had her since she was a weanling, so it would break my heart to leave her behind, but, we'll see.

Thank you so much for detailed reply, I really appreciate it!

[601halfdozen0theother]

Interestingly, there are not a lot of mobile homes in Northern MN. That's mainly because, I think, they are in general poorly insulated and are very expensive to heat in the very cold climate up there. Propane gets EXPENSIVE! Also, mobile homes have no basements, which makes freezing plumbing between the ground and the mh a very real possibility.

So before you buy it make sure you have an inspector check out the insulation situation. Also, where are the water pipes located, and how are they insulated? You might have to spend a good amount of money on this when you move in to make the place affordable and livable.

When I lived up there the county plow driver would plow me out for a monthly fee in the winters. Make sure you call the county and township you'll be living in to find out if they do that in your specific situation.

Does the property have a garage or shed where you can park your vehicle? If not, you'll be spending a lot of time unburying your vehicle 4 - 6 months out of the year.

Think clearly about WHY that area still has a very low population. It's easy to idealize a place where you've never lived.

[slamont61]

Oh my that IS remote. Guess since you're choosing it then you likely are looking for that scenario. Trailers can be set up to be just fine in MN. Can't rule them out. Issue is though you may wish to have one with a wood stove to off-set the cost of Propane. Of course insurance the way it is, might be hard to find that sort of set-up.

BTW, I'd be just fine living there. Sometimes this town (Sebeka) of 700 feels kind of crowded, sometimes not.

[wamer27]

If you want to live in a cheap secluded area, I’d look in remote places in Montana or Wyoming where the scenery is thousand times better then anything in MN. But maybe that’s just me?

[Esther4371]

Wamer, I'm a forest/lakes kinda girl, besides that, property with acreage actually is cheaper in MN than MT or WY (I did look lol), and frankly, MN seems like a better state all around than either...sort of a colder version of Oregon with nicer people ;-)

Halfdozen, my Mom (who lives in the Netherlands) keeps telling me that..."there must be a reason it's cheap there" lol. No, it doesn't have a garage, which is a bummer, but I'm thinking I could afford to get at least a carport and possibly enclose it. I am worried about the pipes, but they can't check all the out until the snows is gone, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Depending on how that goes, I'm hoping I can get a small FHA or Rural rehab loan, or possibly even an equity loan, as the selling price is below market and assessed value. I guess I'm sort of in limbo until I find out about the plumbing etc.

[wamer27]

Maybe look in the town of Silver Bay. You can buy many homes for under $100k. I briefly looked at buying a half updated $50k home there to then rent it out, but it’s contigent now. I know a nurse who works for the veterans home and they always seem to be looking for employees. There’s another similar place hiring in the town. Two Harbors is close too for job searching. You’ll be right on the large lake with many smaller lakes not far.

I’m also looking at land few miles north of Two Harbors that’s 10 acres with a small creek for $39k. I could park a 5th wheel trailer and have land and lodging for under $50k, that’s unheard of anywhere near where I live. Trailer would leave for winter though.

[mn shutterbug]

Originally Posted by wamer27

I’m also looking at land few miles north of Two Harbors that’s 10 acres with a small creek for $39k.

Ten acres with creek for 39K? That would be a steal in southern MN. Around here something like that would go for about 10K per acre. I saw a nice farm site with a small river running alongside it and it was just 4 acres and they were asking 55K. On top of that, the old house was a menace and probably would have needed to be torn down at some point.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by mn shutterbug

Ten acres with creek for 39K? That would be a steal in southern MN. Around here something like that would go for about 10K per acre. I saw a nice farm site with a small river running alongside it and it was just 4 acres and they were asking 55K. On top of that, the old house was a menace and probably would have needed to be torn down at some point.

The higher cost of drilling a well and installing a septic system on the North Shore accounts for the price difference. I was looking at a piece of land up there but dropped the idea when I found out how expensive it can be to drill through rock.