Retiring in Washington with Trees and little Snow (Woodland, Oroville: for sale, real estate)

[terraraptor1234]

Hi Everyone, I am 10 years or so away from retiring but I have done my research and have decided that I would like to retire in Washington. I currently live in Austin, TX. The reason I have chosen Washington over all other states is two fold. One is the state itself is part of God's country. I have been there a few times and every time I was there I just felt like this was a place I'd love to settle down in. Secondly, I understand that retirement income is not taxed at the state level. Coming from Texas where it is unbearably hot and humid in the summer, I have decided that I would not like to retire in a place where for most of the year I would not be stuck indoors due to the miserable heat outside. One problem though with Washington is the amount of snow much of the state receives in the winter months. I want to be able to work outside in the winter months as well as the summer months so I am looking at places that don't get too much snow or don't have average winter temperatures in the 20s or lower. I can handle 30s and 40s but not a lot of snow. I will have a decent amount of money to retire on so I am looking to purchase a ranch or raw land where I can build (say 500 acres or more). My ultimate goal is to have enough land to build a shop, house, and have enough land where my family (brother, sister, nieces and nephews) can also have space to build homes on as well. I digress. Ultimately I'd like to know if there are any suggestions on what part of Washington I can retire where there is plenty of land, trees, and little snow if possible. Any suggestions? Thank you!

[flyingsaucermom]

The climate you're looking for is anywhere west of the Cascades, but east will afford you more for money.

[url]https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/135-Lady-Bug-Rd-Oroville-WA-98844/102630258_zpid/[/url]

[pnwguy2]

Eastern Washington has hotter summers and colder winters. There is only one really warmer area east of the Cascades in the winter, the Columbia Basin, which rarely sees snow. Summers can be hot with 8-14 100-plus days on average but everything is air conditioned.

[StealthRabbit]

Your fellow Texas attorney (poster from El Paso / westguest?)

Bought a large parcel on lower Columbia River (Cathlamet?) It was a clearcut previously forested area, needed reclamation. There were a few other adjacent parcels, of which you can find these in the western WA. Should suit your desires.

I keep (6) rural places in Hill Country Texas for the 280 days / yr I don't want to be in the PNW (accessible from AUS or SAT). Also keep rural props in Colorado for shoulder season, but Texans infiltrated Colorado and NM about 40-50 yrs ago. So no places is a safe get-away any more.

If choosing we_tern WA rural acreage.... I hope you enjoy working in the mud!

For multiple homes on a large area, become very knowledgeable of local codes,. Zoning and land use restrictions. My neighbor has 240 acres, but only one (very small) home is allowed. Even shop and barn sq ft is restricted in my area of WA. One neighbor lives in a 240x120 shop, but is no longer allowed to build a home on that parcel. Also watch for impact fees (converting bare land to residential) some counties have Zero impact fees, others $50k + (before permit and plan review.). Some have $100k+ required traffic studies (not including permits). Be wise, be informed, be flexible, bring plenty of dough. And be sure you can get septic and water approval (or you will not be building anything.)

[MechAndy]

I like really nice real estate and I try to be as frugal as I can.
For me everything is a trade off and trade offs can be very frustrating.

Your money will go further finding a place that already has everything, or at least most everything.
You can add or remodel to suite your needs.
I know plenty of older properties that look close to new.
Californians are notorious for tearing down all but one wall.
The one with the fireplace so it gets grandfathered in.
Think in that mode and you will do better.

I saw that link that was posted.
When I was looking to buy I saw a bunch of similar places like that that I could have bought.
They are nice and all that but the locations/weather wouldn’t work for me.
The big kick that killed it for me was the taxes.
They run more than my very first mortgage and will do nothing but increase.
That just sits wrong with me.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by terraraptor1234

One problem though with Washington is the amount of snow much of the state receives in the winter months. I want to be able to work outside in the winter months as well as the summer months so I am looking at places that don't get too much snow or don't have average winter temperatures in the 20s or lower.

Pretty much anywhere in Western Washington will do, other than higher up in the Cascade foothills. Eastern Washington is hotter/smokier in the summer and colder/snowier in the winter.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Your fellow Texas attorney (poster from El Paso / westguest?)

Bought a large parcel on lower Columbia River (Cathlamet?) It was a clearcut previously forested area, needed reclamation. There were a few other adjacent parcels, of which you can find these in the western WA. Should suit your desires.

It was in Skamokawa. And yes, his username is WestGuest. He's now considering also buying around Humboldt County, in the NW of California.

OP, are you looking for land, or a property with a home ready to go? Have you looked at RE prices, even in the rural areas? Are you sure you can afford this? You might have some sticker shock, comparing to TX prices.

Lower elevations will have little to now snow. But some of the lower elevation areas have flood risk, as so many residents just found out a couple of weeks ago. Do your homework, if looking to buy in the general vicinity of a river.

[rkcarguy]

Hundreds of acres on the westside of any usable land is going be extremely expensive with high property taxes. Make no mistake, Washington gets it lack of an income tax out of it's people via high property taxes, high valuations, and in excess of 10% sales taxes in some areas. There is no free lunch. Per the "total tax load calculators" (one on city data itself), many income tax states are actually cheaper, and offer more disposable income even if you make quite a bit less there. Do your homework carefully before you make a move.

[Diana Holbrook]

Originally Posted by rkcarguy

Hundreds of acres on the westside of any usable land is going be extremely expensive with high property taxes. Make no mistake, Washington gets it lack of an income tax out of it's people via high property taxes, high valuations, and in excess of 10% sales taxes in some areas. There is no free lunch. Per the "total tax load calculators" (one on city data itself), many income tax states are actually cheaper, and offer more disposable income even if you make quite a bit less there. Do your homework carefully before you make a move.

Large parcels on the West side, though, are likely to be zoned rural and be tax classified as timber (or agriculture), which GREATLY reduces the tax bill on it. It won't be taxed at the same rate as residential parcels.

The OP may be surprised to learn that there aren't as many large parcels like that in WA as there are in TX. Here, many think 40 acres is big, and even hundred acre parcels are getting hard to find within easy driving range of any civilization. But there are some big parcels in this area. Most are in timber. One big one is right next door to me, and was just for sale. 1900 acres owned by a timber company. Still waiting to see if they got a good offer and how much it might be. Earlier buyers were negotiating in the neighborhood of 11 million.

[texasdiver]

We lived for 13 years in Texas before moving back here.

Honestly? If you want 500 acres of land for less than multiple millions of dollars you need to stay in Texas. That isn't going to happen in western WA. What you could swing in Western WA is some rural spot with say 5-20 acres where there might be a functional house and shop. But not 500 acres.

For example, here's 70 acres in Woodland WA (about 45 min north of Portland) with a house and a shop for $2.4 million and it has been on the market for about a year. I assume this is sort of what you are looking for? Or are you looking for ag land and not forest land? https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...70577578_zpid/ But the chances of subdividing and building additional houses for a family clan are probably limited.