Looking to move to WA. Guidance needed.
 

Hello all,

This is my first post here and I am not sure how to start, but I've been doing quite a bit of reading here for the past 3-4 days.

The wife and I are looking to relocate up north and begin a small homestead. We are a family of 3 (Newborn daughter), and we'll be bringing my father along with us.

My wife and I talked about possibilities, I said just North of Florida, Wife randomly said Washington, and my father on a separate outing said Pacific North West, either Oregon or Washington. So, we've been looking at land for sale and pictures in Washington and we're already in love and quite anxious.

We're having a hard time choosing a location. So I'm hoping someone could give me some guidance.

The major job requirement is to be within an hour of either a Childrens Hospital, or a hospital which has a department just for children, NICU, etc.

My wife is a pediatric nurse and refuses to go back to adults (Something about 40 year old men always wanting their pillow fluffed, lol).

I've been able to find a childrens hospital located in Spokane, WA, and have found decent prices on ~20 acre lots north of there around Chattaroy and Colbert.

So, heres what we're wanting to do.

- 10-30 Acres
- Wanting to build a residence out of a steel building.
- Within an hour of a childrens hospital or wing of an adult hospital
- Power must be available, even though we'd like to eventually go strictly solar/wind.
- Price range on the land is 50-70k. I've noticed that in some areas it can buy us 10 acres, others 30 (And some maybe an acre, haha). We'd obviously like the most for our money, as long as its within distance to a hospital and can support some of our homesteading wants.

I apologize for such a long winded post, I have a habit of doing that.

Thank you for reading and any guidance you can give us!

Welcome to HT! You're going to love it here. Lots of good people with a ton of good information.

I'm in Western WA between Portland and Seattle. For what you're looking for as far as childrens hospitals, or wings especially devoted to children I think you will have to concentrate on either Tacoma or Seattle (Mary Bridges, and Harborview come to mind). I think there is one down in the Vancouver area too, and I'm pretty sure St. Petes in Olympia also has a childrens wing, but the major stuff goes up to Tacoma. Not sure if this helps or not.

Land is going to vary in price depending on where you are and what you want. In Lewis County, about an hour south of Olympia and North of Vancouver, you'll get about 10 or 15 acres in your price range depending on where you are. (In the lowlands or up in the hills)

Washington is a big change from Florida. We get rain, and a lot of it. Snow, not so much but when we get a good storm in you may be trapped for a few days. Although that only happens once a year or so. You can't beat the summers though. They will get warm, but still beautiful.

Eastern WA and western WA are two totally different areas.

Eastern WA is more conservative, 4 seasons, snow in winter and warmer in summer. Land is more available and cheaper than the west side.

The west side is more liberal, controls the state, rains lots more, traffic is a problem, land is more expensive, and there are more people.

Spokane has a very good children hospital at Scared Heart. It's about two years old. Spokane is the medical center for E WA, N ID and W Montana. There is also a wonderful Shriners Children's hospital in Spokane that specializes in orthopedic problems. It is also fairly new and has state of the art equipment as does Scarced Heart. The hospitals are about 6 blocks apart, in the "medical district", which is going to include a medical school opening this fall I think.

Land is much cheaper in the Spokane area but I would look outside of Spokane county. The building and zoning dept in Spokane county is hard to get along with, to say the least. Stevens county is very easy to deal with. Having said that, we live in Spokane county and it is doable.

There are several pieces of land in our area for sale 20-40 acres, around 100000.00. What they would take for it, I don't know, not much is selling. Most of the rural areas of the county are now zoned 20 acres or more so if you find 5 or 10 acres the price is about the same. There are a lot of foreclosures in the area.

PM me if you want more information.

I'm in eastern WA and you can get a lot more bang for you buck on this side of the state. An hour from Spokane will get you into some very nice land. If you go north even 30 minutes from Spokane you'll be in Steven's county. Steven's county has some of the most lenient building codes in the state. If you are the owner and you build it, though you ought to and the expect you to follow codes, you don't have to have a building permit or inspections. Keep that in mind also if you plan to buy a home already built...have it inspected.
It is also MUCH MUCH dryer on this side of the state. You will get snow in the winter and possibly lots of it. We have 2 feet here now (I'm about 3 hours north north/west of Spokane) and we will not see the ground until April....HOWEVER Spokane is much lower in elevation, so they get snow that comes and goes more than we do.
Summers are hot and dry...you'll probably like that compared to muggy FL. It's really pretty nice...even when it gets up to 100 it's not bad.

Good luck! And welcome to HT and an advance welcome to WA! Feel free to send me a private message if you have any questions that I might be able to help with.

Portland has an excellent children's hospital, with a burn center. However, within an hour's drive of that hospital, your $50,000 might buy you a bare tiny city lot, if you shop carefully.

We've got an excellent hospital in Central Oregon, but serious children's cases go to Portland. Within an hour of the hospital, you might be able to get bare land without any water in your price range. A well, if you can get a permit for one, would add $30,000 or more to the cost.

Yes, if you want land, go to eastern wa. We live in W. Wa. and it is extremely, extremely expensive. We found a place over in W. Wa. that we could afford that was a foreclosure but if it hadn't been for that we would never have been able to afford any land. And even at that, it was twice as expensive as the same property would have been where we are from. But this is where the work is, for us so...

I, too, live on the western side and weould agree with everyone: it's too expensive. The Spokane area is lovely and you don't get as much rain, but you do get the harsher winters.

OH, and welcome to the site!

Welcome to the forum. With those requirements I would not even consider Western WA. The climate is vastly different between most all of FL and Western WA. If even a small part of your consideration for FL was due to the climate then I don't think you would be happy in Western WA.

The rest of your requirements would be better served in Eastern WA in my opinion. There are a number of Western WA counties that are actually quite good for homesteading, but that job requirement severely limits your options in this regard. Over the past year I've had to travel the I5/405 corridor a handful of times and the traffic through the south to north Puget sound area is an absolute nightmare. You could not pay me enough to commute through that mess on a daily basis. The property taxes in many of the more populous counties (ie most any that would be near enough to the required hospital) are simply ridiculous.

Thank you for all the replies! Looks like we'll be sticking to the Eastern side of the state. I will look more into Stevens county.

Could any of you locals steer me in a better direction to searching for land online. I've been looking at landwatch and landandfarm, wondering if theres a more local site. I guess I can check craigslist too, but we don't really use craigslist in our area, too much scamming and theft going on.

Check out http://www.nwrealestate.com/nwrpub/ You can search by county, price range, etc.

Good luck

I think you are wise to consider places other than West. Wa. We live in the Anacortes area. We normally get 4...FOUR..sunny days a month in the months Oct. through May.

It is not uncommon to get 3 to 7 inches of rain a MONTH. That means it is grey and raining most every day.

It is depressing and there is a high sucide rate. Coming from a dry sunny climate would be a polar opposite from what you are used to.

Your building idea would not be allowed by most counties; and their are serious restrictions concerning septic and well drilling. The Marine Recovery act is building restrictive in a lot of areas, and liberal values dictate most of the political climate.

50K will buy a building lot in our area, it's a 1 1/2 hour commute into Seattle that will take the joy out of your day before it hardly begins.

This area takes 'sun days' where people can use the scarce sun as an excuse not to go to work.

But we have fishing, clamming, crabbing, boating and kyacking, skiing and snowboarding. It's difficult to raise a garden, [not enough sun] but potatoes and cabbage grow like crazy.

If your still interested...pick any of the big name real estate firms and google Western Wa. That should give you some of the info you seek. ReMax, Winderemere, John Scott etc.

You can grow some serious rocks in the eastern part of the state. I'd rather grow veggies. Think about water.

One real estate office in Deer Park, WA is Erick's Realty509-276-2121. They do a lot of rural properties in Spokane and Stevens counties. They are about 20 miles NW of Spokane.

I am in the Western half of the state and it really is very different than the Eastern side. For your money you are better off on the Eastern side, however saying that please know that you are not getting the green part of living in Washington. The East side is much, much, much warmer (and windier) and they get a ton more snow, but for most part the view is brown for most of the year. What I am trying to say is that if you have looked at pictures of WA and are now in love with all the pretty green then you need to find more pictures of where you are looking at moving too.

While Western WA is greener and a lot more temperate it does rain a lot, not torrential down pours, but continual drizzle and it is Gray for a good part of the year. We live on hills here so getting around if it snows is really not happening as we have no clue how to drive in the snow. You see it only snows a few times a year here and those few inches are usually gone in two days,but those two days bring the entire area to a standstill and if you watch the media you will think it is the apocalypse. LOL Really it is just that our cars are not 4 wheel drive and we do not have nearly enough machinery to clear the roads. That on top of all those hills I was talking about make for a mess so it is best to just stay home if it snows.

I would move to Idaho or the Eastern side of the state in a heartbeat as I like warm weather, however DH job is here so here is where we stay. Well that and I have been here my whole life lol.

If your heart is set on the Emerald part of the state then you might try looking in the Arlington, Darrington, Granite Falls, Mt Vernon or Stanwood areas. Everett (the largest city north of Seattle) has a Level 3 Woman and Children's Hospital. (Pavilion for Women & Children) http://washington.providence.org/hos...ldrens-health/
And all those cities I listed are within 30 minutes of Everett. Prices for Land the more North you go get more reasonable. (still not nearly as good as Eastern WA)

Good Luck that is one heck of a journey you are looking to embark on, Hope this helps you a little bit.

Tracy in WA

ntjpm, thank you for the link and names of surrounding areas. I will look into that. It's been quite difficult to locate hospitals with pediatric wings. I have found a list of every childrens hospital in every state, but it doesn't include adult hospitals with childrens wings.

Also the heads up on the cities helps a ton! I've been looking through real estate sites and having to google maps every city as I have no clue where its at and how far it is from the major city/hospitals! Haha!

Thank you so much!

Yes, but the land is way more fertile than in the eastern part of the state. Are you thinking to raise cattle and camels or sagebrush? You can raise more veggies and plenty of happy chickens, ducks and hogs on much less land in the west. However, we do get less sun -- a factor you need to take into consideration when thinking about your land needs.

Within an hour of Spokane, this is what the land is like. Lots of sage brush, quite dry and arid. Pictures taken from a truck stop on the highway at dawn in July. First pic is looking east, second pic is looking towards south west.

If you're interested, I can post a few more pictures of other areas and climate zones of Washington. Washington state is full of micro-climates that are all so different from each other.

.

These are about 30 minutes north of Spokane--taken at 3000 feet elevation. We have trees, mountains,lakes, rivers and creeks. It is mostly wooded with fertile valley's north and east of Spokane. To the south is some of the most fertile land in the country, the Palouse. I haven't seen any camels, just deer, elk and moose.

I can't get the pictures to post.

In the eastern parts of the state there is a lot of snow. Lots. You will have to drive through the stuff to get to work. Generally cheaper land though.

Snoozy and Naturelover,

You evidently have not been to eastern WA on the Idaho border. There's now sagebrush, it's the highest producing dry land area in the US, if not the world. You need to get out and have a life.

Bobg

We do have snow, but mostly dry snow. It is altitude dependent, there are 5 ski hills within 2 hours of Spokane in the mountains.

Personally I can't stand sagebrush and desert (high desert or otherwise.)
If a person wants the Pac NW go lush or go home!

We are from Oregon and lived on the coast (Coos Bay) and A long while in Salem-- Salem, McMinnville, Corvallis etc. is our favorite part-- prettiest farm country and a good amount of sunshine all summer. Problem is though-- land is a bit spendy but you get what you pay for-- it's rich and temperate summer and winter. A lot of folks living in the rural country towns commute up to 2 hours for decent work.


We've pretty much settled on the fact that we don't care for the politics of Oregon anymore, and as much as we "know" the land we believe we can put our purchasing power to better use-- we have been looking at Missouri extensively instead for some time.

Today, this about halfway up Mt Spokane.

Oh yes you do need to know we have a TON of micro climates. In Washington State we have Ocean beaches, Mountains, Desserts and even a Rain Forest and those are just some of the major ones. We have something that is only in one other place in the world called a Convergence Zone. (storms come off the Ocean split as they go past the Olympic Mts and then when they slam back together on the other side we get some crazy weather)

So when you finally decide on a specific location (or two, or three) give us all a shout out and we can tell you what it will be like. Trying to pin down weather in WA with a 1 general statement just cannot be done.

Also what you want to grow may determine where you need to settle. Western WA is much more fertile and temperate than Eastern, unless you want to grow Apples or start a winery then you are set to go to Eastern WA.



Best of Luck to you and your family,
Tracy in WA

Here is a pic of my backyard in August, no sagebrush in sight. :D

Tracy in WA

You might check out St Josephs hospital in Bellingham. Don't know if they have a NICU or not. It's a nice area with some reasonable land if you are willing to drive some.Bellingham is in Whatcom county up near the Canadian border. Skagit county is south of Whatcom, also a really nice place. I'm not going to weigh in on the East versus West thing. We live for the most part in western Wa but also have property in eastern Wa. Love them both for different reasons. Your priority is a job for the Mrs. so that's where you'll have to focus your search. Good luck to you. This is a great place to live.

I live on the Olympic Peninsula, in Kitsap County, Seabeck, WA, and am a Realtor. I sent you a PM with my contact info, if you would like information about any area in WA.

Welcome to the forum!

Have you looked at RMLS.com in your search? All of the listings are for Oregon and Washington. it has quite a few filters that can really help narrow down your search.

http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/t...hollyinlet.jpg
Local shot about 12 minutes from my home. I have a lot of pics of the beauty of our area...

Well, I've driven all over Washington , all of the west coast from Alaska down to southernmost California, through Arizona, all of British Columbia and Alberta - and driven through pretty much most of USA for that matter, but you're right, I need to get out and get a real life so I think I'll do all of the rest of Canada next. :happy:

As I mentioned above, the 2 pictures I posted were taken at a rest stop for travellers - that was on Interstate 90 headed east just less than an hour west of Spokane. On that particular holiday we continued eastward on I-90 right through northern Idaho, Montana (Montana is soooooo beautiful!!) and then through Wyoming, Nebraska and then over to Missouri and Arkansas. On the return trip I took a different more southerly route through Washington and through some lovely farming areas southeast of the Cascades where there were lovely huge wheat farms. The closer you get to the Pacific coast the greener, lusher, more fertile and more mountainous the land becomes.

The north west quarter of Washington state is without a doubt the most beautiful, most fertile and most moderate climate in the whole state and Washington and Alaska are the 2 most beautiful states in the USA with Oregon coming a close tie to Washington.

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We have a number of hospitals with Pediatric Units on our Peninsula, too.

The most photographed spot in the State of WA is less than 10 minutes from our home!

If you decide on a State, be sure and check our Real Estate Forum for a Realtor. We are able to not just do searches, like everyone else, but get alerts in real time on price reductions. That is how we can often get our Clients a better deal than if they are looking themselves. In addition, once I know an area, I can do some scouting in that area to list the property my Clients may want if it isn't currently available. You are in a tight price range, so you might want to consider getting a Buyer's Agent.

Washington is one of the most picturesque states in the US. It's got a little of everything - mountains, desert, coastal rain forests, ocean front - seriously it's a gorgeous state. I was born on the west side of the state but have lived in Spokane since 92. As mentioned earlier - western WA and eastern WA are like two seperate states. East of the Cascades is pretty conservative, west of the Cascades is pretty liberal. But it is a beautiful state with lots to chose from. NE Washington has alot of areas where land can still be had fairly cheap - I don't know as much about the west side but I'm sure if you get away from the cities you can find something there as well.

You would be very surprised what you can find just 30 minutes away from any City on the Peninsula! I have been all over this State and agree, just beautiful, and the most diverse State I have ever seen. Locally, we have access to the Hood Canal, just 5 minutes from our home, so we can party on saltwater fare! That is one of the main reasons we settled here, the access for boating, fishing, crabbing, shrimping, digging clams, harvesting fresh oysters, hiking, riding our motorcycle, and enjoying the local views... For the last ten years, DH and I have been exploring the Olympic Peninsula, and we aren't done, yet...so much to see, exploring and going on adventures together :buds:

I have a gardening thread, clearly shows what we can grow in this climate. Just this year, DH and I picked 47#s of Chanterelle Mushrooms. Yes, other places have hotter summers and less rain, but I plan to stay here the rest of my life.

Washington is a beautiful state. I've lived here over 50 years and love it still. The mountains, the sea, the desert, all so beautiful. We live in Western WA, and it is expensive, but also easier to find work or run a business. One thing... find a precipitation map and study it. Some of the most beautiful areas get the most rainfall. It can rain hard for 40 days in a row without stopping. In our area -- the wet side of the state-- we get about 45 inches of rain every year. Go toward the Cascades up the river where land is cheaper and you can get up to 90 inches of rain per year. I grew up in a place like that. Finally moved west a little where you get some daylight in winter.

You may want to rent a place at first. Be sure to check the local climate, because it varies a lot. Good luck.

Thank you for all the replies! Im loving all the pictures!

The wife and I are now even more confused than before even posting! Haha. We are planning a vacation in August to visit both sides of the state and see for ourselves.

We are needing to reevaluate our finances and amount of land we want/need. I'm wanting pigs/chickens and maybe a couple cows. She is wanting fruit trees, and we'll both take whatever veggies we can get.

We're probably a year out at least from moving, but I'm the type that likes to learn/plan as much as possible before the fact.

If you come in August, you will love it. That can be the most beautiful time of year. Great weather normally. It's been a little gray here lately, and the days are really short right now. We have daylight from 7 to about 5 pm. Then the days are really long in the summer. Can't wait for that. You should surely enjoy your visit in August!

If any of you would like to see pictures of the Olympic Peninsula, check out this link:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...sula&FORM=IGRE

Rain varies from 14" to 150" a year, in different areas and elevations of this Great Olympic Peninsula, so you get a choice of weather preference to live there or drive there! We can drive directly through the rain and be in the snow in minutes, right where we live, in Seabeck WA! Just a few hundred feet makes a difference...

An example of how diverse even micro-climates can be? We live on the East facing side of a small mountain, with a forest on our property of Cedars, Hemlocks, Alders, and Maples. On the Western side, a short walk, there are mostly Douglas Fir, some Pine, and Madrona. In fact, at the top of the access driveway, leading to ours, there are beautiful Madrona's! The property just above ours, has Madrona's, too. Here are a few pics taken in our forest:

http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/t...Y102007318.jpg
You can see Alders here.

http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/t...Y102007343.jpg
Here are more Alders, a few Evergreens.

http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/t...Y102007363.jpg
A 2nd growth, bordering old growth, Maple.

http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/t...Y102007308.jpg
I believe this is a Cedar, a towering 2nd growth, over 130' tall.

The upper part of our property has mostly Alder and Cedar, with just under 2 acres cleared for our Orchard, Backyard, and Garden Areas.