The Local People
The local folks will always help you if
you're in need. Sometimes even when you're not. Make lasting
friendships with your local neighbors whenever you can. These
are the same folks that may be pulling you out of the snow at
some point. The locals guys always wave to you when you pass by
along the road. Gals, too, sometimes. They don't know you, but
they still wave. It's just plain old country courtesy to do so.
You fellows should wave, too. Be friendly. Ladies, you may want
to think about this one... ;-)
A
few things I REALLY like about
living in West Virginia
1. NO LINES at the motor vehicle dept
offices.
2. NO LINES at the post office. Walk
right in and do your business.
3. NO LINES at the voting locations.
Walk in, vote, you're done. Onward.
4. NO LINES at the local movie
theater. Walk in, sit down and often get a private showing.
Subdivisions,
Restrictive Covenants and unrestricted land
Before you bristle up and tell me you
don't want to be in a subdivision (the usual notion), consider
the practical realities of it. Our country subdivisions are NOT
the same as those you have in town. I should know... I lived in
Reston, VA for ten years. We don't tell you what color to paint
your mailbox or door frames, or that your car must stay in a
garage, or that your cat must be on a leash. In the communities
you'll see on this web site, the most common restrictions will
be concerned with mobile homes (usually NO), hunting (sometimes
no), 4-wheelers (often no), junk cars (always no), commercial
uses (varies), farm animals (varies), further subdivision of
lots (usually no), minimum size of homes (usually 700-1000 sq
ft), excessive tree removal (discouraged), road maintenance fees
($200-600/yr), utility easements and setbacks (30-50'), RV use
(varies, but usually permitted for no more than 10-11 months per
year) and lots more. All of these are important for you to
understand and most are to assure the owner's continued
enjoyment and property values... not just your enjoyment, but
all owners' enjoyment. I always have a full copy I can email
before you see a property that interests you. I prefer to save a
few trees and not print or mail the document out before you see
the property, so at the risk of appearing too nosy, I often ask
what you want to be able to do with your property. The reason
for this is that I can head off later conflicts or useless
showings if what you were looking for was a place to set up a
firing range, HAM radio towers, auto repair business, or a place
for you and your friends to hunt and run your all-terrain
vehicles. There is a place for everything, but we need to start
off knowing just where that place is and not be wasting precious
time looking at the others that cannot work. Help me out with a
little info (or a lot of info) when you ask me to do a property
search for you. Big payoff in time saved and satisfaction after
the sale.
Things that are NOT usually found in
rural covenants, but are often the concerns I hear from buyers,
would include house pet restrictions, maximum home size,
requirements to build right away or by a certain date, minimum
home cost requirements, home style, color and rental
restrictions. These are rare, but additional home design
standards DO exist in some communities where they desire design
uniformity (like log cabins) or low visibility homes.
Generally, in the WV countryside,
county and state laws generally do NOT address the issues that
ARE addressed by many local laws in the Metro areas. Things like
junk cars, farm animals and old mobile homes nearby will not
enhance the value of your high dollar home. Hunting, 4-wheeling
and excessive tree removal can affect your privacy and security,
making your new home less desirable for you and eventual buyers
(NEVER forget resale issues). Setbacks and utility easements,
typically part of the covenants, assure that all land owners can
obtain the needed utilities and that no one will build right on
the lot lines. Keep in mind that without those utility
easements, you may never get utilities to your property. It
happens. Road maintenance fees attempt to establish minimum fees
and standards for your private road. The state does not
generally take over maintenance of private subdivision roads, so
it's up to you and your neighbors to have a system of dues
collection, available contractors, work standards and owners who
are on site to call for needed work and supervise it. Never
forget that you will someday want to sell your property. If your
home now looks at those new chicken houses on the unrestricted
land nearby, or you've never been able to get your utilities
past your adjacent neighbor, or only 4WD vehicles can get you
your property, you may well have to take a loss on any eventual
sale, if you can sell it at all. Without covenants, your
neighboring land owners can do about anything they want... and
they usually will.
Road maintenance
If you purchase what we call
"unrestricted" property, meaning not part of a "property owners
association" (POA), you may be on your own for road maintenance.
You need to make certain that the road you use to your property
is either state maintained, or POA maintained. Otherwise, it
falls to you. And, yes, some "subdivisions" have no formal road
maintenance agreements. We need to be wary of these. Others
collect so little money from the owners that they simply cannot
perform dependable year-round maintenance. Consider calling the
President and/or Treasurer of any POA you consider buying into
to determine the financial condition of the POA. I can always
give you contact info on that. If you buy a very large property
and choose to build well within the borders, then, of course you
will have a long driveway to maintain. For many, the sense of
privacy is well worth the cost of owning a snow plow or tractor
or having a contractor handle it under contract. I can usually
give you the names of local fellows who do plowing. See more on
this issue below, under "4WD or AWD Vehicles".
"Your" Garden
Wrong... the deer's
garden, the bird's garden, the raccoon's garden, the bear's
garden, but certainly not your garden. OK, good fences can do
wonders for a garden, especially the new quick & simple
electric fences (careful you don't back into it). But you still
may have the mountain "soil" to deal with and maybe even a low
yield well, preventing the needed watering. Raised planters and
rain barrels will help, but if you have a wooded lot on a
mountain, there's very little you can do for your garden unless
you cut down the trees, haul in the soil and deliver endless
water to the garden. And then you still have to divide the
proceeds with the wildlife. If you are set on a big garden, you
may do best to buy a property with alluvial soil in the flood
plain of a river, where the best soils have been deposited over
time, but you still have the deer issues. Don't forget, the deer
were here before you were. The deer are not the problem... WE
are the problem, for messing with what was once a balanced
habitat, for removing the predators, for placing so much
emphasis on hunting those big bucks (rather than the does who do
all the baby-making) and for bringing our city exotics to the
country and then getting miffed because the deer see these as
rare delicacies, which they are. There's help though... Google
for "Deer Resistant Plantings" and the like. Here's one from
WVU: "Resistance
of
Ornamentals to Deer Damage" at http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/treeshru/resistan.htm#Rarely%20Damaged
Wildlife
Yes, we have bear (black), snakes (some poisonous),
coyotes, foxes, bobcats, as well as endless other interesting
critters. You'll marvel at the calls of various owls, the howls
of the coyotes, the huge hawks and bald-headed eagles. The
coyotes, foxes and bobcats are rarely seen, but they're always
out there. Deer come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes.
Occasionally you'll see a piebald or albino one (which I did
recently in a protected, gated community). All these animals are
a part of our community. You need to know them, respect them,
and avoid some of them. But always remember... they were here
first. OK, their names aren't on your deed, but they have rights
and you should consider learning to live with them all. West
Virginia is a wonderful place to just watch the animals. If you
like to do so, consider a gated, No Hunting type of community
with larger lots.... you'll see more wildlife. Here's more about
bears... :-)
Driving &
Deer
And while we're talking wildlife, keep
in mind the issue of deer in the road. Deer can destroy your
vehicle and even kill you when you hit them at high speed. You
must drive with extra care at night, especially during September
through December. Keep your speed down and your eyes open for
those deer who often decide to cross the road right in your
headlights. This cannot be overemphasized! Now that was serious,
but this is funny... those "Deer Crossing" signs are not to tell
the deer where it's best to cross... they're there to tell you
to be especially aware that there may be deer crossing there at
times, due to high deer populations. Of course you knew that,
but listen to this on-air caller making a complaint about the
need to relocate
the deer-crossing signs to safer places! Cute.
Hunting Issues
Before you buy land in WV, you should
consider your thoughts on the hunting issue. Some
communities may have a high % of hunters as
owners if hunting is not restricted and especially if the land
borders National Forest, other public land, or WestVaco tree
farm land. Unless there is a clear and fully enforced
prohibition against hunting, there will likely be hunting going
on all around you from September through January (and illegal
hunting before and after). Associated hunting activities
(scouting, 4-wheeling, dog training) always take place
throughout the year. If you do want your land for hunting, be
sure to tell me right up front. If you want to totally avoid
hunting activities, you should also tell me, as we should just
focus on the very few places where it is totally forbidden AND
totally enforced. Those that don't think they care either way
should know they will likely have it going on all around
them.... and not just by the neighbors, but by all the locals
for miles who seem to prefer to hunt on other's lands rather
than their own. This starts to become a security issue as well
as a hunting issue. Its about ten times harder to keep hunters
off your 5-10 acres as it is to keep them out of your entire "No
Hunting" subdivision, mostly because you're not there most of
the time, but when it's a community rule, your full-time
neighbors will be there keeping an eye on illegal hunting in the
community as a whole and on your property for you. There is no
polite way to tell hunters to stay off your property. The rules
are logical and simple: WV is a traditional hunting state... if
you hunt, you have lots of places to do it; if you don't want
hunting taking place on your property, then you'll need to be in
a gated "No Hunting" community. No other really good choices.
Please don't tell me you don't mind hunting, as long as the
hunters stay off your land, are following all the laws and being
respectful of your property rights. The State says that if you
haven't clearly and completely "posted" your property against
hunting, then hunters have a RIGHT to hunt on YOUR land! Yup,
you read that right. That's why you need to tell me your
preferences so I can show you properties you'll be happy with.
There are some places where hunting IS permitted, but is not
common, so middle ground does exist, but must be selected
carefully. If you still don't get it, read THIS, as
an example of what can happen in hunting season.
Security
If you're looking for weekend property,
keep in mind that you'll be leaving your home unattended for
weeks at a time. If your home is so private that it can't be
seen from any other home or the road, you could possibly have a
security problem. Local law enforcement folks tell me that your
typical B & E is done by opportunists who will simply go
elsewhere if you make things inconvenient for them. So do so!
Some of our most secure communities tend to be those that are
gated. Folks are security conscious there and usually keep a
sharp eye out for each other's places. Get to know your
neighbors, especially the full time ones who tend to see everything.
In addition, or if not in a gated community, consider a locking
chain or gate across your driveway when away. Of course
4-wheelers, if allowed in your community, can always (and will)
get around that. Next line of defense is motion lights and
security stickers on the windows. The new gold-standard is the
broadband-connected, motion-activated, security cameras that can
notify you and show you what's going on at your mountain cabin.
Buy kits online or at Costco. There seems to be some
disagreement about locks... some folks say never lock your door
when away, other say get good locks and use 'em. Most
folks are NEVER broken into... others are again and again. You
can control 90% of it by doing smart things. We'll talk more
about this issue as we see specific properties. I had weekend
property in WV when I lived in Northern Virginia and have a few
observations that can help you
(my cabin near Berkeley Springs was broken-into 4 times in 10
years). One great thing about
WV is that YOU are not in danger personally (safest
state in the US), but your stuff may be at risk, if
you make things easy.
Being next to
National Forest or other Public Land
It's not always all it's cracked up to
be unless you hunt or hike, in which case it comes in real
handy. It's not your private backyard... it belongs to 300
million Americans who are allowed to hike, camp, hunt, plus
possibly even do commercial logging and drive vehicles through
it. It may adversely affect your peace, quiet and security. But
it also MAY have great access trails for hiking (or may not).
Just check it out carefully before you buy so you know how, and
how much, that area is being used, what the future plans are for
that area of forest and whether it's really easily-accessible to
you, or just to everyone else. Building close to the property
line may affect your privacy and security.
Perc Tests
A perc test (short for percolation) is
done prior to installing a septic systems in order to assure
that the soil is of such a nature to accommodate your septic
effluent in a safe manner. The idea is for the soil to filter
and allow oxygen contact with the liquid effluent so that the
good bacteria will safely and completely digest the not-so-good
stuff. Soil that has too much clay, too much sand or gravel,
bedrock close to the surface or too much water, will not do the
job properly. In those cases there is often an "alternative"
septic system available which will still allow you to build, but
may be more costly and require regular maintenance and annual
inspections.
Perc tests tend to cost
from $200 to $300, depending on the location and contractor. The
perc test only gives you "feel-good" data, though... it has no
legal value without going a step or two further. What you must
have prior to building is a Septic Permit (add another $125).
That comes from the County Health Dept. and is done immediately
after the perc test and requires a close inspection of the perc
test by a county Sanitarian to assure it was done correctly and
to write the specs for the system to be installed. The Septic
Permit is only good for one year, so one rarely does one unless
they are pretty sure to install the system shortly, however,
some counties will allow you to pay a fee each year to extend
the permit. This all varies by county. Hampshire County is the
most strict in the Potomac Highlands area.
Beginning in 2004, some counties (Hampshire, being one) started
a new status called a "Site Approval", which approves a future
septic system for ONE specific location and no other. For that
approval, you do not have to install the system right away or
pay an annual fee. But if you want to change the location
just 50-100', you have to do it all over again. In Hampshire
County, they even require you to have a certified surveyor come
out and draw up a plat showing the precise location of the perc
test and proposed septic system. Add $350-500 to the cost and
2-4 weeks to the delay for that headache.
In the past, developers generally provided you with ONE "valid"
perc test paper, showing that they did a perc test. Again, it's a "feel-good" thing simply
showing you what they did, where they did it and what the
results were. Some go to step
two and provide a "Site Approval", but they typically do not go
the extra step for the permit. When you're ready to build,
unless you have a completed Site Approval, or a current Septic
Permit, you'll have to do some steps over again to get the
permit. No big deal though, because the developer rarely does
the test where you'd want to build... he generally does it where
it's quick, simple and easily accessible for his contractor. If
you're buying a large lot, there are usually plenty of places
where the septic would work. If you're buying a two acre parcel,
though, it might be critical for you to know if you can get a Septic Permit, before you buy.
If the property you're purchasing never had a perc test, or the
owner cannot find the paper to prove it, you might add that the
seller is responsible to provide a successful perc test as a
condition of the sale. We can then add the Septic Permit to it and you're ready to build. But beware... many perc
tests fail when done in the months with no leaves on the trees
because the ground water tends to be high during those months
and rain, snow and ice really mess things up, so keep that in
mind when planning to buy a property or test the soil. Get your
perc tests done between May and September, if at all possible.
Take note that asking for a new perc
test and Septic Permit prior to settlement can add as much as 2-3
months to the time to settlement... and that's in the good
months. Trying to do one in March may serve only to give the
property a black eye if the ground is wet, since some county
sanitarians will not allow you to re-test any location that
failed once due to water in the hole. Another point is that you
may have to live with the marginal results, if done when the
soil is wet, meaning a more costly system being required.
Choose the time and the reason that you do one carefully. It's
really best done just before construction, as long as the ground
is not wet. Perc tests and Septic
Permit inspections seem to
take absolute lowest priority with both excavators and the
Health Dept., especially if there's no construction going on. If
you're in a hurry, expect some gray hairs before it's done! On
the good side though, I've rarely (only once) seen a lot that
failed to perc, although, on a rare occasion, you may have to
test several locations to get the results you want. The
excavators usually charge a much reduced fee (like $100) for
subsequent holes/tests and the Health Dept does NOT charge the
$125 again for the second test if they failed the first.
Health Department regs for septics vary from county to county,
from year to year and even for the date the property was first
subdivided! And they refuse to provide this info in writing....
believe me, I've tried! The above is a general overview and is
not applicable to all counties. Best thing to do is to talk to
the county Sanitarian in the county of interest to you. Here are
the phone numbers of several county Health Departments (email me
for others):
County Health Departments (For
information about wells, perc tests and septic systems)
Grant County: 304-257-4922 Cullen Sherman, Sanitarian
Hampshire County: 304-496-9641 Jim Kender, Sanitarian
Hardy County: 304-530-6355 Bill Ours, Sanitarian
Mineral County: 304-788-1321 AJ Root, Sanitarian
WV Waterfront
Properties
80% of the requests I get from
potential buyers are for waterfront property. Hey, this isn't
Florida... we're in the mountains here! Our steep
mountains seem to take up about 90% of the land area, with the
flood plains the other 10%. Finding the property you have
imagined and desire may be a difficult search, but understanding
what is available will help to shorten it. Not everyone will
find what they want, but I'm going to try to help you. By the
way, the "MLS" button on the front page of my web site will
search for additional waterfront properties for you after you
click it and select "West Virginia" and a county. Then scroll
down to "Advanced Search". "Waterfront" is just that. "Water
Oriented" on the MLS database means view or access and may
include waterfront, too. Descriptions are scanty, and (could
this be true?! ) the properties may not always be what
you imagine. Sometimes, listing agents call a property
"waterfront" when it's actually not, but the community has common
property on the water. Hmmm.... is this fair? Oh, and then
there are the stock photos of water frontage (again, common
property), attached to listings that are as dry as the Gobi
Desert. Foul! I can fill you in with more info on any MLS
property if you give me the MLS #. You might make a point to
tell these agents exactly what you think of these tactics when
you run into this. Of course you might not find out until you
get there.
Lakefront...
Before
you get your heart set on a spacious lakefront property in the
Potomac Highlands, you need to get yourself a map and look for
the lakes. There are few, and what there are tend to be
primarily owned by the state for recreational lakes (no lots on
or within sight) such as Jennings Randolph Lake & Stonewall
Jackson Lake, or owned primarily by a power company (Mount Storm
Lake & Stonecoal Lake). Smaller lakes and ponds tend to be
owned by single owners or, in a few cases, a subdivision, with a
few narrow lots on a very small lake. Forget about privacy on a
lake... it doesn't exist, as the lots tend to be very narrow.
There has occasionally been a waterfront lot for sale on Mt
Storm Lake, but rarely, as there are only a very few vacant lots
there, and those owners tend to want to keep those lots. If you
look in my "SOLD" list on my site you may see one or two that
I've sold in the past. By the way, The Preserve at New Creek
Lake is adjacent to a lake, not on the lake. No lake
frontage, due to a wide buffer area around the lake. That lake
is owned by the City of Keyser as a municipal water resource.
Although heavily stocked throughout the year for fishing, no
boating or swimming are permitted. If you really MUST have
lakefront, it would be best to get familiar with the area and be
ready to jump on a new listing the moment it becomes available.
Or, you could just move to Florida or Minnesota. :-)
Riverfront... Also has its own set of challenges.
Our riverfront properties come primarily in two flavors: wide flood plain between
your building site and the river, OR, your building site may be
50 to 300' above the river with little opportunity to access it.
Some properties have the combination of both. In any case, there
may be little or no view of the river. The reason for this is
our mountains and the way they shed water quickly, causing the
rivers to rise abruptly with each new storm and fall quickly
afterwards. The local flood plain regulations will define the
proper and safe use of riverfront land so that you will qualify
for the National Flood Insurance Program, if you so choose, or
your lender requires it. Be sure to ask about flood plain maps
and regulations when looking at river property with any sales
agent. Demand proof. I will be prepared with all the info
for you for any riverfront property on my web site and I have
special pages (but not visible links) that I will send to you
for maps and more info when you become interested in a specific
river property.
So, that idyllic log cabin by the
gentle flowing river may be real hard to find... or nearly
impossible. The compromise, for those wanting riverfront
property, is that most quality subdivisions with waterfront lots
also have one or more sections of common property on a better
piece of the river where you can swim, picnic and launch your
boat. This also serves as access for those that don't have
frontage at all in the subdivision. Still, try to accept the
fact that waterfront property is always in short supply and will
inevitably cost you more... lots more. I work real hard to have
the best waterfront properties in the Potomac Highlands on my
web sites, but they often sell in one day.
Getting your
view
Many upscale subdivisions restrict your
right to cut trees on your lots to only those that must be cut
for your home, driveway, septic, etc. The idea here is that we
have these great forests and we shouldn't be coming out from the
city with our new chain saws and laying waste to the forest
without first understanding the results and alternatives. If you
MUST have that panoramic view, try to buy a land parcel where it's
already in place. I often have them available. Don't forget,
this openness will usually require some regular maintenance
because brush, brambles and trees will try to grow back. That
land may have been open due to the grazing of farm animals which
are no longer permitted in the new subdivision. Or it stayed
open because someone cut hay regularly, which you won't likely
be doing. Consider having someone cut it for you every year or
so.
Not into the work required for that
kind of view? Alternatives include buying very steep land where
the slope falls away so abruptly in front of you that only the
treetops block the view. You have some choices there, but do NOT
cut the trees down on a steep slope.... they are what is holding
the soil to the mountain. On lesser slopes you can remove the
small trees, plus the weak, sick and damaged trees, plus some
lower limbs and get a very nice view without having torn up the
forest. I suggest this be done slowly and sensitively over
several seasons or years and NEVER before you build the house.
Many folks will consider that the very best view is the trees
themselves. Try to content yourself with the shade, privacy, and
other advantages that the forest provides to you. And don't
forget, we have leaves on the trees for only six months at
most... if there's a "real" view beyond the trees, you'll have
it anyway from mid October through mid May, without cutting a
twig!
Last, but not least, keep firmly
in mind that laying waste to several acres of trees for "your"
view, quickly damages everyone else's view looking back at your
place. Nice as your home might be, nobody really wants it
in their view of the mountain! And while we're on the subject,
please, please, leave the blue, white and yellow vinyl siding
for others! Natural wood and wood-toned materials will blend in
with the forest and help to keep your home from being another
bright scar on the forested mountain. This is how we quickly
turn a beautiful mountain into just another big hillside full of
homes with lawnmowers running all weekend... just what we've all
been trying to get away from! Let's all try not to create
suburbs in the country. Great views can be had looking THROUGH
the trees, yet preserving everyone else's views at the same
time. Now, wouldn't that be nice if everyone would do that? :-) Let's all do what we
can to keep our WV mountains looking natural. It's entirely up
to you.
Up & Down
Local custom says that when you're out
traveling around, if you're going "up" to Smalltown, that means
you're going up in altitude (as in "up the creek"), regardless
of which way it appears on a map. From Keyser, you go "down" to
Cumberland, although Cumberland is 25 miles straight north of
Keyser, you should just know that it's "downstream" on the
Potomac River. Conversely, from Cumberland, you go "up" to
Keyser. In the city, up usually means north, which is "up" on a
typical map. Who knows whether it's actually up or down in
altitude (get out your GPS)? You'll need to be more
knowledgeable in the country. Probably a carry-over from some
time ago when you really knew whether it was up or down because
you did it by horse or on foot. By the way, if your trip takes
you up then down, or down then up, that would be "over", as in
goin' "over" to Mathias from Moorefield.
Why are all the
houses white?
Look at little towns like Onego,
Harman, Davis and about all you'll see is white buildings. This
is because they are mostly older buildings, lacking air
conditioning. The reflective white exterior keeps them
surprisingly cool even in the long sunny days of August. That
works fine for them, but please don't paint or vinyl clad your
mountain home white. The less visible we can keep our mountain
homes, the better the mountain view will be for the rest of us.
We all like to feel we have the mountains to ourselves. The best
thing you can do is make sure your home has plenty of shade from
big trees.
Weather: WV
Annual Rainfall
Annual WV Rainfall: http://www.ocs.orst.edu/pub/maps/Precipitation/Total/States/WV/wv.gif
Trash/Recycling
You'll pay as much for trash pickup
here as you will anywhere else, and you can about forget about
curbside recycling. Trash pickup is nonexistent on the private
roads inside of a subdivision. You'll be assigned a location to
place your trash bags on a certain day and may be given
stickers. If your pickup day is Thursday and you're a weekender,
you'll not make any friends by dropping your trash on the corner
on Sunday night. Animals will scatter it in a day or so. Weekenders
might be better off to take their trash home with them where
they can also recycle. Full-time residents may prefer
to take their trash to the transfer station, if one is nearby,
or on their normal route. In our area, there is a transfer
station 2 miles north of Romney on Route 28, another, one mile
south of Petersburg on Route 220, and the actual dump (where it
all actually ends up) is in Tucker County between Davis and
Thomas. There, it all goes into a huge
"environmentally-correct", EPA-approved, former coal mine
site.
Why do things
take so long?
If you're in a hurry for settlement,
oftentimes we can do it in as little as two weeks from the day
you first see the property, even with financing. Sometimes it
doesn't work that way, though. Many of the professionals that we
will use for things like perc tests, surveys, home inspections,
termite inspections, appraisals, etc., are one person businesses
(and that includes me). If one person has the flu, is off at a
professional seminar, or is on vacation, or it's hunting season
(the worst delay), we may experience delays. The next one on the
list may be backed up because he's doing the other's business as
well. What you call "Overnight" mail, we call "second-day or
same week" mail. Sometimes we can work around this... other
times we may just have to wait. Keep in mind that the laid back
manner in which WV folks often operate is an important part of
WV's charm, even when it doesn't seem so charming. Make sure you
let me know early on if you have deadlines that must be met and
we can work to meet them, but please keep in mind that few
operate at a Beltway pace in the mountains and even fewer work
on the weekends, or during hunting season.
CHEAP LAND!
Despite all the hype from developers
and real estate people, we're NOT running out of land in WV.
Whew! While some developers (and low interest rates) often work
to drive the prices up, others seem to specialize in promoting
"cheap land". And how about some "wholesale prices" on
frightfully expensive and not-so-great land! You MUST be
especially careful when selecting a large-acreage land purchase.
Know what you want it for, how you would use it, what features
it must have and don't get caught up in buying land just because
it's cheap. There's usually a reason. Don't expect land to
go for under $2000 an acre around here unless you just want it
for hunting. Cheap land is cheap for many reasons: it doesn't
have frontage on maintained roads (meaning you may have
difficulty getting to it at times), because it has little or no
chance of getting power & phone easements to it, because it
cannot be subdivided (lack of sufficient right-of-way width),
because its unlikely to perc, because it's too steep to
effectively use, and numerous other reasons. Some other reasons
might include subdivisions with really bad roads, poor
covenants, lax enforcement of covenants, junky lots, junky
houses, junky trailers, etc... what you might call "distressed"
neighborhoods. It may be hard for you to get reliable
information about the "quality" of the land and neighborhood
from ads. Just be sure you inspect the whole area thoroughly
when you see it! Good, usable land, with road frontage, gentle
grades, views, attractive woods/meadows and access to utilities
(ask about DSL), should cost a minimum of $2,000 per acre for
large tracts (100+ ac), to $3-7,000 per acre for medium tracts
(20 ac), and up to $8-12,000 per acre for small rural lots (3-6
ac). Smaller lots, with paved roads and underground
utilities show prices of 20,000+ per acre or more (2012)!
More for waterfront. This can vary due to proximity to services,
roads and water, as well as for the level of "management" of the
association. Communities with stricter covenants, flawless
enforcement and excellent finances are in the very highest
demand, and because some of those communities actually have
"waiting lists" for available properties, the property values
and prices tend to be higher. Remember, these guidelines
are for GOOD land, not mountainsides. Don't get stuck paying $7k
per ac for 20 ac with 18 acres of land too steep to walk on,
unless the view is to die for (and some ARE)! And don't expect
$3k per ac land to be prime land... it won't be, but parts of
large tracts may be so. Always DEMAND a topographic map (by
email, ahead of the visit) of any land you propose to look at!
If its riverfront, then INSIST on the flood map, as well.
Remember another thing when buying rural property... some day
you will need to re-sell it. The quality of the land and
community have a great deal to do with the ease and return on
resale. Don't build an expensive home on a really questionable
piece of land... it will be a tough resale.
4WD or AWD
Vehicles
You may be able to get by without one,
but you'll really wish you had one if you'll be spending any
time in the mountains in the winter. All wheel drive (AWD) seems
almost as good as 4 wheel drive (4WD) until you get into heavy
snow. The very best thing to have is 4WD, a manual transmission
and a lower range of gears as well, but that seems harder and
harder to find on newer vehicles these days, which are tending
to be AWD and automatic transmissions. One needn't spend $50k
for a new SUV... $20k will buy a great late model Subaru Outback
or similar vehicle to use for your WV adventures. A few bucks
more will get you a good used Forester (no... I don't run the
local Subaru dealership, but I drive Subarus and love 'em). Look
in the Washington Post classifieds for used cars for
use in WV. Keep a nylon tow rope, jumper cables, good
flashlight, cell phone (rarely works in the mountains), battery
charger and a few other emergency items in it. These will save
the day (or weekend) again and again. Local folks will always
pull you out with a smile when you get stuck. I do so all the
time with my little Subaru station wagon.
Don't expect your city guests to be
able to drive right to your property in their 2WD car in winter
weather. You may need to pick them up a few miles away or make
other arrangements. Don't expect the auto club to rescue you
behind locked gates or on private roads... they don't go there,
but our local guys will, if you know who to call. Our
state-maintained secondary roads are low priority for the state
guys. After a storm, you really need something more than 2WD
even on the state roads. Do not underestimate this. And our
private subdivision roads are usually maintained for AWD or 4WD
access in winter weather, not 2WD (and I know of large
subdivisions where they do not even plow at all). The
snow plow contractors tend to NOT scrape the road surface with
the plow or you lose the thousands of dollars in gravel that you
paid to apply in Spring and Summer. They adjust the plow to run
several inches ABOVE the road surface, which leaves a packed
layer of snow on the road until it melts. That's why we don't
even call the plows out until 4 or more inches has fallen.
EXPECT to have and use AWD or 4WD in winter weather and it's not
impossible that there will even be a few days each winter when
your roads can be iced shut. This can be dealt with by the use
of cable chains, obtainable at any auto parts place (or online)
and easily installed and removed. If you live here full-time,
might be good to put studded tires on November through March. We
don't spread salt over dirt/gravel roads and few contractors
have the equipment to spread cinders on ice. This winter road
situation is something you just have to accept or make efforts
to avoid when you own mountain property. But every place is a
bit different. I can usually tell you about the roads in the
places where I sell property.
Don't forget that your long driveway,
taking you well into a large lot, can be the final hurdle to
easy winter access. You may have to hoof it, at times (some
folks bring a sled!). That's why some folks build close to the
road even on these huge 20 ac lots. Many contractors will do
your driveway if you make arrangements with them before the
season starts. I can often give you the contractor contact data
so you can work it out ahead. When you lay out a new driveway,
try to make it slope toward the south or west so the sun hits it
as full as possible in the warm part of the day. I can help you
lay out a hypothetical drive on any lot we look at! A smart
driveway could make the difference between getting in and out,
or NOT.
Cellular Phone
Service, or NOT
Cell phones and waterfront don't mix in
the mountains... HUH?? Think about it... waterfront is down low,
well below the hills and mountains, where the cell signal goes
100-1000' over your head in most cases, skipping from high point
to high point along the hills and mountains. Mountaintop, OK, as
long as it's the mountain-TOP, not mountain-side. Waterfront...
get used to being without, unless you can see the tower. Watch
your signal as you drive around here. Usually weak or nada.
Also, some signals may be entirely absent (like ATT), so you may
get no signal at all... ever. Things will get better eventually,
but I've been saying that for 15 years. I just don't even bother
with a cell phone. It so rarely has a decent signal and none at
my home/office.
TV and Internet:
Satellite, DSL, Cable
You want TV in the country? Most do.
Cable is rare in rural areas. It only goes so far from town (and
just SOME towns) and only to specific destinations. Satellite
dish receivers are often the ONLY way for a good TV signal. Same
for high-speed Internet service. DSL Internet service (by phone
wire) goes only 3-4 miles from the phone company switching
center and no further, but the phone company has installed new
switching centers nearby to many subdivisions and even two
centers within
Ashton Woods for 100% coverage there. Don't worry, by FCC rules,
NO covenants can restrict your right to use a small satellite
dish on your property, but trees and steep north-facing hills
can! When we look at property, think about where a satellite
dish could be placed. You may need to know which service you
want and the specs for the specific satellites. Generally, the
dishes need to be pointed a bit to the west of south (about
220-230 degrees) and with a 30-40 degree elevation. Go to
these sites for more help:
or
search from http://www.dishnetwork.com/
or http://www.directv.com/
You may need to plan ahead a bit to be
sure you have a good spot. Some end up placing a dish close to
the road, on a tall pole, or on a neighbor's lot (with
permission), if needed. You may have to cut some trees in some
cases, but it's a rare property that can't get a signal in one
way or another.
Power Line
Rights-of-Way
Large
high-voltage power lines are a fact of life in the country.
Don't forget who they are servicing... the folks in
the city and suburbs, which probably means you! Large power
plants tend to be in rural locations but large power needs are
in population centers. Folks coming out to the country for the
quiet and the views need to keep in mind that we in the country live
everyday with those big power lines and they aren't doing us
any good because they run straight to the city. In the
process, large power plants chew up thousands of acres on WV
land and the required coal mines do even worse. Won't it be
nice when we find a
green solution to power issues? You may well end up with
a power line in your view from your new mountain property, or
even crossing your property. Since these lines tend to run
east-west about every 5-10 miles and that great view you want
may view 20 miles, you're almost bound to see some big power
lines from any great high-elevation view. We'd love to remove
them for you, but then it would be cold and dark in your home
when you get back to the city! :-) You may have to learn to accept a
power line in your view. We who live here already have.
Occasionally,
one might be tempted by a property with the power lines very
close, or even on the property, due to the great views the cut
right-of-way opens up for you. For those with a line
on their own large acreage, they may even provide additional
recreational opportunities such as for 4-wheeling and hunting. For those property
owners directly compensated for right-of-way land by the
TrailCo line in 2009, many owners received credits for perpetual free
electricity! I list and sell some of these parcels
and the advantage of lifetime free power is a big one! Ask me
for information on these.
Some folks have asked me if exposure to these high-voltage lines are harmful to one's health. Answer: I don't know. Nobody does (kinda like cell phones). A very good web source for that info is http://www.greenfacts.org/en/power-lines/ . A Google search will give you lots of articles, both pro and con. At any rate, exposure to EMFs (electromagnetic fields) seems dependent upon many factors, primarily including voltage, distance from the source and time spent at the location of the exposure. For your occasional weekend place 400 yards from a big power line, you might be more concerned about the view than the EMF issues. I have property in Ashton Woods very near one and still plan to build and live there, full-time.
Exploring in the
Potomac Highlands of WV
I often recommend
potential buyers get in the car and explore the Potomac
Highlands of WV. The process of exploration should be one of
discovery and surprise. I feel the best way to explore is to
take a good map and go looking for interesting places without
a rigid plan. Get into WV a ways and take some side roads then
some smaller roads and see what you find. There are few really
great communities right on major roads, as the best ones tend
to be well hidden along the back roads. I can't send you to
what I feel are the most desirable communities because they
are mostly gated. One big purpose of the gates is to reduce
traffic in that community, so I cannot send you into any gated
community without defeating the purpose of the gate. You can
get a feel for some of the locations of properties I've sold
in the past from the "SOLD" web pages on the site. Go to those
ZIP codes and wander around with a good map. If your interest
is in skiing, then explore the areas around the ski areas. If
it's water sports, then identify the rivers you like and
explore the roads along those rivers. If it's National Forest,
then wander around there. Doing so will give you a "feel" for
those areas and will also show you lots of places you will NOT
want your mountain property to be near. When we look at some
gated communities together, you will then see the difference!
Best map book there is: DeLorme
WV
Atlas & Gazetteer (state topo maps) Buy it online!
http://www.delorme.com/atlasgaz/
How Far Will You
Be Willing To Drive?
Everyone has their limit of how far
they are willing to drive. PLEASE, make sure you know that limit
BEFORE we spend a day looking at property that's too far for
you. For many, that magical 2-3 hours is the limit, but it may
not take you far away enough for the kind (and price) of
property you seek. Once you tell me your limit, then we're going
to strictly stay within that limit as we look for properties for
you. ALL my properties give very good time estimates to drive
there from specified points and my Google maps all have a red
pin on the property to allow you to customize a route from your
home with time and miles. I'm also happy to do estimates from
your home to any property before we start looking. Google tends
to hit the mileage exactly, but over-estimate the drive time, so
my time estimates for you may be 15-20% high, but they're
unlikely to be too low. You have to drive them to know.
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