Looking for Info - Possible Relocation from CA to ID

[steelandcanvas]

Alex and the Idaho Motorpool are located in Fruitland on I-84 just East of the Oregon border.

 

[bigginstactical]

You are probably correct about the perk testing. I just know that all the areas I looked at for us where on septic and wells. The realtor recommended to buy property with a tested and certified well.... I guess it is hard to find water in some areas and could end up costing a pretty penny to locate a high enough GPM well. In my case anyways I dont have any extra money to cover that expense so situation dependent i guess.

Woodsplinter - I had seen the pictures of the Idaho Motor Pool truck that went down the hill, but hadn't thought about calling them, thank you for the suggestion.

Bigginstactical - The perk test is for the septic system, correct? I knew that is what we would probably have, but hadn't thought about the lands ability to drain, etc. Checking for good well water was already on the list, so got that covered. Now if we could just get water and mineral rights, that would be cool. Oh, and good thought on the local newspapers. I've been looking at a few online, but will pick up the print editions when we are there.

For those who are interested, I found another forum for info on different areas of the country:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/

 

[quickfarms]

The percolation test is to determine how fast water drains into the soil. We used to do them with a post hole digger, a stop watch and a 5 gallon bucket of water.

A soil boring is very important to determine what type of soil is at various debts. A clay layer can limit of hinder your drainage.

If you find a piece of property you like I would suggest that you talk to the governing agency and a local land surveyor and civil engineer.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

The percolation test is to determine how fast water drains into the soil.

Exactly. This determines how well your septic system's leach field will drain. From this, engineers can calculate the amount of waste water (which translates to number of people) that can be supported on the property. This is often expressed in numbers of bedrooms that would be allowed. So you might find a property with a 2 bedroom perc, or a 4 bedroom perc, etc. (BTW, it's perc, not perk.)

So if you have a property with a 3 bedroom perc, you are not going to get a permit to build a 4 bedroom house.

There are alternatives to a standard septic system (such as a sand hill, and others) that can often be used on a property that doesn't perc well. You need to consult a local septic engineering firm to see what's permissible in your area. As usual, the non-standard approach is more expensive, but going that route might let you buy a nice property for a bargain price. It if won't pass perc, it's not a desirable property, hence the price drops. You may be money ahead going with a non-perc property and an alternative septic approach. The catch? You really must do your homework FIRST.

A soil boring is very important to determine what type of soil is at various debts. A clay layer can limit of hinder your drainage.

If you find a piece of property you like I would suggest that you talk to the governing agency and a local land surveyor and civil engineer.

That's really good advice.


Don't be afraid of a septic system. Done right, treated right, they are just fine and no headache. You just have to be more aware of what you put down the drain.

If everybody ran the risk of a $10,000 bill to re-do a leach field, we'd have a lot fewer toxic chemicals dumped in toilets.

 

[dcgibb]

We are planning a trip up there soon to look at different areas, try to get at least a bit of a feel for where to look closer, assuming it feels "right". My wife can work remotely, as long as there is a good Internet connection. For me, I used to do tech support in the FIS industry, but don't expect to find much in that field, or tech in general up there. The plan is to find our homestead.

Where ever we move to, it will be to get away from the way things are where we are now, not to take those things with us and make the new place look like "home". We want to live where things are more in line with our beliefs, etc. I'd be perfectly happy to have the gate closed behind us once we cross the CA state line.

We have family in CA, AZ, NM and MO. AZ and NM are hotter than I would prefer, and I'm tired of living in a desert. I loved all the green, the trees, etc in places I've visited, such as St. Louis, Seattle, Valley Forge, Silver Spring. We have been to Salt Lake City, driving up from CA, and while we did like the area, it was still a bit drier than we are looking for. Living in SoCal, we've had enough of the drought issues that never seem to go away. I also want to know when the seasons change without looking at the calendar or Mall decorations.

For those who are curious, MO, TN, and NH are also on the list, but the list is evolving.

For the other location suggestions, we are open and willing to consider them. For this thread though, I'd like to focus on ID. So far, we seem to be drawn towards the CDA and North parts of ID.

This is just the start of the adventure, the plan, in general, is to let the boys finish High School here, which gives us up to a 3 year window. However, if we find the area that clicks and the right property, we may pull the trigger sooner. I know a week here or there is not nearly enough time to *know* the place is right, so this is the high-level look-see to narrow things down a bit.

Thank you for all your comments, please continue!

This Thread is almost 9 months old... Don't know if you've made any decisions. But reading the above - consider the greater Flagstaff to Sholow-Pinetop areas of AZ, or areas outside of Toas, NM.

We moved from the Bay Area to Boise, ID in 1992; best move of my life. Live south of BSU in an old house, with large yard, lots of trees, and a mature Veg Garden. Boise can get to 100 for several days. The greater CDA & Sandpoint area are nice, but the growing season is very short.
Good luck the the relocation.
David

 

[cpf240]

I should update this post, which is a bit overdue!

We decided to make the move to Boundary County in Northern Idaho. The move took place this past September, and we are still settling in. Lots of work to do to get the property the way we want it, and I have to say that it is a bit overwhelming! So far, everyone is fitting in pretty well, and we have yet to meet anyone who isn't nice and helpful!

Thank you to everyone for their comments, suggestions and recommendations!

 

[dcgibb]

Welcome to Idaho! Lots of country, mountains, streams and lakes between us. Lots of areas to explore. If you are a Fly fisherman, you are for closer to Kelly's Creek than I am. Enjoy turning the soil, but also get out and explore...
David - in Boise.