Looking at Boise as for possible relocation. One requirement is I would like to eventually acquire some land within couple hours of Boise for a small cabin (preferably in the mountains) and maybe some gardening. Obviously I know the mountains would not be ideal for large scale food production, but just something simple and organic. I recently took a trip in Idaho and the whole area of Boise National forest in and around Idaho City looked real nice. So a couple questions I have:
- How is the land availability in Idaho?
- Are water wells easily dug and are they expensive compared to others locations throughout the US?
- I notice most of Idaho's land are federally owned, how does that impact you all?
- What other locations/areas should I look into based on my requirements?
- How hard is it to access some of the mountain properties during the winter?
- Anything else I should know? (I am from the south, so I don't know much about Idaho other than what I have read on the forums and from my trip)
For what it is worth, the other place we have considered relocating to is Knoxville, TN. I know this may not make a lot of sense, since these are geographically and climate-wise very different places, but if anyone has any advice on pros/cons of each in terms of city living and also in regards to land considerations, I welcome it. My initial observation was how much more land is available in Tennessee and cheaper. I would think growing seasons would be better there as well, however the appeal of Idaho over East Tennessee to us is it seems WAY less crowded.
My short list:
Pros of Idaho
- Less crowded (you can drive 30 minutes outside Boise and feel like you are in the middle of no where)
- Lower humidity
- Within a day's drive of soooo many cool places (rockies, yellowstone, etc.)
- Values line up more with our beliefs
- Boise's crime stats
Pros of Tennessee
- Probably a better growing season
- Less extreme winter weather (east Tennessee)
- lower priced land/taxes/cost of living
If I completely missed the mark on any of my observations, please let me know. I can't wait to get some feedback.
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