Question regarding northern CA, Siskiyou County, Hornbook, Yreka (KRCE) (Vista: real estate, housing)

[batboy_savoy]

We're considering land in Northern California, Siskiyou County, Yreka and Hornbrook area for vacation and retirement. Went up to area and fell in Love, scenery and wildlife! However we're having a hard time getting information regarding building on raw land, (even after talking to county employee for area). We would like to know:
1. Average cost for water well, & depth if anyone knows?
2. Specific area of Kalamath Country River Estates, what problems we may need to consider to live here?
All information welcomed!

[normsw]

Before you decide, check out the Quincy area in Plumas county and Alturas in Modoc county. Both are a slice of Paradise compared to other areas. NW calif. is loaded with pot growers and low-lifes and it rains constantly; I wouldn"t live there. Shasta City, McKay areas are nice. Your well could be 60 or 600 feet deep; you never know for sure.
All of N. Callif. has winter and snow, moreso inland, but rain & more rain by the coast'

[Xenobion]

I'd frankly cross the border into Ashland, OR. Far prettier and more going on their than the gas station in Yreka.

[notmeofficer]

Basic wells start about 7500 and go up quickly from there... I think 20k is not unreasonable for a good quality basic well

Contact a septic guy or well driller from the area.. they know better than anyone the good water areas and how deep the typical well is...and the quality of the water... dont trust a real estate person

Water is probably the most valuable resource up here...

I assume the other poster talking about N/W California is talking about rural communities like Happy Camp.. which is mostly Indians and Indian land to the county line (Del Norte/Humboldt).. beautiful country but too remote and too inbred ... and way too far from services... it does rain and snow a bunch there in the winter...

[1966sonolite]

i'm still unfamilar with this site...but i had friends who bought in this area...and subsequently i visited them several times over the years...i have been considering a move there myself...my friends passed away before i could move near them. i almost bought down the street...some bare land. i wrote siskiyou county and requested information of their building codes. they sent me a packet with a bunch of information for no $. i believe the minimum sq. ft. to build is only 350 sq. feet. unless it has changed. yreka is a nice location to scout from as it is central. you would have to be retired or self sufficent for this area. unless you are bringing business with you. the housing market got over inflated in no. california...so i would wait to buy real estate for awhile...but would by bare land now. i'm going back up in the spring of '08 and stay with a friend and do some hunting myself...good luck to you, regards... 1966sonolite

[eureka1]

can be challenging. My sister and her husband lived in Callahan for several years (near Etna). They found the county to be unfriendly to newcomers and positively hostile to anyone trying to start a business. (He's a cabinetmaker. ) They eventually relocated to Sonora, a totally different type of place. I would suggest NOT settling for Siskiyou just because it's cheap. There are other beautiful areas that are still cheap. Have you considered Klamath Falls?

[lakekarenjw]

Originally Posted by batboy_savoy

We're considering land in Northern California, Siskiyou County, Yreka and Hornbrook area for vacation and retirement. Went up to area and fell in Love, scenery and wildlife! However we're having a hard time getting information regarding building on raw land, (even after talking to county employee for area). We would like to know:
1. Average cost for water well, & depth if anyone knows?
2. Specific area of Kalamath Country River Estates, what problems we may need to consider to live here?
All information welcomed!

I was thinking about buying land in the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision or Pleasant Valley Hills. I'd like to know how to finance a well. I know that most people don't have 20k sitting in the bank, so how do people come up with money for a well?

[Woof]

I don't know where on the Klamath River you want to settle, but it has pros and cons. On the one hand it's a good place to hunt, fish, or pan for gold. On the other hand it has a lot of poison oak, I think it has rattlesnakes, vicious otters (don't let the kids swim alone), sasquatches (lots of sightings), and gold miners who think you are trying to jump their claim. It's best to live near Yreka to access shopping and services.

[Woof]

Originally Posted by eureka1

can be challenging. My sister and her husband lived in Callahan for several years (near Etna). They found the county to be unfriendly to newcomers and positively hostile to anyone trying to start a business. (He's a cabinetmaker. ) They eventually relocated to Sonora, a totally different type of place. I would suggest NOT settling for Siskiyou just because it's cheap. There are other beautiful areas that are still cheap. Have you considered Klamath Falls?

Callahan and Etna are very small, isolated towns that are NOT typical of Siskiyou County, and Callahan is known to have a lot of inbred hillbilly types. As I've said elsewhere, no one should move into a small village unless they have family or close friends there, that's true of every state that I've ever lived in.

Mt Shasta and Yreka are not hostile to newcomers.

[hornbrookhell]

buyer beware. If you are looking at "raw land", be sure it is perc approved before buying. Especially if you are looking at KRCE land in Hornbrook. Many lots will NOT perc. No perc = no septic. You can call the county health dept. to see if a property has a perc history. I wish I knew this 2 years ago. I have the most beautiful 2 acre piece there but can't perc it. My realtor knew and said nothing so I bought another piece that would perc. There doesn't seem to be too many problems with getting a well but I have read some articles about the water quality in certain areas that are not so great. Be advised that KRCE is an association. The dues have gone up each year with no improvements to show for it. There is talk of dissolving the assoc. which would be best for everyone. It is beautiful country. No one can argue that. Just be careful.