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Old 01-12-2010, 05:15 PM
 
Location: Phelan
205 posts, read 723,169 times
Reputation: 170

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Hello there... long time listener, first time caller here!
I currently live in Southern California, and am desperately looking for a new place to spread my wings. I've been researching opportunities to purchase lots of open land in Nevada - specifically Mountain Water Ranch near Dyer NV.

I've found a little information on the weather, population etc of the area. Esmeralda county seems fairly nice and open. Coming from where I currently live - 4 bedroom, 3 bath house with NO back yard only a concrete patio for $650,000 - in Los Angeles, a 10 acre plot is dreamy for $40-$50K. Being a past farm girl from the Mid-West I can't wait to get out of this concrete jungle.

So my question is, has anyone heard anything good or bad about Mountain Water Ranch properties. There is a creek/small river that runs through a few of the plots I'm considering. But I'm concerned that water will be a problem. I found one small thread that commented on MWR and it said that water was scarce - but there is a year round stream. So I need clarification please.

Since I plan on living "off the grid" as much as I can, water and precipitation will be a major component. I plan on having solar panels on the house I build, and will also have some cattle and a large garden year round.

So if you have any input, please give it. I'm looking to come up to Dyer and see the properties in the first week of February.

Thanks!
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Old 01-12-2010, 08:42 PM
 
Location: Central Coast
2,014 posts, read 5,497,885 times
Reputation: 836
I have been to mountain water ranch, I have taken the tour. Here is the situation. The "ranch" is located on a large alluvial fan. The parcels are gravel and rock, with an occasional juniper or pinyon. Up high in the canyon there were some parcels along that stream with cottonwoods and some attractiveness. Those were snatched up early. Their may be resale parcels out side the control of the developer.

There is a stream, up high it is pretty, down low it looks like a stream in a ditch. you cannot touch the water! You can wade in it, but, you may not divert it, or build a rock dam for impoundment. The water legally belongs to the downstream user. He flies the creek in a small plane to check that the water runs free, a blockage, or divertment, or impoundment would cost you dearly.

You could have a cow as a pet, as you could have a horse, but, there is no feed, year round everything will be bought and fed. You won't get a fence post in the ground without a back hoe, to many large rocks.


Dyer is by most standards extremely isolated, people go to Tonopah for a taste of the big city. There is a bar, and a store gas station, and a school, the Principal visits from Tonopah when there is a need. If you are a single woman you will have a line of toothless men a mile long at your gate (not entirely correct, some will have teeth) If you are a married woman the line will only be a half mile long. Most people in Dyer are men, most work at the mine near by, most drink, and try like hell to swap or borrow wives, except on Sunday (that may not be entirely true either, they may also try on Sunday, after church)

Ok, so I like Mountain Water Ranch, I would like one of the high parcels in the canyon, but then the sun goes down at three oclock over the White Mountains, noon in the winter. I would be in the mountains most of the time, as my wife says, "hunched over a campfire gnawing on an old saddle".

Most of the owners at the ranch are from Las Vegas, subjected to standard fast talking BS from the realtors, I think most bought to have a place to park the fifth wheel, drink and shoot guns and run around at high speed on ATV's drunk, shooting guns.

My wife would be on the Central Coast, so we would not get in each other's way. You are dreaming, and you should be dreaming, you should get out of LA, If you can put some of your dreams into solid black and white print. I may be able to point you where you want to go.

Oh, through most of Nevada it takes 40 acres to support one cow, three times that for one horse.

I still get their promo emails, I see now they are selling "lakefront" on Walker Lake, another thread covers that I think.

I found an email I got from them in September 08, they state there are only 6 "ranches" left. Here is the image, in back is the White Mountains, lovely, and cold, really cold, they are referred to as California's Arctic. The parcels up in the canyon are worth having, in the summer... look carefully at the foreground, that is the landscape you would be buying, features, no soil, no protection from the downslope winds. http://images.nevadalandandranches.com/NevadaLandandRanches/images/emailer/mountain-water/sept08/emailer-092308_02.jpg (broken link)

Last edited by scirocco22; 01-12-2010 at 11:34 PM..
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Old 01-12-2010, 11:50 PM
 
Location: Phelan
205 posts, read 723,169 times
Reputation: 170
Talking Moutain Water Ranch

Hey Thanks for the smile, and for the input.
What I'm looking for is land that I can homestead. I want a chickens, a milk cow, a steer, and a large vegetable garden. I would like to go solar, and use primarily propane for heat. Maybe even get one of those old cook on wood stoves.

I would need enough acreage to support the criters, grow my garden, have a cold/dry storage shed. I think 10 acres should do it. I know I'll have to supplement the cattle. Or maybe I'll get milk goats instead of a milk cow - less acreage needed to feed them. And they're good mowers!

Okay, so where would you buy some land... oh and I don't want to be more than 8 hours from Los Angeles - my children live there and I can't be to to far from them. Oh and keep it to about $70,000 for the land or $200K for the land and a house.

leavingla!!!
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Old 01-13-2010, 07:01 PM
 
Location: Central Coast
2,014 posts, read 5,497,885 times
Reputation: 836
I do not know that you have a doable idea. 8 hours from LA means within a 400 mile radius. That part of Nevada is not garden country. In fact, Nevada is not garden country. The agricultural dollar value out of San Luis Obispo County alone is greater than the agricultural value of the entire state of Nevada.

You need bottomland, with grass, most of that is part of large ranches, gravel up on an alluvial fan isn't going to do it for you.

You have not said what your outlook or politics are, Nevada is old time conservative (not lunatic fringe like the modern publicized version) They look with suspicion on newcomers and Californians.
People who like goats and llamas are considered weird, cattle and horses are fine.

Thinking about what you want to do, California makes much more sense, good soil, benign weather. If you can stretch your 8 hours, I would consider Northeast Nevada (god's own country), or Oregon.

California has its own Nevada. Eastern San Luis Obispo County. California Valley is affordable, but water and soil are issues. Cuyama is great, small town, lots of wide open spaces. A small operation like you are considering, could work there, with a good well.

I am putting a link in here, I don't know anything about this company, and you may well do better going to the valley and talking to people. Cuyama Real Estate Land For Sale Acreage

Two quick stories, these both happened years ago. A young lady from Los Angeles visited Cuyama, she knocked the socks off a young local rancher, inheritor of an old ranch. She never left, and today makes tack and gear for western ranch use. They are both wonderful people, and she doesn't look the least like she came out of LA.

Another, a boy from LA that grew up on western TV shows, all he wanted to do was be a cowboy, when he graduated high school he went to Cuyama and became a cowboy, after buckarooing all over the west he has three small ranches, one in Cuyama where he and his beautiful wife still do the cowboy thing.

Also, the Cuyama Buckhorn, a fine steakery is currently closed, it needs someone to open it up.

Not so much that I am pushing Cuyama, but, contrary to oft stated opinions, California is still a pretty cool place, in places
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Old 01-14-2010, 12:27 AM
 
Location: Phelan
205 posts, read 723,169 times
Reputation: 170
Well thank you Sir for you input. My political views... I'm a republican, and even thou our state has a republican governor, he's really a democrat - that in itself is a good reason to vacate. And my husband wants to live in a gun friendly state (that would certainly not be CA). Those states would be TX, UT, CO, AZ or NV. But now that I'm thinking on it, Northern CA is more conservative than Southern CA, but you still must abide by the state laws. Oh and I don't really like goats, its just they use up less resources than a milk cow. ;-) And no llamas, can't think of much use for them in my small world.

I certainly don't have my heart set on Nevada - and after I read your first post I did some more searching and have found several possibilities in AZ where the rain levels are closer to and exceed what S.CA gets yearly. But you've given me much to think on.

Thank you kindly.
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Old 01-14-2010, 08:59 AM
 
Location: Central Coast
2,014 posts, read 5,497,885 times
Reputation: 836
Republican can work in Nevada. It did go for Obama, and Reid is a Democrat. Politically it is independent, rural people are conservative, not necessarily politically but socially.

Personally, I don't see any problem with guns in CA, but my wife is the gun person. Nevada typically gives you more personal freedom than most places (latin word for free is Liberal).

If you enjoy wilderness roaming, Nevada has lots, and llamas are great pack animals.

The places that fit your needs in Nevada tend to the North east of the state, grassy, and habitable.

I don't know enough about AZ to recommend anything. We looked in the Prescott area before moving to the Central Coast, there were water issues.

AZ gets monsoon rains, more summer rain, remember that in all the dry states water is allocated, make sure that you can use water on your property, it isn't always true that the water can be used by you.

As Mark Twain said, "Whiskey is for Drinking, Water is for fighting over".

and... Fallon Nevada is a place you can grow a garden, and have a little grass.
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Old 01-14-2010, 01:10 PM
 
Location: Phelan
205 posts, read 723,169 times
Reputation: 170
Thanks for the info!!
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Old 01-14-2010, 08:57 PM
 
16,349 posts, read 30,049,961 times
Reputation: 25378
Quote:
Originally Posted by freesiia View Post
Hello there... long time listener, first time caller here!
I currently live in Southern California, and am desperately looking for a new place to spread my wings. I've been researching opportunities to purchase lots of open land in Nevada - specifically Mountain Water Ranch near Dyer NV.

I've found a little information on the weather, population etc of the area. Esmeralda county seems fairly nice and open. Coming from where I currently live - 4 bedroom, 3 bath house with NO back yard only a concrete patio for $650,000 - in Los Angeles, a 10 acre plot is dreamy for $40-$50K. Being a past farm girl from the Mid-West I can't wait to get out of this concrete jungle.
If you read the CC&Rs of the development, you'll find that ANY livestock other than one horse per two acres is prohibited.

http://www.mountainwaterranch.com/pdfs/MWRC.pdf (broken link)


But don't worry, the cattle will have access to your property.
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Old 01-14-2010, 11:43 PM
 
Location: Phelan
205 posts, read 723,169 times
Reputation: 170
Well isn't that special. The sales rep never offered the CCR's to me. And I told him up front my intention. Well that pretty much blows it for MWR.. thanks for the information.
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Old 01-15-2010, 08:26 AM
 
Location: Central Coast
2,014 posts, read 5,497,885 times
Reputation: 836
1st rule of happy living; never live in a place that has CC&R's or a Homeowners Association.
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