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Different climate, though - much of Douglas County (including Oakland) has the rainy cloudy "Willamette Valley" style winter - 39" of rain and around 160 sunny/part sun days compared to Agency Lake area's 11" of rain and 220 days of sun/part sun. Of course, you get a much colder winter and more snow near Agency Lake.
Most people looking at Agency Lake/Klamath Falls are looking for that sun.
I've been looking at parcels for sale around Bonanza and would appreciate any insight. I'll probably buy something about 2 acres. I was planning to head up there in October to take a look around (I currently live in Texas) but I unexpectedly need to have surgery in the coming weeks so my trip will be delayed until Spring, most likely.
I'm medically retired from teaching so I have my own income and don't need a job. I am attracted to that area for the weather (the oppressive heat in Texas is literally killing me), the natural beauty, and the ability to live a simple life in a gorgeous setting. I've checked out the medical center in Klamath Falls and it will meet my medical needs just fine. Probably better than my current location in West Texas, actually.
I'm planning to have a small cabin built, off the grid, with a solar power system. I'm probably going to have to talk with the Planning Department about septic requirements because part of that system includes really new technology, a solar incinerating toilet system with a holding tank. It is absolutely eco-friendly and probably exceeds requirements, especially considering the size of the cabin (400 square feet, one bathroom) and the fact that I will be the only one living there. Guaranteed. I SO want to be away from the dysfunctional people in my life who seem to like to move in with me, which is part of the point of this.
Anyhoo, I will also be doing a cistern for the time being unless I find a property with an existing well. Water will be my only expense, besides a bit of propane for the stove, so it's not a big deal. I may dig a well later. My water use will be on the lower end of normal considering the toilet system uses no water at all and I will be using a Laundromat.
I am a freelance writer and need the solitude to work on my projects. I also love to garden and plan to grow organic vegetables in a greenhouse. I love to walk through the woods, hike, and meditate. If possible, I would love to buy a mule and be able to ride daily through the area.
Does this sound doable in Bonanza? I checked out the town on Google Earth and it seems to have what I need. I love that Klamath Falls also has an Amtrak station so if I get the urge to travel, I can board a train and head north to visit a friend in Seattle and continue on to see friends in British Columbia.
In short, I'm looking for a quiet life in a beautiful area among good, down-to-Earth folks. I've been doing a lot of research and can't wait to get up there to spend some time looking at the land and talking to people. Is there usually land available? I'm a bit concerned about the delay and timing on my end. I have to prepare and sell my house here in Texas to fund my land purchase, cabin, etc.
My concerns would be:
the size battery backup you would need for solar power to work year-round. The area can get prolonged cloudy spells. Cloudy winters are possible. Granted the cabin would be small and the electric needs minimal but you still might have weeks in between battery charges.
A cistern is possible, but it is going to have to be below ground far enough that freezing isn't a problem. Last winter it hit a record -25° out that way (-10° at our house by Agency Lake). That cold is rare, but 0 and single digits are not unusual.
What is the road access to the property like? The county will plow the main road - and that is about it, side roads and driveways are your own responsibility. It snows every winter, starting around Thanksgiving and ending around beginning or April.
Security is an issue. Many of your neighbors will be farmers and ranchers or retired folks and exactly the type of people you are looking for, but there is also a scattered bad element out that way. Klamath County has little to no sheriff service left and the only sheriff on duty can be 30-100 miles away. Our property out off Agency Lake is very private BUT it is also within sight of a couple other properties with full-time neighbors and our neighbors look out for us and our house.
THANK YOU, PNW-type-gal!!!!! I was specifically wondering about the cistern and freezing! Whoa, -25 degrees????? Was that on Bly Mountain? LOL, none of the weather/climate sites I read indicated anything like that! Still, I lived in New Hampshire for 9 years where winters of -15 degrees was actually the norm so if that was an anomaly, I can deal with it.
What sort of water holding tank would be best, do you think? Cement, fiberglass, metal?
My solar system will have a battery bank that would remain fully charged for 3 days plus a backup generator. It's not going to be powering much. The fridge/freezer will be the main use. Stove and hot water will be propane.
The land parcels I'm looking at vary. Some are very close to a main county road; others are in a development in which there is a loose owners association that doesn't do much except provide road care for a small annual fee. But that is certainly a consideration when I come up and look.
Everyone tells me I'd best learn how to shoot a rifle and buy one, for a number of reasons. That's on my to-do list. I'm doing a minimalist lifestyle so I won't have much worth stealing, unless someone wants organic veggies. And I am willing to share my food with anyone.
There seem to be a lot of springs in the area so I'm wondering if groundwater wells are simple and viable solutions?
Artesian wells are pretty rare, most properties rely on deeper wells. Depths vary with terrain and subsurface up on the Oregon DEQ site you can look at existing wells in your area (you need township and range, which you may get off of a plat map)
Here is a weather site with monthly averages and records, which show some of the record lows - Intellicast - Bonanza Historic Weather Averages in Oregon (97623)
Note that the average low is below freezing more than 7 months out of the year. You mentioned a greenhouse - it'll have to be heated part year and it may also require grow lights in Dec, Jan, Feb. The official growing season is between 65 and 70 days.
Make sure you verify that homeowner's group - a lot of them exist only on paper.
Don't forget your well pump in your energy calculations. Three days of battery power is not nearly long enough.
By cistern, do you mean having it filled from a water truck? At 11" of precip a year, you aren't going to fill much of a cistern with roof runoff.
I am not sure I see the DEQ going for an incinerating toilet and a holding tank for a permanent structure. I'd clear that up before buying, because otherwise you'll be looking at needing a property with a current perc test so that it is even possible to put in a septic system.
Wood heat? It's doable, you'll have to put in a certified stove. You should put in an outside air inlet for it as well and think about how tight the cabin will be, particularly with a gas cook stove.
Last edited by PNW-type-gal; 09-01-2014 at 07:24 PM..
Yes, I mean having the tank filled by a water truck for now. I will do a well later. I think it's good to have a backup cistern, anyway, if a well fails in the future.
How many days of solar battery storage do you think is wise, considering there will be a backup generator? Ten?
I will definitely have to get with the DEQ on this incinerating system because it's not a standard incinerating toilet. It has a toilet inside connected to a buried component under the house and a large tank that emerges outside of the house that stores the remaining evaporated waste and must be pumped out every four years or so by a septic company. It's really new on the market but the units have been used commercially at public rest stops and such in place of a septic system. It's only recently been developed for residential use. The company is here in Texas. The unit is $2,300 but if it meets septic approval, it will be worth every penny! Plus, it's clean, the toilet is attractive and the system is environmentally friendly.
I was planning on using a small mobile home-certified wood stove because they have the fresh air system attachment available and safety features. Do you think that would work?
I was mostly going to do a greenhouse to keep wildlife from coming in and eating my plants, lol. I wasn't going to grow beyond late May-September. Will I still need grow lights? Usually, I start my plants in the house here in Texas because I have the opposite problem -- it gets so dang hot here so quickly that it burns up my poor plants. We hit 104 degrees in April this year! It's still in the 90s near midnight now. Oh, how I hate it. I would much rather it be cold.
I live in Klamath Falls, which is located about twenty miles above the California-Oregon border. I've lived here over 70 years, and I've seen many changes, some good, some not so good. Oregon Shores & Agency Lake are beautiful areas, but they aren't the only beautiful areas. Just West of Klamath Falls on Oregon Route 140 is a development known as Running Y Resort. It has a golf course, resort type lodge, restaurants, and small grocery store, and many beautiful houses. Some of these houses are for sale at prices less than what they originally sold for. I doubt that you will find any one bedroom homes here, but I know a few of these homes have only two bedrooms. This parcel of land used to be part of the Running Y Ranch which was owned by Jeld Wen. They sub divided it and sold off the lots to the home owners There are CCRs (Codes Covenants and Restrictions) that control many aspects of the lots/houses that are located here. The area is absolutely beautiful, as are the homes. Many of the home owners are retired, but many of them also work in Klamath Falls and commute the short distance every day. If you want warmer winters than what Klamath Falls has to offer, the area around Grants Pass and Medford may be worth looking at.
The disadvantage of Running Y is that it is priced high for the area, lots are very small, the HOA fees are high and the HOA has very strict CCRs that are actively enforced. The advantage of Running Y is that it has a small store and at least one restaurant (there used to be 3, now I think it is down to one), they maintain the miles of walking trails, the have an ice rink in the winter, they maintain the roadways.
If you Google "Running Y" and "homeowner's association" you can get a copy of meeting minutes - the one that I was just looking at had what I think of as typical Running Y nonsense: complaints because cars are parked "backward" in driveway, complaints that cars car parked "touching" the roadway, complaints that a neighbor leaves a trash can out where it can partly be seen, complaints that a neighbor's yard is not neat enough, complaints that a satellite dish is visible from the street. If you want to live in a manicured retirement/vacation home community that might be the place.
It's also the buggiest part of town because of the bay and the golf course.
My family owns a lot in Oregon Shores. If you are still interested in building an "Off the Grid" vacation, retirement, or just a home for you and your family, please let me know. Last year, Thanksgiving, we drove up and took some pictures of the lot. Its a quiet and beautiful area. I'm in contact with the HOA so if you need more information I can get that to you. Hope to hear from you. Thanks and take care.
My family owns a lot in Oregon Shores. If you are still interested in building an "Off the Grid" vacation, retirement, or just a home for you and your family, please let me know. Last year, Thanksgiving, we drove up and took some pictures of the lot. Its a quiet and beautiful area. I'm in contact with the HOA so if you need more information I can get that to you. Hope to hear from you. Thanks and take care.
Hi,
I'm interested in finding out if I can put a "tiny house" on an Oregon Shores lot. I need to be able to live in an RV/trailer on the property while it's built. So I need to know the "rules" I know I can do that in other areas but not sure here.
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Bonanza?
Probably better than my current location in West Texas, actually.
