Orbisonia in Huntingdon County (Philadelphia, Bedford: mineral rights, real estate, transfer to)

[Fahrenheit85]

Living in Philadelphia right now. My company has a facility in Orbisonia that I could transfer too, hate the city. How are the land prices out that way? Would like to pick up a good chuck of land in an 4wheeler friendly area. Also how firearm friendly is the area?

[DowntownHarrisburg]

Calling Huntingdon County "firearm friendly" is like calling the Atlantic "a little damp" (and I mean this in a good way).

I have no firsthand experience to draw on, but if Orbisonia is like the rest of rural / borough / small-town PA, then land prices are significantly lower than what you'll find in most cities and larger towns. A quick check on area real estate sites show about 350 properties within ten miles of Orbisonia from $8900 (1.2 acre corner lot on top of a mountain) to $1.2 million (300 acres w/ farmhouse).

[ki0eh]

You sure will find a lot of ATV's running wherever all over southern Huntingdon County. But you should carefully scope out the locals and get to be known and invited, don't just assume that because the half-cousin of someone who lives in a trailer runs their ATV somewhere, that you moving from Philadelphia can without consequence. Worse yet to get along with the multi-generational locals would be to buy 20 acres at a local choke point and kick out the locals from riding it because it's yours, yours, yours - that buys you a difficult to shake reputation.

One unique thing about southern Huntingdon County is that a lot of land is still owned by the Kovalchick family sometimes d/b/a "East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Co." According to locals I know they are particularly jealous of their property rights when encroachments are found. Again, it's likely you'd be made an example of as an outsider. It's not that they're particularly unfriendly, it's just the way locals in rural areas are. Take time first to get on their good side.

Furthermore State Game Lands are fairly liberally sprinkled in southern Huntingdon. They don't allow ATV's and they do have various enforcement people around, who also come around when called by neighbors you might have slighted somehow. I was personally investigated for months for a supposed infraction (that never occurred) on SGL in Bedford County (same office as Huntingdon), thinking the average murder in Philadelphia is investigated less. Fortunately I was cleared and not charged with anything but as I'm a habitual law abider it was annoying.

The nearest legal ATV trail on public land would be in the Sideling Hill tract of Buchanan State Forest, east of Breezewood. ATV Trails on State Forest Land - if that doesn't suit you, the bottom line is that if you want to ride 4 wheelers, or even if you want to use them to drag your deer out you need to plan to buy enough property to do it on yourself. Anything else will be a bonus if and when years later you become known in the community as just a good ol' boy at heart and not someone who wants to bring Philadelphia out to Orbisonia.

[Fahrenheit85]

Thanks, for the replys. Little disheartening that ATVing is kinda tuff. And I do not want to bring Philadelphia out there. I hate the city. I need space and land. Wheres a good place to start looking at plots of land? 20 acres and up is what I'm after.


And for the record I'm a good old boy at heart.

[ki0eh]

You sounded like you wanted to escape Philly rather than bring it, I was just a little hard on you so you'd remember that you have to show and not just tell the locals that.

Cromwell Twp right around Orbisonia & Rockhill has had some sewage issues (to the point where DEP had a supervisor put in jail but I hear they have a new board now). Sewage is always a good thing to ask pointed questions about when buying property in rural PA, check out some of the Pocono threads in the NEPA sub-forum for discussion of that issue.

You might want to watch out for some mineral rights reservations especially around Three Springs and Saltillo (pronounced suh-TILL-uh by the way) on the mountain (sandstone with high grade sand) and going southwest into the "Broad Top" in Robertsdale/Broad Top City area (coal, and now gas shale) - you could see your little quiet corner torn up by others with no recourse if you let that little detail get by.

[Fahrenheit85]

Thanks for all your help, I have a few diffrent facilities I can check out in diffrent areas.