Mini-Farm Acreage Properties in Seattle Area ? (Auburn, Puyallup: sale, assessor, house)

[SierraDog]

We are a couple considering relocation to the Seattle area. I'd like a small acreage property- the house is less of a concern than finding a well located property suitable for a couple of horses and well-situated. We could always find the land first then build a small home. So far Vashon seems like a good location with some reasonably priced properties. The price range (for a property with a home already on site) would be $300,000 or less, and half that for land only. I would need to plan for a commute to downtown seattle or west seattle. An acquaintance who lives in the area also suggested Poulsbo - the southeast area seems to have some minifarm properties and would be a reasonable commute to the Bainbridge ferry to Seattle.

My understanding is that the commute from any of the outlying areas east of seattle would be a nightmare.

Also, I read in another thread that Vashon has issues with water and restrictive environmental and building regulations, is the same true for Kitsap County and Poulsbo?

Can anyone shed some light? Thanks!

[EdgeCity]

112 views and no responses? No residents from these areas who can weigh in? I am curious about this question as well.

[Ira500]

If you want the mini farm to come with a house, there is currently only one property on Vashon that meets your criteria, more in Poulsbo, and even more in Kitsap County closer to the Southworth ferry terminal around Port Orchard.
Going east, a few places available are in places like Maple Valley and Black Diamond.

[TXknitter]

I know it's a year later but I have recent experience, so here goes. Kitsap county is wonderful for zoning when it comes to mini-farms. Olalla, WA very small farmie town attracting folks who want USEABLE acreage. Now, problem is if you work in south Seattle, Puyallup, Auburn your commute is long. Pierce County which has Puyallup, Graham, Orting, Buckley, Wilkeson, Buckley are all nice areas. Here's the catch. So many nice homes on acreage have hardly any USEABLE acreage. If you check with Pierce Cty website, you find everything is considered wetland, wildlife corridor or flood zone. Want animals? If the place already has animals at time of sale, you're okay. If its acreage with barns and fencing but without animals at time of sale, you must pay around 2K for the appropriate study to see if you can have the goats, sheep, cows, alpacas, etc. This is done AFTER sale so you can't be sure you can have those animals when you buy. Say you buy a two acre place, wetlands will be encroaching somewhere on it 98% of the time. By the time you block off the portions the lawful number of feet away from the wetland, you can find yourself with almost no useable portion of that two acres you bought. Now if you want to just look at natural wetlands and never touch it, cut a tree or touch the creek, go for it. See what I mean? OK, now for King County. Enumclaw is so nice-I am prejudiced because we looked there a lot. Longtime landowners and farmers told us that the city folks in Kng County planning and land services continually making it harder for rural folks to USE their land. You can't do this, you can't do that. We talked to a man who is on some board (sorry I don't remember name but I could get it.). He advised us not to get anything with a creek or any water running through it. He said next there will be more severe restrictions about that. I sensed a big fight brewing.
I hope this helps someone. If you find acreage with homes on the MLS, just go to the county assessor site and look it up before you get all excited about turning it into your self-sustaining dream mini-farm. It's more complicated than we ever thought.

[Vinylly]

Kitsap County and Poulsbo are far more politically conservative then Vashon Island, therefore they have far less restrictions. It's the Washington State restrictions that you will have to deal with, like the EPA and restrictions on 'wet lands'.

[tobester]

There are still farms in 'evil' Rainier Beach ...

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...02722&t=h&z=19

[Joe Doer]

During our home search we were looking for something with acreage. Anything livable was well over a million dollars and was 30 to 40 miles from downtown Seattle where my wife works. When I say livable I mean cleared acreage with some sort of order on neighboring properties. We saw some nice homes an nice property, but next door storing old boats, RVs, piles of junk, etc. The more rural areas have absolutely no zoning rules and your residence may end up with a construction company springing up next door. You talk about an eyesore and a property value killer!!!

[TXknitter]

You won't find rural areas (even bare land) in western WA state that have "no zoning restrictions.". I don't meet anyone who doesn't want lands, water protected, etc. However, there is a point where why buy a place with acreage when you can't garden only in certain spots, no this, no that... Common sense rural restrictions are a must and desired by longtime farmers and residents. The danger point is when the Ted Turners buy huge chunks of land where believe me, they do WHATEVER they want and nobody does anything about it. Then he works to have severe environmental restrictions enacted for everybody else.