Wanting to move to Sequim (Seattle: for sale by owner, real estate market, foreclosures)

[luckylady]

Hi everyone! My brother would love to relocate to Sequim and has been actively looking for land to buy to put a manufactured home on. Although he checks daily for lots/acreage in Sequim he has found nothing yet. How is the weather there? What is all this talk about an earthquake?

[the dufferz]

Western Washington is part of the "rim of fire" so we are prone to volcanoes, and we are also on top of several faults that can cause earthquakes.

That said, we have been waiting for the "big one" for either since I can remember (and I have been here all my life). Possible? ask New Orleans.

Sequim is dryer than Seattle. Not sure why you can't find property, but it is also pretty rural out there, so you may need to contact a local realtor vs. going on line.

[RodFarlee]

My realtor neighbor says there are now over 4000 properties of all descriptions for sale in Clallam County (compared to 625 a year ago). Last month, the first bank foreclosures of unsold, newly built spec homes began (5 houses on Old Olympic Hwy near 8th St in Sequim). Given the number still under construction, many more are surely on the way. Prices haven't dropped yet, but should as more foreclosures come on the market.

Climate and earthquake hazards have been discussed in previous threads here. (There are shallow faults in the area, none known to be active; the Cascadia subduction zone lies 60-100 miles west of Sequim, has and will someday again produce a large quake, but is unlikely to damage most wood frame buildings built to current codes).

[luckylady]

Thanks everyone! My brother was just here and was glad to get the updated info on the market there. He was online again today looking at land for sale by owner. Specifically what he wants is a 1-2 acre parcel with trees for privacy but not too secluded. He wants to put a manufactured home on the property and possibly build at a later date.

As for the earthquake, I guess it is anyone's guess when that could hit.

[RodFarlee]

Originally Posted by luckylady

Specifically what he wants is a 1-2 acre parcel with trees for privacy but not too secluded. He wants to put a manufactured home on the property and possibly build at a later date...

Umm, none of my business, but just for his information: the mimimum lot size on which two residences are allowed is 4.8 acres (Clallam County R5 zoning, with a variance for a "guest house", which is allowed in R5 and larger but not in R2 and smaller zoning).

If he were to purchase a smaller lot, then he'd have to promise to remove the manufactured home before he could get a building permit (and complete removal before he could get a certificate of occupancy) for a later site-built home. From a cost standpoint, this may be impractical.

Even if the land is zoned R5, if he built two homes on it and sometime later wished to sell one, the land would have to be rezoned R2 before it could be subdivided. There are now restrictions against such rezoning in many rural areas of the county. (This all stems from the state land use and uniform zoning laws that came into effect about 12 years ago to discourage sprawl.) The best way to avoid problems is to subdivide first (or purchase two adjacent lots, previously subdivided).

I'm sure no expert on land use laws (nor, indeed, are most realtors!); he may wish to consult an expert on zoning if it would affect his plans.

The reason I mentioned the downturn in the real estate market is that the last time we went through this cycle of excessive building on speculation, followed by bank foreclosures and auctions of new homes (1988-89), there were some real bargains to be found. Not on undeveloped land, but on new, vacant homes. You could then buy a new home for considerably less than it would cost to build a comparable one. And it is a lot less hassle to buy than build. This opportunity may well come around again in 2007-08?

[luckyladylv]

RodFarlee, is there any new news from Sequim re: real estate? Any new info?