Where to Mini Farm in Western Washington (Seattle, Spokane: real estate, mobile home)

[Bluebarn]

My husband and I need help deciding which town or area to move to in Washington State (we'll be moving from North Idaho by Spokane, WA). I apologize in advance if these questions are redundant, but we just started looking and I know I have a lot of catching up to do on these forums. I could really use the advice from some local people!

We own our own business and work from home selling online, so we don't need to be right next to a city. Rural is fine.What we want is to find a home on a little bit of land for a mini-farm. Maybe 1-5 acres, though the more land the better. Ideally we'd like to raise a few chickens, some goats, some sheep, and have a climate that's wet enough to keep it green (so we don't have to buy as much- or any- feed for them). But not so wet that we have constantly soggy sheep, which would be miserable. We would also love a small garden to grow some of our own food.

We've been looking at the Sequim area and also possibly Vancouver. I'd love to be no farther than an hour from the coast or a beach of some kind because I grew up next to the ocean and I miss it. Clouds are fine - we actually both really love grey skies and rain (I know, we're weird).

Our budget is pretty tight- we will need to stay under 155k since our business will be our only income.

I really don't know much about this area. Are there any cities we should avoid? Is there any area that you can highly recommend for our needs? Sequim looks so beautiful, but does it get enough rain? If not, is water and feed expensive there?

We would love to eventually participate in farmers markets (and maybe be part of a little community), but that's a ways down the road. For now, the most important thing is that we find somewhere that will allow us to start our dream of raising our own fiber animals, since that's what we sell for a living (wool and yarn). If we can find it all in one place, that would be even better.

Thanks in advance for your replies!

[Seacove]

Are you saying you want to spend $155K for the one to five acres of land only? Or do you want this to also include a house?

[sll3454]

Be very sure you have water rights. Very, very sure.

Also, having rain that keeps the grass green also keeps the pasture very wet. With animals on wet ground, you will end up with less grass than you think. You should definitely divide your pastures with that in mind. Also, don't count on not needing hay. (Don't budget so closely that you won't be able to buy hay.)

[perigee]

Do you currently own sheep or are you looking at expanding into that area?

What you are looking for does not sound doable in this region, if you are somehow able to make it work where you are living now, I would stay there. Owning livestock is very expensive here, you will have to supplement their feed and that is not cheap.

Hate to be a downer, but you are looking to move to a more expensive area, are talking about a very costly business venture and you do not seem to have a lot of capital. Having goals and plans are great, but this one is not ready to be implemented.

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

Google is your friend...research Sequim Irrigation Festival. And Dungeness Water rule

[Bluebarn]

Thank you for your replies! To clarify, our primary source of income is already in place. We own a business and work from home - the livestock animals that we want to raise will primarily be pets that grow fiber for my own personal spinning. We only want a handful, so we're ok with buying feed if we need to.

We are moving out there, so we do need a house, not just land.
So it sounds like raising livestock is expensive.

What about gardening? Is that doable in that area? Can we feasibly grow our own food out there, or is it too dry for that? Is water so expensive out there that a small hobby farm is unrealistic? And if so, are there an other areas that you could recommend that might be better? I do NOT want to live in Eastern Washington. I want to be near the coast.

[Bluebarn]

Originally Posted by perigee

Do you currently own sheep or are you looking at expanding into that area?

What you are looking for does not sound doable in this region, if you are somehow able to make it work where you are living now, I would stay there. Owning livestock is very expensive here, you will have to supplement their feed and that is not cheap.

Hate to be a downer, but you are looking to move to a more expensive area, are talking about a very costly business venture and you do not seem to have a lot of capital. Having goals and plans are great, but this one is not ready to be implemented.

We aren't starting a new business venture. We have an existing business. We just want to move to a nicer part of the country closer to the coast. One where someday we might be able to raise a few farm animals for a hobby farm. We don't plan on starting to raise them right away.. it will probably be a couple of years before we even buy any animals. We just want to find a house on some land so that when we're ready, it's there for us.

Are you saying that Sequim is so expensive that you don't think it's possible for people to move there with a budget of 155k? I've seen many houses that fit the bill in that price range.

[Ruth4Truth]

You can try the area around Sequim and Port Angeles, and in-between. Carlsborg, which borders Sequim on the west side, looks a little more affordable, and is more rural. You may like it. Also, for a tiny farm, try LaConner, up towards the Canadian border. Almost anywhere you buy in Western Washington, except somewhere remote like the west coast, if you want enough land for animals, at your price, you're looking to buy a mobile home. Some of them can be nice, btw. Or a small house in Carlsborg with a bit of land may be within your budget. It's scenic, that's for sure.

When people say the Sequim area gets less rain than Seattle, that is very relative. Noplace in Western Washington is "dry". "Dry" isn't in anyone's vocabulary, except on their wish list and in their dreams. You'll have plenty of moisture to grow food around Sequim. But you'll have less of the constant gloom and rain or drizzle or "heavy mist" that Seattle has.

[Bluebarn]

Thank you so much Ruth4Truth! I was feeling a bit like it had rained on my parade.
I really don't want a mobile home... but maybe it would be worth considering. Or a fixer upper... that could be something we'd be open to.

I will check out those areas you mentioned!

A lot of the properties I find are full of trees. I wonder how hard it would be to remove some of them and put a garden down.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Bluebarn

Thank you so much Ruth4Truth! I was feeling a bit like it had rained on my parade.
I really don't want a mobile home... but maybe it would be worth considering. Or a fixer upper... that could be something we'd be open to.

I will check out those areas you mentioned!

A lot of the properties I find are full of trees. I wonder how hard it would be to remove some of them and put a garden down.

I did a quick check of real estate listings. Carlsborg is full of farms and open fields. You should be able to find something that maybe has trees on one part of the property, but has plenty of garden space as well. One place that had trees towering behind the house advertised that there was a big garden area in front. Just make sure the garden area has a southern exposure and isn't shaded by the trees.

I don't know how big a house you want. It'll have to be small, if you need an acre or two. You can add onto it at some point. Watch the listings over time, since you're not moving right away. You can get a feel for the market. Sometimes it's a matter of waiting until the right place becomes available. It might help to visit and talk to people around town, and scope out the land. Look into well permits and water access issues in general.