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Old 05-19-2008, 08:23 PM
 
Location: Minnesota
6 posts, read 34,056 times
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I see that there is real estate for sale within the boundaries of the Lummi Indian Reservation. I am believing a non-Lummi Indian can purchase this land but wonder if there are leasehold considerations or other restrictions to the purchase of such land?
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Old 05-21-2008, 01:58 PM
 
Location: Bothell, Washington
109 posts, read 151,515 times
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You might want to be careful about buying properties on Indian resvervation. Usually, the homes are for sale but the land is leased. I don't think land can be purchased out right.

You might want to look into Ferndale or Lynden. Both cities are small and home prices are still cheap.
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Old 05-24-2008, 05:20 PM
 
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I think Vanbao is right. I know some folks who live in Suqumish and own their home, but have a very low cost 50 year lease for the land.
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Old 05-26-2008, 08:37 AM
 
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I live on Lummi Island, across the water by ferry from the reservation. I drive through the reservation on a regular basis from Bellingham to our ferry dock at Gooseberry Point. Although many reservations "sell" properties on long-term leased land, it does appear that the properties for sale on the Lummi Reservation are not leased land. You need to confirm with a realtor, but I have looked at quite a number of ads for properties along the shoreline and not a one has ever noted any lease terms or restrictions.

All said, and while I know and like a number of Lummi's who live on reservation (Lummi Island is Not reservation land), I would not expect you to want to buy on reservation once you see it there. There are a few narrow strips of shoreline off the main roads that have been developed by non-natives and are pretty pricey. Other than those expensive few spots, you are not likely to be comfortable on-reservation. Many nice native residents take care of their places — but many more do not. Pretty poor reservation, although quite big in land area. Nice setting. Overall neighborhood quality is really low, however. Too bad. But it is what it is.

I moved to the NW Many years ago from Minnesota, although was raised further east. Married two wives from the Range. First passed away after 30 years together. Then I struck up with another. Something about those Ranger gals ;-) Good luck to you in your search. Bellingham is awesome nice. But I assume you are fully aware of how incredibly depressing our weather is in winter? Remember this comment is from someone who used to live in the frozen MN north. Ask other Minnesotans who live here in the Pacific NW. After you've been here just a few years you'll get acclimated and realize how unbelievably chilled to the bone 35* and sopping wet constantly can be in the coastal breezes when you often don't see a minute of sun for 6 weeks and more at a time. Also, this whole county is booming with development. VERY expensive now. Developers have scored Every inch of land. Hard to find a Deal. Hard to find rural life that will last for much longer, if that is your interest. Building your own is like fighting a war with the County Planning / Land Use Dept.
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Old 05-28-2008, 01:40 PM
 
Location: Bothell, Washington
109 posts, read 151,515 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nullgeo View Post
I live on Lummi Island, across the water by ferry from the reservation. I drive through the reservation on a regular basis from Bellingham to our ferry dock at Gooseberry Point. Although many reservations "sell" properties on long-term leased land, it does appear that the properties for sale on the Lummi Reservation are not leased land. You need to confirm with a realtor, but I have looked at quite a number of ads for properties along the shoreline and not a one has ever noted any lease terms or restrictions.

All said, and while I know and like a number of Lummi's who live on reservation (Lummi Island is Not reservation land), I would not expect you to want to buy on reservation once you see it there. There are a few narrow strips of shoreline off the main roads that have been developed by non-natives and are pretty pricey. Other than those expensive few spots, you are not likely to be comfortable on-reservation. Many nice native residents take care of their places — but many more do not. Pretty poor reservation, although quite big in land area. Nice setting. Overall neighborhood quality is really low, however. Too bad. But it is what it is.

I moved to the NW Many years ago from Minnesota, although was raised further east. Married two wives from the Range. First passed away after 30 years together. Then I struck up with another. Something about those Ranger gals ;-) Good luck to you in your search. Bellingham is awesome nice. But I assume you are fully aware of how incredibly depressing our weather is in winter? Remember this comment is from someone who used to live in the frozen MN north. Ask other Minnesotans who live here in the Pacific NW. After you've been here just a few years you'll get acclimated and realize how unbelievably chilled to the bone 35* and sopping wet constantly can be in the coastal breezes when you often don't see a minute of sun for 6 weeks and more at a time. Also, this whole county is booming with development. VERY expensive now. Developers have scored Every inch of land. Hard to find a Deal. Hard to find rural life that will last for much longer, if that is your interest. Building your own is like fighting a war with the County Planning / Land Use Dept.
Agree, Lumi Island is not a Indian Reservation. Thus, you can buy land there. As for land in Indian Reservation, this is the fact. Non tribal members are NOT allowed to buy land in Indian reservations. This was setup to protect the Natives. If this was allowed, people would eventually buy up all the tribal land and the Native Americans will not have any reseveration left.

Rule of thumb is "land on reservation is not for sale, lease only".
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Old 05-28-2008, 03:30 PM
 
7,150 posts, read 10,839,074 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vanbao View Post
Agree, Lumi Island is not a Indian Reservation. Thus, you can buy land there. As for land in Indian Reservation, this is the fact. Non tribal members are NOT allowed to buy land in Indian reservations. This was setup to protect the Natives. If this was allowed, people would eventually buy up all the tribal land and the Native Americans will not have any reseveration left.

Rule of thumb is "land on reservation is not for sale, lease only".
"Rule of Thumb" is not true in this instance. And I, myself, am also baffled. It has always been my understanding that reservation lands coast-to-coast were available to non-tribal members ONLY by lease. I have just talked to a realtor living within the Lummi Reservation boundaries. He says that most of the Lummi reservation land is available "Fee Simple", that is non-leased, full ownership. Has been so since the 1960's. I do not understand how or why the Lummi Reservation is different. But there you go.

BTW, you certainly Can also buy land on Lummi Island — IF you can afford it. This has become a Seriously Expensive bump of dirt rising out of Puget Sound. Very little inventory available ... and priced out of the average person's reach.

Good luck. (I've got 3 acres of waterfront with a cabin you might be able to talk me out of for about a cool $ million )
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Old 05-28-2008, 06:08 PM
 
Location: Bothell, Washington
109 posts, read 151,515 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nullgeo View Post
"Rule of Thumb" is not true in this instance. And I, myself, am also baffled. It has always been my understanding that reservation lands coast-to-coast were available to non-tribal members ONLY by lease. I have just talked to a realtor living within the Lummi Reservation boundaries. He says that most of the Lummi reservation land is available "Fee Simple", that is non-leased, full ownership. Has been so since the 1960's. I do not understand how or why the Lummi Reservation is different. But there you go.

BTW, you certainly Can also buy land on Lummi Island — IF you can afford it. This has become a Seriously Expensive bump of dirt rising out of Puget Sound. Very little inventory available ... and priced out of the average person's reach.

Good luck. (I've got 3 acres of waterfront with a cabin you might be able to talk me out of for about a cool $ million )
Really. This is definitely different about being able to buy land in Indian Reseveration. Perhaps the tribe decided to sell some of their land for income. However, I wonder if that is advisable. I am curious if a non tribal property owner is protected with the same US laws and ownership rights.

In other word, if later the Tribe just say too bad, you don't own this land. The land belongs to the Tribe because it is in the reservation. Should that happens, what is the owner to do.
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Old 05-28-2008, 09:58 PM
 
7,150 posts, read 10,839,074 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vanbao View Post
Really. This is definitely different about being able to buy land in Indian Reseveration. Perhaps the tribe decided to sell some of their land for income. However, I wonder if that is advisable. I am curious if a non tribal property owner is protected with the same US laws and ownership rights.

In other word, if later the Tribe just say too bad, you don't own this land. The land belongs to the Tribe because it is in the reservation. Should that happens, what is the owner to do.
Yeah, how about that? Doesn't seem right or sensible but obviously they had reason and means to set up for selling Fee Simple. As for the Lummi's taking back the land: — they can't. Fee Simple is Fee Simple and that's that. All across the nation. However, the Lummi's are known for a tendency to micro-management and have a pretty controlling history on things like water supply. No, I don't suggest that they would have a way to cut off water either. But they may have CC&R's (covenants and restrictions) attached to purchases that give them certain rights to limit property use and transfer, etc. I would assume so. Most developers these days attach CC&R's to land sales to insure the property values remain secure and grow.

Anyway, it's a new one on me too. And it's been this way for a long enough time that if there weren't some kind of limitations built in, the whole reservation would have been taken over by non-natives and developers by now. So Yes, you can buy Fee Simple on the Lummi Reservation. And No, I still wouldn't recommend it there except for the few waterfront neighborhoods that have already been dominated by non-native buyers — and those few areas are very expensive.

There are, by the way, a number of non-Lummi's living in the inner reservation neighborhoods with the Lummi general population. Mostly all seem to get on fine. I have never felt any significant danger or blatant racism. And, as said before, I know some Lummi's and like them quite a bit. I chat with a number as I go in and out of the stores and at the ferry line, etc. I wouldn't worry much about living there in those terms. It's simply not much of an investment and the inner properties don't resell quickly either. Plus there is a certain amount of activity among some residents that involves too much drinking and noise. But by and large they are a pretty good bunch of folks in my book.
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Old 05-29-2008, 08:56 AM
 
Location: Bellingham, WA USA
50 posts, read 203,616 times
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Hello, Minnesoh-tan! My Mom was born in Minneapolis way back when, a Norski girlie.
You will find Skandihoovians out this way, ja sure you betcha! We have returned to Bellingham, lo, after thirty years. The quality of life has improved greatly after the pulp mill shut down, (along with the tuna gas stench), and there is an active community of environmentally-responsible citizens who are doing their best to contain irresponsible, rampant development. However, with that and all the above being said, you should avoid the "res" completely. Our mortgage is weighty, so we've looked around to relocate, and are staying put on the north end of Chuckanut Drive, a mile south of the historic, Victorian Fairhaven district. My wife just had to amp up her book-keeping for family members (for a modest fee) and is getting more landscape design referrals, (as she is a Master Gardener with two green thumbs and inherited talent).
There are some affordable new housing units in Happy Valley, by Fairhaven. Do a property search with your price point and your requisites, and you'll probably find our property values haven't dropped much since the housing bubble stalled. Prices are going down, however, and it definitely is a buyers' market. Check out the local realtors' reputations anyway you can Google them, or ask for recommendations from anyone having recent experience buying, if possible. Use Zillow.com to get a good idea of real-time property values and "comps" around any target house you find. Don't buy at the top value of any neighborhood, as your equity will be stale until the market recovers at a realistic rate of appreciation. If you don't need to commute into downtown B'ham for a job, look further out into the Whatcom County towns, et cetera. Happy Hunting!
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Old 05-29-2008, 11:53 AM
 
7,150 posts, read 10,839,074 times
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Originally Posted by Torghaole View Post
... there is an active community of environmentally-responsible citizens who are doing their best to contain irresponsible, rampant development.
It is true that this is a fine community ... and with substantial interest in controlling rampant development. However, in the past 30 years approximately 2.5 million new residents have moved into the Puget Sound / Western Washington region. It is so wonderful here that this immigration wave is unstoppable and continues at an ever-increasing rate. These people Have to build / live somewhere. The pressure is enormous on all area communities. Planners are tearing their hair out trying to control and accommodate at the same time. Developers, like sharks smelling blood in the water, know how to manipulate the systems. They get what they want. This area will not remain very recognizable to us old-timers for much longer. Indeed, it is already a new landscape.

If you are moving here with a love for the energy of new developing communities and infrastructure and "civilized" activities, you are coming to a vibrant place.

If you are moving here to capture and become part of the romantic, old-time rural farm/forest/ocean ambiance, you will be sorely disappointed very soon.

Good luck.
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