Relocating to Lander.... (Cheyenne, Riverton, Pine Bluffs: cul-de-sac, for sale, apartments)

[phelanka6]

I'll be moving to Lander in a few weeks, but I've been having a hard time finding any housing online, preferably an apartment. Is there much housing in Lander? If not, would there be a town somewhat nearby that does? I really can't find anything except for Cheyenne and that's a little too far from Lander for me. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Kim.

[igallery]

Good luck on housing. We are in the same boat. We are supposed to be relocating to the same area and are having a hard time finding housing ourselves. We are looking for a house and it has been a nightmare. You might want to try looking in Riverton which is about 24 miles from Lander. Good Luck!

[BlueOasis]

It's going to cost you to live in Lander. Housing is expensive and rentals are expensive if you can find them. A gal I work with is living in a 1 BR in deplorable condition for $550 per month. My suggestion is to buy an RV and rent space in a park for a while. When you find the right place to rent or buy you can always sell the RV. A fifth-wheel is what I lived in while building my house outside of Lander.

[shadowwalker]

Might try Lander chamber of commerce for the new resident packet to get sent to you. Also try either big nickle or quick quarter. Can't remember which. It is the weekly free hand out paper like at the food stores doorways. Also there is a town called Hudson about 10 miles out of Lander toward Riverton. I think Riverton is 23 miles away if I remember right. Also there are trailer courts as well a apartments. If you have time you might try US West in Denver. Ask to buy a Lander phone book and have it sent to your present address. Type in Lander wyoming and maybe the town has a website with info. The Lander paper should be online and might have ads for housing. Hope it helps.

[engine3mjl]

I will be retiring soon. I'm 51 and work for a fire dept in a colo town of 80000
I looking for a couple of hunderd acres in NW WY. Maybe the greybull area. Any suggestions?

[shadowwalker]

engine3mjl, If you don't need wages might try Meetetsee, Otto, lovell, shell, worland. These are all around the town of greybull. Also try most of the realtors sites. Alot will have farm/ranch lands for sale.

[engine3mjl]

No wages needed. Thanks
I want 100,200,up to 500 acres to raise hay on. Just tired of the rat race along the front range of Colo.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by engine3mjl

No wages needed. Thanks
I want 100,200,up to 500 acres to raise hay on. Just tired of the rat race along the front range of Colo.

Good luck on finding suitable land and water for your venture. I'm assuming that you've got a substantial inheiritance to invest, since such sizable land parcels up that way are going to be in the multi-million $ range +++. Land's going that strongly for development, recreation, or gentleman ranches. Add in live surface water (without use rights), and the price skyrockets.

My experience has been that banks up here require a high percentage down for the land, as much as 45% ... since that's a commercial venture. They may split the "house" portion of your purchase out as a homestead and accept a much smaller down payment and lower interest rate on that portion of the deal. You'll have a harder time getting a loan on the farm if you don't have demonstrable farming experience, with the bank wanting more down payment and a higher interest rate. You might qualify for a federal loan under a "first time farmer" program, at lower rates.

Also, to work that much land will require a substantial investment in tillage, forage, and harvesting equipment. We use a combination of older JD4020, Hesston 14' swather, Hesston twine baler, and several old McCormick hay rakes and discs pulled by a Ford8N. It's still almost $75K worth of gear to keep running, which has a lot of work to keep it going. I can do most of the repairs/mtce myself, but it's still a big expense. In a real heavy production year, we must pay to have a neighbor come in and custom cut and bale because our modest equipment can't do the job. We pay another neighbor to pick up and stack our bales as we can't afford a stack wagon for our size operation.

Even here in the SE area, dryland farms are priced at $2,500 to $3,000 per acre ... which isn't justified at today's wheat prices. Irrigated land with proven irigation water availability and a sprinkler system, more like $3,500 per acre today, and that doesn't include the house, outbuildings, or improvements.

We sold out of Erie CO in 1999 to buy our place up here. Our equity in Colorado was sufficient to buy our 250 acres, with 135 irrigated by side-roll from a well and 40 irrigated by flood off Crow Creek. Super productive soil, but old and tired alfalfa stands. We've since got the whole place certified organic, and raise our own beef, lamb, and poultry; keep our horses well fed, too. We have about 1/2 mile of Crow Creek flowing through our property year 'round.

The growth was so explosive in 1999, that if we'd have been here 6 months earlier, we would have had enough money to have bought all SIX Sections of the ranch that was being parceled up. Instead, we got just a tiny portion from a developer with an 1880 house, barns, feedlot, and farmland in very poor and run-down condition. Had we known what we were facing, we'd have bulldozed the house and built new. With all the structure improvements, water, and new pivot sprinkler we've put in, I believe this place is now worth closer to $800K ... far out of our reach to replace it.

Just to put this all in perspective, I own (free and clear) a 2nd home ... 6 bedroom, 3 bath, 2,200 sq ft on an acre in Vail, CO. On a major view site, 2 blocks from the last bus stop in Bighorn, live seasonal stream and pond in my front yard. Off street parkinglot on a cul-de-sac. I can't afford to live there .... so the place is leased out to a group of reasonable tenants. The cash flow all goes to our Wyoming ranch.

I'd also purchased a 7.5 acre commercial property in the heart of the high end housing and developing area of Cheyenne in 2001. Major indoor riding arena, outdoor arena, equine boarding facility. Operated it for two years, the demand for the place was very strong. Sold it for 38% return on my money in 24 months. The new owner is thrilled with his cash flow and the place has a waiting list for boarders; I'm thrilled not to have to work so hard to keep the place going. I'd rather ride my horses than work on the facilities, although I don't have an indoor arena anymore for the nasty weather.

If you would consider a workable proven pivot irrigated farm in SE WY, I believe you'll find a couple of places around Pine Bluffs in the $1.3 mil range. The price, of course, is not supported by the productive value of the land. You'll see them listed in "the fence post", widely available at farm/ranch stores in Colorado along the front range.

Good luck on your farm search.

[engine3mjl]

Thank you for the information. I had a farm sale in 1996. I had farmed 900 acres of corn, wheat, pinto beans and brewing barley. while still holding down a full time job as a fire fighter. I still have a IHC hydo 70, NH 1114 swather, NH 1037 bale wagon and quite a bit of newer supporting equip. I'm well aware of the task that I may be getting involved with. I understand that the price of land will not support farming. I may have to give that some more thought. I have also looked at places on the western slope of Co. Still undecided of just where I may want to go. One thing is for sure, I want out of this rat race along the front range of Colo.

[Pegib]

I have an affordable dwelling to sell on Amoretti St. In Lander.
e-mail me at pegib@bresnan.net after 5 PM or in the AM from 8 AM to 10 AM.

It is too cold for me here and I am unable to take care of this comfortable place. I am a recent widow and was used to my husband doing the yard work etc. I have worked as a nurse my entire life and am relocating closer to where I came from.