Road trip to Northern ID to find and buy a home next week.

[oldafretired]

One good thing about your delay is the number of Wuhan cases seems to be dropping. Panhandle Health reported only 12 new cases last Saturday according to the local paper. I think it peaked at around 100 cases in one day awhile ago. The paper didn't even have the Wuhan section listing case numbers today.

[volosong]

Originally Posted by oldafretired

...The paper didn't even have the Wuhan section listing case numbers today.

Page 5A, top left. Article top right. 33 new cases reported yesterday, and 5 more deaths. Four deaths those 60-69, the rest over 70. It's hitting us retired folk pretty hard. Better be more vigilant in my comings and goings.

- - - edited to add - - -

Sorry. Oops, saw your posting date. You were referring to yesterday's, (Monday's), paper. The above info is today's, (Tuesday's), paper. Yesterday the graphic was on page 8A, top left. Did not look for an article because it always says the same thing, just different numbers that you can get from the graphic.

[javatom]

Originally Posted by luvmyveteran

CFF, we are discussing travel trailers as an alternative especially after ChrisMT shared what they have that works for big and tall husbands, thanks Chris!
Now we are just trying to figure out how to get out there safely during the virus. We are also considering buying land and building, but we need to get out there and learn the different areas first. I am very grateful to not have been on the road when the kidney stones hit me. It was creepy enough for me to have to go in to see my Dr, let alone end up at an ER in some random town.

We have seen some land with power/water already to the property but don't have enough knowledge without an in person visit. Am hoping this health issue goes away asap or we may just get to visit during winter.
There is a saying in the South, "I wasn't born here, but I got here as fast as I could". My family goes back generations in the deep south, and while I never had a burning desire to move here, that IS how I feel about Idaho...

Be cautious with this idea. The construction costs of building new has gone up a lot in the last couple of years. There are so many people moving here that the lead time for a new home can be quite long.

[luvmyveteran]

Since I first posted about our desire to move to NID to find a place to buy we have made a number of offers on properties, strong offers, and not a one accepted.

The competition is crazy! We kept running up against way over list offers, cash offers, multiple offers, and as time went by we kept having to lower our expectations of having even a few wants along with needs met.

I guess everyone was looking at the same price range we were so they'd go under contract asap, IF they even made it to the MLS. Some properties were first listed on the MLS already pending...

I wanted to thank those who responded, I appreciate it.

We don't give up easily, we really wanted to be in NID, but as the frustration set in, my search went back to Northern AZ where we ran into the same type of crazed housing market as NID, hotels filled with people looking to buy homes, bidding wars, and low inventory in our price range and parameters.

I finally found a just listed property that had the majority of our wants, and all of our needs, so we took a chance and made an offer knowing there were other offers on the table.
Once again, there were cash offers, higher offers, and more coming in, all within 2 days of it being listed.

The seller chose our offer, which was strong, (but certainly couldn't beat all cash ones), after he learned that my husband is also a VietNam Veteran. He told his agent to take his property off the market if the Veteran's offer was decent, I can't tell you how much that touched my husband. It isn't always about the money...

As much as I had my heart set on NID, I know we are close enough to hopefully take road trips to ID after things calm down in our country, although that remains to be seen I guess.

Two things I never imagined during a worldwide pandemic are a frenzied run on toilet paper, and everyone wanting to move!
If other buyers are getting discouraged by similar circumstances keep looking and trying,
when it's meant to be it will happen, it's just tough while waiting, lol.

[volosong]

Congratulations on youir new home. Northern Arizona is nice. Somewhat similar to this area, but different too. And, good blessings on the seller in honoring your vet husband. We sent through a lot in those days and it is nice to get a little appreciation from time to time.

[nm9stheham]

Good deal, OP! I hope it all works out. As said N. AZ up at some altitude can be pretty decent. Quite the change from where you are at.


The multiple high offers are occurring all over the USA. Patience is the watchword right now IMHO....

[luvmyveteran]

Volosong,
All of our veterans who served during that era seem to have a very tight bond even if strangers.
Only you all have the understanding of how that war as horrific as they all are, was so different than others especially on the arrival home.
My father served as an Air Force Pilot in VN, and my husband was in the Marines, both of who got verbally and physically assaulted by the hateful anti-war activist's. My father was spit on, and asked by a young woman if he'd killed any babies recently, and my husband experienced similar numerous times.

My dad served in WWII, and Korea during a time when our military men and women came home they were welcomed with parades and gratitude, unlike those of you serving your country at home, or returning from VN.
I sadly appreciate that you can understand why and just how much that touched my husband, and I want to thank you for your service.

[luvmyveteran]

nm9stheham, thank you, patience IS the key for sure, but whoa is it hard to keep at times, lol.

Both my husband and I have lived in different areas of AZ, so it won't be much of an adjustment or culture shock. We chose a medium high elevation to help avoid the worst of the heat, and the heavy snow in higher elevations.
That is the only upside to us not getting a place in ID, is we no longer have to worry about slipping on ice, or shoveling snow at our ages, lol
Friends are laughing at me when I tell them we are moving to AZ to escape the heat in Mississippi, but as that old saying goes, "it ain't the heat, it's the humidity", lol

[nm9stheham]

That is sure right; the humidity makes it all different. I can remember a friend from Iowa when we were young being outside on a super-dry 20F day working in a t-shirt! I was impressed as I had mostly known cold wet winter days here in the Appalachians; those are miserable IMHO.



And a super dry western day at 95F is downright cool compared to a good old 95F/95% humidity day in the South.

[luvmyveteran]

I lived in Hawaii for close to 10yrs, it was always humid, it took about a year to adjust to it, but here in the South, it can feel decent at 90 with low dew point/humidity, and minutes later soaking wet as the humidity rises.
One of the biggest attractions to ID was the 4 seasons and having some ability to know what to expect in general during those times.
If Northern AZ isn't the fit we hope it to be, ID will be back on the list, but it feels so nice to take a breather and may be much easier already living out west.