Looking for a home (Valley City, Bottineau: for sale, real estate, broker)
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My VSO and I are looking at ND to retire, but we don't want to buy a "pig in a poke".
HE is - retired FF/Paramedic, mechanically adept (can make anything work - once built an operating fire truck out of three wrecked ones, known as "The Frankentender"). He can build anything, and has basic architectural drawing skills. He loves to cook and is good at it. He likes x-country skiing, has a quiet and humorous demeanor.
I am a writer and political maven; have run winning campaigns and newspapers, have also been a firefighter and EMT. I can grow anything, have my
own greenhouse, have raised horses, goats, and chickens as well as dogs and cats. I am a hunter, he is not. I am also an artist, ceramic mostly, some fiberglas and wall murals. I have done fiscal and physical planning for a city that is rapidly growing from a population of 1000 to 240,000 in ten years.
What we are looking for - a 3 BR 2 BA older farmhouse on 10+ acres, with a basement, fireplace, fenced and hopefully crossfenced, barn, pasture, decent growing conditions/soil, a hobby-farm type of place to grow our own produce and herbs, raise a couple of cows and horses, have chickens, and be able to hunt on our own property.
We are not interested in the school districts as our 'baby' is 24! We can get involved in local groups but are not 'joiners' as much as 'helpers'. We are occasional and happy drinkers (I like karaoke) and are comfortable in small bars as well as truck stops and local restaurants. We are emphatically not city people, and want peace and quiet and maybe a place for our (few) friends and children to come up, and hunt and ski and spend time in the snow. We like auctions and horse and cattle and art shows as well as country fairs. We are not rich, just a comfortable happy couple who like each other, are used to working hard, and who want a slower pace.
What we are looking for - a 3 BR 2 BA older farmhouse on 10+ acres, with a basement, fireplace, fenced and hopefully crossfenced, barn, pasture, decent growing conditions/soil, a hobby-farm type of place to grow our own produce and herbs, raise a couple of cows and horses, have chickens, and be able to hunt on our own property.
Almost anywhere will have farmhouses for sale (most won't have usable barns anymore, though) and decent soil. Western ND would often lack in rainfall, however, and you'd need a lot more land. Throughout the state there are farmsteads that become abandoned because of rural depopulation. Around the larger cities, it's more difficult to find farm homes.
If trees, gentle slopes and x-country skiiing are important, then consider the Walhalla area (near Pembina River gourge), western Walsh county (where the Red River Valley transitions to drift prairie and where there's more trees), and the Sheyenne Valley (a true valley between Valley City and Lisbon), and Bottineau are probably the type areas you would want to look at. You might want to consider the Minnesota side, just above the Red River Valley (a glacial bed).
My VSO and I are looking at ND to retire, but we don't want to buy a "pig in a poke".
HE is - retired FF/Paramedic, mechanically adept (can make anything work - once built an operating fire truck out of three wrecked ones, known as "The Frankentender"). He can build anything, and has basic architectural drawing skills. He loves to cook and is good at it. He likes x-country skiing, has a quiet and humorous demeanor.
I am a writer and political maven; have run winning campaigns and newspapers, have also been a firefighter and EMT. I can grow anything, have my
own greenhouse, have raised horses, goats, and chickens as well as dogs and cats. I am a hunter, he is not. I am also an artist, ceramic mostly, some fiberglas and wall murals. I have done fiscal and physical planning for a city that is rapidly growing from a population of 1000 to 240,000 in ten years.
What we are looking for - a 3 BR 2 BA older farmhouse on 10+ acres, with a basement, fireplace, fenced and hopefully crossfenced, barn, pasture, decent growing conditions/soil, a hobby-farm type of place to grow our own produce and herbs, raise a couple of cows and horses, have chickens, and be able to hunt on our own property.
We are not interested in the school districts as our 'baby' is 24! We can get involved in local groups but are not 'joiners' as much as 'helpers'. We are occasional and happy drinkers (I like karaoke) and are comfortable in small bars as well as truck stops and local restaurants. We are emphatically not city people, and want peace and quiet and maybe a place for our (few) friends and children to come up, and hunt and ski and spend time in the snow. We like auctions and horse and cattle and art shows as well as country fairs. We are not rich, just a comfortable happy couple who like each other, are used to working hard, and who want a slower pace.
Old victorian style house with 51 acres. Sounds like what you might be looking for. Lake Metigoshe area has downhill and cross country skiing, plus many lakes around.
My VSO and I are looking at ND to retire, but we don't want to buy a "pig in a poke".
HE is - retired FF/Paramedic, mechanically adept (can make anything work - once built an operating fire truck out of three wrecked ones, known as "The Frankentender"). He can build anything, and has basic architectural drawing skills. He loves to cook and is good at it. He likes x-country skiing, has a quiet and humorous demeanor.
I am a writer and political maven; have run winning campaigns and newspapers, have also been a firefighter and EMT. I can grow anything, have my
own greenhouse, have raised horses, goats, and chickens as well as dogs and cats. I am a hunter, he is not. I am also an artist, ceramic mostly, some fiberglas and wall murals. I have done fiscal and physical planning for a city that is rapidly growing from a population of 1000 to 240,000 in ten years.
What we are looking for - a 3 BR 2 BA older farmhouse on 10+ acres, with a basement, fireplace, fenced and hopefully crossfenced, barn, pasture, decent growing conditions/soil, a hobby-farm type of place to grow our own produce and herbs, raise a couple of cows and horses, have chickens, and be able to hunt on our own property.
We are not interested in the school districts as our 'baby' is 24! We can get involved in local groups but are not 'joiners' as much as 'helpers'. We are occasional and happy drinkers (I like karaoke) and are comfortable in small bars as well as truck stops and local restaurants. We are emphatically not city people, and want peace and quiet and maybe a place for our (few) friends and children to come up, and hunt and ski and spend time in the snow. We like auctions and horse and cattle and art shows as well as country fairs. We are not rich, just a comfortable happy couple who like each other, are used to working hard, and who want a slower pace.
What areas of ND are conducive to this lifestyle?
Was only wondering what you thought of the property link I posted awhile ago. Looked like a place right up your alley. Was the asking price too much?
Good luck where ever you land..
My apologies, MikeyToo; I meant to answer you and just kept wandering away.
Yes, thank you so much, it is absolutely beautiful! 20 years ago I woulda fought for it! But - too much house as well as price. Because the monsters are now all adults , we don't need as much indoor room, and I can't make them work as free labor any more unless I can con them into coming up "for a vacation". Plus I know that I won't have 20 years to build/stock the next place like I did this one, so I am being very Scottish in my finances. I want to be able to go to the horse auctions and cattle auctions soon after we move in, and to start using the barns and coops, and getting my greenhouse ready for my year-round growing, and... then of course I want to make sure that the fuel tanks or wood bins are full for next winter, and my VSO will be looking at where to put in either solar or wind power (SC does not consider wind or solar or any off-grid power supply reimbursable and will not store or trade power with individual homeowners)... We have a lot of things we want to do, and we don't want to get in over our heads initially with too large of an investment.
I have been looking at many realty and broker and even auction websites (and one fella who reads my posts here was a real estate agent and has offered to be our buyer's agent, which is a help in a Strange New World) and we are quietly listing the pros and cons of different properties for when we come up to put down the down payment. But If anyone has any particular places in mind (we are trying to keep our initial investment under $150,000) that would be great. We like older farmhouses, and the communities that are losing population. That sounds weird, I know - but we are not investors who plan on making profit on a later sale... actually, that is why we bought the place we are living now, and it is panning out nicely! This time, we don't want a place that grows, or that is in line for development. Quiet, peaceful, good hunting and maybe fishing, but definitely quiet neighbors who like other quiet people would be a restful change from the growth around us! I'm an artist and a ceramicist with my own kiln and he does woodworking - I make the plates and bowls, he makes the shelves to put them on! LOL We keep ourselves busy...
(Although I do admit to succumbing to an occasional indulgence in karaoke at the closest bar!)
PS I am very jealous of your recent and ongoing snowfalls... Global warming, hunh? Hee hee.
Last edited by SCGranny; 01-06-2008 at 10:17 PM..
Reason: added last lines
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Please accept my apology!
, we don't need as much indoor room, and I can't make them work as free labor any more 
unless I can con them into coming up "for a vacation". Plus I know that I won't have 20 years to build/stock the next place like I did this one, so I am being very Scottish in my finances. I want to be able to go to the horse auctions and cattle auctions soon after we move in, and to start using the barns and coops, and getting my greenhouse ready for my year-round growing, and...
then of course I want to make sure that the fuel tanks or wood bins are full for next winter, and my VSO will be looking at where to put in either solar or wind power (SC does not consider wind or solar or any off-grid power supply reimbursable and will not store or trade power with individual homeowners)... We have a lot of things we want to do, and we don't want to get in over our heads initially with too large of an investment.
