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I would like to purchase a starter home in North Dakota within the next few years but, since I now live on the west coast, I have no idea what I need to look for when I evaluate the different homes. I've seen several lovely homes that have 2 or 3 bedrooms and a garage between Harvey and Drake North Dakota, all at very affordable prices for when I am ready to buy, but I would like to know how to evaluate whether the home is a good deal or not. What should I look for in a ND home? What questions should I be asking the real estate agent or home owner? What needs to be checked to ensure the home is ready for winter? What types of maintenance need to be performed on the home and how often? What difference does it make if the home is heated by propane, fuel oil or electricity? All advice, even what you would consider basic common sense will be appreciated since this will be my first home purchase. Thanks.
I have in-laws in the Minot area and travelled in the Velva area...but not specifically along Highway 52 which takes you down through Drake and Harvey.
That area is a strong agricultural area (as is most of the state) and Drake and Harvey both have their own public school district with their own high school.
Harvey being the county seat of Wells county would offer a few more businesses...and most towns of their size have a Cenex or someother gas/convenience store combo from which you can get pizza/sandwiches,etc.
First off, having never been here, I would suggest a personal visit to the areas you are interested. You can only glean so much from the web. The area has rolling hills, flat areas, and along some of the creek/river beds there are hills/trees along it. But much of the land outside of that is good for growing crops and for cattle. That area is typically nice, small town ND with nice folks and strong community spirit.
If you cannot visit, definitely want to speak with a realtor in the area once you see a home of interest and he/she would be the best source of local info. Be sure before you purchase any home, regardless of age, get a home inspection. Ask the realtor for suggestions in the local area. Most towns will have natural gas....but in between towns the majority use propane. Doubt if there is any real money advantage....just that with propane you often pay upfront for them to fill your tank. Harvey and Drake would have city water, but in-between might be wells. For high speed internet...likely a dish will be needed. Depends though...as not sure of what cable company is in that area. Midcontinent communications serves a lot of towns in ND and they have excellent high speed internet.
I would think home inspection is the most important, and be sure to ask the inspector about checking the type and amount of insulation in the walls and especially the roof area. You can never have too much. Also check all windows/doors for any leaks...if an older home you might have to replace them. Most homes in the area have basements (newer ones are mostly split level). In there is a basement...unless new...most willl be of block foundation which can have water leakage over time. Have the inspector check the basement and foundation for any water damage. I would make sure the basement had a sump pump as it would be greatly needed in case there is a summer of heavy rainfall.
Those are the main ones I think of.
For places to live...how rural do you want. If you have a home in town (such as Drake or Harvey) it would be easier to do errands, etc for basic needs in the winter, versus having to drive from out of town. Also blizzards and white outs are often much worse outside of towns and if thinking of a place outside of town, be sure to have enough supplies on hand in case there is a big winter storm and you cannot get out for a day or three.
Thanks again. I'm saving your post in a permanent file so I can refer back to it later. I currently live in an urban apartment building and when I go outside to sit at a picnic table to read a book, I see thousands of apartment windows, cement structures and flourescent signs all around. I want a home that is so rural that when I go into my back yard to read a book, there is no cement in sight and in its place are grass, trees, flowers and maybe a garden. Also, I would prefer to not have thousands of windows nearby, but I like the idea of having neighbors who aren't too far away. and internet service is essential. I'm still finding new areas within North Dakota to explore over the internet. Today I viewed pictures of guests enjoying outdoor activities while visiting an Inn in Stanton, North Dakota, and just like the banker from PA, I found myself drooling. I think North Dakota has the best kept secret of natural beauty combined with affordable housing that I have ever seen.
Sounds good Christine....North Dakota has lots of wide open spaces....if you want green and some trees....suggest more central and eastern ND as the farther west you go (west of the Missouri River) the drier the climate is. That central section you were looking at is a good area.....as are many many areas. One of those things in that it is hard to pick one town over another....more type of house you like the best. I would still visit ND sometime (maybe this summer) to see what parts of the state you like the best. You can fly into Bismarck (they have a connection from Denver -- I am not sure what airline though) and you will be centrally located to explore the area.
Do be sure you like cold winters....winters can be long here....not every winter but most. Also the south and west areas of the state say....south of a Williston to Bismarck to Fargo line can be quite a bit warmer than the rest of the state with some thawing and snowmelt in the winter. I work in the weather forecasting business (not on TV) and can assist you with climate if you wish.
I was so enthralled with the prospect of being able to purchase a home within my budget that I began overlooking the obvious. You are absolutely right that I need to visit North Dakota during the summer and drive through the areas I am considering and talk to the locals first before I purchase. Thanks Dan, for reminding me of the basics.
Christine, may I ask as to why you are looking at the Harvey, Drake area in particular? I'm not sure if you'll be looking for a job etc. and / or nightlife / shopping but if you're looking for a professional career or would like to be somewhat close to what little ND can offer for night life, city amentities and air service, you may want to look into being at least somewhat closer to Bismarck, Fargo, or Grand Forks.
On the other hand, I think Minot and Williston have a ton of retail jobs if that's what you're looking for. And if you want to work in oil fields, you're pretty much set. They may also have some oil company office jobs out there but I'm not sure. Also, Lake Sakajawea (and I'm pretty sure I mispelled that) is quite pretty. You'll also probably get a much better deal on a house there than around Bismarck or Fargo.
About ND weather, the general trend is it gets colder, windier, & wetter as you go east and north and its very strange. It could be 60 one day in December (Praise unregulated greenhouse gas emmissions!) and a blizard the next day. I think its kind of fun but then I'm strange.
FYI, if you're looking into flying into ND, you may want to look into Aligent airlines (I think that's how they spell it). It serves Bismarck and Fargo (out of Las Vegas) and I think is much cheaper than the other ones (United (Denver) and Northwest (Minneapolis / St. Paul)).
Thanks so much for all the helpful advice. Thankfully, I can keep my current employment as long as I have internet access, so any area that is within about one hour of a larger urban area that has grocery stores, furniture stores, building supply stores, banks, and good internet access, would be fine with me. Of course, I haven't driven on North Dakota roads during the winter and might modify my answer after I do. I chose the Drake to Harvey area because of its proximity to Minot and because it is also close to a lot of lakes and recreational areas that I find absolutely beautiful; yet, the area seems to have a lot of nice, affordable housing. However, I am just beginning my search for a home and will likely expand my search as I learn more about the different communities. I think I will try to take Dan's advice and drive through North Dakota this summer to visit the small communities that look so nice on the internet. Thanks again.
Good questions. I met a young woman who moved from Orland, Florida to escape the heat and congestion that works through the Internet. A lot of the small towns close to major cities does have DSL capabilities, but the further away, you may lose that advantage. The same for cell phones. There are areas that cells phones don't work in ND. Hope this helps.
Last edited by Jammie; 07-12-2007 at 01:02 PM..
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Not sure if your still reading these posts. I'll give you my two cents worth. I was born and grew up in Harvey. It is a beautiful little town. I may be wrong on a few of these stats. It has two grocery stores. A wonderful school system. It does have a hardware store, two furniture stores, several banks, bakery, movie theatre, arts and crafts stores, body shop, repair shops, a couple car dealers, you'll want to drive to minot to purchase clothing though, minot is 75 miles away, lumberyard, hospital, clinics, churches, bars, bowling alley, golf course, swimming pool, parks, restraunts, join the jaycee's club (good way to meet people), they host several community events every year (rodeo, drag races, crazy days, demolition derby, other small town fun) the sheyenne river creates a resevoir lake in town, i love driving around and in the country around harvey. You could probably find a nice home in the 50,000-70,000 range and update the interior.
Yes, I am still reading these posts. They have so much valuable information for someone like me who will need to learn how to adapt to a new climate. I am still looking at North Dakota homes, but I have expanded my search to include all areas within the state that are about an hour drive or so of a larger city. North Dakota is beautiful and the prices are far more reasonable than here in California where I am totally priced out of ever owning a home. So, thank you all very much for all of the helpful tips on North Dakota living.
Christine
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