Coming to visit the Medford/Ashland/Grants Pass area this spring (Portland: real estate, renting)

[Russspeak]

Hello everyone, I'm new to this site, although I've been lurking for a bit. The reason is that I am planning on moving back to Oregon probably within the next 18 months. Previously I've lived here a couple of times back in the 60's and early 70's, up in the Portland/Gresham area. I've got lots of relatives still living there, which is partly why when I do move back, it's going to be down South, lol.

I'm basically looking for my final resting place, to retire that is, lol, after a life of living in a dozen places, from Alaska to Costa Rica, and most recently in Iowa. But first I'm planning a trip this coming spring - I'm planning on renting a car and just driving around, checking out the lay of the land, talking to realtors as well as seeing the sights. May even try to squeeze in a day of skiing if any resorts are still open at that time.

SOOO, my question is, between the last week in March till the end of April, what would be the best time to come visit for 10 days? Weatherwise I'd guess the later the better, but it would also be fun to enjoy some local culture and entertainment, so with that in mind could anyone fill me in on the 411 as to the best 10-day window? Any information is greatly appreciated, ;?)

[Russspeak]

I'm also interested in permaculture, intentional communities, CEB (compressed earth block) houses, glass blowing, skiing and general outdoors activities in case there's any fairs, festivals or seminars happening during that time-frame.

Also, if anyone knows of a really good, experienced real estate agent, any referrals would sure be appreciated. I am mostly interested in a piece of land, zoned residential of course, preferrably on the outskirts of any town (or out in the country, but no more than an hours drive to Medford or Ashland, and hopefully where the zoning will let me build my own CEB/adobe house - 5-10 acres (more if the price is right ;?) but my top priorities are:
1) a south-facing slope
2) power/phone/potable water (or well) connections
3) water access, as in fronting a river, or with a stream running through it or a pond

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Later is better for the weather.

I suspect that every city, town, and hamlet in Oregon has a web page with and events page, if you'd like to browse.

I don't know any real estate agents in Ashland and if no one has a recommendation, make appointments with 3-4 of them and give them an interview to see if you can find one that you would like to work with. Expect what you are looking for to be expensive.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

By the way, if by water access, you mean water available to use, you will not be permitted to take water from any stream or river, and probably not any spring unless you have established water rights.

If you mean a boat launch or a place to fish, that is different.

[PNW-type-gal]

Certainly there are a lot of "alternate construction" houses down this way, and they are not incompatible with modern code, but you will need to meet building codes. The only rammed earth block houses I have seen have been in the high desert on the other side of the Cascades and in the desert Southwest, not sure why.

Land is expensive in Southern Oregon, particularly as you get near a city - I'd think your requirements would run between $250,000 and $800,000, just for raw land.

It's always a good idea to find a property with a current perc test - not just a perc test, but a current perc test - so you know that you'll be able to put in a septic system. The DEQ, which handles water and septic permits, is pretty strict.

[Russspeak]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

By the way, if by water access, you mean water available to use, you will not be permitted to take water from any stream or river, and probably not any spring unless you have established water rights.

If you mean a boat launch or a place to fish, that is different.

Well access mostly, I just like having a river, stream, lake or pond on or connected to the property. A stream is preferrable, and I understand the restrictions to taking water, but I wonder if a small pelton wheel generator would be allowed? As for the expense, that's probably why I'll probably have to look further afield, but ideally about no more than 30-45 minutes away from Medford or Ashland.

[Russspeak]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

Certainly there are a lot of "alternate construction" houses down this way, and they are not incompatible with modern code, but you will need to meet building codes. The only rammed earth block houses I have seen have been in the high desert on the other side of the Cascades and in the desert Southwest, not sure why.

Land is expensive in Southern Oregon, particularly as you get near a city - I'd think your requirements would run between $250,000 and $800,000, just for raw land.

It's always a good idea to find a property with a current perc test - not just a perc test, but a current perc test - so you know that you'll be able to put in a septic system. The DEQ, which handles water and septic permits, is pretty strict.

I've read that Oregon was allowing alternative building, (another reason I picked Oregon ;?) but haven't found the code restrictions yet. I don't know about rammed earth, not a fan of it, or straw bales, or even earth bags - those other methods have their drawbacks and don't lend themselves to standard building practices, whereas compressed earth blocks construction techniques (using a CEB press) aren't much different than other masonry practices, with the exception of being superior in many attributes (including not needing any mortar).

And I have been looking at land prices, and I agree that the prices are pretty steep, especially the closer you get ot Medford or Ashland. So I'm probably going to have to look at areas 20+ miles or more out, which is fine, I like some solitude, just don't want to be in the middle of nowhere either, lol. Also I have read some comments about the strictness of regulations when it comes to septic systems, which I can both appreciate and worry about. I used to be a plumber many moons ago, so I understand the concerns, but a lot can depend on the inspector as well as some are easier to work with than others. Guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it. Thanks for the advice PNW

[Russspeak]

As for why more people aren't using CEB's to build with, especially considering the push towards building green homes that reduce one's carbon footprint, I think the biggest obstacle is just ignorance (as in lack of knowledge ;?).

Compressed earth blocks construction, also referred to as adobe style building (which is a misnomer I'll address later), is about as green as it comes. In most cases you can use the very soil that the house is built on, using the excavated dirt from the basement level for instance. The soil does need to contain a certain ratio of sand/silt/clay, but if this is off one way or another, it can be remedied by adding sand or clay - this does add to the price, but usually not by much.

The most expensive component (aside from labor) is the concrete for the foundation, and second is the cement that will be needed (at a 6% ratio) for the first several courses to stabilize and protect the bricks from rain/splashing/light flooding. After that there's concrete for the bond beam and, as I prefer, steel roof beams/joises and metal roof - this provides the best protection and most of all makes the house completely fireproof, not something you find in most other types of construction.

As I mentioned, labor is the biggest cost as CEB houses can take as much as 60% more labor/man hours, but on the flip side, this system is so easy to learn, most average people with some building skills can learn how to build their own homes, or at least a large part of it. The CEB ram presses aren't too expensive (you can even build your own) and since no mortar is involved, you won't need a professional mason either.

Those presses, btw, are what largely make CEB's different from adobe - adobe uses a mud mixture poured into a mold (usually relying on organic matter like straw to give them strength) which must be dried/cured over time, whereas CEB's have no organic matter and are compressed by the blockpress under high pressure, up to 2,500 psi, which makes them strong enough to go right from the machine to wall, no cure needed.

Hopefully this type of home building will catch on more over time as these homes are great for the environment, beautifully organic, fireproof, soundproof and can withstand anything except a direct hit from a tornado, and best of all can lower heating and cooling costs by 60% or more when properly built. As you can tell, I'm a big proponent of this type of construction, lol, but that's because in my honest opinion, having checked nearly every other type out there, this really is the best all around way to go. If anyone is interested in learning more, I can answer questions or send you links to find out more.

[McFrostyJ]

How well do these CEB homes hold up in the west side of Oregon's cold wet climate?

[Russspeak]

Hello McFrostyJ,
I'm sure they will work fine, as contrary to most thinking, CEB's are not just for drier Southwestern areas, although with a couple of caveats. In wetter climates you'll probably want to use portland cement as a stabilizer for the entire exterior construction at a ratio of 5-8% for the first three courses and then cut back to 3% for the rest, especially if you plan on building a 2-story home. For added protection you would want to extend the length of your eaves as I know the rains along that area can be long and hard.

It is important to design the south facing eaves properly to take full advantage of the thermal mass function of earth block construction. That principle dictates that in most climates (especially with warm/hot summers), you'd want to protect the southern exposure from direct sun in the summer months while the opposite would be desired during the colder winter months.

In reality CEB homes can be built in almost any climate, although in extreme cold zones you'd probably have to use a double wall technique with insulation in between (at minimum on the northern exposure and/or the east and west sides if in shade, but not on the southern exposure, again as you need the sun-side to be able to transfer solar heat.

That said, cold climates are not the best areas for this kind of construction as thermal mass doesn't work well (or at all) if it's cold (below comfort levels, say 50 F.) for many months. You'd need to spend more on heating in those circumstances, but if you're in an area where firewood is cheap/easy to get hold of, there are some incredible things you can do with massive fireplaces that increase your homes thermal mass and so greatly increase the efficiency of that fuel. Check out rocket stove designs, as these lend themselves quite well to being built into adobe and CEB construction.

The neat thing about using thermal mass as opposed to insulation is that the thick walls slow down the transfer of heat, and when designed correctly for your climate, ideally you'll just begin to feel the heat from the morning sun inside the house around the time the sun has set. That way the house continues to stay warm at night and begin to feel cooler as day returns. It does take some study to properly design your home since your individual situations should be taken into account.