Where in Vancouver/Camas/Fischer's Landing can one purchase 1+ acres of land? (Hockinson: for sale)

[Suzer]

I'm hoping to get some input regarding which distinct communities tend to have land available for building a single-family home. I like Hockinson, but haven't been able to find much in the way of land/lots. Any first hand or anecdotal experience with obtaining permits, etc.?

Many thanks!

[StealthRabbit]

There should be plenty of buildable parcels available, as developers gobble them up, and currently need to liquidate for cash.

My sis bought a nice 5 A spot in Hockinson last year, and several of my friends and ex-coworkers live there. 1 Acre lots are a bit more difficult due to zoning and Urban growth / infill issues. You are usually best off to find a trashed mobile home on acreage, as you will save impact fees (substantial in Camas and Clark County ~ $10k to $30k) + you will have road, power, water and septic in place, (~$30k-$50k) tho might need upgrading. Permitting should go faster with an already established residence. Do be certain the Mobile had a 'placement permit' (can tell off GIS site). You can crunch up and haul off a mobile home in a few hours, or if it is decent... live in it while you build, and sell later. I recently found a 5 acre view lot with trashed mobile for under $150k, and likely $50k in marketable timber. Still deciding on that one, but it is not in Camas area.

I would look in the Fern Prairie area and Proebstal for ez access. I've recently been doing some work on Livingston Mtn area and there are parcels for sale up there. There are a few 'gated' communities which seem to hold high resale value. The HOA rules can be ugly, but you might have a better quality of life if you are not excited about the neighbor kids running their ORV's 24x7. But if you are into that yourself, just poke around in the forest near Jones Creek (northeast of Fern Prairie)

[Suzer]

I really appreciate this response - it's very useful. Thanks!

[Suzer]

I received another suggestion - Fern Prairie, in case anyone is interested. Thanks dd.

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by janb

Do be certain the Mobile had a 'placement permit' (can tell off GIS site).

Here's the information on the county GIS site that janb mentioned.

Geocortex Internet Mapping Framework (http://gis.clark.wa.gov/imf/imf.jsp?site=digitalatlas&CFID=1144601&CFTOKEN=573 38432 - broken link)

Here's how to use the form:

1. Enter the street address of the property you'd like to see information about and then click the box that says "Go".
2. You'll see the address show up as a link under the heading that says "Select an address from list". Click on the address. The page will update with a map highlighting the property and a the owner information will appear on the left.
3. To see detailed information on previous sales, taxes, a photo of the property etc, click on the link that says "Property Information Center". This will bring up a new window with a TON of information.
4. Under the site address you'll find links to Taxes, Building, Documents, Permits, etc. Click on these to find more information about the property.

This site has a wealth of information on properties in the county and could have some very valuable information for any prospective purchasers. Particularly if the realtor has some made some overly "creative" stretches in their descriptions.