Retiring to E WA? (Seattle, Spokane: insurance, house, neighborhood)

[annaraven]

Hi folks,

We're currently in Sillycon Valley. Looking for somewhere a lot cheaper to retire (no income tax!).

We're looking at Eastern Washington for the sunnier climate. We're kinda looking at the corridor from Walla Walla to Clarkston, more or less. (Garden Zone 3a/b)

We will want to have a garden (vegetables and fruit) as well as small livestock(chickens and goats). So we're looking at finding a few acres (2 - 10) within 10 miles or so of a small town. (Or on the outskirts of a small town if they allow roosters and goats). We're fairly libertarian - live and let live.

We want to find a friendly, neighborly community to live near. We will want to have a hospital within 1/2 hour or so (not getting any younger). Also, definitely want internet.

So, what do you recommend we look at as far as towns?

Also, how do water rights work in WA? Are there "gotchas" to look out for?

Thank you,
Anna

ETA: We like mountains, hills, trees. Anything like that East of the Cascades that also meets the above criteria?

[StealthRabbit]

If you are headed that far east, consider Waitsburg (near Walla Walla (which is quite nice),) and Dayton.

While you are in the neighborhood, check out Pullman, but more importantly Moscow and surrounding ID.

WA has some good and some BAD (as does ID.) BUT in WA, you will become CA again, MUCH quicker than ID.

Also the areas SE of Spokane are nice towns (Fairfield and Rockford).

[M3 Mitch]

You will find more trees around Spokane than around the Tri-City area, but, if you are willing to go with trees in town, sagebrush out, Prosser is OK.

[Hemlock140]

Look at Oakesdale, very small town 45 miles south of Spokane, and north of Pullman. A friend bought a great farm there for an amazing price and loves it. You can find a nice 4 BR house on 2+ acres for under $200,000.

[poopskooper]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Look at Oakesdale, very small town 45 miles south of Spokane, and north of Pullman. A friend bought a great farm there for an amazing price and loves it. You can find a nice 4 BR house on 2+ acres for under $200,000.

Ah, Oakesdale! I was offered a teaching job there in the early 70s. I turned it down because it was such a small and isolated town. A nice town, however. Not much of a place for somebody in their twenties I thought at the time. I think it still is a very small town in terms of population ...I'm thinking 400 or so? I'm sure it would definitely have a sense of community and I could see that even back then. But, still, the nearest hospital would be in Spokane about 50-minutes away. Oakesdale is still pretty isolated.

For mountains, hills, and trees, yes, I think the Walla Walla area would be ideal. Walla Walla is big enough to probably have most the amenities you'll need but still has the Blue Mountains nearby, lots of farming, and a nice climate.

JMO and my opinion doesn't mean much.

[509]

Originally Posted by annaraven

Hi folks,



We're looking at Eastern Washington for the sunnier climate. We're kinda looking at the corridor from Walla Walla to Clarkston, more or less. (Garden Zone 3a/b)

We want to find a friendly, neighborly community to live near. We will want to have a hospital within 1/2 hour or so (not getting any younger). Also, definitely want internet.

So, what do you recommend we look at as far as towns?

Also, how do water rights work in WA? Are there "gotchas" to look out for?

Thank you,
Anna

ETA: We like mountains, hills, trees. Anything like that East of the Cascades that also meets the above criteria?

I spend a month every fall bird hunting that corridor from Walla Walla to Clarkston.

It WAS at one time one of the prettiest places in Washington state. However, during the last five years thousands or acres have been destroyed by industrial wind areas. And there are many more planned for the future. The past three Governors have overridden local objections to the industrial wind areas and with the continuation of Federal and state subsidies the environmental impact is horrendous and will just get worse in the future.

Such a neat area destroyed for nothing!!

Even worse, each one of those wind turbines has a fiber optic line running to it. Unfortunately, I am not aware of any provision for providing fiber access to the local communities along the route.

When I camp in the area I use a external antenna and amplifier with my cell phone to get service in most areas. Up top on the ridges is your best bet. You can imagine the internet service quality on the cell network when voice is that bad.

The fastest internet access in Washington state is in Chelan, Douglas and Grant counties along the east slope of the Cascades. In those counties, standard internet service is 100mbps up and down for somewhere between $30 and $60 month. You can get 1Gbps service for just under $200/month, but check as some areas do not have 1Gbps service. All service is fiber optic and you can get phone and cable as well as internet from local providers. The systems have been in place for over a decade now and service is very reliable. You will never go back to cable companies!!

All service is provided at the wholesale level by the Public Utilities in those counties. You must chose a retail ISP provider, mostly local companies. Those same Governor's were also very hostile to municipal broadband so only a few counties could afford to spend the monies to lay fiber lines to local residents.

For gardening, the Walla Walla to Clarkston area has a long growing season due to mild winters. Anywhere in what was the "Great Columbia Desert" from Walla Walla to Yakima, Wenatchee, Okanogan and Moses Lake has pretty similar growing conditions.

In Wenatchee, my earliest for ripe tomatoes was April 28th. You have to watch the spring winds and find a place with warm soil temperatures. In my case, I helped the soil temperatures by putting heating cables into the tomatoe beds. You just have to look around for heating cables that will heat the soil to 70 degrees. In Douglas County, electricity is 2cents a kilowatt hour so basically free. I did not even notice it on my electric bill.

Regional medical communities are Tri-cities, Yakima and Wenatchee. Major trauma cases are airlifted to either Spokane or Seattle.

Water rights problems are severe in the Yakima River drainage. AND they are likely to get much worse in the future. Not aware of major problems in other drainages.

Here are the links to the PUD's and their fiber programs.

Chelan County FAQ: Fiber FAQs | Chelan County Public Utility District

Grant County: Fiber Optic Network Services

Douglas County: Fiber Optics for Douglas County

This local provider serves all three counties and has rates and plans: LocalTel Communications

There is also a new wireless service linked to Local Tel that provides phone and internet at up to 25mbps. You can find it under their link.

Oh, almost forget just across the state line from Walla Walla in Umatilla County they have had county wide wireless service for over a decade now. USATODAY.com - Biggest Wi-Fi cloud is in rural Oregon

So there you have it....the most advanced telecommunications in the world in one county and well, lets just say somewhat behind the curve in the next county over!!

Hope this helps in your search.

[StealthRabbit]

Oh, yes, do consider the Wenatchee region if the growing season is adequate for you. There are MANY good things going on there, and for retirement... the regional transportation system is excellent. (and you are fairly close to Seattle / airport if you need to go anywhere. In retirement I fly at least once / month and am willing to put up with the crummy weather near Portland Airport JUST to have EZ access to escape (I have done 10 trips since Oct). Can't do that with livestock... but my 'farm dog' can handle the place (and cats) while I'm gone. $38 to San Diego is a nice get-away (77F here today in SAN)

[annaraven]

Thanks for all the help!

Okay - has anyone heard of "Asotin, WA"? If so, what can you tell me?

I'll definitely be checking out the other suggestions as well. Thank you.

[Hemlock140]

Actually, Asotin would probably suit you too. The only problem is that it's very isolated, with only a bit over 1,000 people. The nearest city with a full service hospital is Lewiston ID with about 32,000 people, but it's a long haul to Spokane if you need real city services. I don't know if there would be issues with medical care in another state with all the coming changes.

[509]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Actually, Asotin would probably suit you too. The only problem is that it's very isolated, with only a bit over 1,000 people. The nearest city with a full service hospital is Lewiston ID with about 32,000 people, but it's a long haul to Spokane if you need real city services. I don't know if there would be issues with medical care in another state with all the coming changes.

When we were looking around for a new community in the 90's I liked Walla Walla, my wife like Lewiston-Clarkston. We ended up staying in Wenatchee.

Asotin only seems "isolated". It is close to Moscow and Pullman with the Universities. It is ONLY two hours from Montana. And that part of Idaho is pretty cool to explore in its own right.

Check out the paper mill and its aroma. Otherwise, it is a fine community and beyond reach of the windmills carpeting eastern Washington. Not sure about internet access in Lewiston-Clarkston.

The good news is that your part of Idaho in Asotin, but pay Washington taxes. Several years ago, the Seattle Times sent out a reporter throughout Washington state to ask how the new Governor was doing after a year in office. In Clarkston, everybody was pleased with the job he was doing, but then it suddenly dawned on the reporter that they were talking about IDAHO's new Governor!!

Interesting point about healthy care. Spokane provides health care service for southern British Columbia, southwest Alberta, north Idaho, most of Montana, parts of eastern Oregon and of course, eastern Washington. I suspect given Spokane's importance to health care in the region something will be done to ease the transition. After all, it was all those OTHER states and provinces that convinced the Washington legislature to overide their decision to limit Spokane's hospitals ability on heart issues.

Cross state lines in one issue, but I am not sure what the Canadians will do for operations and other major health care issues if they lose access to American health care. Most of the Canadians residents I KNOW use their system for routine issues and carry catastrophic insurance in the states for major issues.

We did almost buyh a city lot in Asotin for 5,000 dollars in 1995 or so. Would have been nice to have that lot for a getaway today.