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Up a little might be in the NO outdoor water usage zone... I suspect real cheap for unsuspecting buyers.. Do your homework, and do not underestimate the water in your life.
Excellent advice TrueTimbers. Our very discerning buyer's agent actually wanted us to look only at lots with existing wells...which really limited us...due to the differences in output and water quality that can make installing a private well in this area fraught with unknowns. A friend of my sister's just moved from our town in WI to Sequim and they decided to purchase an existing home instead of building because some of the lots they looked at were limited to no outside watering due to the Dungeness Water Rule.
We looked at a nice lot in Carlsborg with a well (reasonably priced level one acre with a great mountain view) but when we chatted with one of the neighbors he told us he was likely gonna have to move since he cannot drink his well water...their water table is contaminated with sewage from area wells that had been dug historically too close to septic systems. This guy really knew his water...is currently on a committee for water usage in his area (can't recall the name but he did tell us) and is a retired PhD salmon biologist...and shared lots of information with us. I had felt well informed enough about the Dungeness Water Rule to keep us concerned about buying in the DWR area but this blew our minds!
In our admittedly limited experience, water is an enormous consideration for buying property in Sequim.
Thanks for the info, Jumpindogs. I'll check it out. I was trying to stay away from the alternative septics I've seen. Most have more problems than I like. We were looking out further toward the Strait. I personally like it west of 101. Maybe up a little. But it depends on what we can find when we get there.
Conventional gravity septic was also high on our list of must haves but IME it's pretty challenging to find everything you want unless you have unlimited funds. We have lots of non-negotiable factors on our list of land features and septic was negotiable for us. Since there is only two of us and my anal brain tends to research ad nauseum before making decisions, we feel comfy with a mound installed by a quality firm.
Closer to the Strait is way too cold and windy for us! Brrrr. Granted we weren't there during the heat of the day since we were in Sequim itself or hiking Hurricane Ridge or the Discovery Trail. So maybe it's just the summer mornings and evenings on the Strait that blow hard and chilly. It did make us wonder how much colder it would feel there in winter. But the cool thing about this area is that there are so many micro climates that it offers something for everyone. :-)
Thanks for the info, Jumpindogs. I'll check it out. I was trying to stay away from the alternative septics I've seen. Most have more problems than I like. We were looking out further toward the Strait. I personally like it west of 101. Maybe up a little. But it depends on what we can find when we get there.
Thanks for the info, Jumpindogs. I'll check it out. I was trying to stay away from the alternative septics I've seen. Most have more problems than I like. We were looking out further toward the Strait. I personally like it west of 101. Maybe up a little. But it depends on what we can find when we get there.
Click on Water Rule Map near the top under the heading Quick Water Rule Links and you will see the boundaries of the DWR area. It's pretty much everywhere unless you're east of Sequim. Or much closer to Port Angeles. My novice understanding is that the DWR boundaries include all areas that impact the Dungeness River Watershed.
Opinion here...the DWR sounds like a PITA at best and a financial liability at worst. Who's gonna buy your house when you try to sell years from now if they can't water their landscape plants, wash their car or fill their kiddie pool? Just because some areas within the DWR boundaries now allow outside watering doesn't mean they always will. And who wants a meter on their private well...which they paid good money to install...that charges them based on how much water they use? Have you heard the stories of people who are now unable to water their livestock and/or their crops? Very sad for them. I love salmon and want them healthy, for both my appetite and for the native tribes. And I want my nephew to keep his job as a salmon biologist. But there's gotta be a better way. Perhaps the several lawsuits now pending against the DWR will push to find that better way.
That's interesting that they could put meters on private wells. How do they to do that if it's private and not on public water? Going to look very closely at that. We xeriscape (sp) with native plants and try to get ones we don't have to water. Have you heard of that new grass that doesn't take much water and doesn't grow very high? And less fertilizer. We're tired of cutting grass anyway. Good info here. Thanks again. I do the research a subject to death thing also. Good thing..my husband doesn't. I'll be following those lawsuits and will be interested in the outcome.
That's interesting that they could put meters on private wells. How do they to do that if it's private and not on public water? Going to look very closely at that. We xeriscape (sp) with native plants and try to get ones we don't have to water. Have you heard of that new grass that doesn't take much water and doesn't grow very high? And less fertilizer. We're tired of cutting grass anyway. Good info here. Thanks again. I do the research a subject to death thing also. Good thing..my husband doesn't. I'll be following those lawsuits and will be interested in the outcome.
My guess is that they (the Department of Ecology AKA the government) consider the water owned by an entity separate from the private property owner. WA is a fairly liberal state and thus some rights may not be considered in the same light they are in more conservative states. Although beach property rights have a decidedly conservative flavor in WA...one can walk pretty much any walkable beach in, say CA, but in WA the beach belongs to the property owner and if we walk it we are trespassing. I am finding WA to be somewhat of a political enigma. :-)
The problem with newly planted drought tolerant plant material is that it must be watered for some time after planting. The more these plants are watered properly in their "youth" the more drought tolerant they become. So those of us building homes must be able to water outside unless we want to live in a weed encrusted dust bowl. Our feet and sandals got unbelievably dirty as we walked lots...we didn't expect that.
Good work Jumpingdogs!
Sounds like you got the right person to work with..
Once you start putting some criteria on properties like water quality/availability/rights one can narrow down the playing field quite quickly..
windrunner4484, Just suggesting be aware of the power of water. Even if you may not need it, someone in the future might... I suspect the impact of water restrictions will substantially effect property value in the future.
On a positive note the rainshadow communities are being pro active with water issues.. Yes mistakes and bad choices are made sometimes but overall one can not knock the attempt of forward thinking.
I am in Jefferson county, things are different. Here in rural Port Townsend, they are trying to get rural properties on city water lines. When they come down a road, one has to hook up to city water, however you can still use your well for agricultural purposes.
Us, we bought 2, 5 acre lots so we own both shares of our well. I did not want to share a well, being a farmer who uses hoop houses and drip irrigation extensively... Water is my livelihood..
Thanks for the info, Jumpindogs. I'll check it out. I was trying to stay away from the alternative septics I've seen. Most have more problems than I like. We were looking out further toward the Strait. I personally like it west of 101. Maybe up a little. But it depends on what we can find when we get there.
Thought I'd mention the experience of a friend of my sister's who recently bought a house in Sequim somewhat close to the strait...just north of Woodcock Road. Their next door neighbor told them that in the 36 years they've lived there they've only been able to have dinner out on the patio twice due to the winds that pick up and the temperature drop that occurs daily around 4:30-5 pm. My sister's friend is now planning to cover their patio and install a heater so they can entertain on their patio in the summer. And these are folks who watched Packer games outside on their patio in October in Wisconsin so they are no wimps. Just a friendly heads up.
When we were in Sequim in July we experienced blustery winds around noon on a sunny day at a lot we looked at near Lotzgesell and Cays...so windy that we immediately knew it wasn't for us since it made being outside an effort. We had just driven there from Sequim where it was barely breezy and warm...much more enjoyable for outdoor work and fun from our perspective.
Apparently it's true when they say it is windier near the strait.
Thought I'd mention the experience of a friend of my sister's who recently bought a house in Sequim somewhat close to the strait...just north of Woodcock Road. Their next door neighbor told them that in the 36 years they've lived there they've only been able to have dinner out on the patio twice due to the winds that pick up and the temperature drop that occurs daily around 4:30-5 pm. My sister's friend is now planning to cover their patio and install a heater so they can entertain on their patio in the summer. And these are folks who watched Packer games outside on their patio in October in Wisconsin so they are no wimps. Just a friendly heads up.
When we were in Sequim in July we experienced blustery winds around noon on a sunny day at a lot we looked at near Lotzgesell and Cays...so windy that we immediately knew it wasn't for us since it made being outside an effort. We had just driven there from Sequim where it was barely breezy and warm...much more enjoyable for outdoor work and fun from our perspective.
Apparently it's true when they say it is windier near the strait.
Jumpindogs, did you ever look at the lots at Daybreak Meadows? I've seen them for sale and just wondered. They look nice if you can get on up a bit.
I, too, was surprised at the wind. We stopped for a bite when we were there and when we got out of the car almost got blown away. And that was downtown. Not that I mind wind but as you say, it would make it a bit hard to have a cookout or something.
Jumpindogs, did you ever look at the lots at Daybreak Meadows? I've seen them for sale and just wondered. They look nice if you can get on up a bit.
I, too, was surprised at the wind. We stopped for a bite when we were there and when we got out of the car almost got blown away. And that was downtown. Not that I mind wind but as you say, it would make it a bit hard to have a cookout or something.
We did. And we bought one.
This development was recently re-listed. It had been sold some years ago by the original developer to another developer...just before the market dump, unfortunately...and he lost it to the the bank. The current developer bought it from the bank early this year. The timing worked out beautifully for our July trip to Sequim.
When we looked at DM we fell in love with the general feel of this development because it reminded us of northern Wisconsin. There were still a good number of lots available...some with views (saltwater, Mt. Baker, foothills)...but sales started picking up just as we offered and we ended up in competition with another buyer. Things turned out in our favor and we should be closing next week. DM has received offers on a good number of lots in the past few weeks. I don't know if that's a reflection of a bump in land sales or of the desirability of DM.
DM is a 48 lot development and the lots are all 1-3 acres so it is a sizable chunk of property. The development itself is a really nice walking route...hilly and views.
We are discerning land buyers...a polite way of saying anal freakin' nutcases ...and the only thing we found wrong with this development is that most lots will not perc conventional. There is also a possibility of saltwater contamination with the community well since it is very deep (500 feet which is 200 feet below sea level at that point) and only about a quarter mile from Sequim Bay but the recent water quality tests, the Water Plan document filed with the state and some additional research set us at ease. We were concerned about the proximity to 101 but traffic noise is negligible, perhaps because DM is at a slightly higher elevation. Turning west (into Sequim) onto 101 from Palo Alto sucks but there are plans to improve/control that intersection...the state bought the four lots closest to 101 with that project in mind...and our hope is that by the time we get there that will have been done. They have 5-7 years according to our timetable but we'll see. An alternative is to drive south on Palo Alto to Louella and access 101 from Louella...for some reason that seems less chancey. Visibility perhaps.
There is definitely a wide range of desirability among the DM lots. But with a few exceptions I think the majority would make lovely homesites, depending on your personal tastes. We had a pretty vigorous list of "must have" lot features so there were only a few that we considered.
We did not expect to buy land on our first trip to Sequim but I asked God to lead us and He did. Many doors opened for us.
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