Winter is coming and our wall is not finished

[Roland of Gilead]

Yes it is going to be 96 degrees today here in eastern Washington state and yes I can't see the sun for the forest fire smoke, but I have the feeling the days *are* getting shorter.  Winter is coming.

We bought ~30 acres of timber land in the mountains here, really beautiful (and cheap cheap!) and have spent the entire summer here in our RV.   We did not build enough structures though (just a very nice 10x10 storage shed, extremely well done but we took forever to build it).

The plan a couple of weeks ago was to bug out before winter and head to the east coast again but now we are thinking of staying in the area, both to see what a winter is like here and to save $3,000+ in fuel cost.  On the east coast we would also spend a minimum of about $500 per month to park our RV as there just are not many BLM boondocking possibilities there as there are out west.  I also would like to be here to keep an eye on the property and actually experience some snow (last Christmas in New Orleans it was 87 degrees and muggy).

My wife has said she is not willing to risk staying in the RV in the mountains all winter (this probably has something to do with our outdoor shower situation and the -20 degree temperatures but I could be wrong).  She does want to camp out here some to see how the RV does and to ride snowmobiles around our property (I made some trails to get ready, removed stumps and such from them).

So...long story short, we need to find a cheap place to stay in the near town.   I have not rented anything in decades.   We have no rental history and no job (is that a problem?) but we own our property free and clear, own our truck, 820 credit score, and I can show them some of our finances if need be.

Should we go for an apartment or a small rental house?   What are the pros and cons of either?   Do we worry about section 8 tenants?  This town has A LOT of those.  We have been living in a 200 sq-ft RV (although with 30 acres of freedom and silence in the mountains) so going to even a 625 sq-ft 1 bd-rm 1 bath apartment would seem like a mansion.

The prices on the apartments seem to be $500 for a 625 sq-ft 1bd-rm, $700 for a 1000 sq-ft 2 bed 2 bath townhouse and anywhere from $600 to $1200 for a 2bd to 3bd private home.

What would a mustachian do here?

[Roland of Gilead]

sorry double post.  Either my fault or MMM server.

[Jon_Snow]

Winter is coming.

*nods*

[Clean Shaven]

Winter is coming.

*nods*

You know nothing, Jon Snow.

[wordnerd]

Sounds like your leisure activities would still be outside, so I would go for the cheap apartment. My only caveat is that if you or both of you routinely go outside  the RV to get alone time, I would look for a place with a balcony.

As far as no rental history, I'm not entirely sure, but if you pass the credit and background checks (and potentially explain the situation), I think you should be fine. If you've been making the payments on the RV, you might be able to use that to show that you've paying your "mortgage" for X years.

[Roland of Gilead]

We built our RV from scratch so there are no payments to show.   We bought a 2017 Ford F150 4x4 with cash, so no  payments there either.  Previously we owned a house we paid off early.   I have not financed anything in ages actually.  That may have been a mistake I now see.

I could just pay them the entire 6 months rent up front?  That should make a landlord feel comfortable?

[Another Reader]

Some landlords would like that.  Others would be suspicious of your reason.  If you have a credit score and it's high and you have an explanation, it might work, especially if you are working directly with a landlord and not a management company.

[marielle]

As a student with no credit or income, and my mom having no credit or official income, I paid 12 months up front once. It was for an apartment with a management company but I only paid my portion out of 4 bedrooms (many were student apartments). It's definitely possible.

The only issue is if you get a landlord who is a dick and doesn't fix issues because you already paid.

[Roland of Gilead]

Well we just put in a pre-application for what you guys suggested, the tiniest apartment 1 bed room, 1 bathroom 600 something sq-ft, which is still 3 times larger than our RV so...mansion!

The place was 90% old people which is perfect.  Once wheel of fortune is over, they will be off to sleep and we can work on our computer game in peace and quiet.

Hope they accept our application.

[aperture]

What would a mustachian do here?

A REAL mustachian would buy a fixer upper to reno during the winter while trail running ultra marathons and teaching ESL classes at the local library.   They would finish the reno just in time for the spring market and double their money just as the stock market tanks so they can put the extra cash into cheap equities.  Then the REAL mustachian would probably relax by taking tattooing and yoga classes over the summer while sponsoring some repatriated DACA kids sent back to Guatemala.  After that, I am thinking the REAL mustachian might get to work building a hang-glider factory as a side hustle.

[Roland of Gilead]

You left out that they would finance the whole reno deal solely with credit card churning.  :-)

[Poeirenta]

We rented a small house in town for the first year after we moved from the city. It was cheap and tolerable, but very motivating to get out of town and onto our property full time. It was nice to have the mod cons. We had the space to put up a big whiteboard and plan out our 200 sq ft tiny house (aka a prefab shed from the local mennonites; we winterized it but had no power or plumbing).

I can fill you in on our shower set up if you're interested. We spent two winters in the cabin and our system worked fine.

[Roland of Gilead]

I can fill you in on our shower set up if you're interested. We spent two winters in the cabin and our system worked fine.

It gets -20 here in the winter some days.

[Poeirenta]

This is an indoor system. So it shouldn't really make a difference.

IIRC correctly we're in the county west of you, about 2000' lower. I think we were in the -10s at least a few times.

[Roland of Gilead]

This is an indoor system. So it shouldn't really make a difference.

IIRC correctly we're in the county west of you, about 2000' lower. I think we were in the -10s at least a few times.

Oh, that's right.  I remember vaguely we talked about eastern Washington before we bought this property.

Hey, do you guys ride snowmobiles?   We have all of our gear in storage but plan to buy some snowmobiles (snowmachines) and ride the trails this winter (also use the excavator to make some jumps and trails on our own property for fun).

If you wanted to get together for some trial riding this winter, might be a blast!

[Poeirenta]

No, we're more into non-motorized recreation. I can totally see the appeal, but we are also missing the adrenaline-rush-for-fun gene, lol. If you ever go over to Conconully to check out the trails there, give me a shout and we can compare notes at the Sittin' Bull.

[Roland of Gilead]

No, we're more into non-motorized recreation. I can totally see the appeal, but we are also missing the adrenaline-rush-for-fun gene, lol. If you ever go over to Conconully to check out the trails there, give me a shout and we can compare notes at the Sittin' Bull.

Oh Conconully is supposed to be neat.  You can ride all the way from Winthrop to Conconully on the trail system.   This is me on the sled riding through a forest that burned in the summer.   How can you not want to do this???

[Poeirenta]

WHAT??? I can't hear you over the sound of that engine!

[Roland of Gilead]

WHAT??? I can't hear you over the sound of that engine!

Hey, it was off in the pic!  :-)

Ok, it is not as peaceful as snowshoeing.

But that summit was at 6400 feet and 30 miles up in the mountains.  I think you would be dead before you got up there without a motor.

[soccerluvof4]

No, we're more into non-motorized recreation. I can totally see the appeal, but we are also missing the adrenaline-rush-for-fun gene, lol. If you ever go over to Conconully to check out the trails there, give me a shout and we can compare notes at the Sittin' Bull.

Oh Conconully is supposed to be neat.  You can ride all the way from Winthrop to Conconully on the trail system.   This is me on the sled riding through a forest that burned in the summer.   How can you not want to do this???

Thats awesome!  Before we sold our cabin a few years back  I would put 5-6k miles on a year.  Kids took all that time away but already  planning to get back into it in a year or two as 2 will be gone . I miss it alot. The freedom and fresh air!

[Poeirenta]

WHAT??? I can't hear you over the sound of that engine!

Hey, it was off in the pic!  :-)

Ok, it is not as peaceful as snowshoeing.

But that summit was at 6400 feet and 30 miles up in the mountains.  I think you would be dead before you got up there without a motor.

Oh absolutely. I appreciate them, just don't choose to use them. That said, we are in the market for a workhorse UTV for winter driveway access/clearing and hauling all of the year, and they ain't quiet.

[Roland of Gilead]

I am curious how my excavator will do for snow clearing.  It really depends on how those rubber tracks work in the snow.   Based on the loose sand I have been in this summer I think they actually might work ok.

I could grab a big wheelbarrow or something in the jaws of the bucket/thumb and pick up snow or just grab a big section of tree and sweep the snow.  It is going to be fun no matter what!

[Imma]

We built our RV from scratch so there are no payments to show.   We bought a 2017 Ford F150 4x4 with cash, so no  payments there either.  Previously we owned a house we paid off early.   I have not financed anything in ages actually.  That may have been a mistake I now see.

I could just pay them the entire 6 months rent up front?  That should make a landlord feel comfortable?

But you own a property out right, surely that would count for something? Cash upfront is always a good bait but you need to make sure the landlord is reliable. I'd go for the cheapest place I could find. You're already used to living in an RV and it sounds like you're not exactly stuck indoors all winter long.

It sounds like you're in a rural community. Have you met many people yet? You should ask around a bit. In my experience, in rural areas many people have extra buildings on their property that they might want to let out but aren't actively putting on the market - small homes where elderly parents or grown up kids used to live. If you explain to them that you're working on your own property but aren't ready to spend the winter there, that might sound perfectly reasonable to them.

[SwordGuy]

What would a mustachian do here?

A REAL mustachian would buy a fixer upper to reno during the winter while trail running ultra marathons and teaching ESL classes at the local library.   They would finish the reno just in time for the spring market and double their money just as the stock market tanks so they can put the extra cash into cheap equities.  Then the REAL mustachian would probably relax by taking tattooing and yoga classes over the summer while sponsoring some repatriated DACA kids sent back to Guatemala.  After that, I am thinking the REAL mustachian might get to work building a hang-glider factory as a side hustle.

You are my hero!

[Roland of Gilead]

Well we went with the cheapest apartment in town (but doesn't seem to be a section 8 type place).  It is actually full of seniors and practically no kids which is probably because it is 1bd 1 bath and under 700sq-ft.  Still a mansion compared to the RV.  WSG is paid for so I can actually use more than 60 gallons of water a week now!

The application process hit a hitch when my name turned up 11 evictions in the past 5 years.  Some in California (which I have never lived).   It turns out their reporting agency just lists every person in the state with the same name and leaves out middle initial and SS#.  They claim this is so they don't miss anything but I am not sure then why they even bother with last name.

Anyway, looks like we will be getting into this place at $500 a month, which is a lot more than the $0 a month we pay now but still pretty cheap (and honestly we have been paying about $5 a month for water and $10 a month to dump garbage).

[marielle]

$500 seems like a great deal! Usually even with roommates or in rural areas it's hard to get below $400 or so.

[honeybbq]

Are you in the Chelan valley? What a beautiful area. I'm just curious where you bought land for "cheap cheap" (as a fellow WA state preson). Are you willing to PM me and share?
I've been looking in and around Chelan but not sure if Winthrop or Methow would be equally as nice or less expensive. Thanks. :)

[Poeirenta]

I can tell you from experience that very little in Chelan County or the Methow is cheap, unless it doesn't have water, is 20 miles up a rough dirt road, or both! You'll need to keep heading north and east. The shy 80 acres on my south line is listed at 85k. Being in the back of beyond helps keep the price down.

[Bateaux]

I can tell you from experience that very little in Chelan County or the Methow is cheap, unless it doesn't have water, is 20 miles up a rough dirt road, or both! You'll need to keep heading north and east. The shy 80 acres on my south line is listed at 85k. Being in the back of beyond helps keep the price down.

People accustomed to true rural living have a nostalgic sense of cheap property.  Anything near $1,000 an acre to the rest of us is cheap. 

[Roland of Gilead]

I am pretty sure Dusty was giving an example of cheap land when he said $85k for 80 acres.   Chelan and the Winthrop area it is more like 0.80 acres for $85k.

Go east young man!   You need to get at least as far as Tonasket to have a shot at that $1000 an acre stuff.  We paid closer to $2,000 an acre but we are off a paved county road that has power if we wanted it, is plowed in the winter, and our property has $10,000 to $20,000 of fir and lodgepole on it if we wanted to harvest it.

Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille counties are in the mountains, green with trees, not as dry as Moses lake and quite cheap at $1,000 to $3,000 an acre.

[Roland of Gilead]

We considered making an offer on this place before we bought our land and it is still available.  It is a little bit overpriced (I think a bank owns it and they have not dropped the price yet) at $150k for 20 acres but it has a awesome 100 year old log cabin on it in good shape, several outbuildings, well, septic and is right across the road from Beaver Lodge and about 200 yards up the road from the major winter ski trails and summer hiking trail entrance.  In other words, this could be the most awesome vacation rental or something.  If it were $110k I would buy it anyway and fix it up, use it in the winter as a ski cabin for friends, maybe rent it out in the summer.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2447-Highway-20-E-Colville-WA-99114/108192270_zpid/

[Poeirenta]

I am pretty sure Dusty was giving an example of cheap land when she said $85k for 80 acres.   Chelan and the Winthrop area it is more like 0.80 acres for $85k.  Exactly

Go east young man!   You need to get at least as far as Tonasket to have a shot at that $1000 an acre stuff.
South Okanogan County too, esp. east of the Okanogan River.  

We paid closer to $2,000 an acre but we are off a paved county road that has power if we wanted it, is plowed in the winter, and our property has $10,000 to $20,000 of fir and lodgepole on it if we wanted to harvest it. That 85 has all of that except the merchantable timber. Being on a school bus route is the best.

Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille counties are in the mountains, green with trees, not as dry as Moses lake and quite cheap at $1,000 to $3,000 an acre.

[honeybbq]

I can tell you from experience that very little in Chelan County or the Methow is cheap, unless it doesn't have water, is 20 miles up a rough dirt road, or both! You'll need to keep heading north and east. The shy 80 acres on my south line is listed at 85k. Being in the back of beyond helps keep the price down.

People accustomed to true rural living have a nostalgic sense of cheap property.  Anything near $1,000 an acre to the rest of us is cheap.

Right. I live in Seattle where we pay closer to $1000/sq foot.

Ok, not really, but 1000 an acre is like a dream.

[honeybbq]

We considered making an offer on this place before we bought our land and it is still available.  It is a little bit overpriced (I think a bank owns it and they have not dropped the price yet) at $150k for 20 acres but it has a awesome 100 year old log cabin on it in good shape, several outbuildings, well, septic and is right across the road from Beaver Lodge and about 200 yards up the road from the major winter ski trails and summer hiking trail entrance.  In other words, this could be the most awesome vacation rental or something.  If it were $110k I would buy it anyway and fix it up, use it in the winter as a ski cabin for friends, maybe rent it out in the summer.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2447-Highway-20-E-Colville-WA-99114/108192270_zpid/

I love it! I don't know this area well enough. I need to educate myself a bit more. I'd been looking further west but might have to branch out to more eastern WA or even Idaho. I'd done some snooping around CDA but that seems pretty $$$.