Looking at Property

Darrel · February 17, 2016, 08:35:51 PM

My wife and I spent the last four days looking at property near Bonanza Oregon with the intent of buying and building a house from the trees on the land. Here are a few pics.

Too many junipers and very few pine. Juniper won't make good houses.

These next several pics are of a nice place but there is a neighbor looking down on it.
Look closely and you can see one of Bambi's friends.

Note the window.

The chihuahuas like it but my wife didn't like being looked down on by neighbors.

Now for a few pics of our favorite spot. It is for sale by owner.

A look at some old bark

Vera, dwarfed by the trees.

Zooming in a little closer.

We looked at quite a few places, some of which were not worth taking pictures. One place we looked at was 21.6 acres of rocks with lots of Juniper trees. If I want juniper, I can get it at very little cost of national forest, no reason to by a whole bunch of them for big bucks, even if I do get free rocks.

scgargoyle · February 18, 2016, 06:38:34 AM

Good luck on the property search. We bought 7 acres 9 years ago, and are just finishing up the house. The way our land sits, we have total privacy, thanks to big hardwoods in all directions.

WDH · February 18, 2016, 07:23:44 AM

Sometimes, when you are ready to buy, it is hard to wait it out to find that perfect place.

Darrel · February 18, 2016, 10:49:34 AM

We looked at one place that I didn't show pictures of that would be our second choice out of all we looked at. It is heavily forested with Pondarosa pine and about 10% juniper growing right in with the pine. These juniper have been forced to compete with the pine for sunlight and as a consequence are straight and nearly as tall as the pine. If this is the place we end up with, some of those junipers would end up as flooring.

WDH · February 18, 2016, 08:18:55 PM

Ponderosa pine is like our slash pine in the South. Looks very similar, except that slash pine is a good bit denser. Both get that orange platy bark when old and mature.

Magicman · February 18, 2016, 08:27:10 PM

Thanks for that description WDH. I saw some last week in Louisville, Ms, and was not familiar with Slash Pine. I kept thinking Ponderosa Pine but I knew that it could not be. Now I know.

Mostly what I see is Shortleaf with a sprinkling of Loblolly and Longleaf.

Darrel · February 18, 2016, 09:56:58 PM

There are two types of pine that are known as Pondarosa pine after it is in log or lumber format. I'm sure that there are those here that know more about it than I do, but here is the way I was taught by my Dad.

The first has a dark bark that never turns orange but is platy. Its cones feel sharp when you hold them in your hand. This variety is denser then the one I will describe next.

The other, Dad called called Jeffery pine, and has a dark bark when young but when mature turns orange and platy. This bark when picked off the tree almost has a vanilla scent, especially on a warm day. This tree also grows bigger that the first. Also the cones of this tree do not feel sharp when held in the hand. The properties I looked at had both.

beenthere · February 18, 2016, 10:27:20 PM

I believe Jeffery and Ponderosa are sold as Ponderosa on the market and not differentiated. Fits close with your explanation.

clearcut · February 18, 2016, 11:29:35 PM

Prickly Ponderosa and Gentle Jeffery, very difficult to distinguish otherwise.

samandothers · February 19, 2016, 09:12:43 AM

Nice looking land. Good luck with the shopping, hope you can find what you are after!

By the way nice looking truck. ;D

Darrel · February 20, 2016, 12:03:06 AM

It has been brought to my attention that I need to take a close look at zoning regulations and home owner association bylaws and such to make sure that I will be able to run my sawmill business on the property that I buy. And now while I'm thinking about it, I also need to make sure that I can build the type of house that I want. This is something I was aware of but it looks like I need to do a bit more research before I lay my money on the table.

samandothers · February 20, 2016, 09:35:48 PM

That is good advise. Many developments even those with large lots may have restrictions on what or if you can cut. Running a business in a residential subdivision may also be part of the by laws or having 'farm' equipment. If you are working with an agent they can probably help run down some of that detail.

ncsawyer · February 20, 2016, 10:40:43 PM

Many times these restrictive covenants are listed on the current deed if these covenants have already been put in place.

Darrel · February 21, 2016, 12:11:17 AM

Most of the lots I looked at were >5 acres, a couple were >20. I learned through investigation today that on these lots, hobby farming is allowed along with operating equipment associated with hobby farming. The question is this. Is a portable sawmill considered farm equipment. I know that a portable sawmill is considered "an implement of husbandry" in some states (California being one of them) and therefore does not need a license plate and tags. Looks like more research is needed to see what is required in Oregon.

samandothers · February 21, 2016, 10:08:02 AM

If you sell stuff from you land or farm is it still considered a 'hobby' farm?

Darrel · February 21, 2016, 10:29:13 AM

Quote from: samandothers on February 21, 2016, 10:08:02 AM
If you sell stuff from you land or farm is it still considered a 'hobby' farm?

Yes you can, but this is where it gets confusing, what are you selling, how much and to whom are you selling it? One can have 20 small animals per acre and only 2 large animals. But I don't know how many medium sized animals one can have because they aren't mentioned. Cattle are large, rabbits are small but what about goats or pigs. Pot belly pigs? Such things are left up to interpretation as is whether or not a portable sawmill is farm equipment.

sandhills · February 22, 2016, 12:37:38 AM

I'm not at all trying to be a smart ash here, but is "don't ask, don't tell" involved at all there? If there aren't any complaints from neighbors, I wouldn't be to concerned, then again I get along with all our's and we pretty much all do the same thing for a living. I do wish you all the best in your search and just like a shop, it will never be big enough

.

Darrel · February 22, 2016, 10:27:52 AM

Quote from: sandhills on February 22, 2016, 12:37:38 AM
I'm not at all trying to be a smart ash here, but is "don't ask, don't tell" involved at all there? If there aren't any complaints from neighbors, I wouldn't be to concerned, then again I get along with all our's and we pretty much all do the same thing for a living. I do wish you all the best in your search and just like a shop, it will never be big enough .

Exactly. However, at some point if and when a neighbor does complain, I want the law on my my side. For example, a year ago my son put in frost fans to keep his blueberries from freezing. Neighbors complained and the bottom line is that the frost fans are running again this year because this is a farm and a frost fan is farm equipment.

For those not familiar with frost fans, these frost fans are powered by Ford triton V10's, have 20' props, come on when temps drop to near feeezing, sound like helicopters and there are 23 of them.

sandhills · February 22, 2016, 10:46:19 AM

Point very well taken, around here it usually doesn't matter until a new neighbor decides to build then complains about grain bin fans/cattle smell/hog smell/ irrigation units, etc.. Maybe they should stay in town so to speak ???.

grweldon · February 22, 2016, 10:57:37 AM

Personally, I wouldn't want ANY restrictions on property that I owned, or the very least possible. I get a bit irritated when people try to tell me what I can and can't do on land that I purchased or am purchasing. Maybe that's not possible where you are looking?

Ljohnsaw · February 22, 2016, 11:01:30 AM

Quote from: Darrel on February 21, 2016, 12:11:17 AM
Most of the lots I looked at were >5 acres, a couple were >20. I learned through investigation today that on these lots, hobby farming is allowed along with operating equipment associated with hobby farming. The question is this. Is a portable sawmill considered farm equipment. I know that a portable sawmill is considered "an implement of husbandry" in some states (California being one of them) and therefore does not need a license plate and tags. Looks like more research is needed to see what is required in Oregon.

A little OT - When I asked a CHP officer about plating my mill if I put wheels on it his response is - if it has wheels on the road, it has to have a plate - end of story. So I carried my mill on my flatbed.

samandothers · February 22, 2016, 10:01:49 PM

Yeah covenants are good to check out. We were checking out a place years ago that were over 5 acre lots but yet if you cut something over 5 inches you had to pass it by the home owners association. No thanks!

Darrel · February 22, 2016, 10:18:10 PM

Quote from: ljohnsaw on February 22, 2016, 11:01:30 AM
Quote from: Darrel on February 21, 2016, 12:11:17 AM
Most of the lots I looked at were >5 acres, a couple were >20. I learned through investigation today that on these lots, hobby farming is allowed along with operating equipment associated with hobby farming. The question is this. Is a portable sawmill considered farm equipment. I know that a portable sawmill is considered "an implement of husbandry" in some states (California being one of them) and therefore does not need a license plate and tags. Looks like more research is needed to see what is required in Oregon.

A little OT - When I asked a CHP officer about plating my mill if I put wheels on it his response is - if it has wheels on the road, it has to have a plate - end of story. So I carried my mill on my flatbed.

My knowledge of this comes from back in the mid eighties when I was a schoolbus driver in California. Our textbook for the bus driving class was the vehicle code and at that time plates weren't required. Also, currently a wood splitter on wheels does not need plates. Plates on a mill might save you some hassles but unless things have really changed in the last 30 years (and they very well may have) you would win in court.

Darrel · February 29, 2016, 01:17:39 AM

Found a place we are going to be making an offer on. Both Pondarosa and Jeffery pine with a few junipers thrown in for good measure. On a hill side but not too steep a well is already in, but no pump yet. There is a beautiful building site with another site for a shop and a place for a garden.