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Question for those with land in cold, wintry area

QuinSnydersHair

QuinSnydersHair

Well-Known Member
So my new obsession is to pay our house off in the next 7-8 years and at that point, by a house in Maine. This is the one I'm currently gaga over. 132 acres. Good-sized house. Plenty of "yard" obviously, a good-sized lake as part of property, a cute barn. I just feel it would be so tranquil to get away up there for a month or two a year (and more after retirement), that it would be great for the kids to just run around and play and embrace nature, uninhibited, like I did when I was a kid and many of you in Utah probably got to experience as well.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/...-ME-04255/2127019257_zpid/#hdp-photo-lightbox

I have two main questions about buying such land in such a cold area, without living there year round.

1) How would I keep the landscaping up to speed? I imagine I would just hire somebody or pay a neighbor to do it once a week or two.
2) How would I keep the pipes from freezing and rupturing? This one is more important to me and trickier imo.

This question would best be answered by someone with a second house that is more of a getaway as again, we would not be permanently living there.
 
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QuinSnydersHair said:
So my new obsession is to pay our house off in the next 7-8 years and at that point, by a house in Maine. This is the one I'm currently gaga over. 132 acres. Good-sized house. Plenty of "yard" obviously, a good-sized lake as part of property, a cute barn. I just feel it would be so tranquil to get away up there for a month or two a year (and more after retirement), that it would be great for the kids to just run around and play and embrace nature, uninhibited, like I did when I was a kid and many of you in Utah probably got to experience as well.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/...-ME-04255/2127019257_zpid/#hdp-photo-lightbox

This one looks like it would need a good 50-125K in renos, maybe more, without having stepped foot in it. But I have two main questions about buying such land in such a cold area, without living there year round.

1) How would I keep the landscaping up to speed? I imagine I would just hire somebody or pay a neighbor to do it once a week or two.
2) How would I keep the pipes from freezing and rupturing? This one is more important to me and trickier imo.

This question would best be answered by someone with a second house that is more of a getaway as again, we would not be permanently living there.
Click to expand...

For outdoor pipes, you obviously need to have the system drained each year. My cold weather house has a self draining system.

You would also need to keep heat at a reasonable level all winter. If that old house has poor insulation near any pipes, you may need to keep it warmer. I also have a 12 camera system that I can monitor at any time, including garage, outdoors, and the cooler area of the house (assuming the router keeps working). I do pay for internet, but it is worth the peace of mind not having to rely on neighbors (closest one is 4 miles away) all the time for status updates.

Snow accumulation can be a problem. I installed a roof heating system that is attached to a "smart" plug that I can control over the internet. I also have a I can also control the fridge and lighting (I wanted to have a cool fridge any time I arrive, but don't keep anything in it when I am not there).

I pay a neighbor for lawn and winter care. It is expensive, but I feel I am getting a decent deal. With utilities all year (garbage, sewer, trash, gas, electric) it adds up, even with the minimum charges.
 
JAZZGASM said:
For outdoor pipes, you obviously need to have the system drained each year. My cold weather house has a self draining system.

You would also need to keep heat at a reasonable level all winter. If that old house has poor insulation near any pipes, you may need to keep it warmer. I also have a 12 camera system that I can monitor at any time, including garage, outdoors, and the cooler area of the house (assuming the router keeps working). I do pay for internet, but it is worth the peace of mind not having to rely on neighbors (closest one is 4 miles away) all the time for status updates.

Snow accumulation can be a problem. I installed a roof heating system that is attached to a "smart" plug that I can control over the internet. I also have a I can also control the fridge and lighting (I wanted to have a cool fridge any time I arrive, but don't keep anything in it when I am not there).

I pay a neighbor for lawn and winter care. It is expensive, but I feel I am getting a decent deal. With utilities all year (garbage, sewer, trash, gas, electric) it adds up, even with the minimum charges.
Click to expand...

Awesome response. Let me have that sink in and I'll get back to you with some more questions in a bit.
 
Money, influence and good connections can get you a lot!

But seriously, we bought 35 acres of land in SE Colorado about 30 years ago. I've never even seen it. All I do is pay the RE taxes ~$300 ~ once a year.

We also owned a great ski condo in Breckinridge for several years but there was a management company that handled everything. We found that as our kids got older we weren't able to use it much as a family and sold it.

For years we've fantasized about a home in Northern Michigan where we've spent 2-3 weeks every summer for 29 years now. But to have lake access and views is extremely pricey (upwards of $1M in good shape, $500K for a wreck) plus it's 6 hours away which just seems too far for a weekend. So at least for the time bring we'll continue renting.

Now our "second" home is a 73rd floor condo near Millennium Park in downtown Chicago that we bought 2yrs ago. It has indoor and outdoor pools, wonderful green space around the building and a pretty cool view of the lake and city. And we can get there in 30 minutes by car or public transit.

But I guess none of those situations apply to what you describe.

Several friends own properties that might be similar to your situation. Two own farms that are 4-5 hours from home - one has a tenant farmer who farms the land and maintains the property and gets all the profits from the farm. The others pay someone to maintain things, their land is mostly wooded and needs little upkeep. One friend goes to her farm twice a month for about 4-5 days each visit - the other is more sporadic. And another friend has property (1.5 acres or so) with a pond and a house in Vermont. They have nearby neighbors who are full-time residents who help keep an eye on things, and they've established a good network of maintenance people who check things regularly.

My only suggestion (not sure if you mentioned this or not) is to spend time in the area before you buy anything - ideally over several years and in different seasons. Or is this some place you've vacationed before?
 
moevillini said:
Money, influence and good connections can get you a lot!

But seriously, we bought 35 acres of land in SE Colorado about 30 years ago. I've never even seen it. All I do is pay the RE taxes ~$300 ~ once a year.

We also owned a great ski condo in Breckinridge for several years but there was a management company that handled everything. We found that as our kids got older we weren't able to use it much as a family and sold it.

For years we've fantasized about a home in Northern Michigan where we've spent 2-3 weeks every summer for 29 years now. But to have lake access and views is extremely pricey (upwards of $1M in good shape, $500K for a wreck) plus it's 6 hours away which just seems too far for a weekend. So at least for the time bring we'll continue renting.

Now our "second" home is a 73rd floor condo near Millennium Park in downtown Chicago that we bought 2yrs ago. It has indoor and outdoor pools, wonderful green space around the building and a pretty cool view of the lake and city. And we can get there in 30 minutes by car or public transit.

But I guess none of those situations apply to what you describe.

Several friends own properties that might be similar to your situation. Two own farms that are 4-5 hours from home - one has a tenant farmer who farms the land and maintains the property and gets all the profits from the farm. The others pay someone to maintain things, their land is mostly wooded and needs little upkeep. One friend goes to her farm twice a month for about 4-5 days each visit - the other is more sporadic. And another friend has property (1.5 acres or so) with a pond and a house in Vermont. They have nearby neighbors who are full-time residents who help keep an eye on things, and they've established a good network of maintenance people who check things regularly.

My only suggestion (not sure if you mentioned this or not) is to spend time in the area before you buy anything - ideally over several years and in different seasons. Or is this some place you've vacationed before?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. Nope, MsSerp and I have never been there. I was in Maine once when I was a kid (6 years old?) but don't remember much at all. We certainly would go on a vacation there first...probably bounce around...two nights here, two nights there, and so forth...
 
JAZZGASM said:
For outdoor pipes, you obviously need to have the system drained each year. My cold weather house has a self draining system.

You would also need to keep heat at a reasonable level all winter. If that old house has poor insulation near any pipes, you may need to keep it warmer. I also have a 12 camera system that I can monitor at any time, including garage, outdoors, and the cooler area of the house (assuming the router keeps working). I do pay for internet, but it is worth the peace of mind not having to rely on neighbors (closest one is 4 miles away) all the time for status updates.

Snow accumulation can be a problem. I installed a roof heating system that is attached to a "smart" plug that I can control over the internet. I also have a I can also control the fridge and lighting (I wanted to have a cool fridge any time I arrive, but don't keep anything in it when I am not there).

I pay a neighbor for lawn and winter care. It is expensive, but I feel I am getting a decent deal. With utilities all year (garbage, sewer, trash, gas, electric) it adds up, even with the minimum charges.
Click to expand...

1) Did you have your house built from scratch?
2) Did you have the self-draining system put in or did the house already have it?
3) If you don't mind me asking, how much do you pay your neighbor for lawn and winter care and how many months and big a piece of property is that for?
4) How much are the utilities you mentioned for a year? I'd ballpark about 5K in my mind.
5) Any idea how much a roof heating system with an entirely new roof would cost? The roof on a 2,200 square foot home would be around 6K I'd estimate. But with the heating system?
 
We have a cabin in Ashton Idaho. Every fall someone in my family goes and winterized the place; dumps antifreeze in all the toilets and drains, cleans out the fridge, shuts off the power and heat. We go back in the spring and spend a few hours cleaning up, etc. Unless your place has a real lawn/yard, don't worry about maintaining it. We have one of those DR Trimmer/Mowers and I usually mow the property in the spring and maybe once more in the summer. We're not in a neighborhood or anything, so we don't need to have a trimmed up yard.

We get tons of snow up there, but never had problems with the roof. The roof is thirty years old and is metal.
 
Some very good suggestions here already. One that Moe mentioned was spend a little time there to be sure it's the place.. there are obviously a LOT of options.

Some additional thoughts that are more peripheral to your original questions;

- Cost to get there. Transportation. There would be nothing better than to have a place your new little girl (and possibly other kids?) will want to come visit and spend holidays with mom and dad. One consideration that is often overlooked, if the economic reality of your kids getting married and having kids. Major let down to have years of fond memories of your kid(s) in a home and then realize that them flying into a small airport and paying a premium makes things too difficult for 4 or 5 people to do.

- Proximity to where your full time residence is and ease/expense of getting there to enjoy/maintain/improve your little getaway. (see above)

- Pipes are easily overcome, yards, etc.. too. I would spend more time concerning yourself with location, how much you and MsSerp can use it, and is it realistic for it to become a family legacy type home.

My way of thinking is to keep it simple.. it's about family bonding and not about frills.. but we have to get there fairly easily.

I commend you, though.. your heart is obviously in the right place.
 
PKM said:
- Cost to get there. Transportation. There would be nothing better than to have a place your new little girl (and possibly other kids?) will want to come visit and spend holidays with mom and dad. One consideration that is often overlooked, if the economic reality of your kids getting married and having kids. Major let down to have years of fond memories of your kid(s) in a home and then realize that them flying into a small airport and paying a premium makes things too difficult for 4 or 5 people to do.

- Proximity to where your full time residence is and ease/expense of getting there to enjoy/maintain/improve your little getaway.

...My way of thinking is to keep it simple.. it's about family bonding and not about frills.. but we have to get there fairly easily.

I commend you, though.. your heart is obviously in the right place.
Click to expand...

Ditto the above. Airfares to those smaller airports can be pricey, the flight times are not necessarily very convenient, and car rental facilities and other amenities can be minimal compared to larger airports.

Also, as kids get to be a little older, they may get involved in summer sports leagues, then summer jobs and what-not, and that can make it difficult to get away as often as you can when kids are little.
 
That place is ridiculous cheap for Utah on anything not drier than an Egyptian tomb. I'd love to have a place on the lake with my own dock and all. It looks like a dream, man. Solid choice.


Our 2nd home is a 5th wheel. I don't know if it's possible back east, and probably sounds stupid to a lot of westerners, but we spend several weeks each normal summer visiting the local KOA-type campgrounds on the weekends and even during work weeks. It's a helluva lot cheaper than buying a mountain cabin (we don't typically have these 2nd houses here) but provides the same family experience. And we're mobile so many of the travel issues shouldn't be a problem down the road.


That said, I'd give my best golf ball to have a set place to visit on the reg. Qualifications would be pretty much what Moe said about proximity. 45 minutes or less. I'd spend plenty of time there in winter months on snowmobiles too. Such an underrated part of a vacation home, IMO.
 
franklin said:
That place is ridiculous cheap for Utah on anything not drier than an Egyptian tomb. I'd love to have a place on the lake with my own dock and all. It looks like a dream, man. Solid choice.


Our 2nd home is a 5th wheel. I don't know if it's possible back east, and probably sounds stupid to a lot of westerners, but we spend several weeks each normal summer visiting the local KOA-type campgrounds on the weekends and even during work weeks. It's a helluva lot cheaper than buying a mountain cabin (we don't typically have these 2nd houses here) but provides the same family experience. And we're mobile so many of the travel issues shouldn't be a problem down the road.


That said, I'd give my best golf ball to have a set place to visit on the reg. Qualifications would be pretty much what Moe said about proximity. 45 minutes or less. I'd spend plenty of time there in winter months on snowmobiles too. Such an underrated part of a vacation home, IMO.
Click to expand...

Kudos to you too frank... the point is doing stuff. Believe me, the grass is ALWAYS greener (zero exceptions).. we only need to get out and live life.. and not get stuck in the rut of can't.
 
QuinSnydersHair said:
1) Did you have your house built from scratch?
2) Did you have the self-draining system put in or did the house already have it?
3) If you don't mind me asking, how much do you pay your neighbor for lawn and winter care and how many months and big a piece of property is that for?
4) How much are the utilities you mentioned for a year? I'd ballpark about 5K in my mind.
5) Any idea how much a roof heating system with an entirely new roof would cost? The roof on a 2,200 square foot home would be around 6K I'd estimate. But with the heating system?
Click to expand...

1. No, I bought a house that was already there, perfect mountain spot. Great backcountry skiing by snowmobile.
2. I had it put in. Most sprinklers are self draining to a degree. I just added a line that went to a drain. Cut off the house water and run the drain line to empty out. I only use it max 2 months a year, and drain it in early fall.
3.I pay for snow removal, which covers a 3 mile private road plus 6 car driveway. Lawn is 2 acres. Same provider. I think I pay 300/mo canadian. The private drive is done by the calgary regional partnership and i pay extra for that.
4. My home has triple pane glass and excellent insulation. In the winter I pay about $300/mo for everything when not in use and as high as $800 .Summer fluxuates based on use. **** in canada is expensive.

5. I installed a heating system myself. Paid around $800 for it.
Honestly, I like the place, but it is hard to get away from work. I only get up there a month or so a year and end up backpacking nearly half of it and working the other half. If it was not a good investment, I would sell it.
 
Thanks so much for the replies, peeps. Most of this we had thought of (proximity, travel, kids and their hobbies and interests, etc.) but some of it we had not. The only thing I'll say is this and it's really to franklin. I hear ya man on within 45 minutes. I do. But then, I wouldn't feel like we're getting away. Anything within a two hour drive would feel like NJ or remind me of NJ. I want to get away, like it's a whole 'nother world. Maine, NH, or Vermont would each be that own little world to me and that's why we're considering there, at this point Maine specifically though because of the cheap land and tranquility yes but also because we'd be a couple hours from the shore (just a change of pace from the Jersey shore) and some other cool towns like Portland, Camden and Augusta. The place I linked is about 6.5 hours from where we currently live which is nothing (I've driven more than that on a few vacations recently)...kids will of course change all that but by the time we bought it, our youngest would probably be five years of age and not a toddler crying all night. I'd get everyone up at 3 in the morning, they could sleep til about 8am, we'd get breakfast somewhere in Masschussetts, and then we'd be up at the place by 11am...this would cost us about $200 in gas and of course meals...way cheaper than airfare, almost just as quick when you consider going to the airport and checking in and security and flying and getting the rental car and driving the rest of the way and paying for gas for that rental...not to mention the journey as a family is part of the trip. Obviously my tune may change once the parenting begins in the next week or two but as of now, I plan on being as old school as possible and preserving many of the fundamental tenets many of us were raised on while still being very pragmatic.
 
FWIW too, 'cause I think PM alluded to this, I picture this being a place where we could bring not only our kids but our kid's friends (well, maybe their best friend, each) and possibly even their families should we become friends with them when that time comes... The latter is doubtful though as I have enough friends and enjoy being reactively anti-social without being rude or too much of a dick.
 
Gypbro, not hating at all, but if I'm reading things correctly this is all a plan for 5 years from now???

I'm currently making plans for a trip to San Francisco this weekend and tbh my pervading thought is, "this is soooo far away why am I even thinking about this?"

I leave in like 36 hours lol


£¥£
 
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