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I actually really want to move to a mountain area that is secluded and has nature with snow. The problem is, it's very hard to figure out where to go when all y

I actually really want to move to a mountain area that is secluded and has nature with snow. The problem is, it's very hard to figure out where to go when all you've lived is in a city or one state. I've researched a lot of properties on zillow but I have no idea how to investigate the proper area. Maybe someone can give me a tip. I like snow, and I like people, I just want enough space to experiment with my own land and not have to deal with neighbors or HOA crap.

nyokodo 6y ago
> I just want enough space to experiment with my own land and not have to deal with neighbors or HOA crap. What kinds of experiments? Depending on that answer you may want to investigate States, Counties, and Cities by their regulatory regimes vis a vis what you want to do. Make a short list of likely places and go visit them. Get a feel for these places. Does the altitude suit you? Humidity or lack thereof cause you any issues? What is the fire danger, or risk of other natural disasters? Are there sufficient ways close by to supply your lifestyle? What are the school choices if you have kids? Are there enough pursuits in the area to sufficiently entertain you? Can you adequately practice your religion in these places or withstand those that do? Are there good places to make friends? Finally, how easy will it be to recover from a mistake moving there? Answer these kinds of questions and you’ll know better what you’re getting into and you’ll know whether you really want what you think you want and you’ll know where to go.
- pyinstallwoes 6y ago
  Those are amazing questions to consider. Thank you!
arminiusreturns 6y ago
The HOA part really is the hard part, and even beyond that, the local zoning regulations can be arbitrarily infuriating, especially in certain states, and the ones with larger swaths without HOA and crazy regs have many negatives making it very hard to find what you speak of. I've been looking for years. I think a good bet is to find an heirloom house and property and bid on it.
- pyinstallwoes 6y ago
  What's your top prospects so far if you don't mind sharing since we have similar desires?
  - arminiusreturns 6y ago
    You can email me at the email in my profile. The thing I didnt say is I grew up in a mountain village, and Ive seen and been impacted firsthand by the influx of rich people from big cities. These communities are tight knit (even in the boonies, you usually have your general store town, while a real store may be an hour away.) and posting the good prospects online is sort of antithetical to the whole idea.
dnndev 6y ago
Only way to find out is take a road trip and stay in each place for a week or so. We did this years ago and you know when you found the right place. Of course do your research first and visit the top 5 locations. What most find is ideally and if you can afford it is two homes. A secluded home and a city home (or beach, etc... whatever you like)
- whalesalad 6y ago
  Great advice. Start small with baby steps: car camping, Airbnb’s, or rent a small van/camper and tour around for a while. Don’t rush it - the physical environment is a huge element but you’re also gonna want to agree with the culture and politics of the area, too.
- ghaff 6y ago
  My caveat with two homes (besides the obvious cost) is that there is some overhead associated with owning a place--although obviously less in the case of an urban condo--and just generally reduced flexibility. There's something to be said for just renting a place for a month if you want some variety. I agree with your general advice. Also just think about what you're looking for. E.g. there are tradeoffs between more resort-y areas and places more off the beaten track.
the_lonely_road 6y ago
The mountains of North Carolina are almost certainly what you are looking for. You will get all four seasons and have lots of diverse beautiful nature around you. I recomend you start with Asheville (probably way too big for you to want to live in since you want to avoid neighbors and HOA) and then start moving WEST on the map from there and you will find what you are looking for.
- pyinstallwoes 6y ago
  Thank you kindly, I will investigate that region. When I was browsing Zillow I remember finding a lot of well designed properties in NC and wondered why there was so much good taste centered there. Thanks again.
j2bax 6y ago
What region are you currently in?
- pyinstallwoes 6y ago
  California - I like Big Bear for instance but not attached to West Coast at all. Also Big Bear doesn't have _too much acreage_ but maybe something to settle in on the meantime. It seems like there's various yellow flags on this region; most concerned with water availability over time.
  - franksvalli 6y ago
    I lived there for a bit, fire is another thing to watch out for. While I was there a huge fire got uncomfortably close. Check out http://socalmountains.com http://socalmountains.com to get a preview of the local community there. Gets crowded on weekends and holidays. There's definitely some antagonism towards the "flatlanders" - e.g. the people who don't live in the mountains, haha.
jborden13 6y ago
Ridgway, CO

nyokodo 6y ago

> I just want enough space to experiment with my own land and not have to deal with neighbors or HOA crap. What kinds of experiments? Depending on that answer you may want to investigate States, Counties, and Cities by their regulatory regimes vis a vis what you want to do. Make a short list of likely places and go visit them. Get a feel for these places. Does the altitude suit you? Humidity or lack thereof cause you any issues? What is the fire danger, or risk of other natural disasters? Are there sufficient ways close by to supply your lifestyle? What are the school choices if you have kids? Are there enough pursuits in the area to sufficiently entertain you? Can you adequately practice your religion in these places or withstand those that do? Are there good places to make friends? Finally, how easy will it be to recover from a mistake moving there? Answer these kinds of questions and you’ll know better what you’re getting into and you’ll know whether you really want what you think you want and you’ll know where to go.

pyinstallwoes 6y ago
Those are amazing questions to consider. Thank you!

arminiusreturns 6y ago

The HOA part really is the hard part, and even beyond that, the local zoning regulations can be arbitrarily infuriating, especially in certain states, and the ones with larger swaths without HOA and crazy regs have many negatives making it very hard to find what you speak of. I've been looking for years. I think a good bet is to find an heirloom house and property and bid on it.

pyinstallwoes 6y ago
What's your top prospects so far if you don't mind sharing since we have similar desires?
- arminiusreturns 6y ago
  You can email me at the email in my profile. The thing I didnt say is I grew up in a mountain village, and Ive seen and been impacted firsthand by the influx of rich people from big cities. These communities are tight knit (even in the boonies, you usually have your general store town, while a real store may be an hour away.) and posting the good prospects online is sort of antithetical to the whole idea.

dnndev 6y ago

Only way to find out is take a road trip and stay in each place for a week or so. We did this years ago and you know when you found the right place. Of course do your research first and visit the top 5 locations. What most find is ideally and if you can afford it is two homes. A secluded home and a city home (or beach, etc... whatever you like)

whalesalad 6y ago
Great advice. Start small with baby steps: car camping, Airbnb’s, or rent a small van/camper and tour around for a while. Don’t rush it - the physical environment is a huge element but you’re also gonna want to agree with the culture and politics of the area, too.
ghaff 6y ago
My caveat with two homes (besides the obvious cost) is that there is some overhead associated with owning a place--although obviously less in the case of an urban condo--and just generally reduced flexibility. There's something to be said for just renting a place for a month if you want some variety. I agree with your general advice. Also just think about what you're looking for. E.g. there are tradeoffs between more resort-y areas and places more off the beaten track.

the_lonely_road 6y ago

The mountains of North Carolina are almost certainly what you are looking for. You will get all four seasons and have lots of diverse beautiful nature around you. I recomend you start with Asheville (probably way too big for you to want to live in since you want to avoid neighbors and HOA) and then start moving WEST on the map from there and you will find what you are looking for.

pyinstallwoes 6y ago
Thank you kindly, I will investigate that region. When I was browsing Zillow I remember finding a lot of well designed properties in NC and wondered why there was so much good taste centered there. Thanks again.

j2bax 6y ago

What region are you currently in?

pyinstallwoes 6y ago
California - I like Big Bear for instance but not attached to West Coast at all. Also Big Bear doesn't have _too much acreage_ but maybe something to settle in on the meantime. It seems like there's various yellow flags on this region; most concerned with water availability over time.
- franksvalli 6y ago
  I lived there for a bit, fire is another thing to watch out for. While I was there a huge fire got uncomfortably close. Check out http://socalmountains.com http://socalmountains.com to get a preview of the local community there. Gets crowded on weekends and holidays. There's definitely some antagonism towards the "flatlanders" - e.g. the people who don't live in the mountains, haha.

jborden13 6y ago

Ridgway, CO