The Search for Land (Apr-2006)

Now that we’ve established we belonged on the island, we thought we’d plan for the future. Being the resourceful individuals we are, we researched the web for listings on Orcas Island and found the prices to be rather agreeable. Of course, we got a dose of reality when we started to view the properties with a realtor.

Despite the relatively small size of the island, there is quite a range of quality in the land that is available for purchase. First, location is key for several reasons: water availability and rain fall varies wildly, building restrictions are sometimes too tight and sometimes too loose, and distance from the ferry landing (this may seem odd on an island, but the highest speed limit is 40mph and it can take over an hour to reach some properties). So those lots we had researched were not desirable for one reason or another.

Needless to say, sticker shot set in. After two trips to Orcas to specifically look for land, we came up empty. Along the way we found a realtor we trusted (who's no longer on the island) and that turned out to be the key. A piece of property in the Rosario area ticked down in price. This was unheard of in 2006. So, the realtor gave us call, described the property to us, and we ended up buying the property sight unseen, with the contingency that we could back out after a site visit. It all worked out and we became the proud owners of Orcas Island property in April of 2006.

The land we purchased has a slope to it and that will come into play when we start to describe construction planning and site costs.