Mountain Living w/ Snow

Buying a home in a rural area often means elevations, compared to city life at sea level. In California higher altitude can mean snowy winters - above 4000'. Freeways get closed, roads are nearly impassable & getting your car outta the drive way can be an all morning chore if the snow is deep. Commuters could have a hard time with this task, especially when the M-F 9-5 schedule requires you to be there. Best choice is to work from home, online, remotely.

When purchasing a mountain home keep these considerations in the forefront.

ACCESS:
How far do you need to drive? How often? The closer you are to the main road or highway, the easier it will be to escape. County roads are maintained by snow plows on a regular basis, so while you might hear some traffic, you will be able to access the real world without problems of just getting outta your neighborhood. The further tucked back you are, the more seclusion & privacy, but the more likely you will get buried during a good snow season.

TREES:
Choose a lot with minimal trees on it. Not only will wildfire danger be greatly reduced, but sunshine can reach you easily & warm your home.

GARAGE:
Look for a home with a garage. Storing your vehicle out of the elements will help prolong the paint job & the tires. Plus it is easier to get in & outta your home & to your vehicle. Auto repairs can be brutal outside in winter. With a garage you have a safe place to work.

SUNSHINE:
Buy a place on the "sunny side" of the hill. Annual sun patterns puts the ultimate melter low in the southern sky during winter months, December-March. If your mountain cabin faces south, you receive the benefits of the sun. These pluses include melting the snow faster, eliminating the ice, warming the house, easier gardens & growing.

DRIVEWAY:
Gravel driveways have grip, even in the winter months, but mud can be a factor. Cement or paved driveways are easier to plow or shovel, but can get iced over easily. Heating elements built inside the cement can run you a small fortune. Steep entrances should be avoided. Circular driveways are preferred, as you'll have multiple access roads to your property - for firewood deliveries & grocery unloading.

HEAT:
Wood burning is by far the most efficient way to heat a rural home & they do not require any electricity. Collect the free kindling & firewood in the forests during warmer months & buy hard wood to create a mix of wood types for best results. Propane or natural gas can get very expensive - especially with an older forced air heating unit. Electric heaters can rack up the bill as well. Pellet stoves require electricity to run, so if the power fails & you are living "primitive" style, then you have no source of heat - which is crucial in winter @ 10 degrees.

Randsburg for Sale

This is it. The career move you've been waiting for. If you desire to escape the SoCal city life (rat race) & relocate to the middle of nowhere ---- plus still get paid for it, here we go.

Imagine yourself driving northbound outta Los Angeles (in bumper to bumper traffic - as usual). You exit Hwy 14 toward Palmdale, passing Lancaster, Rosamond & the town of Mojave California. The Eastern Sierra are only an hour away. Mount Whitney, Ancient Bristlecone Pines, Bishop & Mammoth are on this main route, Hwy 395.

Just before you arrive at the 395 junction, there is a small desert road that cuts off to the east, into the historic mine area of Rand Mining District. This is home to a small tourist stop called Randsburg California. Antique shops, saloons & more motorcycle boys than you know what to do with, this place is dubbed the LIVING GHOST TOWN.

A few decades ago, Bill & Brenda from Los Angeles, dumped a ton o cash, plus blood, sweat & tears into this historic town. They created the Cottage Hotel & it is the best overnight stay in this neck of the woods. (Sure beats motels in Ridgecrest CA) Pat recently took over, 5 years ago and loves it, but now must sell this hotel property. Luxury desert inn, rustic resort ranch, a quaint bed & breakfast in the North Mojave is now for sale. Check it out for income opportunity.

randsburg.com/text/sale

Petrolia California

Petrolia High School
Originally uploaded by wanderinghome

This is the Lost Coast in Northern California, a virtually untouched landscape of rivers, coastal meadows, dirt roads and redwood forests.

The rural community of Petrolia sits on the Mattole River & due south of Ferndale, the touristy Victorian village. The rugged coastline of Punta Gorda is just a few miles away & the big city of Eureka is north - over an hours drive away. While there's not a whole lotta real estate available out here, the homes that do come on the market can go fast. How 'bout a river front custom home for under $400k? Sorry that one just sold.

More on PETROLIA CA
realestate.yahoo.com/California/Petrolia

Juniper Hills

Sometimes you do not need to drive very far outside of SoCal to feel like you're on the middle of nowhere. Large expansions of deserts close to Los Angeles & San Diego give that remote feeling of rural, out of the way locales. From Pasadena, on the other side of the San Gabriel Mountains, is an area known as Palmdale CA. Up against the mountain is Pearblossom & Littlerock CA. Above that, on the rocky desert slopes, where the views of the Antelope Valley are nice, sits a rural neighborhood community of Juniper Hills....where the Joshua trees meet the Junipers!

Fort Tejon Road (N2) cuts thru this high desert region, but is no where near the State Park of Ft Tejon on the Grapevine (I-5). Only 1000 residents live in the hills here, where the elevation is between 4000'-6000' & big boulders, juniper trees & joshua trees line the landscape. Devils Punch Bowl is a nearby park with visitors center & hiking trails. This area is also well known for it's equestrian ranches & excellent horseback riding trails. The area does get a dusting of snow each year & many of the roads are dirt, so it would be advisable for residents to own a 4x4 vehicle. Although Juniper Hills now has it's own Town Council, very little can be found on the web about this desert paradise. The prices are not cheap due to the fact that the land is inside Los Angeles County & close by to SoCal high desert cities.




Map of Juniper Hills & Devils Punch Bowl, Pearblossom, CA 93553

Saline Valley: Available

I cannot believe this 80 acre land is still available. I saw this in early JAN 2007 while visiting Lone Pine, CA. This is an extreme & rare opportunity to OWN rural lands next to a National Park boundary & in the middle of Saline Valley volcanic wonderland. Famous for its' Hot Springs & nudity is the norm out there, (altho the NPS will not tell the average tourist).

Sand dunes are in the middle of the valley at 1000' & the towering 11,000' range sits to the west, between Saline & the Owens Valley. The Eastern Sierra is located to the west of that. Check this area out seriously. Beverage Canyon, wow. The Inyo Mountains look incredible in Google Earth.

Someone needs to buy this awesome locale & build an eco-resort with rental cabins, solar energy, windmills & of course green Jeep tours. This is a big area for off-roading & exploration. Old mines of the Inyo Range. The Saline Valley Hot Springs are just across the valley (10 miles). This is prime desert - 80 acres against Death Valley National Park! Access is a graded dirt roads (with some pot-hole paved portions of earth). The north pass BISHOP (can get snowy in winter) or south pass DARWIN (icy/muddy in winter). On occasion a real 4x4 is needed to access this valley.

Closest towns include ---
BISHOP, CA
LONE PINE, CA
DARWIN, CA

Follow the link at the top & tell JENNIFER, Total Escape sent ya!