Posted: 4/17/2025 8:04:04 PM EDT
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I have been saying for a while now I will never leave Washington, I hate leaving friends and we love the water and all that northern west side of Washington has to offer. Gun laws are what they are but the f'ing taxes are going to drain us long term hell even short term. Wife is a teacher, so she should be good. I have a small business with a partner that lives in Spokane. I am sure I can make a go of it or say f'k it and collect my social security. Love to fly fish, looks like it might be workable there, weather looks a bit warmer winter wise then the Bellingham area but we don't mind the cold lived in Alaska so no biggie. Currently have a 2600 sqft home on 6 acres should sell quick. Probably downsize as it is just the two us now, be nice to find a home in the 300+ range and just pay it off. Tough thing is getting the wife on board.  This is going to be a hard sale to the wife and damn if I don't love it here. Any info appreciated. |
| Lewiston has always been on my short list but after spending time there we decided nope. It’s growing rapidly-and has a big city vibe now- like much of Idaho. It’s not CDA or Nampa… but moving that way. I also didn’t like the hilly terrain that it’s built on. Winters on those kinds of roads are a lesson in gravity and physics. There is a huge paper mill there and they can be stinky….but I live near big cattle feed lots now- so what do I know? Idaho and Montana real estate prices are insane- and it doesn’t look like it’s going to change in the next couple of years—- thanks to WA,OR, CA politicians. Be careful thinking your place will sell quickly. |
Pure blood saved by His.
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Thanks for the info! House sales here are happening, my buddy just sold his house the day after listing, 750,000 cash offer full price no inspection. House prices we are looking at are less than any offerings here would like to downsize a bit. Our house is a 20 year old triple wide that I have really taken good care of on 6 acres 3 miles from I-5 and an hour or so from Mt Baker 8 min from Lake Whatcom. Zillow while not accurate has it at 800,000. Bellingham is exploding with growth and we are still aways from doing this, I haven't even mentioned to the wife, so will see, I'd like to see interest rates come down some, thing that sucks is we are 2.75% doubt it will get that low anytime soon. As for Lewiston, appreciate that! So where have you ended up? |
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One thing about Lewiston is that something about the topography results in milder weather extremes. Summers are cooler and winters warmer compared to even nearby towns like Moscow. Idaho in general and Lewiston in particular is rich in gun culture. CCI is here and there is another smaller ammo mfg. Seekins Precision is here. Nightforce scopes is over yonder. There are about as many gun stores in Lewiston as there are weed dispensaries in most WA towns. Speaking of which, being from WA, you will like that Clarkston WA is just over the bridge so you can get your pot needles and such. I notice zero graffiti of any sort. The police actually will show up for a shoplifter. If you want a place with any acreage and a decent shop you'll pay closer to $900k than $300k. I was kind of stunned at how high the property tax is. Everything else is cheaper than in Commie-Ville. |
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Yes been seeing that on the price of homes with some property. But I am looking to downsize, I have put a ton of work over the years on this property, and I will be 63 in June pretty much getting tired of all that. Be nice to be close to some parks, and schools for the wife, not looking to get too far out in the sticks. While I love our privacy here, I realize it is something I might have to give up though the lack of recreational water/lakes and such sucks, which I can live with that as long as I can do some fly fishing. That sad I haven't really researched that yet. Weather wise I was looking at that as well seems pretty mild overall! We have family in Yakima and it is about the same distance from there as Bellingham. To both of you, thanks for the thoughts and info. |
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Originally Posted By JimmyAR: Thanks for the info! House sales here are happening, my buddy just sold his house the day after listing, 750,000 cash offer full price no inspection. House prices we are looking at are less than any offerings here would like to downsize a bit. Our house is a 20 year old triple wide that I have really taken good care of on 6 acres 3 miles from I-5 and an hour or so from Mt Baker 8 min from Lake Whatcom. Zillow while not accurate has it at 800,000. Bellingham is exploding with growth and we are still aways from doing this, I haven't even mentioned to the wife, so will see, I'd like to see interest rates come down some, thing that sucks is we are 2.75% doubt it will get that low anytime soon. As for Lewiston, appreciate that! So where have you ended up? We found a distressed horse property in Weiser that needs ALL the work. Guess I know what I’m going to be doing for the rest of my life.  |
Pure blood saved by His.
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Originally Posted By Rope-A-Dope: One thing about Lewiston is that something about the topography results in milder weather extremes. Summers are cooler and winters warmer compared to even nearby towns like Moscow. Idaho in general and Lewiston in particular is rich in gun culture. CCI is here and there is another smaller ammo mfg. Seekins Precision is here. Nightforce scopes is over yonder. There are about as many gun stores in Lewiston as there are weed dispensaries in most WA towns. Speaking of which, being from WA, you will like that Clarkston WA is just over the bridge so you can get your pot needles and such. I notice zero graffiti of any sort. The police actually will show up for a shoplifter. If you want a place with any acreage and a decent shop you'll pay closer to $900k than $300k. I was kind of stunned at how high the property tax is. Everything else is cheaper than in Commie-Ville. RCBS is still there as well? Gun culture in Idaho is alive and well. This is my local HARDWARE store. Attached File |
Pure blood saved by His.
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Originally Posted By BTccw: Lewiston has always been on my short list but after spending time there we decided nope. It’s growing rapidly-and has a big city vibe now- like much of Idaho. It’s not CDA or Nampa… but moving that way. I also didn’t like the hilly terrain that it’s built on. Winters on those kinds of roads are a lesson in gravity and physics. There is a huge paper mill there and they can be stinky….but I live near big cattle feed lots now- so what do I know? Idaho and Montana real estate prices are insane- and it doesn’t look like it’s going to change in the next couple of years—- thanks to WA,OR, CA politicians. Be careful thinking your place will sell quickly. This makes me sad, I've always liked Lewiston and thought the paper mill would keep shitheels out. |
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Originally Posted By Eukatae: This makes me sad, I've always liked Lewiston and thought the paper mill would keep shitheels out. Originally Posted By Eukatae: Originally Posted By BTccw: Lewiston has always been on my short list but after spending time there we decided nope. It’s growing rapidly-and has a big city vibe now- like much of Idaho. It’s not CDA or Nampa… but moving that way. I also didn’t like the hilly terrain that it’s built on. Winters on those kinds of roads are a lesson in gravity and physics. There is a huge paper mill there and they can be stinky….but I live near big cattle feed lots now- so what do I know? Idaho and Montana real estate prices are insane- and it doesn’t look like it’s going to change in the next couple of years—- thanks to WA,OR, CA politicians. Be careful thinking your place will sell quickly. This makes me sad, I've always liked Lewiston and thought the paper mill would keep shitheels out. YMMV. Ive been living on dirt roads and places where my nearest traffic light is an hour away. Lewiston seems HUGE to me. I can see all the areas that are being gobbeled up that were once old family ranches-now surrounded by sub divisions that look like CA. Big hotels, big box, and big chain restaurants-purple haired androgynous weirdo’s (or worse) kinds of changes…. These are not things I want to live with right now. I have somehow managed to live in GREAT places at great times that were just on the swell of that wave of change… Lewiston for me would have been that place 10 years ago. That wave of change has already set up and I missed it. |
Pure blood saved by His.
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Originally Posted By BTccw: YMMV. Ive been living on dirt roads and places where my nearest traffic light is an hour away. Lewiston seems HUGE to me. I can see all the areas that are being gobbeled up that were once old family ranches-now surrounded by sub divisions that look like CA. Big hotels, big box, and big chain restaurants-purple haired androgynous weirdo’s (or worse) kinds of changes…. These are not things I want to live with right now. I have somehow managed to live in GREAT places at great times that were just on the swell of that wave of change… Lewiston for me would have been that place 10 years ago. That wave of change has already set up and I missed it. I don't believe I have told this story here before: When I was a boy there was one light visible on the horizon at night; now the farm on which I was raised is gone. It is all strip malls and subdivisions. Three generations and thousands of hours of labor and money improving it all under 200k shit boxes. Thus I have an iron rule when buying farm ground: not within 100 miles of a city. |
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Originally Posted By Eukatae: I don't believe I have told this story here before: When I was a boy there was one light visible on the horizon at night; now the farm on which I was raised is gone. It is all strip malls and subdivisions. Three generations and thousands of hours of labor and money improving it all under 200k shit boxes. Thus I have an iron rule when buying farm ground: not within 100 miles of a city. Originally Posted By Eukatae: Originally Posted By BTccw: YMMV. Ive been living on dirt roads and places where my nearest traffic light is an hour away. Lewiston seems HUGE to me. I can see all the areas that are being gobbeled up that were once old family ranches-now surrounded by sub divisions that look like CA. Big hotels, big box, and big chain restaurants-purple haired androgynous weirdo’s (or worse) kinds of changes…. These are not things I want to live with right now. I have somehow managed to live in GREAT places at great times that were just on the swell of that wave of change… Lewiston for me would have been that place 10 years ago. That wave of change has already set up and I missed it. I don't believe I have told this story here before: When I was a boy there was one light visible on the horizon at night; now the farm on which I was raised is gone. It is all strip malls and subdivisions. Three generations and thousands of hours of labor and money improving it all under 200k shit boxes. Thus I have an iron rule when buying farm ground: not within 100 miles of a city. That turns my stomach just reading that. That said our nearest traffic light is now only 15 minutes away-past large cattle ops and farms for the most part. My goal has always been no closer than 6 hours (8 is better) from a professional sports team-of any kind. Where we live now-driving through Fruitland -there are new subdivisions going in on the north side of town in fields that were once farmland. Idaho is rapidly changing. |
Pure blood saved by His.
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Well... On the other side of the coin, Lewiston has a Level III trauma center which is twelve minutes from my home. When we have our strokes, I'll have a pretty good chance of not becoming a vegetable. You hermits might "shuffle off this mortal coil". My daughter was on staff in the hospital at one of the panhandle logging towns and she told me in no uncertain terms that it was no country for old men. She said all they would do is put you on an ambulance for the 50 minute drive to Coeur d'Alene. I grew up on a farm and it makes me a little ashamed to have my house on repurposed farm land. Fact is, I left the farm and made my fortune instead of working myself to an early grave with constant economic worry. The fourth generation rancher who developed this piece of the family land I now live on made a similar choice. If great grandad had the chance to sell this land for a fortune, he would have done it in a heartbeat. Those folks worked the land for a living, not for romance. |
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Originally Posted By Rope-A-Dope: My daughter was on staff in the hospital at one of the panhandle logging towns and she told me in no uncertain terms that it was no country for old men. She said all they would do is put you on an ambulance for the 50 minute drive to Coeur d'Alene. That's no way to talk about St Maries!!! |
"You can watch things happen, you can make things happen, or you can wonder what the fuck just happened." ~ Phil Harris RIP
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Originally Posted By Rope-A-Dope: One thing about Lewiston is that something about the topography results in milder weather extremes. Summers are cooler and winters warmer compared to even nearby towns like Moscow. What? I live in Moscow. No way is Moscow hotter in the summer than Lewiston! L-town is consistently 10-20 degrees warmer in both summer and winter than Moscow and the Palouse. |
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Originally Posted By Rope-A-Dope: Well... On the other side of the coin, Lewiston has a Level III trauma center which is twelve minutes from my home. When we have our strokes, I'll have a pretty good chance of not becoming a vegetable. You hermits might "shuffle off this mortal coil". My daughter was on staff in the hospital at one of the panhandle logging towns and she told me in no uncertain terms that it was no country for old men. She said all they would do is put you on an ambulance for the 50 minute drive to Coeur d'Alene. I grew up on a farm and it makes me a little ashamed to have my house on repurposed farm land. Fact is, I left the farm and made my fortune instead of working myself to an early grave with constant economic worry. The fourth generation rancher who developed this piece of the family land I now live on made a similar choice. If great grandad had the chance to sell this land for a fortune, he would have done it in a heartbeat. Those folks worked the land for a living, not for romance. I agree; it's a business first. My parents went from poor to rich over night and no one had any delusions that they should keep farming where they were. By that time I had already set off on my own buying a distressed farm in South Dakota (hundreds of miles from my parents). The moment I got it in shape and producing like it should offers came out of the woodwork for much more than I had paid, so I sold it and started again. Then did almost the exact same thing again, then again, and again. I guess at this point my specialty is fixing broken farms. Though not once did I set out to fix a farm then sell it but financial realities win and it would have been foolish of me to ignore such profits and I have done far better out of all that then I would have done had I held onto that farm in SD (as much as I loved it, and still do). Sorry for the hijack :) |