Well, it happened again.  Just driving along minding my own business then, pop! ping, ping, ppthff, and my ride fizzled to a stop.  It was Sunday afternoon and I was on my way to briefly drop off some new customer equipment.  But now I was a couple miles short and thinking about my backup plan.  You know

Part of living in a beautiful remote location is taking care of the “entrance” fees. The snow is gone, the mud is drying up, and we can drive our 4WD Jimmies all the way up to the house now. I’m never fond of mud season at all. Since we live near a popular summer vacation destination, Lake Chelan, we know many “snow birds” as we call them. They stay here during the balmy summer months, and head south for the winter (typically to Arizona). I don’t really envy that at all because winter has a beauty all its own! I’d consider becoming a “mud bird” if it were practical. You know, live somewhere else for about 4 weeks a year when the snow melts, welcoming mud season, and travel is a challenge. Alas, we have animals to care for, kids to school, and most importantly, no budget for this imagined yearly pilgrimage.

Hindsight is always 20/20 vision.  When you’re evaluating a property for your remote off grid home, foresight is the best. Don’t make that big commitment by signing on the dotted line before you consider this short list.  Eyes wide open is the best way to move forward in a predictable way.  [whew! I can't believe I got so many cliches in the previous sentences. ]

In our recent email poll, Joe Schmidt asked, “Do you have stories or articles about your home and property construction?”  Well lets move that direction with purchasing a remote property. Anyway, here’s the list I have so far: