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DackRetreat
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# Posted: 17 Nov 2013 07:48am
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Hi Everyone,
I am a new member and have enjoyed reading all of the posts. I am looking for about 75 acres of land up in the Southern Adirondack area. Any ideas on how much I should expect to pay per acre? Having a running creek would be nice too.
Thanks.
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RidgeRunner
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# Posted: 17 Nov 2013 09:18am
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Depends on the property, some of it is very reasonably priced, but be FOREWARNED, there are a lot of restrictions on what you can do in the Adirondacks when it comes to both building and living.
I recommend buying something that's just outside the Adirondacks.
If you like lots of snow, the Tug Hill region is great.
It's fairly easy to find land with or without a cabin in that area.
We have a camp near Lowville.
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spoofer
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# Posted: 17 Nov 2013 10:22am
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not many people can afford 75 acres in the ADK's. Land can go for about 30k an acre in the park vs. 1k an acre in the TUG. I own land in the Redfield area.
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DackRetreat
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# Posted: 17 Nov 2013 10:55am
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Thanks for the advice. I've been looking in the Coldbrook area, near Hinckley Reservoir. Is this a nice area? It's about 45 min. from Old Forge area. I have also been communicating with the town inspector in that area to understand their laws. I am looking for just land and like many people on this forum, build a small cabin as funds become available. The land I am looking at is in the neighborhood of $1500/acre, so I just wanted to see if this is a good ballpark figure.
Thanks.
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RidgeRunner
Member
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# Posted: 17 Nov 2013 11:50am
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I haven't been to that area in several years but it was nice when I visited.... I doubt it's changed much.
$1,500 per acre isn't unreasonable for good land, but you should be able to do better than that if you're patient and happen upon a highly motivated seller.
Keep a close eye on Craigslist in the area.
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 17 Nov 2013 12:27pm
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Also, in case you are unfamiliar with it, there is
http://www.adkbyowner.com/
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obtusemoose399
Member
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# Posted: 17 Nov 2013 07:16pm
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Dack- funny you mention Cold Brook. My wife and I are closing next week on a 100 sq for cabin on seven acres in cold brook. The land is certainly available and $1500 is reasonable.
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DackRetreat
Member
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# Posted: 17 Nov 2013 07:30pm
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Obtusemoose--Ah see, small world. Maybe we will be neighbors one day and meet up. Can you tell me if that is a good area in regards to the neighborhood and future prospects?
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obtusemoose399
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# Posted: 17 Nov 2013 09:29pm
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Dack- I actually grew up about 20 miles to the south, before moving to a more urban area later. Cold Brook is a very small town, and is surrounded by hamlets of similar size. You would have a bit of a drive to the nearest stoplight.
I like the area alot. Route 8 passes through it, which equates to easy access to the high peaks region, and as a previous poster mentioned, old forge is nearby as well.
You might also want to look at Forestport, Salisbury, and Oppenheim NY- all are similar in terms of land prices and Adirondack proximity. If you ever plan to be in the neighborhood, let me know.
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DackRetreat
Member
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# Posted: 18 Nov 2013 09:10pm
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Thanks Obtusemoose and everyone else. I love the Adirondack area and will let everyone know where I end up.
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DackRetreat
Member
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# Posted: 9 Dec 2013 09:42pm
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After looking in several areas including Forestport, I am now the proud owner of 85 acres of land in the Southern Adirondacks. My first order of business is to install a septic system with a basic flushable toilet within a structure (I guess you can say outhouse), that will become part of the cabin I would like to eventually build. Having running water and septic will allow my wife and I (and little ones) to at least camp out in tents for extended weekend stays and enjoy the great outdoors. So next spring, I will start to price out how much it will cost to install septic and well. Any advice that anyone can give to a newbie would be greatly appreciated.
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VTweekender
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# Posted: 10 Dec 2013 07:23am
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Congrats!!! Thats a nice size chunk of land!! I am sure your family will have many memories spending time there.. On your septic idea, that is not permitable to just install a septic and well without a permit for a cabin/house first. And you will need a certified engineer do a perc test before you can file plans for the cabin/house. You may be better off using a self-contained camper to enjoy your property until you are ready to do the whole project at once.
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DackRetreat
Member
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# Posted: 10 Dec 2013 09:21pm
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VT-Thanks, I really wanted a large piece of land where we can roam in solitude with the family and dog. We intend to establish some trails for hiking, ATV, snowmobiling. Of course, the kids want a tree house and campfire. As everyone on this site can appreciate, nothing beats the great outdoors; The kids are young and we're very excited to build great memories with them. I was looking for a place in VT to be close to the ski slopes but for just 2-3 acres, the prices were just too much. So I think the location I picked puts me in good vicinity (1-1-1/2 hours) from many great sites.
As for the septic, thanks for your advice. As part of the sale, the land was surveyed, staked out, and the folks from the APA came and did the perc test. So I already have the site plans regarding where the septic is planned to be placed as well as the location of the cabin.
I have an Architect in the family, so coming up with a set of plans for a cabin or carriage house should not be an issue. From your comment, I will need to ask the town how long I can keep the permit open for before I am required to finish up a cabin. I am really not keen on going with a composting toilet but sleeping in a tent I have no problem with (again for the occasional long weekend). So I just really wanted to get to the point of having a bathroom in place. Hmm...more thinking to do on my part.
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RidgeRunner
Member
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2013 12:39am
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The following 278 page guide may be helpful......
New York State Residential Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (PDF)
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DackRetreat
Member
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2013 08:55pm
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Thanks. Boy that's a lot of reading...
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DackRetreat
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2016 08:23pm
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Hi Everyone--It's been almost 2 years since I posted. My old computer died with my user and password info and I lost track of my posts. Anyway, I managed to find this old post of mine and am back online Just a quick update for you after owning the property for 3 years now. I had a well put in, made a bathroom with toilet, shower, and sink in the small hunter's cabin that was there. We had septic installed as well. With young kids, I really needed a proper bathroom for them. Since I have no electricity in the area, I learned how to install a small solar setup to run my DC-powered pump to draw water out of my well into the pressure tank. Things have been working out great and the batteries are always fully charged when I arrive at the camp. We tent 2-3 times each summer for extended weekends with family and friends. We have a few go karts and the kids really have a blast. Now they want me to build them a treehouse, so I will have to learn how to do that. No rest for the weary but I love it. Things I never had but wanted when I was growing up...but it's so much more fun to be able to do it for your own kids and seeing them really enjoy the great outdoors...
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2016 11:05pm
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Sounds great! Post pics!
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DackRetreat
Member
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# Posted: 10 Dec 2016 06:29pm
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Sure. This is a picture of our shed that will hold the water tank and solar batteries. To the left of this shed is where the well is getting ready to be drilled.
Prepare for well and utility shed
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DackRetreat
Member
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# Posted: 10 Dec 2016 06:31pm
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Inside the shed is the pressure tank that will eventually give us fresh water.
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DackRetreat
Member
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# Posted: 10 Dec 2016 06:33pm
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With small children, I had to put in a septic tank and small bathroom.
Cleared for septic
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Plumbing under small cabin
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DackRetreat
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# Posted: 10 Dec 2016 06:35pm - Edited by: DackRetreat
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This is the location for the toilet. The blue tape on the floor will allow me to put up a wall with barn-style doors. We also have a small sink and installed a propane-powered instant hot water heater. Worked out great for us.
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DackRetreat
Member
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# Posted: 10 Dec 2016 06:40pm
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I installed one solar panel to power my DC well pump to draw the water out of the well into the pressure tank. The panel is temporarily on the ground just so I could make sure everything worked. In the 2nd picture, I properly mounted it off the ground before the winter came.
Solar Panel
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Lifted Solar Panel
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DackRetreat
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# Posted: 10 Dec 2016 06:44pm
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I just have 2 circuit breakers. One to shut off the solar charge to the batteries and the other to shut off the pump. When I am not up there, I turn off just the breaker for the pump and the other remains on to trickle charge my batteries. This is a 24v system and as I had said, it is enough to power my pump. Even on cloudy days, the batteries never drain down.
Circuit Breakers
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Batteries
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DackRetreat
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# Posted: 10 Dec 2016 07:50pm
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And why do all this work? So that we can enjoy the great outdoors 
Tenting
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Campfire
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Flying a kite
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DackRetreat
Member
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# Posted: 10 Dec 2016 07:51pm
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Some go-kart races with the kids.
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DackRetreat
Member
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# Posted: 10 Dec 2016 07:53pm
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And of course, going deep into the woods emerging to the peaceful sound of water flowing through our creek. I hope you enjoy all of the pictures. Thanks.
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adakseabee
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2016 11:00pm
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Beautiful property, I really like your creek! A couple of questions: how deep is your well and what is the manufacturer and specs on your solar well pump?
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DackRetreat
Member
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# Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:23pm - Edited by: DackRetreat
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Thanks. That was the main reason I purchased the property. The kids have a blast wading in the ice cold water, which makes it all worth it . The well is 130 feet deep with static water level at 70 feet. I have the Shur-Flo 9300 DC pump. I believe it can handle 2 gal/min.
The only issue I have is that the water does start to get a little murky after ~10 people use the shower (all taken in the late afternoon hours). I am told that the water veins are not quite established yet and that some of the stuff on the bottom is getting kicked up due to the usage. By the next morning, it is clear again. Since I am not up there that often constantly running the water, I don't know how long it will take for the veins to establish.
I also use the EcoTemp L10 Instant Hot Water tank, which works great. I just have it hooked up to a regular sized BBQ tank. With the 3 trips I make up there in the summer, that is more than enough.
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