There were some near misses on the way. The 10 acre property bordering the Hood River was pretty sweet, but far from town. I still think about that one.
The just missed it 90+ acre property on the Hood River that just seemed like it had it all, (ok we couldn't afford it anyway). The pictures showed the owner holding a huge trout, standing on his own private beach.
The 10 acre lot, that would have made a great ski slope in the winter. Fully populated with pear trees.
The 10 acre compound on Neal Creek, with an old lookout cabin, big barn, and wood fired jacuzzi. We spent hours there, exploring and fantasizing. The land was pretty sloped and the kids fell every 10 minutes or so. Jesse wanted it, and he was a little upset when I said, "it's a little dark and foresty." I'll admit it was pretty sweet. I had major non-buyer's remorse when it sold quickly.
The 5 acre home on Neal Creek was pretty charming and idyllic. Move in ready, but not big enough for more than just the family. The owner had purchased a 100 year old home in Bonneville, moved it and put it back together. I felt inspired, but not ready.
The supremely cool classic farmhouse on 24 acres with panoramic views, only to find out upon the home tour that only 1/2 an acre was actually flat (the rest was a steep mountainside). I think it's still for sale. It's huge! The pictures don't do it justice, and the pictures are amazing. And I learned soon that sloped land is par for the course.
The 5 acre farm with the coolest old barn ever. It was huge, historic, and big enough for a hoe down, but was surrounded by a very large commercial non-organic orchard and a 70's ranch house. A little google search on pesticides was enough for me to pull out of the contract. Which is funny, because we are now living on a farm that is currently not organic. I had big plans for that house. It had a very sweet picture postcard of Mt. Hood from the living room. Wasn't ready. I drive by it sometimes. It is completely flat and has so much potential. Lucky buyers...
The 7 acre, AMAZING completely redone farm house with super cute front porch, peekaboo Mt. Hood views and a cute barn with a guest cottage, complete with white picket fence. It was a little pricey for us, but move in ready. She has a blog. It recently went sale pending. Check out the pictures on her blog! No, really, you need to see these pictures. REALLY, click on it. Breathtaking! What an inspiration!
http://acountryfarmhouse.blogspot.com/
So, I went on my own search, looking up rental properties and finding anyone willing to sell. I finally found one, and boy did this place have it. Stunning views, amazing architecture, cute barn, 40 acres, Hood River access, even a couple of alpacas. The owners graciously invited us over and we turned it into a vineyard tour with some friends. Ultimately, I don't think they were ready to sell. I plan to keep in touch with them, because they were amazingly fascinating people.
Then our agent emailed me with the listing. I replied, "ding ding ding"! We went to Hood River that day, and went for it. Waiting for our agent to get that contract together so we could be the first ones was nail biting! But farm offers aren't easy, we soon learned. At the end of the day, the offer was in, but more showings were scheduled, and other offers were coming. So we wrote a letter. A truthful, heartfelt letter about what we were looking for, how we would honor the land, and the legacy that wanted to create. The letter did it! We were the accepted offer! Let the fun begin...
Shout out to Julie Gilbert! She worked tirelessly to make it all happen and was super patient. If you're ever in the market for a home in the Columbia River area, give her a call and tell her I sent you!
http://www.juliegilbert.remaxagent.com/
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