# WA vs. TX vs. AZ ... and ... boarding vs. owning land



## Anatopism (May 15, 2013)

Not certain if this is the best location for my questions... apologies if it should be moved. Posting in both farm and boarding, as the questions involve both. 

For starters, I am going to be a first-time home buyer within the next 2 years or sooner (most likely sooner), so home buying is a scary new prospect for me just in general. I have a multi-faceted set of questions for everybody... 

I do not currently own horses, but will in the future, and am trying to balance out the cost of full board, if close enough vs. cost of extra land (where, depending on location, may or may not provide adequate pasture/grazing opportunities for horses). I'd also like to be able to expand my chicken flock from just the two hens I have now to raise for eggs and meat. Ideally I'd like other animals as well, but they are not my priority, and are more of icing on the cake, than part of the decision making process.

Other than on this forum, how do people actually go about finding property suitable for livestock? I can find houses with zero yard space quite easily in or around cities of course, with most 'normal' realty websites, but when I try to narrow my search for farm land (to get an idea of what to expect for the price), nothing seems to exist. I don't know if I'm just not searching properly, or if this type of property simply isn't listed where I'm looking. 

I'm in the Olympia area of Washington State at the moment, and so am more familiar with the area/costs of living, and where to physically expect the type of property I'm looking for. I know how far I'd have to drive to/from work or to/from different barns if boarding, but still am not certain how how to search for the property I need/want. 



I am also potentially looking around Dallas, TX and Tempe, AZ (up to 30-45 minutes drive from either - living near Seattle has taught me patience regarding traffic/distance). Both places I've been _through_, but not really _to_, and therefore do not know what to expect regarding horse ownership in these climates/locations, compared to where I am at now. 

For those of you familiar with these areas, what challenges do you face as horse and land/home owners?
Is it generally more cost effective to own property with horses, or to own a smaller home/property and board your animals nearby?
How is the selection of boarding facilities and trainers?
How does the climate/weather affect horse/property ownership in these locations (keeping in mind I'm familiar with lots and lots of greenery and rain)?
What should one expect to pay in full board in either of these areas (I'll be browsing craigslist tonight for an idea) vs. cost of owning property large enough for 2 horses (at a minimum)?
Thank you!


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

I've been searching for a while also, after coming to the conclusion my state is going to eat us alive soon, if nothing changes.
I usually pick an area/ town/ city and Google. Look at what's offered. Then I check on the map, reasonable driving distance to get to work( hubby) and so arrive at the outskirts, where there is usually available what I'm looking for. For three horses, depending on which state, of course, I'm looking for more or less 5 acres. 
I would never consider boarding, btw, and like the no-neighbor, in the middle of nowhere places lol.


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## freia (Nov 3, 2011)

How far outside Olympia are you?  I'm in SW Washington, and I use this website. It's really easy to use and is very effective, but it might not cover your area:

www.rmls.com

Around here, $250k can get you a modest ranch house on 2-5 acres with some sort of shelter for a horse. Prices go up from there. More or less. That's just a ballpark, very general figure for a neighborhood where horse-people actually like to live.

Board around here runs $250 to $400 with full feed included, depending on the amenities.


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## freia (Nov 3, 2011)

Cool, here's an equivalent site for the greater Seattle area. Olympia is right between the two areas I gave you links for, but hopefully there's some overlap and one will work.

TheMLSonline.com - Home Search - Call 425-467-6577


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## Anatopism (May 15, 2013)

Thanks, Freia  I'm just a few minute drive down the highway from downtown Oly, but I've been looking for places on the outskirts, as well as out in Yelm. I work in DuPont, and would prefer not to deal with traffic to the north, most of all.


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## freia (Nov 3, 2011)

Anatopism said:


> Thanks, Freia  I'm just a few minute drive down the highway from downtown Oly, but I've been looking for places on the outskirts, as well as out in Yelm. I work in DuPont, and would prefer not to deal with traffic to the north, most of all.


I don't see why. I've found the traffic between Olympia and Seattle to be quite pleasant - at least between 2:00 and 3:00 am :wink: that's not a problem, is it?

There! finally. I found one that includes property in the area you're in.

Search for Homes -- ZipRealty

Fill in the acreage field with the appropriate size, and I think it may actually find you something.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

there are tons of horse properties in Yelm and in Graham and Roy. that would be about a 40 minute commute to Dupont.

or, look in Puyallup area. off of Hway 18?


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

My neice used to live in Roy-she had 10 acres w/a moblile on it. Lots of horses in the area, but there was 1 not-so-good neighbor. I remember her losing some chickens to the wild predators. But her horses were fine, and she did lots of activities w/them. The climate change to AZ would be major as it is Very Dry here. I know you didn't mention it , but Northern Nevada is nice.


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## Anatopism (May 15, 2013)

Thanks for all the responses! There are potentially other locations I'd be interested in as well, but those are the most likely/promising, as they are locations available for promotion opportunities or lateral moves with work  

I LOVE the PAC NW in the dry months, but am wondering if I'd be a little happier in a place with more sunlight (I also despise snow). Will continue researching!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

One thing nobody mentioned was water availability and rights. Those are VERY important in the ability to have and care for livestock on your own land.

Some places require two separate wells, one for the house and another for the barn/livestock. Some places you have to share water rights, and there may be restrictions concerning the number and type of animals.

Texas is currently in a bad drought situation and Arizona isn't exactly known for its abundance of water, so you need to find out the water situation before you decide on a particular area.

If you're from the PNW, you've never had to deal with water shortages and restrictions. They are very real issues in the drier and drought stricken states.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

advantages of PNW:
economy is brisker
lots of water
hardly any ticks or skeeters
no poisonous snakes or spiders
no tornadoes
snow is limited, usually
rarely hot for more than a week at a time
lots of grass, pretty well balanced nutritionally
plenty of trails to ride
rarely any shortage of water

Disadvantages of PNW
gray skies WAY too often
rains a lot!
horses tend to fat on all that grass
land/taxes high!
not really a culture of Western riding
more and more people, all the time


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## freia (Nov 3, 2011)

tinyliny said:


> advantages of PNW:
> economy is brisker
> lots of water
> hardly any ticks or skeeters
> ...


I love your list, Tiny. Especially the "No tornadoes" part.

Adding to it:
advantages:
no chiggers
no poisonous snakes West of the Cascades
my oh my, it's pretty out here
codes and zonings tend to be very horse-friendly

Disadvantages:
I don't mind the grey skies. It gives me a fine, light, "English" complexion, and I save money on sunblock, and I get oh-so-excited when the sun comes out.
With all the rain comes mud, and with mud comes thrush and rain-rot.
Having to blanket or have a very soggy, muddy horse to deal with
That earthquake that will hit us sooner or later, but it may or may not happen in our lifetime, so why sweat it too much.

Speed, you know, we really are spoiled with water her in the PNW. We complain about the rain, but yes, we do have water, and I don't think we realize how lucky we are. When I saw your post, my first reaction was "huh?". And then it dawned on me just much we take our wonderful water-supply for granted.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Freia, I'm from Virginia where our rainfall has already exceeded needed levels this year, so we don't have to worry about it either. However, I have friends all over the country and they live in places where water rights/restrictions are very real issues.


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## Anatopism (May 15, 2013)

Woo! Pro con lists are my favorite. I have lived in Southern California, and Nebraska before here (moved here 3 years ago) so I am familiar with water restrictions/droughts but not specifically in relation to financials or impact in livestock. (Also, not to the extent of AZ or TX)

One thing I just realized that hadn't struck me until now, is that I HATE going outside in the rain (and my dog hates it more than I do)... And I know I would be less inclined to work with horses or do "outside work" in the rainy season here...... Which is quite abundant.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## outnabout (Jul 23, 2010)

I live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. There are numerous boarding facilities and trainers for both English and Western riding. Average boarding cost runs from $250-400, with partial care and full care being the most popular arrangements. Housing costs are reasonable, with costs running higher in Dallas county as opposed to counties west and south. We have mild winters and beautiful spring and fall seasons, but summers are brutally hot and humid. North Texas has experienced a drought for the past 3-4 years, but it isn't as bad as south and southwest Texas. We have tornadoes every spring and early summer. Going rate for 2-string bales of coastal hay is $8-10, although you can find it for $4-5 if you load it yourself from the field.

Anatopism, have you tried searching for properties on Zillow?
I want to move to the Silver City area of New Mexico in 4-5 years and like looking on Zillow, especially using their map feature. Oh, and so true, what Speedracer says about water in some areas, especially the southwest. Just because the property has a well doesn't means that there is water in it, or that the pump is functional. Also do your homework on availability of electricity in SW rural areas.


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## outnabout (Jul 23, 2010)

freia said:


> Around here, $250k can get you a modest ranch house on 2-5 acres with some sort of shelter for a horse. Prices go up from there. More or less. That's just a ballpark, very general figure for a neighborhood where horse-people actually like to live..


:shock: $250k for a modest house and 2-5 acres??? Maybe I could learn to like cloudy skies!


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## freia (Nov 3, 2011)

outnabout said:


> :shock: $250k for a modest house and 2-5 acres??? Maybe I could learn to like cloudy skies!


Last year, the neighbor's property came up for sale. We grabbed it immediately. It's 5 acres - all fairly level and usable, with half of it as pasture. Has a 1400 sqft comfortable, charming, solid - but not fancy - house on it. Greenhouse and woodshed. All it needs is a fence and shelter to be ready for horses. We're 35 minutes drive from downtown Portland and 1 mile from a State park with horse-trails. I paid $215k for it. We rent out the house and the rest will be for horses.


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## lilypoo (Jun 15, 2013)

Posting to sub...timely thread for me. 

Have you been to Tempe in June, July or August? How do you feel about the heat? Have you researched Valley Fever?

I live not far from Tempe. I don't hate the summer heat and the upside is that the rest of the year, it's absolutely wonderful to have mostly sunny days and mild weather. 

A/C costs are a consideration that a lot of people don't take into account. But then, you probably don't need to run your heat in the winter (mostly we don't).


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## lilypoo (Jun 15, 2013)

freia said:


> Last year, the neighbor's property came up for sale. We grabbed it immediately. It's 5 acres - all fairly level and usable, with half of it as pasture. Has a 1400 sqft comfortable, charming, solid - but not fancy - house on it. Greenhouse and woodshed. All it needs is a fence and shelter to be ready for horses. We're 35 minutes drive from downtown Portland and 1 mile from a State park with horse-trails. I paid $215k for it. We rent out the house and the rest will be for horses.


Those cloudy skies are sounding pretty appealing!


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## freia (Nov 3, 2011)

Come on in, the rain and grey skies await!

http://habitatresourceproperties.co...our=yes&show_description=yes&show_address=yes


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

freia said:


> Last year, the neighbor's property came up for sale. We grabbed it immediately. It's 5 acres - all fairly level and usable, with half of it as pasture. Has a 1400 sqft comfortable, charming, solid - but not fancy - house on it. Greenhouse and woodshed. All it needs is a fence and shelter to be ready for horses. We're 35 minutes drive from downtown Portland and 1 mile from a State park with horse-trails. I paid $215k for it. We rent out the house and the rest will be for horses.


Price surely does depend on the area, doesn't it? :wink:

I paid $120,000 for my 5 acre place with a 1,910 sqft house, partial fencing, an old auto garage I converted into a barn, and the majority of the acreage in pasture. I couldn't have bought anything close to what I have now in Maryland or northern Virginia for the same price. 

I'm 40 minutes from Lynchburg, an hour and a half from Richmond, and about the same from Roanoke.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Where I live, 5 acres with a modest house and some outbuildings, on flat land, would easily be twice what Freia paid. Twice.
my own dowdy little suburban house, 1/4 acre lot, within 12 minutes of downtown Seattle is about 450K$ 
prices are very high here.


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## Anatopism (May 15, 2013)

At what point, in drought prone areas, does it make more sense to board full care, than to own a larger lot that still might not yield enough suitable land to feed a horse or two? For those with several acres in AZ or TX, is the extra space just a money pit, compared to WA, where its almost more difficult to keep the grass from turning into a jungle, and therefore tends to result in a lower feed bill?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

Here in my area minimum lot size is 10 acres-I'm sure availability of water has something to do w/that. My BIL lives about an hour away- there min lot size is 40 acres & electricity is not available. I am amazed at how many people live very marginally in many areas of the U.S. I did make sure we had power to our property as solar is pricey, although it would be ideal if it were affordable.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

When I was working in the Cedar Hill area (Tx) I paid $100 a month for 3 horses pasture board. They had water and round bales but were only fed if I paid extra or fed myself. I was living in Arlington though so had a long commute between work and horses. When I moved to Desoto the first time, I moved the horses to a small farm outside Cedar Hill -Full board was $100 per horse but it was a small family farm, they were allowed to ride two of the horses and there were no riding facilities. They were ridden on property in the pasture. My brother was paying $375 a horse - full board with riding facilities but ride time is limited due to lessons. He has a house on two acres that are in a subdivision that is zoned for horses. They pay for round bales (2 a month) and feed but are limited to riding along the street or in the yard/pasture. He'll now be buying a trailer to get the horses back and forth to the trainer. I ended up renting acreage in Desoto that included a house, two barns and cross fenced for $1,500 a month but that was a steal. I could not have purchased anything with that payment. Depending on where you work in Dallas drive time can be a nightmare. It was always easier to go from North to South am and reverse pm. When I moved to Cedar Hill it was because the primary office was there and I wanted to be closer to the animals. Finding the rental property was a blessing. The new combined cost of living, not having to drive and having the horses on property was worth it. Where I live now 5 acres with a house, no fencing or out buildings is anywhere form $350,00 to 2 mil depending on if you are close to the water or not.


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## JeepnGirl (Jan 15, 2013)

We live in Lewis County in Washing ton. We bought an old 1930's farm house on 11 acres with a big barn for only $150K. No cross fencing but it has a full perimeter fence, barn needed the stalls put back in and the floor level brought up. It's on the high bank side of a year round river. Here we do not have to feed our draft mare, and my two mares, 7 sheep, 3 alpacas, and 5 llamas at all during the summer. We have plenty of room to raise chicken, duck, goose, lamb for our selves plus if we have extra we can sell it.
Also, until the rains stop during the summer (which I've seen to be only a month long *maybe* around here), we don't have to touch a hose to keep water troughs filled. I've always wanted a place big enough that I didn't have to feed if I didn't want to. I never thought of not having to water! LOL

This is our very first home buy and I was more nervous the day we signed the papers for it, that I was the day I married my husband!!!

We also used to live in Austin, Texas a few years back. We could have bought an 8 acre horse farm with a seasonal creek, cross fencing, 8 stall barn, outdoor lit arena, old two story farm house with wrap around porch, breeze way and attached 2 car garage, pool, and a hot walker for $80 or 120K?? Can't remember. And I was thinking we could have lessons and board because they were about to build a subdivision *right* across the street.
We'd most likely have to feed hay year round here as the temperatures and rainy season don't mix and the grass will die off.

Paying for board may be convenient, but when you sell your horse, or move, all you've done is pad someone else's pocket. With land you own, you can improve it and the value will always be there.
I've also boarded my horses just before we bought our house. It was *ok*. But may just have been this barn was kinda boring - I ended up riding during the winter there by myself.... No one else seemed to be there as much as I was.


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