I have to admit, I’m nervous to watch this one because I already live in Washington and I don’t need any confirmation that I’m in the wrong spot. Especially with a 2.25% interest rate.
Yeah, me too. I love it where I live, except for politics, liberaly progressive crazies, and very high taxes and cost of living. Otherwise, it's amazing and I can't bear to leave.
Yeah, I live in Spokane but I want to live in the woods eventually as it's beautiful... my uncle is going to sell me an acre up north near Colville in the woods and I used to go to school in kettle falls so I know how exquisite it is up there 😊
Keep in mind that the Forks area is a rain forest. It's going to be very, very wet, but lush. Everything will mold and get covered in moss. Building covered storage will be key to living in this area.
@@smokeyangelav I usually have a problem when "casting" to the TV. I try to comment, but the comment posts under the current video instead of the one I started the comment under...
This is so awesome to watch, and you're my favorite youtuber. I'm watching this with my girlfriend and I'm grinning ear to ear because two 1/2 years ago I woke up and lived in Seatle so knew I had to leave, and I bought 40 acres up in Wauconda just North of Republic which was right in the middle green circle. Made me feel great about my decision. Thanks man, you rock.
I live in north Idaho. When you were talking about Spokane I was thinking “say it”. You zoomed into north Idaho and said it without saying it. This’ll be a great series if you keep it up.
I guess I'm one of those "salt of the earth" dudes from Colville. Been on land here since 1973 and agree with your assessment of this area. Spent lots of time in southern BC on mini breaks (the great lockdown kinda spoiled the travel experience a bit!) Keep up the good work.
Im up in the Okanogan valley and water can be hit or miss. Where I'm at, wells are deep and low producing, but it's on a ton of granite and surface water takes a long time to seep really deep, so the water table can be favorably high.
The problem is a lot of the rural you can not put a homestead. Watersheds do not allow building even a shed or a barn, or even putting in a gravel road. Also, you can't have animals or farm vegetables as they sometimes disallow fertilizers, herbicides (even organic), etc... US & many states have wildlife protection areas.
I live in eastern Wa./next to the Snake River. It is dry, 8-12 inches of rain per year. However, that does equal a lot of sunshine. On our 10 acre patch i put in a large lined pond and have stocked it with fish. It will double as a water reserve, but mostly it’s there for a secure 2nd source and the fish. One other benefit to being dry is a low low parasite load for grazing animals- we’ve just started with our hair sheep journey. Another note: property values where i am have gone nuts along with property taxes. We bought our place- 10 acres, large shop, small double wide for 200k in 2016. It’s tripled in price- and i dont want it to or to pay any more in taxes. My neighbor built a nice 3000 ft home- the county is hitting him for almost 9k a year- I’m just under 4k-we have what they call a scenic view of the river.
May I suggest you add one other factor. Namely, influence of an area on the entire state. In the case of Seattle, it has a massive influence on what happens state level. So even if you are in one of the green areas noted, effects like transferring homestead to next generation is massively influenced by policies that are strongly determined out of Seattle. Eastern WA has this grievance regularly and it is a fair point to factor in.
I escaped from Western Washington last year, I feel like I barely got out alive. But of course there are good things about Washington State, I am glad Curtis is taking a rational look at it. Me I'd say run don't walk, but that's not fair to the state as a whole.
I'd also add about the Olympic Pennisula you only have ONE highway so in the even of a major earthquake this is an issue. Hwy 101 is a rural 2 lane road back there. It rains a LOT from Port Angeles on. You must be prepared for long winters that are always wet. But the tradeoff is being left alone out there. Tons of bears and elk if you hunt. However, much of the interior is federally owned "public" lands. If you wanted to homestead, it is going to be in a valley. It's a lot to think about, but the payoff of natural beauty can be worth the isolation. And rain.
I have a homestead in western WA, south of Olympic mtns. The wokeness in WA state is nuts but my area is red and lots of homesteaders. The summers are dry, months with no rain so you must irrigate.
I live within one of those red circles. He is right. Don't move here, I like the green fields ,the clean air and water and the great evolved folks with room in their souls. Don't you come trampling in fucking it up!
Much of the focus in this episode is centered in areas that are in Idaho, which is a completely different state. Not that you didn't know that. I just felt compelled to point that out so that in the event you decide to turn this into a series in which more states are covered, you can try to hone in more on the areas that exist within the borders of that specific state. As always, your insight and commentary is greatly appreciated.
@@tenthousanddays2103 No. I meant to say much of the focus. But if you don't think that phrasing accurately describes the overview given in this video, then how about "an unnecessarily inordinate amount of time" was spent on areas in Idaho, which is obviously NOT in Washington, derp!.
I love your observations about Washington. I was born here and have lived here for 70 years. I have been a diehard loyalist to this state. However, I am embarrassed about current happenings. State government has now passed zoning, building, watershed laws statewide because when they left it up to regional entities, they did not follow their far-left coast agenda. Now you cannot capture any rainwater, have even a temporary outhouse, use propane, or any form of alternative construction in anything you build on your homestead statewide. Statewide zoning has become a mess and the fees can easily exceed $30,000 for permits.
@@bunsguns8222 You are right in most of the states, but not so in Washington State. Go figure. I doubt there is anyone who wants to enforce this unique prohibition except anyone in the planning and building permit departments. This means you cannot use it officially to meet any code requirement.
@@dwighthires3163 I call bull on that. Here is the law in Washington State. Rainwater catchment IS legal: ecology.wa.gov/Water-Shorelines/Water-supply/Water-recovery-solutions/Rainwater-collection
I'm in Whatcom, grew up with lots of conservative farm families but its changing fast. Main obstacle is affordability. Brother lives just south of Colville, but even he's seen big changes there in just 6 years or so. While I like many aspects of the "wet" (west) side better, I think if we were to stay in Washington that NE portion is the last best hope. That will only last for so long, though.
Thanks for this. I have a few acres in Puyallup, Wa. Just east of Tacoma. I love this town but I know it’s nowhere near ideal. We have been eyeballing Coleville and Sandpoint ID and north. Glad to know my intuition has some wisdom.
I think you need to allow a wider range of acceptable down near the blue mountains. It is dryer, yes but I think you will find it isn’t any worse than the towns you pointed out up north. Warmer down south and better winters which I think makes up for a slightly lower rainfall
Curtis this is such a great idea! Would it be too much of a hassle to link each state video in the show notes for ease of reference as you complete this series? Thanks!
Hi Curtis; thank you for the overview. Perhaps you could do a second video on WA State Islands. I would be very interested in your thoughts. thank you so much for you sharing your insight.
@@toddburgess6792 Perhaps in a SHTF situation, limited access to the island(s) would keep others from easily getting to you. A little isolation may not be a bad thing. Anyhow, some of the islands do have bridges...nonetheless, if you are self-sufficient and homesteading why leave in the first place? Some of the islands are sparsely populated, have conservate people on rurally zoned lands and are in Counties that are not necessarily in line with the political ideologies held by the State. Additionally, some have constitutionally loyal local Sheriffs who do their jobs properly. I think lumping all the islands, which boast limited populations, amazing natural resources, tons of local farms/markets and homesteaders into the same category as Seattle is not accurate imo. Was just hoping for another video by Curtis in the future that focused primarily on the islands....it seems the islands got overlooked in this one.
From South Tacoma, lived in Florida for 12 years until January, now I’m Back in Olympia. Definitely avoid the cities. Tacoma-Seattle area is all garbage
@@brycehess6708 Not everywhere would be in a lava flow area. That I would avoid. There should be maps somewhere. I was in the Mt St Helen eruption. It got dark during the day because the ash was so thick. It was raining down like snow. Eastern Washington actually got heavy ash. It affected farmland for decades. Everything was so dusty and extra dust in our homes for years. Every time you stepped it would float. Central Washington was protected because of the rain shadow and didn’t get as much. I know that Washington has a reputation of always raining but that’s not the case. It has every planting zone in the US. Eastern Washington doesn’t get that much rain and is mostly desert. I wouldn’t want to live “downwind” of Hanford either. Washington has areas that require irrigation rights as well. Also areas called green zones. Some places shared wells and even power poles which can cause some conflicts with neighbors. Television and phone service is unavailable in some areas unless you get something like Starlink. It also has larger prey like Mountain Lions, Bobcats, and Bears. There are porcupine, Skunks, rattlesnakes, black widows, scorpions in the East. Most places in the US have coyotes but Washington has quite a lot. Near my grandmother’s house in Eastern Washington, they ran around in packs often which is fairly rare. My aunt got chased by a pack while riding her horse. You could hear them at night. Where I grew up in the mountains, we had a very short growing season so crops that require longer times were difficult. We would have frosts every so often in the summer. Cool season crops did amazing though. The soil in the mountain area is very rich. We might add some cow manure but that’s it. Pretty easy to dig but it wouldn’t take long to hit water. My grandfather was a cattle farmer but as he got older, he had to lease to other farmers because the taxes were high. My dad continues to lease to this day to pay the taxes. If he were ever unable to lease, he’d have to sell quickly I’m sure. It’s unfortunately hard to hold on to family land. My grandfather lost a lot of acreage to the military because they wanted to expand their bombing range. They took it to court but lost. It was the second time they had done it and they also took some of his brother’s land. They compensated him but not for what it was worth. My dad has to put up with hearing the explosions. 🫤 The county put in a quarry behind his house also. At least they leased that from my grandfather (and now my uncle) but still. I do love Washington though, specifically because you can be i. rolling plains, a desert, a forest, and an Ocean beach all in one day. In most areas, you have true four seasons. The people zip around in a rush and have good work ethic. They don’t really chat people up like you might see in some places. Their mind is always on the next thing. My son was a year old once when I was there. In Oklahoma, I had random strangers coming up to see him all of the time. One lady wanted to kiss his feet. In Washington, my son seemed like an inconvenience to them if he even made a sound. No one talked to him. Just something I Noticed. Oh you want to call people and arrange a time to meet. Most don’t want you to just show up. If you break down on the side of the road, people will just ignore you. Unless it’s a trucker and then they will stop. Truckers are the best there. Drs appointments often require travel to other cities. The small towns have small hospitals and in emergencies may life flight you to Portland or Seattle.
I live 20 miles south of Mt st Helen's and my whole family lived through the eruption in vancouver...wasn't a huge deal...a few bridges and ash was cleaned up....all the forests and wildlife are thriving all around the mountain...as far as lava goes that would be the least of your worries if Yellowstone blew
there are some serious outlaw/sovereign counties in washington state if you want a local gov on your side. though amenities (including government) are next to none. some of the arid areas are deceiving or perhaps I'm just used to living on the dryside.
I've lived in Washington for most of my 64 years. Your west side circles are pretty accurate. And yes, reduce your radius around the east side locations some, Yakima much smaller i think. I'm on the east side now, and it's like a different planet altogether from the entirely screwed up west side where I spent most of my years. A lot of desert here in central Washington. But if you have a water source, the growing season is long. Were I a homesteader, Farther north I think, but there can be some pretty heavy winter up there. As to farms and chemicals, I'm just not seeing any negative affects here, no cancer clusters or anything like that.
@@michellecelesteNW far east side of the state?? I am going to guess Pasco, Kirkland, Kennewick aka the tri-cities area. -_- If you aren't aware of that part of the state's history in the nuclear arms race of WW2, you're not from this state.
@@AngelErrene I have military family, yes I'm aware of the contaminants. Some of them were hunters and ate the elk from those areas but they were more out in Walla Walla region.
HeyCurtis. . . great content regarding choosing a permanent homestead. . . although i just released a video which evidences one can no longer acquire land under any government. . . all estates have been absconded including yours. .. . paper though. . . this is an important distinction
Area of concrete is directly proportionate to freedom 😅 if you need things like McDonald's and Safeway you won't like most north central towns. Wenatchee is the closest town with really effective cardio and emergency medicine.
Your dry area also includes the largest apple growing area in the world, the Wenatchee valley. Last time I checked, apples need a ton of water to grow.
I live in Spokane. House has been paid for over 20 years. I would move but I’m only 10 minutes from my grandkids who moved back with their parents from Asheville NC a few months ago. I’m just glad they are not in Asheville right now. If they were not here I would move to north Idaho.
Great series concept... When you started with WA, I figured you'd work your way from west to east, but I see your next video didn't follow that trend... Hoping you cover California soon!
Hello. I am SW Washington bred, born and 71 years lived. While I do agree with your concrete-jungle and red circles assessment one commenters account of the county you choose to live in MATTERS. Wakiakam, Pacific, Lewis and even edges of Cowlitz counties are fine and "co-operate" the least with State level mandates. The still true industrial Ports of Longview; Kalama and Woodland fund these counties so less hammering of the farmers and property owners. Oregon Columbia River flip side counties from here can be a viable option too. Of course those moving from the dense Urban areas of California still demanding cake will only find very short term relief. Avoid lakeside properties. Avoid the pricing run ups on spectacular view property. Live in the in-betweens and car day trip to these areas. So far as Olympia/State mandates live family level small; with only the fewest like mined neighbors and then just do what you want out of sight out of mind. If you can totally throw out the enslaving concepts of My-Precious-Resell-Value; granite versus formica countertops then you can live-Free wedging-in the westside in-betweens areas. Coming from California; Portland/Seattle Urban . . .just leave that all behind. Grow the true PNW-wetside webs between your toes. Let the moss fill-in grow on your backside. Do burn wood for heat. Sweat that out to become a true local. Big Hydro-electric is a cheap convience - do not let it become a dependence. That propane is for the engines and cooking stove. Satellite systems work most everywhere now. Let is become your best friend. With an OFF switch. Insist on stadium sports live experiences; professional live theater; live concerts and they still own you and your soul. Steve unruh
Totally agree...im in north Clark county and there are no rules up here at all...when I tell the vancouver/ Portland flatlanders where I live they look at me like I'm a hermit in the mountains lol
Oh, well, Mr Curtis Stone, the reason why western Washington is so populous is because everything in the state revolves in this region. money,jobs, natural beauty, Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Boeing, Seattle, the state's capital, Bill Gates, Mt Rainier, Pacific Ocean, music venues, Seahawks, Mariners, you name it. nobody wants to live in central or Eastern Washington. not enough job opportunities in that part of the state.
I live in north clark county and its like the wild west here lol..everybody shoots all the time and there is obly 1 sherrif for the whole area...were also up hill from everything in vancouver/Portland...gravel driveways andb I aved roads 👌
Broad strokes I think you're right on this but I know a few choice gems and worry spots in particular that aren't mentioned. Please do Oregon next. I've lived in both these states and debate often which is better/worse.
@@brycehess6708 the restrictions on food and water are growing in oregon - to a frightening degree. Gun or not, no one survives without food and water.
The politics of this state, especially the Seattle-Olympia have hurt the entire state. We really need to divide the state into 2 down the cascades. With the eastern WA side getting those rural towns just on the westside of the mountains.
How can you say "Sweet spot" below rumbling Mt. Ranier? According to the USGS, There is a high danger of eruption along the Cascades from Mt. St. Helen's all the way North to Bellingham. Formerly dormant volcanoes are rumbling in 2024. You want to sell land to people that puts them in harm's way? Personally, I wouldn't live within 250 miles of the Cascades. Then, when you're that far away from any metro area, there is no medical.
Read up on the history of development in South Florida. No one cares people’s safety and livelihoods as long as they can flip some property and make a profit
I live in kettle falls right next to colville and yeah you nailed that one on the head. You couldn't pick a better spot for shtf now as far as the Spokane area as you are pointing out I'm not too sure about those because I lived in Spokane for 20 years there's tens of thousands of people in those mountains around Spokane you'd want to get way away from those areas and that's just my two cents worth everybody has different opinions anyways God bless have a great day
You need to do a bit more homework on this state. A lot of the areas you suggest in eastern Washington are not available for homesteading, like on the huge Colville Tribes reservation (you can buy a grandfathered site for a to. Of money but the tribes are trying to buy those back. You get out in the woods in deep timber and you will probably lose your home to forest fires like I did but I had insurance and that is hard to come by now and the fires are getting worse. Also, there are not a lot of medical services out there, I had someone come to the hospital in Omak to have a baby because the med facility in republic did not provide that service. You bleed up in those hills and you bleed out. The patriarch of the Alaska Bush People tv show died on their place (heart attack) less than 20 miles from Tonasket. The wear and tear on vehicles on those back roads is horrendous and expensive. Land has gone up in price a lot the last few years because of coastwise retiring, selling their high value houses and buying or building mansions in the hills. If you don’t have enough money and tools and equipment to set up and stay on site, chance of success is minimal, and you could still be wiped out by fire any summer. You would be better off buying one of the last small houses in a little town where you could walk to amenities (cheap) and have backup acreage out in the boonies that you could camp on and run to as needed.
Waiting for you to do Alabama. The Northern part is a lot like Middle TN. The southern part is very different. Differences from TN is less people, property taxes, building codes. Land is cheaper and their are very few leftist. The biggest down side is very few people homesteading. Strange in a place if a seed drops out of your pocket, it will grow twice as big as other states with a lot of inputs?
Not from there but lived just opposite of it. It’s very liberal. Gorgeous weather. Expensive. I’d say not safe even in the best of times l. WA has a lot of problems. But damn is it beautiful.
@@GaserBeam-hi4ez I moved to PT from teh SF Bay Area in 2000. I had to leave the congested Bay Area and someone had mentioned PT to me. With the hills and the water it felt like home. The dark winter nights is another matter. Half of the town is from California. Weather is mild here it never gets hot. It is a Marxist paradise to some, that is for sure.
@@user-jv9qz2bu1r I didn’t even notice the winters, it’s so mild and I don’t mind early nights. Summer the sun staying out is a bit much, but gorgeous. The drugs and homelessness and attitude is crazy, but as a Californian you’ve seen worse, so PT probably is comparatively nice and safe.
@@GaserBeam-hi4ez The wealthier PT residents live here from Easter to Fall. Some go to Baja. Crime, homelessness ae not PT issues. I have left valuables In my patio or unlocked cars. Try this in Seattle.
Where does this guy live? im born and raised in washington state, i went to highschool in Yakima and live in kitsap county. I am extremely conservative and everyone i know is conserative. this dude isnt from here, it obvious
Yup. Born and raised here. Just got an acre of land paid off. The plan was to stay here forever, unfortunately the government just keeps getting stupider. With mail in voting, I don't think there's much hope.
I’ve lived in Washington about 20 years. I think it’s hilarious correlation that all the areas you picked to avoid just so happen to be democrat strongholds in the state 😂. I can’t stand the dem control in western Washington, but I like the beauty of this side of the state over eastern Washington.
10.3% sales tax, $4.49 gas, median home price $600,000 and avg $1000 / month property taxes ...run by democrats for the past 42 years . Sucks your money to live here.
I have to admit, I’m nervous to watch this one because I already live in Washington and I don’t need any confirmation that I’m in the wrong spot. Especially with a 2.25% interest rate.
Yeah, me too. I love it where I live, except for politics, liberaly progressive crazies, and very high taxes and cost of living. Otherwise, it's amazing and I can't bear to leave.
I had a 3% rate in Olympia and jumped ship in 2021. It was worth it.
Yeah, I live in Spokane but I want to live in the woods eventually as it's beautiful... my uncle is going to sell me an acre up north near Colville in the woods and I used to go to school in kettle falls so I know how exquisite it is up there 😊
We are not accepting immigrants into Canada...😊
@@cerickson5256what are those taxes for?
Keep in mind that the Forks area is a rain forest. It's going to be very, very wet, but lush. Everything will mold and get covered in moss. Building covered storage will be key to living in this area.
And lots of deep porches. Western Clallam and Jefferson County need to break away from the more Leftist east end of their current counties.
@@smokeyangelav
Your comment posted under a different video than you intended.
@@b_uppy it's the correct video, it just posted in the wrong area.
@@smokeyangelav
I usually have a problem when "casting" to the TV. I try to comment, but the comment posts under the current video instead of the one I started the comment under...
@@b_uppy ah, no. it was the correct video. I don’t know why it replied under this comment though. I have moved it.
This is so awesome to watch, and you're my favorite youtuber. I'm watching this with my girlfriend and I'm grinning ear to ear because two 1/2 years ago I woke up and lived in Seatle so knew I had to leave, and I bought 40 acres up in Wauconda just North of Republic which was right in the middle green circle. Made me feel great about my decision. Thanks man, you rock.
What a banger idea for a mini series.
I live in north Idaho. When you were talking about Spokane I was thinking “say it”. You zoomed into north Idaho and said it without saying it. This’ll be a great series if you keep it up.
We're going to do every state, so it's coming.
I guess I'm one of those "salt of the earth" dudes from Colville. Been on land here since 1973 and agree with your assessment of this area. Spent lots of time in southern BC on mini breaks (the great lockdown kinda spoiled the travel experience a bit!) Keep up the good work.
Stone's law: The level of freedom is inversely proportional to the volume of concrete.
This is so true
Good one!
Not in Canada... 😅😅😅.. do your research first.. we closed off migration.
Did you talk with any Washingtonians? Kinda missed the southern coast, very rural and mild. You ain’t from around here.
Im up in the Okanogan valley and water can be hit or miss. Where I'm at, wells are deep and low producing, but it's on a ton of granite and surface water takes a long time to seep really deep, so the water table can be favorably high.
The problem is a lot of the rural you can not put a homestead. Watersheds do not allow building even a shed or a barn, or even putting in a gravel road. Also, you can't have animals or farm vegetables as they sometimes disallow fertilizers, herbicides (even organic), etc... US & many states have wildlife protection areas.
I live in eastern Wa./next to the Snake River. It is dry, 8-12 inches of rain per year. However, that does equal a lot of sunshine. On our 10 acre patch i put in a large lined pond and have stocked it with fish. It will double as a water reserve, but mostly it’s there for a secure 2nd source and the fish. One other benefit to being dry is a low low parasite load for grazing animals- we’ve just started with our hair sheep journey. Another note: property values where i am have gone nuts along with property taxes. We bought our place- 10 acres, large shop, small double wide for 200k in 2016. It’s tripled in price- and i dont want it to or to pay any more in taxes. My neighbor built a nice 3000 ft home- the county is hitting him for almost 9k a year- I’m just under 4k-we have what they call a scenic view of the river.
That’s in Franklin county.
Tons of illegals in eastern WA
Elk ?
May I suggest you add one other factor. Namely, influence of an area on the entire state. In the case of Seattle, it has a massive influence on what happens state level. So even if you are in one of the green areas noted, effects like transferring homestead to next generation is massively influenced by policies that are strongly determined out of Seattle. Eastern WA has this grievance regularly and it is a fair point to factor in.
I escaped from Western Washington last year, I feel like I barely got out alive. But of course there are good things about Washington State, I am glad Curtis is taking a rational look at it. Me I'd say run don't walk, but that's not fair to the state as a whole.
Yes, it's more than fair, it's objective and factual!
😂 We're also escapees and are so glad we left. Felt overtaxed and couldn't stand the political direction. Welcome to the real world fellow escapee.
@@gaidhliglass did you move somewhere with a income-tax or no?
I'd also add about the Olympic Pennisula you only have ONE highway so in the even of a major earthquake this is an issue. Hwy 101 is a rural 2 lane road back there. It rains a LOT from Port Angeles on. You must be prepared for long winters that are always wet. But the tradeoff is being left alone out there. Tons of bears and elk if you hunt. However, much of the interior is federally owned "public" lands. If you wanted to homestead, it is going to be in a valley. It's a lot to think about, but the payoff of natural beauty can be worth the isolation. And rain.
We bought 6 acre place in loomis Washington. We are west of republic . Home steading is awesome here. Zone 6b
I have a homestead in western WA, south of Olympic mtns. The wokeness in WA state is nuts but my area is red and lots of homesteaders. The summers are dry, months with no rain so you must irrigate.
I live within one of those red circles. He is right. Don't move here, I like the green fields ,the clean air and water and the great evolved folks with room in their souls. Don't you come trampling in fucking it up!
Much of the focus in this episode is centered in areas that are in Idaho, which is a completely different state. Not that you didn't know that. I just felt compelled to point that out so that in the event you decide to turn this into a series in which more states are covered, you can try to hone in more on the areas that exist within the borders of that specific state. As always, your insight and commentary is greatly appreciated.
Did you mean to say "almost none of the focus in this episode is centered in areas that are in Idaho" ?
@@tenthousanddays2103 No. I meant to say much of the focus. But if you don't think that phrasing accurately describes the overview given in this video, then how about "an unnecessarily inordinate amount of time" was spent on areas in Idaho, which is obviously NOT in Washington, derp!.
I love your observations about Washington. I was born here and have lived here for 70 years. I have been a diehard loyalist to this state. However, I am embarrassed about current happenings. State government has now passed zoning, building, watershed laws statewide because when they left it up to regional entities, they did not follow their far-left coast agenda. Now you cannot capture any rainwater, have even a temporary outhouse, use propane, or any form of alternative construction in anything you build on your homestead statewide. Statewide zoning has become a mess and the fees can easily exceed $30,000 for permits.
I thought capture of rainwater was settled years ago in favor of the citizens?
@@bunsguns8222 You are right in most of the states, but not so in Washington State. Go figure. I doubt there is anyone who wants to enforce this unique prohibition except anyone in the planning and building permit departments. This means you cannot use it officially to meet any code requirement.
@@dwighthires3163 I call bull on that. Here is the law in Washington State. Rainwater catchment IS legal: ecology.wa.gov/Water-Shorelines/Water-supply/Water-recovery-solutions/Rainwater-collection
@@dwighthires3163 ".the fees can easily exceed $30,000 for permits..." Bull again. That is the cost in municipal areas.
@@dwighthires3163 More bull - propane is discouraged but is allowed.
I'm in Whatcom, grew up with lots of conservative farm families but its changing fast. Main obstacle is affordability. Brother lives just south of Colville, but even he's seen big changes there in just 6 years or so. While I like many aspects of the "wet" (west) side better, I think if we were to stay in Washington that NE portion is the last best hope. That will only last for so long, though.
I’m in Custer in Whatcom, where are you at?
Thanks for this. I have a few acres in Puyallup, Wa. Just east of Tacoma. I love this town but I know it’s nowhere near ideal. We have been eyeballing Coleville and Sandpoint ID and north. Glad to know my intuition has some wisdom.
I'm in Puyallup- "the farm" here. First spring!
@@tomGibertson cool. Which farm? I’m down near Sterino farm
I think you need to allow a wider range of acceptable down near the blue mountains. It is dryer, yes but I think you will find it isn’t any worse than the towns you pointed out up north. Warmer down south and better winters which I think makes up for a slightly lower rainfall
Curtis this is such a great idea! Would it be too much of a hassle to link each state video in the show notes for ease of reference as you complete this series? Thanks!
Hi Curtis; thank you for the overview. Perhaps you could do a second video on WA State Islands. I would be very interested in your thoughts. thank you so much for you sharing your insight.
The Islands are always a bad bet if you rely on the ferry system. They're trying to woke-it-up with electric ferries.
@@toddburgess6792 Perhaps in a SHTF situation, limited access to the island(s) would keep others from easily getting to you. A little isolation may not be a bad thing. Anyhow, some of the islands do have bridges...nonetheless, if you are self-sufficient and homesteading why leave in the first place? Some of the islands are sparsely populated, have conservate people on rurally zoned lands and are in Counties that are not necessarily in line with the political ideologies held by the State. Additionally, some have constitutionally loyal local Sheriffs who do their jobs properly. I think lumping all the islands, which boast limited populations, amazing natural resources, tons of local farms/markets and homesteaders into the same category as Seattle is not accurate imo. Was just hoping for another video by Curtis in the future that focused primarily on the islands....it seems the islands got overlooked in this one.
I loved living on Whidbey. It’s so crazy liberal though. The weather! The weather! Ugh makes me so sad. Cures migraines that weather.
For now, we've got 50 states and all Canadian provinces to do.
@@GaserBeam-hi4ez I grew up on North Whidbey, moved off for 15 years, then came back. We homestead on the south end now.
In SHTF scenario, Bremerton sub base is a top west coast target. Just sayin...
Maybe south east...
Eastern WA is beautiful, I can't wait to get back one day.
From South Tacoma, lived in Florida for 12 years until January, now I’m
Back in Olympia. Definitely avoid the cities. Tacoma-Seattle area is all garbage
Thank you for visiting Washington.
Steading near an active volcano or on the coast near the fault line isn’t something to be concerned about when factoring things?
I’m guessing he didn’t know they were volcanoes.
Where you gonna go where a volcano isn't a threat?...Yellowstone would take out all of north america lol
@@brycehess6708 Not everywhere would be in a lava flow area. That I would avoid. There should be maps somewhere. I was in the Mt St Helen eruption. It got dark during the day because the ash was so thick. It was raining down like snow. Eastern Washington actually got heavy ash. It affected farmland for decades. Everything was so dusty and extra dust in our homes for years. Every time you stepped it would float. Central Washington was protected because of the rain shadow and didn’t get as much.
I know that Washington has a reputation of always raining but that’s not the case. It has every planting zone in the US. Eastern Washington doesn’t get that much rain and is mostly desert. I wouldn’t want to live “downwind” of Hanford either.
Washington has areas that require irrigation rights as well. Also areas called green zones. Some places shared wells and even power poles which can cause some conflicts with neighbors. Television and phone service is unavailable in some areas unless you get something like Starlink. It also has larger prey like Mountain Lions, Bobcats, and Bears. There are porcupine, Skunks, rattlesnakes, black widows, scorpions in the East. Most places in the US have coyotes but Washington has quite a lot. Near my grandmother’s house in Eastern Washington, they ran around in packs often which is fairly rare. My aunt got chased by a pack while riding her horse. You could hear them at night. Where I grew up in the mountains, we had a very short growing season so crops that require longer times were difficult. We would have frosts every so often in the summer. Cool season crops did amazing though. The soil in the mountain area is very rich. We might add some cow manure but that’s it. Pretty easy to dig but it wouldn’t take long to hit water. My grandfather was a cattle farmer but as he got older, he had to lease to other farmers because the taxes were high. My dad continues to lease to this day to pay the taxes. If he were ever unable to lease, he’d have to sell quickly I’m sure. It’s unfortunately hard to hold on to family land. My grandfather lost a lot of acreage to the military because they wanted to expand their bombing range. They took it to court but lost. It was the second time they had done it and they also took some of his brother’s land. They compensated him but not for what it was worth. My dad has to put up with hearing the explosions. 🫤 The county put in a quarry behind his house also. At least they leased that from my grandfather (and now my uncle) but still.
I do love Washington though, specifically because you can be i. rolling plains, a desert, a forest, and an Ocean beach all in one day. In most areas, you have true four seasons. The people zip around in a rush and have good work ethic. They don’t really chat people up like you might see in some places. Their mind is always on the next thing. My son was a year old once when I was there. In Oklahoma, I had random strangers coming up to see him all of the time. One lady wanted to kiss his feet. In Washington, my son seemed like an inconvenience to them if he even made a sound. No one talked to him. Just something I Noticed. Oh you want to call people and arrange a time to meet. Most don’t want you to just show up. If you break down on the side of the road, people will just ignore you. Unless it’s a trucker and then they will stop. Truckers are the best there. Drs appointments often require travel to other cities. The small towns have small hospitals and in emergencies may life flight you to Portland or Seattle.
I live 20 miles south of Mt st Helen's and my whole family lived through the eruption in vancouver...wasn't a huge deal...a few bridges and ash was cleaned up....all the forests and wildlife are thriving all around the mountain...as far as lava goes that would be the least of your worries if Yellowstone blew
@@smokeyangelav every critter you just mentioned I actively hunt in washington..you sound terrified of the woods ? Lol
there are some serious outlaw/sovereign counties in washington state if you want a local gov on your side. though amenities (including government) are next to none. some of the arid areas are deceiving or perhaps I'm just used to living on the dryside.
Yes, everyone please avoid those dry regions. Please …go away.
Such valuable info this would of been gold when I was buying
Research counties with no building codes and an aging pop with properties that have unpaid taxes. Don't be cattle who waits for it to List.
I am most interested in Michigan and New Hampshire. Are you basing some of your reasoning on Joel Skousen's book Strategic Relocation?
Some what. Mostly on my experience listing properties and consulting in the states.
I would consider state politics as well, especially as it pertains to property rights and government intrusion.
We do, but at the same time, when you're away from the cities, they don't matter as much.
Curtis, this is life changing analysis. thank you so much
I've lived in Washington for most of my 64 years. Your west side circles are pretty accurate. And yes, reduce your radius around the east side locations some, Yakima much smaller i think. I'm on the east side now, and it's like a different planet altogether from the entirely screwed up west side where I spent most of my years. A lot of desert here in central Washington. But if you have a water source, the growing season is long. Were I a homesteader, Farther north I think, but there can be some pretty heavy winter up there. As to farms and chemicals, I'm just not seeing any negative affects here, no cancer clusters or anything like that.
Two branches of my family died from cancer and complications on the far east side of the state. Something to think about.
@@michellecelesteNW far east side of the state?? I am going to guess Pasco, Kirkland, Kennewick aka the tri-cities area. -_- If you aren't aware of that part of the state's history in the nuclear arms race of WW2, you're not from this state.
@@AngelErrene I have military family, yes I'm aware of the contaminants. Some of them were hunters and ate the elk from those areas but they were more out in Walla Walla region.
Kettle falls! Great area. Our natural foods store closed today unfortunately....
HeyCurtis. . . great content regarding choosing a permanent homestead. .
. although i just released a video which evidences one can no longer acquire land under any government. . . all estates have been absconded including yours. .. . paper though. . . this is an important distinction
Area of concrete is directly proportionate to freedom 😅 if you need things like McDonald's and Safeway you won't like most north central towns. Wenatchee is the closest town with really effective cardio and emergency medicine.
Awesome series Curtis!! Thank you
Your dry region includes the very good ancient Palouse grasslands. it's not great for growing vegs ect, but it is amazing grazing land.
Your dry area also includes the largest apple growing area in the world, the Wenatchee valley. Last time I checked, apples need a ton of water to grow.
Don't tell everyone about it... let them move somewhere else.
You said "drove threw" that is what you did, no exploration, just drive a highway threw the area.
I live in Spokane. House has been paid for over 20 years. I would move but I’m only 10 minutes from my grandkids who moved back with their parents from Asheville NC a few months ago. I’m just glad they are not in Asheville right now. If they were not here I would move to north Idaho.
Move to Forks only if you have webbed toes.
Curt! I live in Forks. No commy government here!
Great series concept... When you started with WA, I figured you'd work your way from west to east, but I see your next video didn't follow that trend... Hoping you cover California soon!
Some folks commute so being closer to the slab can be handy in certain cases. So yeah spokane is pretty sweet
no where on the wast side of the mountains. The mountains create two different states it seems.
Not even close....yacolt,woodland,amboy,
Cougar,castle rock.....by square mile its far more conservative
Excellent video Curtis. Would love to see a video on how you use Google Earth.👍
Hello. I am SW Washington bred, born and 71 years lived. While I do agree with your concrete-jungle and red circles assessment one commenters account of the county you choose to live in MATTERS. Wakiakam, Pacific, Lewis and even edges of Cowlitz counties are fine and "co-operate" the least with State level mandates. The still true industrial Ports of Longview; Kalama and Woodland fund these counties so less hammering of the farmers and property owners. Oregon Columbia River flip side counties from here can be a viable option too.
Of course those moving from the dense Urban areas of California still demanding cake will only find very short term relief. Avoid lakeside properties. Avoid the pricing run ups on spectacular view property. Live in the in-betweens and car day trip to these areas.
So far as Olympia/State mandates live family level small; with only the fewest like mined neighbors and then just do what you want out of sight out of mind.
If you can totally throw out the enslaving concepts of My-Precious-Resell-Value; granite versus formica countertops then you can live-Free wedging-in the westside in-betweens areas.
Coming from California; Portland/Seattle Urban . . .just leave that all behind. Grow the true PNW-wetside webs between your toes. Let the moss fill-in grow on your backside. Do burn wood for heat. Sweat that out to become a true local. Big Hydro-electric is a cheap convience - do not let it become a dependence. That propane is for the engines and cooking stove. Satellite systems work most everywhere now. Let is become your best friend. With an OFF switch. Insist on stadium sports live experiences; professional live theater; live concerts and they still own you and your soul.
Steve unruh
Totally agree...im in north Clark county and there are no rules up here at all...when I tell the vancouver/ Portland flatlanders where I live they look at me like I'm a hermit in the mountains lol
Oh, well, Mr Curtis Stone, the reason why western Washington is so populous is because everything in the state revolves in this region. money,jobs, natural beauty, Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Boeing, Seattle, the state's capital, Bill Gates, Mt Rainier, Pacific Ocean, music venues, Seahawks, Mariners, you name it. nobody wants to live in central or Eastern Washington. not enough job opportunities in that part of the state.
You crossed over into Idaho while talking about Washington. Is Idaho next?
Hope not unless he gives a disclaimer of "If you move here, you have to help politically, the leftists are aggressively trying to take over."
Yes courdelene, sandpoint etc are turning into hipster future nightmares!
Hi Curtis! I'm local to your area and wondering if you are hiring this year? I'd love to be apart of the community. Cheers!
Please do a video like this for England.
Is it even possible to buy land there any more?
King Chuck the Turd (Sausage Fingers) and Queen Camilla own all the land there; where it rains 90% of the time - life like living in a tuppawear box.
It would be interesting to see a video like this for Australia.
Curtis you should include population size info and different types of land in your talks, like recreation, unorganized, rocky, sandy, ext.
Could you map out what states you will cover and when? I am way over in Virginia.
West or woke Virginia? Lol
I live in north clark county and its like the wild west here lol..everybody shoots all the time and there is obly 1 sherrif for the whole area...were also up hill from everything in vancouver/Portland...gravel driveways andb I aved roads 👌
Thoughts on rural Maine?
Broad strokes I think you're right on this but I know a few choice gems and worry spots in particular that aren't mentioned. Please do Oregon next. I've lived in both these states and debate often which is better/worse.
Oregon has better gun freedom(barely) and far better big game IMO...but as far as living I like wash
@@brycehess6708 the restrictions on food and water are growing in oregon - to a frightening degree. Gun or not, no one survives without food and water.
@@michellecelesteNW catch water and grow your food 👍
@@brycehess6708 of course but that's illegal in Oregon. That's what's becoming so scary. It's tyranny.
The politics of this state, especially the Seattle-Olympia have hurt the entire state. We really need to divide the state into 2 down the cascades. With the eastern WA side getting those rural towns just on the westside of the mountains.
How do you feel about the Walla Walla region?
Pricey and woke since the wineries moved in.
How can you say "Sweet spot" below rumbling Mt. Ranier? According to the USGS, There is a high danger of eruption along the Cascades from Mt. St. Helen's all the way North to Bellingham. Formerly dormant volcanoes are rumbling in 2024. You want to sell land to people that puts them in harm's way? Personally, I wouldn't live within 250 miles of the Cascades. Then, when you're that far away from any metro area, there is no medical.
Read up on the history of development in South Florida. No one cares people’s safety and livelihoods as long as they can flip some property and make a profit
I live in kettle falls right next to colville and yeah you nailed that one on the head. You couldn't pick a better spot for shtf now as far as the Spokane area as you are pointing out I'm not too sure about those because I lived in Spokane for 20 years there's tens of thousands of people in those mountains around Spokane you'd want to get way away from those areas and that's just my two cents worth everybody has different opinions anyways God bless have a great day
You need to do a bit more homework on this state. A lot of the areas you suggest in eastern Washington are not available for homesteading, like on the huge Colville Tribes reservation (you can buy a grandfathered site for a to. Of money but the tribes are trying to buy those back. You get out in the woods in deep timber and you will probably lose your home to forest fires like I did but I had insurance and that is hard to come by now and the fires are getting worse. Also, there are not a lot of medical services out there, I had someone come to the hospital in Omak to have a baby because the med facility in republic did not provide that service. You bleed up in those hills and you bleed out. The patriarch of the Alaska Bush People tv show died on their place (heart attack) less than 20 miles from Tonasket. The wear and tear on vehicles on those back roads is horrendous and expensive. Land has gone up in price a lot the last few years because of coastwise retiring, selling their high value houses and buying or building mansions in the hills. If you don’t have enough money and tools and equipment to set up and stay on site, chance of success is minimal, and you could still be wiped out by fire any summer. You would be better off buying one of the last small houses in a little town where you could walk to amenities (cheap) and have backup acreage out in the boonies that you could camp on and run to as needed.
That's my thinking too. People don't realize how remote a lot of the land is out that way.
Waiting for you to do Alabama. The Northern part is a lot like Middle TN. The southern part is very different. Differences from TN is less people, property taxes, building codes. Land is cheaper and their are very few leftist. The biggest down side is very few people homesteading. Strange in a place if a seed drops out of your pocket, it will grow twice as big as other states with a lot of inputs?
So if I have mud roads, that must mean I've have lots freedom!
anyone else from Port Townsend?
Not from there but lived just opposite of it. It’s very liberal. Gorgeous weather. Expensive. I’d say not safe even in the best of times l. WA has a lot of problems. But damn is it beautiful.
@@GaserBeam-hi4ez I moved to PT from teh SF Bay Area in 2000. I had to leave the congested Bay Area and someone had mentioned PT to me. With the hills and the water it felt like home. The dark winter nights is another matter. Half of the town is from California. Weather is mild here it never gets hot. It is a Marxist paradise to some, that is for sure.
@@user-jv9qz2bu1r I didn’t even notice the winters, it’s so mild and I don’t mind early nights. Summer the sun staying out is a bit much, but gorgeous.
The drugs and homelessness and attitude is crazy, but as a Californian you’ve seen worse, so PT probably is comparatively nice and safe.
@@GaserBeam-hi4ez The wealthier PT residents live here from Easter to Fall. Some go to Baja. Crime, homelessness ae not PT issues. I have left valuables In my patio or unlocked cars. Try this in Seattle.
Across the water. We often walk on the ferry to go hiking and exploring in PT.
I appreciate this
And another note about SHTF scenarios is that the military and police will enforce travel restrictions. Just like they tested in the Plandemic.
Let me know when you get to New Hampshire. God Bless
Easy to change meters to feet in Google Earth.
I like meters.
@@offgridcurtisstone you DISGUST me
Expand the lens people (I was going to say 'fish eye or die' but... Oops! 😂
Thanks, Curtis.
Love your channel, but wouldn't move to Washington state if they gave me the land... okay, I'll take free land!
Thanks for this...
Where does this guy live? im born and raised in washington state, i went to highschool in Yakima and live in kitsap county. I am extremely conservative and everyone i know is conserative. this dude isnt from here, it obvious
I'm from BC.
Yeah I-5 would definitely be a disaster area to be
Wa born and raised. Lewis county especially the east end is fabulous. But the state as a whole is garbage and ruined sadly
I'm in Yakima, it's ok
Indiana?
Pend Oreille county is great place to homestead!
This is cool. But I wouldn't try to acquire any property on the washington area. Very anti-natal.
Yup. Born and raised here. Just got an acre of land paid off. The plan was to stay here forever, unfortunately the government just keeps getting stupider. With mail in voting, I don't think there's much hope.
@@andymeyer9876 I don't regard voting either way of fixing anything. That area is way beyond voting as a means to change anything.
@@my_channel_44 yeah true, do to rigged voting.
@@andymeyer9876 Washington isn't alone in this unfortunately.
So the anti natal people will be out bred....shouldn't effect your decisions
There is a ton of Indian reservation land in his green circles -- some allow Whites some don't.
wow google earth pro is sick
Love eastern wa
Nova Scotia!
Oregon
Now do Massachusetts.
I’ve lived in Washington about 20 years. I think it’s hilarious correlation that all the areas you picked to avoid just so happen to be democrat strongholds in the state 😂.
I can’t stand the dem control in western Washington, but I like the beauty of this side of the state over eastern Washington.
i know where im going ... and it aint towards @grandthum lol
They have took all the hunting and fishing away in Washington don't move there
Michigan next
10.3% sales tax, $4.49 gas, median home price $600,000 and avg $1000 / month property taxes ...run by democrats for the past 42 years . Sucks your money to live here.
AVOID THIS STATE.
Our boy giving it up, Lil, lili
@@ludovicweber5959 not your boy