Rural Property - What to look out for?

[Nicole Masters]

Hi Friends! 

My husband and I are partnering with another couple on a large 4,300+ sq ft A-Frame cabin in a verrrry remote area in the woods, near Oakhurst CA. We have ordered the following inspections:

- Whole house

- Pest

- Septic

- Well

- Defensible Space (Cal Fire)

Is there anything else we should be keeping an eye out for a property like this? We're on 8.5 acres and in the middle of nowhere. Thanks in advance!

[Nicole Masters]

Quote from @Jennifer Cooper:

I would definitely look septic and the age of your well equípeme tent with that big of a home you definitely need a well performing well. If this home wasn’t being used a ton before budget in for repairs as a sudden change in use really affects things like your booster pump and pressure tank. I agree with the above poster about the whole house generator, the summer heat can be brutal depending on where you are. What is the age of the HVAC? Renters are not forgiving when it comes to being hot.   
Do you plan to self manage?
I have 2 STR's in Oakhurst happy to chat.

 Hey Jennifer! I just shot you a DM :)

We had the well equipment inspected (it's about 10-12 years old) and they said it was in really good condition still. The home has been operating as a STR for the past two years, so we expect the wear to be about the same. The HVAC is newer and an expensive unit (not sure of the exact year) and everything looked fine on the whole house inspection. We do plan on self managing!

We're located in Northfork, so close to Oakhurst! 

[Michael Baum]

Quote from @Nicole Masters:

Quote from @Michael Baum:

Hey @Nicole Masters, looks like a really cool place! Is it in an area that is subject to the electrical shutdowns that seem to happen during the summer?

Is there anything close to do? Hiking trails? Lake? River?

If it is affected by the electrical shutdowns, then you might want to invest in a whole house generator on propane. It would suck for guests to get there and the next day the power is out for a week.

 That's a great call out! I do believe it comes with a generator, especially being so remote. There's a lake about 12 minutes away and the south entrance of Yosemite is 40 minutes away from us.  

Alrighty! So that is a system you want to really keep up on and get a decent sized tank for it. 120 gallons minimum IMHO if you don't have it already. Generac makes some decent whole house generators with auto transfer switches. You don't want guests outside trying to figure out how to switch over to gen power.

Propane is the way to go in this. Gas and diesel go bad over time but propane won't. You could also plumb the grill with it from the big tank so it is all in one. Even switch over to gas cooking and heating as well. Just get a bigger tank.