About Modoc County, CA

You've never owned a home. As a matter of fact, you are one of those rare people that have never even owned a credit card. Congratulations, you don't have to clean up debt. But, you could still have negative information on your credit report.

Why you say . . . . well, maybe you forgot to pay someone in the past and you were reported - it could have been a simple oversight on your part. Or maybe, someone put these on your credit report by accident.

When you're ready to buy a home, get your credit report run and immediately start to fix anything that looks wrong. Call the companies or collection agencies on the report, figure out if you owe the charge and if not write a letter explaining why you don't owe it so that you can get the item off your credit report.

We are in a tough market right now and even one negative item can derail your home loan. And, it can take some time to get these items off your credit report. Once you are in escrow you have a limited amount of time to do everything that needs to be done for you to buy your home - don't let your credit report get in the way of your dream.

You've found an existing home in Modoc County that you LOVE! Great.

You're in town and the first snow of the winter is here. How Exciting! It's so beautiful. So now you're ready to get home, start up a fire and make some hot chocolate.

Oh, I bet the views are incredible from my Mountain Top Home, you think.

You head up hill. You've heard folks talk about snow tires and "studded" tires, but you weren't really clear what they were talking about - now the realization hits you as you find yourself slipping along. You also realize that folks have been telling you all along that you should get a 4-wheel drive - "ok, I should have listened," you think.

You get to your driveway and think "wow, that's a lot of snow", and you try to drive up your driveway and get stuck. After trying the forward and back technique, you are now really stuck - not just a little bit stuck. "Hmmm, now what do I do." You try to call someone on your cell, but you've got a dead spot right there. Great ! So you force your car door open (the snow is in the way) get out of your car and get ready to hike up to the house. You weren't ready for snow today so you don't have warm clothing or snow boots on - well, just tough it out. You sink into the snow up to your knees.

Some time later you arrive exhausted at your front door - oh no, where are the keys? Oh, thank goodness, I've got them (you didn't want to go back to the car for them.) You get into the house and call a neighbor asking for help getting your car unstuck - sorry, but we can't, we're stuck right now too. Just relax - things will be fine tomorrow.

You call the local association president and declare that someone needs to plow your driveway so that you can get in and out. At about this time you should hear at minimum a chuckle and most likely a belly laugh. They won't plow your driveway, only the road and only when they can get around to it - you may not be at the top of the list.

You are now tired, hungry, angry, confused and cold. You are now officially a newbie in Modoc County - we've all been through it. Make that cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the view from your home. You may not be going anywhere else today.

What have you learned today?

1. You were getting good advice about tires, 4-wheel drives and driveways - you remember someone mentioned that driveway would be a bi*** in the winter. You get it now!
2. You should probably get a snow blower or blade so that you can clear your driveway in the winter - it's your job, not anyone else's.
3. Keep some winter gear in the car as you get closer to snow months.
4. Don't drive up your driveway when you've got that much snow.
5. Relax, you're in Modoc County.

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I love this time of year in Modoc County. The landscape seems like it is in sharper focus, the air feels and smells cleaner, the mornings and evenings feel crisper. You can absolutely see and feel that fall is approaching and it always seems to happen the last 2 weeks in August. It won't be long before the snows start. Ok, for all of you that hate snow -- I love it ! I wasn't raised in the snow and it can be an annoyance at times -- but looking out a window and seeing a blanket of white -- there is just nothing like it in the whole world.

You've found an existing home in Modoc County that you LOVE! Great.

You've seen the road in the summer and it's a dirt road. Does it have gravel on it? Does it have ruts? It's easy to get to this house - no problem.

Until I lived in country home on a dirt road, I didn't understand the concept of "Modoc Mud." As someone once said, it's "slipperier than snot" and never mind the mud tires, the stuff sticks to your tires like "Dog Sh**" (my customer's description) and there is absolutely no traction. You're not going anywhere in Modoc Mud except for down as you spin your tires in it.

Check the condition of your access roads. If you have deep ruts and/or the road has no gravel - you are not going to have decent access in the winter. Many smaller home sites - 1-20 acres are in subdivisions with CC&Rs - the property owners association is probably responsible for grading and graveling your road. Make sure it gets done before rain and snow hit (usually September to October) for the season.

The last thing you want is not to be able to get out and about in the winter months.

You've found an existing home in Modoc County that you LOVE! Great.

How is the water in the well? Is it drinkable. You can have a well with a lot of sediment or even bacteria in the water. Make sure you get a potability test done.

Does the well put out enough water? Some wells put out very small 2-3 gpm (gallons per minute) and others could be big boys putting out 200 gpm. What are you faced with on this property? Get a productivity test done. Make sure that the test is run for approximately 2 hours to get a good idea of what the well can produce and make sure that it will not only handle your household use but any watering that you want to on the property. Redrilling a well can be very expensive.

Is the septic OK? In the 1980s county code allowed the installation of "steel" septic tanks - those babies rust. Today, they are no longer allowed. Is the septic system in good shape, has it been pumped? You want to get the septic system pumped AND certified. Replacing a septic system is a very expensive proposition. You don't want to get nailed with an additional $8,000-$15,000 after buying your new home.

If there are problems with the well and septic, don't be discouraged. It is possible for many problems to be corrected. But knowing ahead of time will help you create a budget for this new home. You may even get the seller to pay for corrections - it is always best to know ahead of time what you are facing.