Re: 350 sq ft shack on 10 acres listed for $79,000 in B.C.
Dear Editor
I was reading your "deal of the day piece."
I would just say the following. Outside perhaps a short-term recreational property this is no deal at all!
Why? Because the access is too limited and difficult.
I live in the Northwest and have seen this movie many times. Deluded city people and foreign dreamers buy these properties and then in the first winter realize their screwed. People just don't realize that even properties accessible by forest service roads, that unless there is logging activity these roads don't get plowed at AT ALL in winter. Even if you're prepared to snowmobile out to a serviced road where you have a vehicle parked it may not start in very cold weather, or be stripped, siphoned or stolen completely.
The further away from a serviced road or the length of your own goat trail the more difficult it becomes.
In this particular case you also mention access by river. Again very challenging and dangerous in winter and improbable during spring thaw and flood stage.
Sure, there may be, a very few people that assess, prepare, plan for this type of living. Most of those would be equipped, supplied, willing and able to stay isolated for lengthy time periods in their Shangri Las.
I haven't met any in the last 30 years, yet met quite a few whose wild backwoods life dream quickly became their worst nightmare and they left, often with considerable financial losses.
- Ken L., Smithers, B.C.
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