The first thought most people have when thinking of a mountain cabin is a secluded, charming place in the middle of the woods.
Most buyers are looking for a place to escape from the city and hustle and bustle they live in. Obviously, a secluded cabin would be the best way to make sure you will have a place to relax, uninterrupted in the mountains. Seclusion goes hand in hand with with the setting and the peace and quiet that buyers in Big Bear are looking for.
While secluded cabins in the woods do exist in Big Bear, they are not very common. Although there are very few of these cabins available, they are always in high demand. Unless you want to jump into a high price range and large homes, it is getting tougher and tougher to find a completely secluded cabin in Big Bear.
Or is it?
BACKING OR ADJOINING THE NATIONAL FOREST
Big Bear Valley is surrounded on all sides by the San Bernardino National Forest. That means the outskirt streets all have some properties that are adjoined one way or another to National Forest. This is best way to get a great setting and maybe even a starting point for little hikes or walks through the woods. Although more than likely you will have neighbors, you will at least have a beautiful “never ending” back yard full of trees and animals. If you can find a place that has part time neighbors on both sides, even better.
You can find these properties backing to National Forest throughout the valley. Moonridge, Fawnskin and even Erwin Lake have properties with this unique feature. There are properties in Sugarloaf that have the National Forest behind and to one side of them. If you are lucky enough to find one of these cabins, you will have one more feature that helps your resale.
BACKING TO OPEN LAND OR ACREAGE
Not quite as good as backing to the National Forest but there are also properties in the Big Bear Valley that are right next to open land or acreage. Even though this is not National Forest, you wouldn’t be able to tell in some instances. The same trees, creeks and flowers grow on this private land as in the forest. Of course since most of these areas are private land, you wouldn’t be able to just hike through them or use it as you please. You would how ever have a much better setting than a property with a back neighbor.
If you find one of these properties, you must realize that there is potential for this setting to change. However, with a little research it is usually easy to find out if anything major is planned or how the layout would be if it was developed. In the meantime, it is one way to find piece and quiet for the time being.
“GOVERNMENT LEASE” CABINS
Some of the best settings and views in the valley are government lease cabins. Regulated by the National Forest Service, these cabins are personal property with a special use permit allowing them to sit on National Forest Land. Most of these cabins sit in “tracts” or groups of cabins in different parts of the valley. Some are lake front and some are tucked away far into the woods.
Since you don’t own the land, you can not get traditional financing on these properties. That means they are usually cash deals. The price ranges vary from under $100K on a small cabin that needs work to the $800ks for a lake front beauty. Although these cabins are not real property, they still follow the ebbs and flows of the local real estate market. Rising and falling in value over the years. These are not for everybody, but if you are purchasing with cash you should consider taking a look at these places.
These were just a few suggestions for finding some sort of seclusion that everyone needs every now and then. Here are a few more suggestions for finding a good setting.
- MEADOWBROOK ESTATES-Newer subdivision in the East Valley with acre and over lots.
- HIGH TIMBER RANCH-Newer Upper Moonridge subdivision with larger lots and lots of trees.
- LARGER LOTS-The larger your lot, the farther you are from your neighbor.
- HILLS-Lots of times being on a hill can add to your setting because you are either higher or lower than your neighbor.
- SECOND HOMES AS NEIGHBORS-With close to 75% of the homes in Big Bear being second homes or vacation properties, chances that you won’t have anyone next door disturbing you goes up if the cabin next door is vacant most of the time. This, like open land or acreage, can change but it is also the type of property that would be the easiest to find.
Joe Pecoraro
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