Can't decide on property, we want our cake and eat it too

[ApS]

Originally Posted by mswlogo

The new property on Squam isn't likely to happen. We just got the septic site assessment and it was a pretty harsh report I didn't expect.....However, they put the well within the 75 foot radius of the leaching field, almost the whole leaching field is inside the 75 foot well radius (starting at 50 ft)...Are we being stupid or smart walking away? We were paying over asking....For the record, we've been through this Septic sh$t before. Our last home we got because the previous buyers backed out due to non state approved septic. When we went to sell we had a buyer at near asking price all lined up. We got the site assessment and it labeled it as "2-Bedroom seasonal". Buyers ran so fast the door didn't hit them on the way out. Next buyers were fine with it, but also a little bit lower selling price. I think this is all partly why I trapped myself into confirming we HAD to sell it.

Destroy the well and go back to lake water?

[mswlogo]

Originally Posted by ApS

Destroy the well and go back to lake water?

That doesn’t work well for 4 season use.
And that would severely lower its value to me or future owners.

Property was over $1.2m

Bottom line is that size lot is over constrained wether you have a well on it or not. You either compromise on using lake water or limited official septic capacity. I thought it was just enough that you wouldn’t need any special waivers or grants to make it what we want or future owners might want (staying within grand fathered footprints and capacities). But it’s more impaired than I thought for the money.

My guess is we could do what we wanted and everything would be granted. And it would hold its value and what we put into it. But if we decided to keep it as is use it for 5-10 years and then sell. It might not increase in value as much as a home without these constraints. And it’s not guaranteed we could do what we wanted either. It’s to risky.

We bought in 2003 for $685k and sold for $1.025m in 2020. It could never have a garage and has a similar constrained septic. I thought it was all due to setbacks from the water. Ours was a long strip along the water. But I’m learning it’s about acreage too. I didn’t realize a Well uses up acreage.

I don’t want to make that mistake again. I already know I’m probably buying at a peak (I’m ok with that). But I want to get something that will grow at a decent rate when the market does recover after the bubble bursts.

I don’t regret buying the place in 2003. Not trying to make a killing either. I just don’t want to be behind the curve again.

[fatlazyless]

Originally Posted by ApS

Destroy the well and go back to lake water?

For about $1000 you can get a Pyrotenax 125' x 1 1/4" heated black poly cpvc water line, made in Ontario, with an internal heat wire, and thermostat control that runs on 220-volts and uses 1888-watts for heating the water line from the lake, all year 'round, including the winter months. You can tell when the inside of the line at the embankment is getting slushy with ice inside because the needle in the pressure guage, 30-50 psi, will get very shaky as it tries to draw water up through the slush clogged line so you know it's time to turn up the heat by a tiny turn.

It comes in a large cardboard box and the only item not included is the foot valve.

Installation is just inches below the surface of the ground and threading it through a 2" pvc pipe under the rocky embankment, so it's a do-it-yourself type of an install.

For a high quality, low priced, shallow well pump, 1/2-hp, 30-gal tank and pressure switch, go to www.harborfreight.com

Drawing water from a drilled well is no guarantee it will be quality drinking water, and you can get quality Laconia town water for 25-cents/gal from the machine at the Gilford Hannaford. Like, how much faucet water do you actually drink or use for cooking, anyway?

[mswlogo]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

For about $1000 you can get a Pyrotenax 125' x 1 1/4" heated black poly cpvc water line, made in Ontario, with an internal heat wire, and thermostat control that runs on 220-volts and uses 1888-watts for heating the water line from the lake, all year 'round, including the winter months. You can tell when the inside of the line at the embankment is getting slushy with ice inside because the needle in the pressure guage, 30-50 psi, will get very shaky as it tries to draw water up through the slush clogged line so you know it's time to turn up the heat by a tiny turn.

It comes in a large cardboard box and the only item not included is the foot valve.

Installation is just inches below the surface of the ground and threading it through a 2" pvc pipe under the rocky embankment, so it's a do-it-yourself type of an install.

For a high quality, low priced, shallow well pump, 1/2-hp, 30-gal tank and pressure switch, go to www.harborfreight.com

Drawing water from a drilled well is no guarantee it will be quality drinking water, and you can get quality Laconia town water for 25-cents/gal from the machine at the Gilford Hannaford. Like, how much faucet water do you actually drink or use for cooking, anyway?

That’s all fine and good. If you don’t mind knocking off $300k of value.

The property is fine as it is. No reason to not use the well. They are not gonna order that it be shutdown. It’s just if the septic does fail they might not grant a 3 bedroom size replacement. But they might grant a like for like system. And they might limit the number number of bedrooms/bathrooms more harshly than if it didn’t have this new label if someone wanted to rebuild. It does not change what’s there. But could handicap what could be done in the future.

It was just to many maybes and probably’s in the future for the price.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

For about $1000 you can get a Pyrotenax 125' x 1 1/4" heated black poly cpvc water line, made in Ontario, with an internal heat wire, and thermostat control that runs on 220-volts and uses 1888-watts for heating the water line from the lake, all year 'round...For a high quality, low priced, shallow well pump, 1/2-hp, 30-gal tank and pressure switch, go to www.harborfreight.com

...Drawing water from a drilled well is no guarantee it will be quality drinking water, and you can get quality Laconia town water for 25-cents/gal from the machine at the Gilford Hannaford. Like, how much faucet water do you actually drink or use for cooking, anyway?

Wolfeboro sends a regular "disclaimer" with its billings: there, you can read where Wolfeboro fails to meet drinking water standards.

Harbor Freight shallow water pumps are marginal. The three I've bought for my Florida place have all "short-cycled", then quit altogether when not used for a few months. If you spend extra for their so-called "warranty", be sure to read this owner's experience:
https://www.complaintsboard.com/harb...rranty-c910704

Originally Posted by mswlogo

That’s all fine and good. If you don’t mind knocking off $300k of value. The property is fine as it is. No reason to not use the well. They are not gonna order that it be shutdown. It’s just if the septic does fail they might not grant a 3 bedroom size replacement. But they might grant a like for like system. And they might limit the number number of bedrooms/bathrooms more harshly than if it didn’t have this new label if someone wanted to rebuild. It does not change what’s there. But could handicap what could be done in the future. It was just to many maybes and probably’s in the future for the price.

A pleasant and modern chalet-style cottage nestled in the woods 500-feet from me (on Winter Harbor) was torn down this week. It was built 20 years after mine!

Cathedral pines were "harvested". Defective pines were left along the shoreline--certain to be removed in the near future.

This creeping "gentrification" will affect Lake Winnipesaukee in many ways; eventually, there will be a lush green lawn with what is effectively a B&B maneuvered to every treeless lot.

Squam Lake's septic considerations may save that lake from the overdevelopment that winterized retirement homes will bring.

[tis]

I can't help but wonder what one septic in one house does to the lake compared to hundreds of boats anchoring in the lake on a given day.

[mswlogo]

Originally Posted by tis

I can't help but wonder what one septic in one house does to the lake compared to hundreds of boats anchoring in the lake on a given day.

These are state rules and our home on Newfound had the exact same issue.

Guidelines today are helping improve all the lakes and water quality.

The biggest issues with water quality were caused from many decades ago, not from boats, septics or homes. But from farms (using DDT) and oiling the roads (with PCBs). But build up of homes and roads near the shores are contributing to allowing these contamination to enter the lakes through runoff. Removing the buffers.

One other issue today is every time you drop anchor and pull it up, you stir up PCB’s settled in the bottom.

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by tis

I can't help but wonder what one septic in one house does to the lake compared to hundreds of boats anchoring in the lake on a given day.

mswlogo's response is spot on. The other key thing to remember is that the concern is the total load of contaminants flowing into the lake. As population on the lake increases, we need to address all these things to make sure we don't destroy our already threatened water quality. So it's not one septic in one house or one boat--it's all the septics that need to be regulated, and all the boaters that should not be using the lake as a toilet.

[fatlazyless]

Originally Posted by ApS

Wolfeboro ..... Harbor Freight shallow water pumps are marginal.

I have a Jacuzzi 1/2-hp shallow well pump now for ten years or so, and it is magnifico ..... best pump ever!

Drawing water from the lake as opposed to a drilled well will maybe be a red flag that makes it impossible for a buyer to get a mortgage on your property?

Meanwhile, the City of Laconia has been drawing its' water out of Paugus Bay for over a hundred years, and the Town of Meredith draws its' water from Lake Waukewan, both are natural bodies of lake water as opposed to a drilled well going hundred's of feet into the ground.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

I have a Jacuzzi 1/2-hp shallow well pump now for ten years or so, and it is magnifico ..... best pump ever! Drawing water from the lake as opposed to a drilled well will maybe be a red flag that makes it impossible for a buyer to get a mortgage on your property? Meanwhile, the City of Laconia has been drawing its' water out of Paugus Bay for over a hundred years, and the Town of Meredith draws its' water from Lake Waukewan, both are natural bodies of lake water as opposed to a drilled well going hundred's of feet into the ground.

My Jacuzzi pump has been flawless for 24 years! (Until yesterday: it's normal good pressure simply runs down, with no leaks detected).

Grammar alert on above: hold off on ALL apostrophe use, and stay mostly correct.