Questions @ land purchase in NV or WY

This a question for ANY landowner in southeastern Wyoming or northeastern Nevada. I am contemplating buying land in one of these two regions, for a retirement residence. The size of the tract is dependent on price, but a minimum of 40 acres, to perhaps 240 or more acres is possible.

Since I’ve spent a grand total of 15 minutes in each region, I am not at all acquainted with the nuances of owning land there, and I’m wondering what obstacles or surprises have been encountered by others.
For example:
1.) Is it inordinately expensive to drill a water well, and is special permission by some local governing body required?
2.) If the land of interest is surrounded by state-owned or BLM land, how does this affect my options for construction of a domicile?

I know enough about the purchase of land in Texas or Oklahoma to not get surprised nor hurt in the process, but buying land in these states may or may not resemble land purchases in the areas I mention. FRANKLY, I don’t think I know enough about it to tell anyone what I DO NOT know, hence this inquiry.
Thanks in advance for any input.

Water rights in the west are a tangled mess. If you can get land that already has a working legal well you're a lot better off. The other major gotcha in the west is mineral rights. You don't want to buy a beautiful spot only to have a strip mining company move in.
Good Luck

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The other major gotcha in the west is mineral rights.

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Very true....

also....make sure the plot of land is buildable.

Some thoughts/information on Nevada:

1. As mentioned Water Rights. Two types may be applicable for you.

1. a. Culinary Water Rights (About 1/4 Acre Foot allowed per year. For household use only. Can be rescinded if a "Water Company/Authority" should establish service to the area or house area. There are also "Diversion Water Rights". Diversion would be where a stream or River water is diverted through a channel or pipe; usually associated with a Farm/Ranch or a Municipal Water company. The amount available through "Diversion" can vary year to year based on the Snow Pack and Rain fall feeding the Stream/River. Usually a local "Water Master" represents the State Engineers office in controlling the flow/dispersion/allocations.
   
   b. Water Rights Ownership. Titled by the State. Specifies MAXIMUM acre feet/gallons per year that may be drawn. If not used for 5 years; ownership reverts back to State. The data of original issue (i.e. 1934, 1956, 1962, 2001, etc...) sets the precedence compared to other Water Rights. Should the State curtail or cut off water rights to an area due to Drought, Oversubscription, etc... the older Water Rights take precedence over the more junior water rights issued later for that particular Water Basin area as defined by the State Engineer. If water rights are available/for sale by a private owner; they can be purchased from a current owner (within the same basin) and transferred - but requires the State Engineer's office to approve and make the Transfer.
   
   c. To have a well drilled; the drilling company will need the Water Rights information before they can drill the well; and verify/file with the State Engineer's Office before drilling. If purchasing water Rights the transfer will be needed prior to the well drilling. This can take months to a year or two.

Location and Altitude will have great impact on your water in Nevada. If one is in a valley or drainage area the water will be accessible closer to the surface; if in a mountain area or .... it can be quite deep with much higher drilling costs. I would plan on $10K to $25K to drill a well; or even more.

State Engineer may require a "Minimum Depth" be drilled for a well. At our Moapa Property the hydrostatic water level is at 9 feet (Look down the pipe and you can see water surface 9 feet below ground level). Yet; State Engineer required us to drill a 190 foot well and take water from the third Water Bearing Strata under the Property.

2. Property access considerations are important. In the East one looks at a road and thinks that if it rains it will be difficult to get over that muddy road. In Nevada it may be easily accessible and appear to be "Good Road" - until it rains or flash flooding from upstream causes access to the Property to be impossible to access for a day to a couple of weeks. Same applies Mountainous areas for Snow Fall and Blizzards.

3. Fence in Fence Out LAW. Nevada is a "Fence Out" State. That means that "Open Range" cattle operations take precedence. If you do not want Range Cattle or Wild Mustangs, etc.. to freely travel on/across your property (and eat your grass or fields) you are responsible for putting up fencing to "Fence Out" the Open Range moving cattle etc... Fencing can be expensive.

4. Taxes. Nevada taxes for Rural Farm/Ranch property have been historically low. If you are not engaged in Farming/Ranching the taxes can be reassessed and rates go up dramatically. Having a horse/s, cow, steer, goat/s. chickens, etc.. can assist in keeping the definition of Farm/Ranch intact.

5. Nevada outside Las Vegas and Reno can be quite rural. Phone Service, Internet, etc.. to remote locations can be expensive. Consider Star Link brother solutions.


Just some thoughts.

There is an old and very true saying in the west.
Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting.
It’s more true now than ever.

If you are wholly surrounded by a government property and do not have a dedicated year round access road currently in use, I would look elsewhere. It is too easy for a political change of party resulting in a fence in policy that leaves you without access or with the only access being a 20 mile trip to the road a half mile away.

I would advise contacting realtors in your proposed areas for all of the questions that you have. Said realtor should also be able to provide information about many of the obstacles that are being discussed.

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Originally Posted by cwtebay

I would advise contacting realtors in your proposed areas for all of the questions that you have. Said realtor should also be able to provide information about many of the obstacles that are being discussed.

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When it comes to water and Open Range issues - my experience has been realtors do not have a clue.

Real estate attorney in the area.

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Originally Posted by MUSTANG

When it comes to water and Open Range issues - my experience has been realtors do not have a clue.

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Guess your experience has been far different than my own.
Hope it all works out for the OP.

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Originally Posted by Hogtamer

Real estate attorney in the area.

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This. You are doing your diligence by gathering information on the areas. Do it right. Never know, they may even have a client looking to sell. Good luck. Make sure the property has been surveyed with relevant markers.

Watch out for Survey's that track back to Old Deed definitions (Both US in the 1850's on and pre-US with Mexico and Spain Land Grants). A neighbor in Moapa bought home with acerage. Deed specified that property line went to boundaries of a Creek on one side. Southern Nevada Water Authority bought the adjacent property and attempted to take a portion of his acerage because the Creek no longer had flowing water due to multiple water diversions occurring over the previous 70 years and based on their surveyor SNWA attempted to establish a new boundary on my neighbors property (resulting in a loss of acerage). Not sure that that legal battle is resolved yet.

I know I don't live in NE or NC Nevada but I did have a mining claim for a few years north of Winnemucca and am approaching my 15th Nevada Cast Boolit Shoot. Check out Vision West Realty in Winnemucca to get a feel for what is going on. Be thinking that any land closer than 120 miles of Reno will be pretty pricey due to the evacuation of California. In spite of how the landscape looks, some of the valleys have a lot of water just under the surface. The standing joke in Paradise Valley north of Winnemucca, "if you sink a fencepost you will hit water" even with few trees in sight. Lots of well hidden trout steams come out of those mountains.

Water rights, as has been pointed out is a HUGE issue in the West. And any water source can be very seasonal, plentiful in Spring but bone dry by the end of summer and that applies to ground water also. There are sub-divisions and towns that found out the hard way about 'water rights'! The geology of the West is extremely diverse and can vary by just a few feet. Another consideration is septic tanks and porosity of the soil!

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Originally Posted by Hogtamer

Real estate attorney in the area.

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No one in the West uses attorneys for real estate under $2 million. A rural local real estate agent is your best bet for local information. If they don't know and you think it's important, they will get answers or you should move on.

I have been blessed to spend many months on horseback in Wyoming. I liked a certain area real well for fishing and hunting opportunities. I won't name it out loud. I'll pm you my phone number if you would like to talk.

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Originally Posted by MT Gianni

No one in the West uses attorneys for real estate under $2 million. A rural local real estate agent is your best bet for local information. If they don't know and you think it's important, they will get answers or you should move on.

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no one in the west uses real estate agents, they just get together at the title office and do the deal.

This is VERY valuable information! Thank you, all! Please continue to post other thoughts, as they occur to you!

If you have a little time and some extra money, you might consider joining us at NCBS where you can meet people from many parts of the West with experience in geology, mining, endangered species, water/fish in Nevada, etc. etc. The dates haven't firmed up yet but you can read about them in past years. We are mostly old curmudgeons with a whole lot of knowledge and experience. It's a family event, too. No need to bring firearms as there will be lots available with plenty of ammunition. The route would be to fly into Reno, rent a car, and drive to Winnemucca to stay from Thursday through the weekend. Good folks, good food, and lots of fun.

If you are moving from Texas to SE Wyoming or NE Nevada, and you haven't spent a winter in either place, you will be in for a surprise.