Sorry for the long post, but I need some usenet points of view....

SWMBO and I are looking at homesites for a new custom home.

We found a lot we like in an area we like (Northeast Ohio). There are
not a lot of available sites in the area to choose from. It's one of
9 lots converted from an old farm field. 6 of the lots have been
sold.

The developer drilled test wells on 3 of the lots, one of which is the
one we're interested in. Here's the problem.

The test well was drilled 140', and tested out at only 1 gpm. I
talked to both the well driller that drilled the well, and another
that does work in the area. Both indicated that reliable wells have
been hit or miss in the general area. I'm told that 10 gpm is about
the minimum they like to see for unrestricted use, and 20 is much
better. The other two test wells tested at 10 and 15 gpm respectively
but are at the other side of the development, about 1500 and 2500 feet
away respectively. None of the sites closer to the good wells are
available. The drillers indicate drilling deeper won't help because
there is a salt water aquifer farther down. Wells on the properties
surrounding the development range from 3 gpm to 20, with more on the
low side.

I'm told with a low yield well, I can put in a storage tank of 500+
gallons that is supplied from the well and it then allows normal flow.
I'm also told this would be adequate for normal household use, but
would not be sufficient for lawn watering or extensive gardening, etc.
I'm not too worried about the lawn, other than putting it in
initially, but do garden and landscape extensively.

Other option would be a big cistern, rain fed or supplied from a
truck.

I"ve lived the last 10 years with a low yield spring feeding a storage
tank, and it has been a problem several times, so I am not keen on
that approach.

My options as I see them:

1. Walk away and wait for a better lot. We do know of another lot
that is less desireable for other reasons but in an area of reliable
wells.

2. I've talked to the developer and they would probably be willing to
accept an offer that was contingent on us drilling another well (at
our expense) and finding a higher yield, at least 10 gpm. This would
cost about $2000-2500. The well drillers are more than willing to do
this, but think the probability of success is less than 50%. FWIW the
lot is 5 acres and if we picked a site at the opposite end of the lot
from the current site it would be about 250 feet closer to the two
better wells.

I'd like to hear from others with low yield well experiences and
general opinions as to which way to go. Right now I'm leaning toward
option 2. We are not under any particular deadline to find a lot,
other than a general desire to build our new place and move as soon as
possible.

TIA,

Paul

(you know what to leave out)

Wow, I can see why you'd want a wide range of responses.

I think one of the first things I'd do is look into the local
requirements. I can't see any dept allowing occupancy for a home
unit without water, which is approximately what 1 gpm is. You
might end up in a situation where, about the time you get your
new place built, you discover now you have to come up with an
expensive different alternative from what you've already
discovered.

I've lived with a cistern: It was expensive and very har d to
keep chemically balanced for purity.

I think I'd have to talk with some other drillers etc., maybe the
local geo folk, to see if there's no sense drilling deeper just
because there's a salt field down there. How deep is it? How
far below IT will water be?
The ones you've talked to so far may just not want the job of
drilling deeper. It's more profitable to have quantity of wells
than deeper wells.
Also, not to be completely negative, but if there's that much
sea water down there, what's the chances there will be a
sinkhole/s in the future? Don't think that only happens in
Florida.

IMO, I'd try to look into those possibilities/questions first,
then decide what to do. It might be better to walk away from it.
I'm still stuck on them being able to get potability/occupancy
for a 1 gpm well. What says it won't vary much lower than that
over time? Where's the water coming from? Do they know? They
should.
I doubt very much a cert of occupancy can be gotten for what
they're trying to sell you?

HTH,

Pop



"Paul Franklin" wrote in message
...
: Sorry for the long post, but I need some usenet points of
view....
:
: SWMBO and I are looking at homesites for a new custom home.
:
: We found a lot we like in an area we like (Northeast Ohio).
There are
: not a lot of available sites in the area to choose from. It's
one of
: 9 lots converted from an old farm field. 6 of the lots have
been
: sold.
:
: The developer drilled test wells on 3 of the lots, one of which
is the
: one we're interested in. Here's the problem.
:
: The test well was drilled 140', and tested out at only 1 gpm.
I
: talked to both the well driller that drilled the well, and
another
: that does work in the area. Both indicated that reliable wells
have
: been hit or miss in the general area. I'm told that 10 gpm is
about
: the minimum they like to see for unrestricted use, and 20 is
much
: better. The other two test wells tested at 10 and 15 gpm
respectively
: but are at the other side of the development, about 1500 and
2500 feet
: away respectively. None of the sites closer to the good wells
are
: available. The drillers indicate drilling deeper won't help
because
: there is a salt water aquifer farther down. Wells on the
properties
: surrounding the development range from 3 gpm to 20, with more
on the
: low side.
:
: I'm told with a low yield well, I can put in a storage tank of
500+
: gallons that is supplied from the well and it then allows
normal flow.
: I'm also told this would be adequate for normal household use,
but
: would not be sufficient for lawn watering or extensive
gardening, etc.
: I'm not too worried about the lawn, other than putting it in
: initially, but do garden and landscape extensively.
:
: Other option would be a big cistern, rain fed or supplied from
a
: truck.
:
: I"ve lived the last 10 years with a low yield spring feeding a
storage
: tank, and it has been a problem several times, so I am not keen
on
: that approach.
:
: My options as I see them:
:
: 1. Walk away and wait for a better lot. We do know of another
lot
: that is less desireable for other reasons but in an area of
reliable
: wells.
:
: 2. I've talked to the developer and they would probably be
willing to
: accept an offer that was contingent on us drilling another well
(at
: our expense) and finding a higher yield, at least 10 gpm. This
would
: cost about $2000-2500. The well drillers are more than willing
to do
: this, but think the probability of success is less than 50%.
FWIW the
: lot is 5 acres and if we picked a site at the opposite end of
the lot
: from the current site it would be about 250 feet closer to the
two
: better wells.
:
: I'd like to hear from others with low yield well experiences
and
: general opinions as to which way to go. Right now I'm leaning
toward
: option 2. We are not under any particular deadline to find a
lot,
: other than a general desire to build our new place and move as
soon as
: possible.
:
: TIA,
:
: Paul
:
: (you know what to leave out)
:
:
:
:
:

Paul Franklin wrote:

....snip saga of no water from test well on building site...

My options as I see them:

1. Walk away and wait for a better lot. We do know of another lot
that is less desireable for other reasons but in an area of reliable
wells.

2. I've talked to the developer and they would probably be willing to
accept an offer that was contingent on us drilling another well (at
our expense) ...

No direct experience (we're where there is water) but unless you're
just adamant you have to have this location, I'd walk. Can't see
point in spending another $2k for what is pretty likely nothing. If the
water is that hit-or-miss I wouldn't trust a test hole too much,
anyway. What's the aquifer source and when there are a bunch more holes
punched around you what's the guarantee it won't get sucked dry anyway?

In article ,
Paul Franklin wrote:

The test well was drilled 140', and tested out at only 1 gpm. I
talked to both the well driller that drilled the well, and another
that does work in the area. Both indicated that reliable wells have
been hit or miss in the general area. I'm told that 10 gpm is about
the minimum they like to see for unrestricted use, and 20 is much
better. The other two test wells tested at 10 and 15 gpm respectively
but are at the other side of the development, about 1500 and 2500 feet
away respectively. None of the sites closer to the good wells are
available. The drillers indicate drilling deeper won't help because
there is a salt water aquifer farther down. Wells on the properties
surrounding the development range from 3 gpm to 20, with more on the
low side.

First I would locate a local water witch and have him check out 'your'
lot and other nearby lots if he can find nothing at your site. A lot of
people don't believe in water witching, but good witches have a
remarkable record and drilling ie expensive.

If you have a big enough cistern 1 gpm is probably enough, that's 1400
gal/day. I would worry that the flow might dip below 1 gpm.

--
Free men own guns, slaves don't
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5357/

Nick Hull wrote:

....
First I would locate a local water witch and have him check out 'your'
lot and other nearby lots if he can find nothing at your site. A lot of
people don't believe in water witching, but good witches have a
remarkable record and drilling ie expensive.
....

I'll believe if he/she will agree to pay the driller for a dry hole...

Can you get a mortgage with 1 gpm?
A second well at 1gpm would double your water. If you are lucky you might
get more.
More storage would help.
What about resell?

On Sat, 13 Aug 2005 08:18:25 -0400, Paul Franklin
wrote:

1. Walk away and wait for a better lot. We do know of another lot
that is less desireable for other reasons but in an area of reliable
wells.

IMO this is the way to go. You need four things to make a place
"civilized"

1) Reliable, useable water
2) Reliable, safe sanitary sewage disposal
3) Electricity
4) Trash disposal

It looks to me like you are missing (1).
--
To email me directly, remove CLUTTER.

"Paul Franklin" wrote in message
...
Sorry for the long post, but I need some usenet points of view....

SWMBO and I are looking at homesites for a new custom home.

We found a lot we like in an area we like (Northeast Ohio). There are
not a lot of available sites in the area to choose from. It's one of
9 lots converted from an old farm field. 6 of the lots have been
sold.

The developer drilled test wells on 3 of the lots, one of which is the
one we're interested in. Here's the problem.

The test well was drilled 140', and tested out at only 1 gpm. I
talked to both the well driller that drilled the well, and another
that does work in the area. Both indicated that reliable wells have
been hit or miss in the general area. I'm told that 10 gpm is about
the minimum they like to see for unrestricted use, and 20 is much
better. The other two test wells tested at 10 and 15 gpm respectively
but are at the other side of the development, about 1500 and 2500 feet
away respectively. None of the sites closer to the good wells are
available. The drillers indicate drilling deeper won't help because
there is a salt water aquifer farther down. Wells on the properties
surrounding the development range from 3 gpm to 20, with more on the
low side.

I'm told with a low yield well, I can put in a storage tank of 500+
gallons that is supplied from the well and it then allows normal flow.

I think you mean 5000 gallons. That would be the minimum.

You would be running your pump constantly to get a meager 1 gpm. That could
conceivably get you 1400 gallons a day which should be plenty for, say, a
family of 4 but the cost would make it prohibitive. You could use two 5000
gallon tanks and run a solar well pump from the sun during the day and from
a power supply at night but your cost and maintenence would still be high.
You would be without water in case of an extended power failure. You would
have to store a LOT of gasoline or whatever to run your well pump from a
generator if you had to. You cannot get a certificate of occupancy here in
South California with less than (I think) 5 gpm.

Personally I would hire a water witcher (ask the locals who is the best one)
and pay the $150 or whatever. If he/she does not give you a good place to
drill then go find another piece of land. As for paying upwards to $2500
with less than a 50% chance of hitting good water, well, if you are that
lucky why not just spend the $2500 on lottery tickets?

You say this was a farm. What is the water quality like? I would expect
more bacteria under the circumstances. You might need additional filters
and water treatment before you can use it.


I'm also told this would be adequate for normal household use, but
would not be sufficient for lawn watering or extensive gardening, etc.
I'm not too worried about the lawn, other than putting it in
initially, but do garden and landscape extensively.

Other option would be a big cistern, rain fed or supplied from a
truck.

I"ve lived the last 10 years with a low yield spring feeding a storage
tank, and it has been a problem several times, so I am not keen on
that approach.

My options as I see them:

1. Walk away and wait for a better lot. We do know of another lot
that is less desireable for other reasons but in an area of reliable
wells.

2. I've talked to the developer and they would probably be willing to
accept an offer that was contingent on us drilling another well (at
our expense) and finding a higher yield, at least 10 gpm. This would
cost about $2000-2500. The well drillers are more than willing to do
this, but think the probability of success is less than 50%. FWIW the
lot is 5 acres and if we picked a site at the opposite end of the lot
from the current site it would be about 250 feet closer to the two
better wells.

I'd like to hear from others with low yield well experiences and
general opinions as to which way to go. Right now I'm leaning toward
option 2. We are not under any particular deadline to find a lot,
other than a general desire to build our new place and move as soon as
possible.

TIA,

Paul

(you know what to leave out)

Hi Paul,

I had a well drilled two years ago that was rated at 1 gpm. The thing
to understand is that the 1 gpm is the wells 'recovery' rate. In my
case the well is 220 ft deep and granite all the way. The water head
is 20 feet below ground level when no water is being consumed. The
well diameter is 6". With my pump at the 200 foot level, combined with
a forty gallon pressure tank (operating at 40/60 psi) and 3/4" copper
piping in the house, it provides a reservoir of water that more than
meets our needs. As a test when I first started using this well it I
ran a reciprocating sprinkler steady for 1 hour 45 minutes before the
pump shut down from lack of water. Since then I've run the sprinkler
for up to 2 hours with no problems. I have two 30' x 50' vegetable
gardens and numerous flower gardens. This summer is one of the dryest
on record for our area and we have had no problems with water supply.
And, the water is good - no smell, no contamination, crystal clear, etc.

Your mileage may vary depending on local circumstances and how much
water you use at any given time. Aquifer supply and quality can have a
bearing on what your experience may be. I'd suggest you to talk with
others in the area who have wells of similar recovery rates and see if
they are having problems. Their experience is probably typical of what
you can expect.

Jack


Paul Franklin wrote:
Sorry for the long post, but I need some usenet points of view....

SWMBO and I are looking at homesites for a new custom home.

We found a lot we like in an area we like (Northeast Ohio). There are
not a lot of available sites in the area to choose from. It's one of
9 lots converted from an old farm field. 6 of the lots have been
sold.

The developer drilled test wells on 3 of the lots, one of which is the
one we're interested in. Here's the problem.

The test well was drilled 140', and tested out at only 1 gpm. I
talked to both the well driller that drilled the well, and another
that does work in the area. Both indicated that reliable wells have
been hit or miss in the general area. I'm told that 10 gpm is about
the minimum they like to see for unrestricted use, and 20 is much
better. The other two test wells tested at 10 and 15 gpm respectively
but are at the other side of the development, about 1500 and 2500 feet
away respectively. None of the sites closer to the good wells are
available. The drillers indicate drilling deeper won't help because
there is a salt water aquifer farther down. Wells on the properties
surrounding the development range from 3 gpm to 20, with more on the
low side.

I'm told with a low yield well, I can put in a storage tank of 500+
gallons that is supplied from the well and it then allows normal flow.
I'm also told this would be adequate for normal household use, but
would not be sufficient for lawn watering or extensive gardening, etc.
I'm not too worried about the lawn, other than putting it in
initially, but do garden and landscape extensively.

Other option would be a big cistern, rain fed or supplied from a
truck.

I"ve lived the last 10 years with a low yield spring feeding a storage
tank, and it has been a problem several times, so I am not keen on
that approach.

My options as I see them:

1. Walk away and wait for a better lot. We do know of another lot
that is less desireable for other reasons but in an area of reliable
wells.

2. I've talked to the developer and they would probably be willing to
accept an offer that was contingent on us drilling another well (at
our expense) and finding a higher yield, at least 10 gpm. This would
cost about $2000-2500. The well drillers are more than willing to do
this, but think the probability of success is less than 50%. FWIW the
lot is 5 acres and if we picked a site at the opposite end of the lot
from the current site it would be about 250 feet closer to the two
better wells.

I'd like to hear from others with low yield well experiences and
general opinions as to which way to go. Right now I'm leaning toward
option 2. We are not under any particular deadline to find a lot,
other than a general desire to build our new place and move as soon as
possible.

TIA,

Paul

(you know what to leave out)

Ulysses wrote:
....
Personally I would hire a water witcher (ask the locals who is the best one)
and pay the $150 or whatever. If he/she does not give you a good place to
drill then go find another piece of land.

And if he/she claims there is a good spot do you recommend plonking down
however many 10's of thousands being asked for the site? I don't think
so...at least, not me.

...As for paying upwards to $2500
with less than a 50% chance of hitting good water, well, if you are that
lucky why not just spend the $2500 on lottery tickets?

You just told him to take a chance about as good imo and potentially
invest another factor of at least 4 or 5 (and maybe much more, I have no
idea what they're trying to get for the sites) above that plus the
well...


You say this was a farm. What is the water quality like? I would expect
more bacteria under the circumstances. You might need additional filters
and water treatment before you can use it.
...

Why should that be so for a water table at 140 ft in land that hasn't
had previous well? Methinks you're falling in w/ stereoptypical anti-ag
environmental bs here...

On Sat, 13 Aug 2005 08:18:25 -0400, Paul Franklin
wrote:
snip
I'm told with a low yield well, I can put in a storage tank of 500+
gallons that is supplied from the well and it then allows normal flow.
I'm also told this would be adequate for normal household use, but
would not be sufficient for lawn watering or extensive gardening, etc.
I'm not too worried about the lawn, other than putting it in
initially, but do garden and landscape extensively.

Other option would be a big cistern, rain fed or supplied from a
truck.

I"ve lived the last 10 years with a low yield spring feeding a storage
tank, and it has been a problem several times, so I am not keen on
that approach.

My options as I see them:

1. Walk away and wait for a better lot. We do know of another lot
that is less desireable for other reasons but in an area of reliable
wells.

2. I've talked to the developer and they would probably be willing to

I vote for #1. Right now, it's the developer's problem to convince
someone to buy it. Do you want to be the one who plunks down your
money to take it off his hands? Do you want this issue to consume
your life for X years?

Once your house is built you'll probably find some problems that you
didn't anticipate. Don't start off with a stone around your neck from
the beginning!

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Waldo wrote:

Hi Paul,

I had a well drilled two years ago that was rated at 1 gpm. The thing
to understand is that the 1 gpm is the wells 'recovery' rate. In my
case the well is 220 ft deep and granite all the way. The water head
is 20 feet below ground level when no water is being consumed. The
well diameter is 6". With my pump at the 200 foot level, ...

That is a very unique situation--so much so as to be almost a unique
condition.

By calculation, you have something like a 1000 gal reservoir from which
to pump. Virtually no other well/aquifer condition will be anything
like that in an area that has only a 1 gpm recharge/test rate.

Vic Dura wrote:
On Sat, 13 Aug 2005 08:18:25 -0400, Paul Franklin
wrote:


1. Walk away and wait for a better lot. We do know of another lot
that is less desireable for other reasons but in an area of reliable
wells.


IMO this is the way to go. You need four things to make a place
"civilized"

1) Reliable, useable water
2) Reliable, safe sanitary sewage disposal
3) Electricity
4) Trash disposal

It looks to me like you are missing (1).
Hi,
Here, by law you can't build a house if you can't have good water at
minimum 5gpm on any part pf your property.
Tony

I'm the OP.

Thanks all for lots of good points and things to think about.

Some answers to some of the questions raised:

According to the township zoning/building official, I can get a permit
to build with no well at all. (Contrary to the stereotype, she was
extremely knowledgable, helpful and up front. She was actually the
one who warned me that the area has water issues.) Of course, I have
to have a water supply, but a cistern only system is allowed in the
township.

The point someone made about the additional load on the acquifer from
9 new houses is an excellent one. Clearly the aquifer in the area is
marginal, and 9 houses is a significant increase over what's in the
general area now. And this has been a good year rain-wise, above
normal in fact. None of the lots have homes yet, so this is probably
as good as it is going to get.

Both well drillers told me there was no point in drilling beyond 140.
The logs from all the good wells in the area (all the logs are public
record, by the way) show water was first hit between 30 and 50 feet.

And finally, the point Sue made really resonates with me. One reason
we want to build is for once, after 30 years of one remodeling project
and repair project after another, I would like to start without a huge
backlog of repairs and remodels. Why start with this aggravation.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do. The lot is a pretty good
deal price-wise, and I would make a below-asking offer contingent on
drilling a good well. All the other comparable lots we've looked at
have been more $ per acre, so I believe it would cost me more than the
$2500 to choose a different lot (not to mention that interest rates
are going up every day). If we drill the well and it's a loser, I'm
only out a couple of grand and a few weeks of aggravation. If it's
good, I'll end up with a bargain. What would bite is if it turns out
to be a 4 or 5 gpm well, which would then be a hard decision.

Thanks again to all, and chip in again if you have any more thoughts.
I'll let you know what happens.

Paul

(you know what to leave out)

In article ,
Duane Bozarth wrote:

Nick Hull wrote:

...
First I would locate a local water witch and have him check out 'your'
lot and other nearby lots if he can find nothing at your site. A lot of
people don't believe in water witching, but good witches have a
remarkable record and drilling ie expensive.
...

I'll believe if he/she will agree to pay the driller for a dry hole...


Will the well driller refund your money for a dry hole?

--
Free men own guns, slaves don't
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5357/

Paul Franklin wrote:
....
And finally, the point Sue made really resonates with me. ...
Why start with this aggravation.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do. The lot is a pretty good
deal price-wise, and I would make a below-asking offer contingent on
drilling a good well. All the other comparable lots we've looked at
have been more $ per acre, so I believe it would cost me more than the
$2500 to choose a different lot ...

Well, doesn't sound like Sue's mantra is making a real strong
impact--at least not enough to camoflauge the few grand you apparently
think you can save in initial outlay.

To me the potential savings of a few thousand in the short term at the
risk of a major hassle down the road forever is a poor tradeoff.

Duane Bozarth wrote:
Waldo wrote:

Hi Paul,

I had a well drilled two years ago that was rated at 1 gpm. The thing
to understand is that the 1 gpm is the wells 'recovery' rate. In my
case the well is 220 ft deep and granite all the way. The water head
is 20 feet below ground level when no water is being consumed. The
well diameter is 6". With my pump at the 200 foot level, ...


That is a very unique situation--so much so as to be almost a unique
condition.

By calculation, you have something like a 1000 gal reservoir from which
to pump. Virtually no other well/aquifer condition will be anything
like that in an area that has only a 1 gpm recharge/test rate.

Yes, it is quite unique as compared to other areas and I consider
myself quite fortunate. We are on the Canadian Shield in eastern
Ontario. This well scenario is quite common around here except for
those on the shore of a lake or river where the water source is
somewhat nearer the surface and presumably comes from the nearby lake
or river. The original well for this place was over 400 feet deep and
was registered as a dry well. I guess it eventually started flowing
somewhat as the family that lived here put up with it for 22 years. My
first summer here I ran out of water, and rather than put with this
hassle, took a gamble and had the new well drilled about 200 feet
away. Turned out to money well spent.

Jack

On Sat, 13 Aug 2005 16:58:14 -0500, Duane Bozarth
wrote:

Paul Franklin wrote:
...
And finally, the point Sue made really resonates with me. ...
Why start with this aggravation.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do. The lot is a pretty good
deal price-wise, and I would make a below-asking offer contingent on
drilling a good well. All the other comparable lots we've looked at
have been more $ per acre, so I believe it would cost me more than the
$2500 to choose a different lot ...

Well, doesn't sound like Sue's mantra is making a real strong
impact--at least not enough to camoflauge the few grand you apparently
think you can save in initial outlay.

To me the potential savings of a few thousand in the short term at the
risk of a major hassle down the road forever is a poor tradeoff.

If it were only a few grand I'd walk away without a second thought.

The other lots on my short list are only 3 acres instead of 5 and the
asking prices are $15,000-25,000 *more*. And it's not just money..the
other lots are not as desireable in terms of our particular wants and
needs, although most might see them as more desirable...which is part
of why they are priced higher.

It's never easy....

Thanks for your thoughts.

Paul

Paul Franklin wrote:
I'm the OP.

Thanks all for lots of good points and things to think about.

Some answers to some of the questions raised:

According to the township zoning/building official, I can get a permit
to build with no well at all. (Contrary to the stereotype, she was
extremely knowledgable, helpful and up front. She was actually the
one who warned me that the area has water issues.) Of course, I have
to have a water supply, but a cistern only system is allowed in the
township.

The point someone made about the additional load on the acquifer from
9 new houses is an excellent one. Clearly the aquifer in the area is
marginal, and 9 houses is a significant increase over what's in the
general area now. And this has been a good year rain-wise, above
normal in fact. None of the lots have homes yet, so this is probably
as good as it is going to get.

Both well drillers told me there was no point in drilling beyond 140.
The logs from all the good wells in the area (all the logs are public
record, by the way) show water was first hit between 30 and 50 feet.

And finally, the point Sue made really resonates with me. One reason
we want to build is for once, after 30 years of one remodeling project
and repair project after another, I would like to start without a huge
backlog of repairs and remodels. Why start with this aggravation.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do. The lot is a pretty good
deal price-wise, and I would make a below-asking offer contingent on
drilling a good well. All the other comparable lots we've looked at
have been more $ per acre, so I believe it would cost me more than the
$2500 to choose a different lot (not to mention that interest rates
are going up every day). If we drill the well and it's a loser, I'm
only out a couple of grand and a few weeks of aggravation. If it's
good, I'll end up with a bargain. What would bite is if it turns out
to be a 4 or 5 gpm well, which would then be a hard decision.

Thanks again to all, and chip in again if you have any more thoughts.
I'll let you know what happens.

Paul

(you know what to leave out)

Foget making a below-asking price. You would still be stuck with what
is basically a no-water lot and have to spend money 'trying' to find
some. Make your offer contingent on the developer drilling and proving
a useable well, if he does, then pay his asking price.

Me, from your descriptions of the place, I would run, not walk, away
from every lot there.

Harry K

Nick Hull wrote:

In article ,
Duane Bozarth wrote:

Nick Hull wrote:

...
First I would locate a local water witch and have him check out 'your'
lot and other nearby lots if he can find nothing at your site. A lot of
people don't believe in water witching, but good witches have a
remarkable record and drilling ie expensive.
...

I'll believe if he/she will agree to pay the driller for a dry hole...


Will the well driller refund your money for a dry hole?


No, but he won't be making a promise there's water there, either, other
than what he knows from local geology/hydrology/experience--the witcher
is supposedly telling you there is water there if you drill.

I'm just saying I personally wouldn't bank on that being a solution. As
Baxter Black quips in a related area, "The effectiveness of a rain dance
is very dependent on timing."

Paul Franklin wrote:

....
If it were only a few grand I'd walk away without a second thought.

The other lots on my short list are only 3 acres instead of 5 and the
asking prices are $15,000-25,000 *more*. And it's not just money..the
other lots are not as desireable in terms of our particular wants and
needs, although most might see them as more desirable...which is part
of why they are priced higher.
....

As I suspected, you've actually already made up your mind that this is
what you want and are looking for reasons/excuses to justify that
decision. I'd recommend proceeding very slowly. There's a fairly
obvious reason the other lots are priced as they are relative to this
one it appears.

Just a question--what are you going to be able to do on 5A you couldn't
on 3?

Harry K wrote:
....
Thanks again to all, and chip in again if you have any more thoughts.
I'll let you know what happens.

Paul

(you know what to leave out)

Foget making a below-asking price. You would still be stuck with what
is basically a no-water lot and have to spend money 'trying' to find
some. Make your offer contingent on the developer drilling and proving
a useable well, if he does, then pay his asking price.

Me, from your descriptions of the place, I would run, not walk, away
from every lot there.


Only other thought I would have would be is there any possibility of a
joint effort to get Rural District water (or whatever they have as
equivalent in OH?)

Paul Franklin wrote:

I'm the OP.

Thanks all for lots of good points and things to think about.
....
Thanks again to all, and chip in again if you have any more thoughts.
I'll let you know what happens.

One additional thought--have you thought about the possible resale value
down the road when/if there does become an issue of the marginal (at
best) well goes south? In such an event any possible bargain up front
(and more) may easily be lost in a forced "fire sale"...