For Sale: Newton Residence, Loomis, Washington

We have decided to offer our home for sale by owner. This is the Newton Residence, in Loomis, Washington (street address is 1112 Loomis Oroville Road, Tonasket, Washington, 98855). I call it Rams View Farm, since bighorn sheep are part of the scenery. The house sits on 14.4 acres; the land was an apple orchard until 2002, when I removed the trees. There are still several soft fruit trees near the house, visible above.

The large farmhouse was built in 1900 as the Superintendent's Residence for a mining project on Palmer Flats (you can hike to the ruins from the house). There is a total of more than 4,100 sq. ft. of living space on three levels, plus an attic with storage space and a partially finished room that is currently my office. A real estate agent would have to list the house as having four bedrooms, but we think of it as a seven-bedroom home. The master bedroom (with vaulted ceiling) on the second floor has a private deck that has the best views available from the home. There are two other bedrooms on the second floor; one has a large walk-in closet. There is one bedroom on the main floor; for a time we used it as a den. There are three unofficial bedrooms in the basement (they lack proper closets and windows). The kitchen is modern, with beautiful oak cabinets made by a local craftsman. Bay windows in the kitchen, living room, and master bedroom face south, toward Aeneas Mtn.

The farm is serviced by the Whitestone Irrigation District (high pressure, low rates). The home is connected to the Loomis community water service. From here, you can walk to the Loomis Post Office, the Loomis Community Church, Loomis Kwik Stop, and Sully's Restaurant. We are served by an excellent volunteer fire department. The farm sits in a narrow valley between Palmer Mtn. and Aeneas Mtn. There are gorgeous views to the west of Douglas Mtn. and Gold Hill. Trophy bucks and bighorn sheep are a part of our daily view. I often hear the wild turkeys on Aeneas, but they try to stay hidden in the brush. It is 17 miles to Tonasket, 24 miles to Oroville.

The property has orchard-quality "deer fence" on three sides. The farm needs interior fencing before it could be used for pasture. There is an in-ground irrigation system that sustained some damage when the orchard was removed. I am not using it at this time. I installed a bypass to bring irrigation to the area around the house. The acreage is currently lush grass and apple tree regrowth. The property will need to be maintained to stop apple regrowth, to comply with a county pest ordinance.

The siding and the roof are made of modern, high-quality materials, and are in excellent condition. We installed a new septic system large enough for a family of 11 in 2002. The home is served by a central electric furnace and air conditioning system. The electricity comes from the Okanogan County Public Utility District, which has just about the lowest rates in the state.

While this is a great home for a family (with potential for farming), the house and its setting are also ideal for a bed and breakfast operation, with the year-around recreational opportunities and the beautiful scenery.

OK, the bad stuff: We are a large family, and several rooms could use a new coat of paint. There's a couple of leaky faucets I need to fix, and the main floor wrap-around deck could use a new coat of paint and some screws tightened. If I don't get these things fixed before you decide to buy it, we'll talk about what needs to be done and what it means to the price. Also, we will be taking all appliances with us.

Loomis is located in the heart of the "Many Lakes Recreation Area" of northern Okanogan County, Washington. When we entertain out-of-town guests, we often take them across the border into British Columbia wine country; it is about 30 minutes to Osoyoos, BC (lots of great restaurants there in addition to all the wineries.)

I work from home, and use satellite Internet service; if you want the hardware, that will be a negotiable issue. The only other current option for Internet access is dial-up. If you want TV, you'll need to use a satellite service. There is a DirecTV dish that will stay with the house. Verizon is the local phone company. Your cell phone won't work here; you have to drive about six miles east toward Tonasket to get a reliable signal.

Our asking price is $215,000. We will be staying in the area, and are not desperate to sell. We might consider offering licensed real estate agents a finder's fee, but we will not be formally listing. Everything is negotiable! For more information, send email to randall.newton@gmail.com.