There's been an interruption of a few days in my posting schedule; we're back from four days of travels and new chapters are up for "Accidental Family."
Wife & I were former long-time residents of Idaho. She's a native, born & educated in the panhandle, within sight of the Canadian border clear-cut on the mountain side. I was a transplant many, many years ago.
We fled to greener maritime shores in WA state for a retirement dream, to sail and wander and enjoy the cool air of a pond-side retreat. After some years, the dream has become disillusioned reality. The geography is as charming as ever but Left Coast rule has become suffocating.
Dysfunctional county government unable to respond to proposed homesite improvements within six months and counting, and new WA State building codes that force new homes out of reach of a normal working family are the final nightmare.
We're fleeing. Wife & I found a new home in Idaho, in a deep valley region sheltered from wintry blasts, blessed with a warmer climate and greater freedom.
The island dream is over; we're selling it all and not coming back. I have no idea where future WA young people will be able to live in affordable housing, but it won't be in WA, OR, or CA. Unless they opt for single-wide manufactured HUD homes. (Just my.02 worth.)
The new code proponents claim that 'energy savings' will make the new codes affordable; sure: saving $100 or $200/month will make the $400K/$500K mortgage so much more affordable! I find that reasoning hard to accept.
And waiting a year for county permit approvals makes the development process go so much more efficiently and expeditiously. Yeah, right! Blame Covid, yet again.
Gray