What is a Recreation Residence?
In the 1920s the Forest Service commissioned hundreds of cabins to be built on Government Owned Land. These cabins still stand today. In Big Bear alone there are over 400 cabins.
The Forest Service still owns the land but any person can own the cabin at a cost lower than conventional real estate. See graph below.
The market for Rec Res has stayed level while other real estate has sky-rocketed and then plummeted. There are no loans for Rec Res property since the home owner does not own the land. Most transactions are done with Cash Only or Owner Carry arrangements with little down. There is Posessory Deed.
The owner is given a Special Use Permit good for 20 years blocks of time and pays an annual Fee approx $200.00- $2,000.00. The home owner must comply with Forest Service guidelines such as:
- Clearance of brush and debris from cabin
- Safety and Hazard issues like stairs and access to grounds
- Utilities usually include water tank, holding tank and propane gas.
In order to maintain their permit, the owner must abide by the Forest Service rules on remodeling and upgrading the cabin as well. The interior of the cabin is pretty much off limits to the Forest Service but the exterior MUST be in compliance. Some other regulations:
- No gardens allowed
- No fencing allowed
- No modern amenities on the exterior like siding or hot-tubs
- No rental of cabin
- Certain paint or stain colors for exterior only
- No mailboxes
Now, it sounds like the Forest Service is pretty harsh, but in reality they really want these special properties to be maintained and used. These properties usually are listed under $300k depending on location. There are lakefront properties and Lakeview properties as well as cabins tucked in the forest. These cabins were built for Summer use and most have slowly been updated to fit our modern needs.
For more information on these special hones, call me or email today. We specialize in Recreation Residence homes.
