Land with Grand Teton view. Sale, subdivide, or airbnb?

Land with Grand Teton view. Sale, subdivide, or airbnb?

Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island · Member since 2021 · 9 posts · 5 votes

Hi BP! I would love to hear what you think about this:

My uncle has a vacation home on a huge lot (two parcels) in East Idaho, near the broader of Wyoming. Comes with the house/ land is the access to the river & water right, also amazing view of Grand Teton. We love this place but we also live far from the property and rarely come by. The property is probably in use one month out of a year. I think this is not the best use of his money nor this great property. 

Local agents suggest the house (on acre lot with both water view & Grand Teton view) is probably worth $1.5M today, and the land (a separate parcel, tens of acre) is probably another million.

We are debating if we should sell it as is, but with this price tag, it may take a while to sell. So my uncle wants to explore subdividing the lot, in hope that it would sell faster, the process is going to take up a year? And the fact that we are not local doesn't help. Alternatively, I feel we can put 3 to 5 modular homes on the river front, and rent those out as Airbnb. There are decent ski resorts within 45mins drive, and the nearby Airbnb charges anywhere between $120 to $180 for two bedroom that sleeps 4.

Not sure if these matter but it's a flood plain, agriculture zoning & no city water/ sewer nor internet service on the property.

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Eric GiovannucciBusiness Member
Investor · Boise, ID · Member since 2014 · 176 posts · 102 votes
4y

Hey Jo,

A lot to unpack here- but I think your first step is going to be talking to the city and seeing what you are able to do with that land- if anything at all. 

The water/sewer is not going to be an issue, as most in the rural areas of Idaho are on well/septic anyhow. This however will be important to remember when/if you move forward thinking about how long the process will take to drill/receive certification for the septic. 

I am out in the TV area so our rules are much different, but feel free to shoot me a message if you want to get some more specific help! 

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  • Eric GiovannucciBusiness Member
    Investor · Boise, ID · Member since 2014 · 176 posts · 102 votes
    4y

    Hey Jo,

    A lot to unpack here- but I think your first step is going to be talking to the city and seeing what you are able to do with that land- if anything at all. 

    The water/sewer is not going to be an issue, as most in the rural areas of Idaho are on well/septic anyhow. This however will be important to remember when/if you move forward thinking about how long the process will take to drill/receive certification for the septic. 

    I am out in the TV area so our rules are much different, but feel free to shoot me a message if you want to get some more specific help! 

    Renew Real Estate Group513 Reviews
  • Don SpaffordPro Member
    Investor · Idaho Falls, ID · Member since 2016 · 935 posts · 629 votes
    4y

    @Jo Lexington Interesting situation. Not knowing exactly where it is, you may also be able to offer it to some other developers who would like to build homes or do something more with it.

    My wife has sold property in the $1M range to investors buying short-term rentals in the area around Driggs, which I assume you must be talking somewhere near there with the Teton views.

    Is the additional acreage all flat? Or is any of it not usable? Happy to explore options with you sometime. Or if you need help just to list them as well.

    Something else to consider is the capital gains on that. He may want to consider offering seller financing if he is able, to avoid a huge tax hit.

  • Real Estate Agent · Near Memphis, Tenn. · Member since 2019 · 88 posts · 34 votes
    4y

    Septic if all in flood plain will be challenged to perc and possibly get approval.

    As suggested above, the first visit is to city hall.

  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island · Member since 2021 · 9 posts · 5 votes
    4y

    @Eric Giovannucci

    We should definitely figure out what can be done first. I’ll reach out to the city. I found on the city website some restrictions on subdivision. But we should be able to do it if we are willing to invest time (which we are, assuming the local supply/ demand doesn’t change much)

    What do you think about the long term development in East Idaho? We visited last week and I saw some new developments. But it’s a bit scattered and not as structured/ organized like other smaller cities that we drove passed by near Salt Lake City.

    Do you think the activities will pick up for the next 5 years? Or I should say…between Boise, Idaho falls, and probably Jackson hole, do you see value in rural east Idaho?

  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island · Member since 2021 · 9 posts · 5 votes
    4y

    @Don Spafford

    We are very close to Driggs! Just a little bit northeast. I can’t believe you are able to tell where we are with such limited information!

    The land is flat. Along the river there’s probably 1 acre flood plain that’s not buildable and our vacation home should be right on the boarder (to get the best river view possible). Other than that it’s all good.

    I’d love to know if any developer is interested. Happy to sell/ work with pros. If you have any contact or leads please send it my way🙏 I appreciate it!

  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island · Member since 2021 · 9 posts · 5 votes
    4y

    @De Rasche Absolutely. That’s the first thing we need to figure out. Thanks

  • Jared HottleBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Cedar falls IA Waterloo, IA · Member since 2020 · 902 posts · 549 votes
    4y

    I would agree talking to the city/county to see what you can do would help. I big project without any utilities or infrastructure but definitely doable. Being far away may make it a big project for less upside than it may be worth. Subdividing taking a year may work in your favor as rates could be going back down at that point. Sounds like a great problem to have! I love the Tetons!

  • Investor · Eastern ID · Member since 2017 · 69 posts · 53 votes
    4y

    @Jo Lexington I am a developer and I currently have a project in Driggs. This year, Teton county moved the minimum lot size from 2.5 acres to 5 acres on the zoning for "single family". Keep that in mind if you are trying to subdivide. 

    I approached the county about putting a small RV park in the Valley. The code they adopted has a 40 acre minimum for 20 spots, 60 acres for 30 spots, etc. up to a minimum of 120 acres for a maximum 60 spots. On top of that, they said directly to me they don't want it and essentially said they would try to prevent it. Depending on what you would want in there, they also regulate why the occupant is there, the minimum number of days they can stay, the maximum number of days they can stay, mandated vacancy levels, etc. Keep that in mind when considering modular units.

    It's an extremely beautiful area. If you are close enough to Driggs that the land is touching, you may consider an annex and have more options available. 

    I'm interested to hear how this goes for you and I'm happy to help wherever I can. Feel free to DM with anything.

  • Rental Property Investor · Victor, ID · Member since 2016 · 59 posts · 94 votes
    4y

    @Jo Lexington we have a few STRs and a STR management company in Teton Valley. If you want more details around regulations, performance, locations, etc, feel free to DM me.

  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island · Member since 2021 · 9 posts · 5 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Jace Holt:

    @Jo Lexington I am a developer and I currently have a project in Driggs. This year, Teton county moved the minimum lot size from 2.5 acres to 5 acres on the zoning for "single family". Keep that in mind if you are trying to subdivide. 

    I approached the county about putting a small RV park in the Valley. The code they adopted has a 40 acre minimum for 20 spots, 60 acres for 30 spots, etc. up to a minimum of 120 acres for a maximum 60 spots. On top of that, they said directly to me they don't want it and essentially said they would try to prevent it. Depending on what you would want in there, they also regulate why the occupant is there, the minimum number of days they can stay, the maximum number of days they can stay, mandated vacancy levels, etc. Keep that in mind when considering modular units.

    It's an extremely beautiful area. If you are close enough to Driggs that the land is touching, you may consider an annex and have more options available. 

    I'm interested to hear how this goes for you and I'm happy to help wherever I can. Feel free to DM with anything.


    Hi Jace! I appreciate your insight! I read about the minimum lot size on county website but the rest is totally new to me... Thank yo so much for sharing! I kinda have sense that the county is a little bit conservative on development. Too bad the land is not touching so that limits our option here...  Anyways I'm sending DM your way! Let's connect

  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island · Member since 2021 · 9 posts · 5 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Garrett Kroll:

    @Jo Lexington we have a few STRs and a STR management company in Teton Valley. If you want more details around regulations, performance, locations, etc, feel free to DM me.


     Sending DM your way! Thanks Garrett

  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island · Member since 2021 · 9 posts · 5 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Jim Flynn:

    what background do you have to do this.


     I have absolutely nothing! I don't even like STRs... like I'd choose hotel over airbnb every single time. In my foreign eyes the Tetons is so beautiful and so underdeveloped. I just feel like we can do something with the resource we have. 

  • Real Estate Coach · Boise, ID · Member since 2022 · 177 posts · 285 votes
    3y

    @Jo Lexington I'd stick close to @Eric Giovannucci dude is a mad scientist when it comes to this kind of thing! 

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