It sounds like your cabin would be relatively easy to access if it were ever to catch on fire. Some people would see that as a plus. Remoteness does not come without a price.

Is the property accessible 12 months of the year? Will you have fire insurance?

It is not fire prone, and this is in the Shenandoah Mountains of VA, not in an area prone to wildfires or an area with controlled burns. This is a fire road in that it is cut through an uninhabited area so US Forestry Service and also the public can access the mountains. The road runs along property lines. It will be used by locals for hiking and mountain biking but it is dirt at this point. It is meant to be accessible 12 months out of the year, but at the worst we'll need our high-clearance vehicle to get up there. At best we can use our Ford Escape.

I think the remoteness is what we seek, and, like Mark mentions, there's a price for that. We don't want condos going up right next to us, and that's not going to happen here.

Having had a relatively flat dirt road alongside my parents property there is no such thing as accessible 12 months out of the year dirt road. First couple of vehicles will churn the surface into a slippery slime.

I am very familiar with the Shenandoah mountains. It's a beautiful area. I completely understand why you would want to build there. Very jealous.

Year around access, fire insurance, access to electricity and water will be issues. The cost to run electrical up the mountain may be cost prohibitive, the cost of finding water will be very high with a strong possibility of not finding it. After all, the mountain is a knob of granite. Your infrastructure costs will be very high.

I'd advise you to find a structure with all these elements, buy it and renovate to suit. Winter is a great time to shop in the area because sellers get depressed and a little crazy.

Good luck.

I would be concerned about access for construction, new appliances, etc. and emergency vehicles. You may be able to 4 wheel in most of the time, but getting necessary services in a timely manner could be a whole different thing.

I see a lot of responses from people who don't understand the market for a Mountain house. The remoteness is what these types of buyers are looking for!

My main concern would be to thoroughly read and understand the legalities of the easement and if comfortable with that, then it sounds like a sweet place.

My sister and husband just bought a mountain home near Blowing Rock, NC, and like you, the access to it goes through federally maintained and owned roads. It's the number one reason why they bought it... besides the 20 mile, panoramic view.

Is this a piece of land or a house?

This is a piece of land that happens to have a cabin on it. The remoteness is what appeals to us for sure, and this would be an off the grid place for us for recreational purposes, like hiking and hunting. There used to be a view of the 300 vacant acres below this property, but it has not been maintained recently. All we have to do is cut the saplings and small trees, and our view off the porch of the cabin will be restored. The fire road leads directly to the Shenandoah National Park, so that would be a fun hike or mountain bike trip. On further research the fire road is for public use, though it is at one's own discretion. It has been in place since the 30's and is a reliable road, though not paved and not even gravel. I was just curious if anyone had experience with property on a road like this, so ncrealestateguy I am intrigued by the property your sister and BIL bought - these days getting away (my husband has been stuck working at home and going almost nowhere for the past 5 months) has become a priority.

I suppose at the very least the property won't LOSE value, and we can always sell it as a "hunter's retreat" type spot, better than simply raw land. I'm still wondering how I feel about the outhouse...

I appreciate the input!