Big River California Residential and Buildable Lots for Sale

In San Bernardino County, CA sits a quaint little town: Big River. With a warmer climate and scenic views, this town is a great place to buy land. Its small population is growing, too, which means demand for property will continue to rise.

Big River Demographics and Climate

Demographics

As of 2010, Big River’s population was 1,327. That’s a pretty modest jump from the population in 2010, which was 1,266. The density was about 116.9 people per square mile in 2010, and the city’s entire population was living in households (none were institutionalized).

Out of about 640 households, 116 had homes with children under 18. Altogether, there were 373 families, which accounted for 58.3% of all households. About 79.5% of homes were owner-occupied and 20.5% were occupied by renters. In 2000, the median household income was a bit lower than the state average, at $23,488 per year. Roughly 18.5% of the population lived below the poverty line. Between 2000 and 2010, income has risen in the area, with the average household income being $29,063. About 11.8% of the population still lives below poverty line, but that’s a major improvement over 2000’s figures.

Big River is growing, and its residents are earning more. Home and land values are sure to continue rising as a result.

Climate

The climate in Big River is a bit warmer than the national average.

* Average temperatures in July and August can reach above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

* Average temperatures in December and January hover around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Humidity in the area is low, and Big River receives virtually no snow. And most days are sunny, with precipitation averaging less than 1” per month. May and June are the driest months, while January is the wettest month. Earthquakes aren’t common. The last major earthquake to hit nearby was in 1992, and even then, it was 123.8 miles away from the city center. Fires and other natural disasters are a problem, however. San Bernardino County, in general, has significantly more natural disasters than the rest of the U.S. Fires, storms, floods, landslides, mudslides and winter storms are the most common disasters.

Economy and Jobs

The cost of living in Big River is about 11% lower than the national average, and job growth is positive, with 1.17% more jobs.

The most common industries in town include:

- Construction – 35%
- Accommodation and food services – 18%
- Retail – 17%
- Public administration – 9%
- Waste management services: – 9%
- Manufacturing and healthcare – 5%

As for jobs, the most popular occupations include:

- Construction – 24%
- Repair/Installation/Maintenance – 20%
- Management – 13%
- Building/grounds cleaning and maintenance – 13%
- Transportation – 8%
- Sales – 6%
- Engineering and architecture – 5%

Construction is clearly the biggest contributor to the economy and supplies the most jobs to the city. That’s great news for land investors, especially those who plan on building a home on the property or are open to selling the property to developers.

Fun and Recreation

Economic and demographic data is important when looking for land, but fun and recreation is important, too. No one will want to buy or use your land (including you) if there’s nothing to do. The great news is that Big River is just situated along the Colorado River, which gives you 40 miles of river for boating, skiing and fishing. It’s also close to the Laughlin Casinos, Lake Havasu, and the Nelle E. Saloon desert bar. There are plenty of opportunities for fun day trips, and the city is close to the Arizona border.

Despite Big River’s rural location, there are plenty of things to do nearby. And the peaceful setting also gives you a chance to lay back, unwind and escape the stresses of city life.

Big River Real Estate Market

Home appreciation in Big River over the last year has been about 23.80%. The median rental price in town (according to Trulia) is about $3,500, significantly higher than the national average. Not much data can be found on the current median sales prices, but we can look back in time to get an idea of where thing stand.

In 2013, the mean price for all housing units in the city was $256,398. Breaking that down, we can look at the mean prices for different types of housing:

* Detached homes: $274,924

* Townhouses: $228,898

* 2-unit buildings: $269,689

* 3-unit buildings: $217,619

* 5-or-more-unit buildings: $228,373

* Mobile homes: $45,870

* RVs and boats: $78,058

According to data from this same year, the median gross rental rate was $579. That’s significantly lower than the figure above from Trulia, but markets can change drastically from year-to-year, month-to-month. It may just be that rental homes are in high demand, or there may only be a few properties on the market at this time.

Residential and Buildable Lots

Big River is in a great location, but despite this, land in the area is cheap. Just take a look at some of our recently sold properties:

* 0.1384 acre lot sold for $999. Taxes were just $13.21 per year, and the property was zoned residential.

* 0.1384 acre lot sold for $999. Taxes were just $13.21 per year, and the property was zoned single family residential.

Both of these properties were sold as part of a portfolio of foreclosures, and there were numerous other properties in this collection that sold for the same price. For under $1,000, you could have owned your own residential lot – just waiting for you to build a home on. And many of these properties are close to utility lines, which drops the prices of development significantly in some cases. However, I do recommend checking the access for each property to ensure that there’s dirt road or paved road access before you buy (along with all of the other things you should check on).

Big River, CA has hidden opportunities to snag up land at low prices. What you do with that land is up to you. Whether you want to hold onto it, build your dream home, or develop your own rental property, Big River has something for everyone. And with a mild climate, lots of things to do nearby and plenty of open land, Big River offers ample opportunities for land investment.