Current Value and Status of the Property
With the exception of property no. 6 registered as bnr. 18, gnr.18 (18/18), all of
the other properties are registered as one farm: gnr. 18, bnr. 1 (18/1) and can not be sub-divided at the present time for
sale or distribution among the heirs of the estate.
All of the properties together are currently appraised at NOK400.000- or @ USD$45,982.80. The properties contain a total of approximately 200 acres of land, with a current
total of 9 building sites distributed on Skogsøy and Småbakken.
Coastal Planning Committees
The region has been under extensive planning throughout the last ten years. The country of Norway through the Mandal Kommune offices in Kristiansand and Mandal
have been preserving, managing, and setting aside coastal lands for the benefit of the people of Norway in a coastal development
plan, with input from small committees in each of the areas.
Our land is under the control of a small local planning committee on Skogsøy, a county
planning committee in Mandal, a regional planning committee in Kristiansand, and a national planning committee in Oslo.
Our attorney Paul Rynning, politician Lill
Tony Ramvik and I met with the committees in Skogsøy, Mandal, and Kristiansand to evaluate their approval of our plans. The Mandal and Kristiansand committees were generally approving of our plans, if the
local Skogsøy committee approved.
The coastal development plan determines the use of land using a color-coded map dark
green areas meaning no further development, to yellow areas where development may occur.
Regional Building Trends
Within the last twenty years, southern Norway has become a very popular destination
and vacation area for other Norwegians and German tourists. The tourists
enjoy the longer, warmer days and great fishing and beautiful views. As a result,
coastal properties have increased dramatically in demand and value. Particularly
in demand are properties zoned for vacation cottages (hyttes) that do not require year round residency, nor the development
requirements of electricity, water, and septic systems.
Most desirable are the building sites (tomptes) with waterfront access, and with
boat docks and boathouses. So the land zoned for vacation cottage building sites
(hytte tomptes) with waterfront access are the most valuable.
House building sites (hus tomptes) are least desirable as they require full year
round residency and electricity, water, and septic systems.
It is possible in Norway to sell or lease a building site (tompte) without the land
it is on thus maintaining the deed to the land. A lease is called an erklaering,
and sale with deed transfer a skjøte.
We have another boat house and docks on Oygarden alongside the bridge which Fred
Tofte is using under an erklaering that expires when he dies.
Topography
Southern Norway is very rocky, and uneven.
Granite boulders the sizes of houses, mountains, and steep cliffs are everywhere.
Drilling for water wells is difficult and expensive, suitable land conditions for septic systems uncommon, as is level
ground for easy building sites. It is not uncommon for the back wall of a house
or boathouse to be the face of a huge rock.
Blasting and removing the granite is expensive.
Because of the lack of build-able and useable land, (and lack of bridges to islands) even a parking place is desirable,
and rented or leased out to those who do not have driving access to their house, cottage, or boat site. Such is also the case with those who have houses and vacation cottages on the outlying islands.
