Finally Bought Some Land

[NorTX-Dave]

.......Rather not see that in my yard. Looks a bit like Hell Boy - or vice versa.

They are very non-aggressive - thankfully, considering their head ornamentation.

The damage that they are accountable for is to vegetation. Forget planting anything in your yard - except succulents with thorny accouterments! How about you? Are you going to put in new plants or keeping it au naturel?

[j44ke]

They are very non-aggressive - thankfully, considering their head ornamentation.

The damage that they are accountable for is to vegetation. Forget planting anything in your yard - except succulents with thorny accouterments! How about you? Are you going to put in new plants or keeping it au naturel?

Right now, the house site is pretty near the apex of its ruin. However we've hired a landscape architect who is really interesting. She has a crew of botanists and gardeners. First they did a plant survey. 10 pages single spaced list of plants identified on the property, keyed by name, soil type and one other thing I can't recall right now. But basically, this plant list becomes the template for planting the area around the house and integrating the immediate landscape into the rest of the land on the property. Template isn't the right word. If there is a place on the property where hawkweed or Canada mayflower grows well, and there is an area on the house site that has those same conditions (or those conditions can be recreated) then those plants can be used in this location. Or other species that share the same requirements can be planted in that location. But all the plants used will be native to the local ecology.

We aren't going to be duplicating the natural landscape, just using it as reference while designing something that is functional for entering and exiting the house, driving up and parking the car, and beautiful and interesting to look at out each of the windows & while walking around in it. Taking the naturally occurring native flora and underlining its natural structure through design. When finished, it should look like it might have always been there, but at the same time, obvious that it hasn't.

I'm pretty excited about this.

EDIT: One of the best resources for native seeds is Ernst Seed. Ernst Conservation Seeds offers hundreds of species of native & naturalized seeds & live plant materials. They make some unbelievable seed mixes for things like strip mine restoration, but they also sell individual plant seeds in the kind of quantities required for landscaping.

Another is Prairie Moon Nursery. Prairie Moon Nursery. They have a less wholesale mentality with lots of information.

[NorTX-Dave]

Sounds interesting to say the least! Can't wait to see the continuing process and results!

[Mabouya]

In a related matter (emotionally, but not geographically) can you imagine what it must be like for the folks in CA who are, like Jorn, building or just finishing their dream home, only to find it in or near a wildfire zone? That must be so traumatic for so many people.

[j44ke]

In a related matter (emotionally, but not geographically) can you imagine what it must be like for the folks in CA who are, like Jorn, building or just finishing their dream home, only to find it in or near a wildfire zone? That must be so traumatic for so many people.

Pretty humbling reality.

[Mark Kelly]

In Australia you have to take account of the fire risk before you start building: The house I'm building is in a BAL12.5 area*, so it's fairly low risk but there are still restrictions regarding screening etc. All part of living in the world's most flammable country. With the amount of Eucalyptus they seem to have in California, they might have to start doing something similar.


*BAL = bushfire attack level, the number is the expected maximal radiant heat flux in kW / m^2. Over 40 is BAL FZ (Fire Zone).

[NorTX-Dave]

In Australia you have to take account of the fire risk before you start building: The house I'm building is in a BAL12.5 area*, so it's fairly low risk but there are still restrictions regarding screening etc. All part of living in the world's most flammable country. With the amount of Eucalyptus they seem to have in California, they might have to start doing something similar....

Makes total sense and I could see it taking effect in CA. Seems not unlike restrictions against building in a known flood zone....or accounting for the threat of earthquakes in certain locals.

[Mabouya]

Makes total sense and I could see it taking effect in CA. Seems not unlike restrictions against building in a known flood zone....or accounting for the threat of earthquakes in certain locals.

In plenty of areas in the US there is no requirement to disclose to a home buyer that the house they are buying is in a flood prone area. That tells you all you need to know about whose interests the system is designed to protect.

More info here: Flood Disclosure Map | NRDC

[j44ke]

Americans are essentially encouraged to build in flood zones by the Federal flood insurance program.

[NorTX-Dave]

Guess I'm not surprised.

Glad I built my retirement home high on a mesa in semi-arid North Texas! It would take a flood of truly biblical proportions to flood my home.

[Drew]

In plenty of areas in the US there is no requirement to disclose to a home buyer that the house they are buying is in a flood prone area. That tells you all you need to know about whose interests the system is designed to protect.

More info here: Flood Disclosure Map | NRDC

That would be hard to accomplish unless you’re paying cash and not getting home insurance. All of the insurance companies will look into that, and they are required to disclose what they find... rates are significantly higher if the home is below a flood elevation.

[j44ke]

That would be hard to accomplish unless you’re paying cash and not getting home insurance. All of the insurance companies will look into that, and they are required to disclose what they find... rates are significantly higher if the home is below a flood elevation.

Yes, when we bought a house in the middle of downtown Phoenix AZ, we had to buy Federal Flood Insurance as required by the bank that gave us the mortgage. When we paid off the mortgage, then our homeowners insurance also required it. We thought it was a joke. Then one day we got 10" of rain in about 8 hours and the street flooded right up to the front door. Turns out that back in the 1930's when the house was built, the road was a shallow arroyo that drained the hills to the north and flowed down into the Salt River running through downtown.

[Matthew Strongin]

You guys want flood stories...I've got some flood stories. My last house was around 7 feet above sea level (that includes the property being built up to locate the house higher than the road). My current house is around 10 feet above, so I'm working my way in the right direction.

Yes, I have flood insurance. And, yes, I've needed to use it.

[j44ke]

Fortunately this house has some altitude to it. We just have to watch out for suicidal pine trees.

[ides1056]

I think I mentioned that way back when. It is a chronic issue where I live.

[j44ke]

I think I mentioned that way back when. It is a chronic issue where I live.

Yes, we've now had three rounds of removals after the initial clearing for the site. The idea of 50mph gusts from the southwest later today kept me awake last night. There's a cherry tree in particular I am worried about and will probably take down in the next several days. Hopefully it doesn't take itself down.

[ides1056]

We had a cabin hit twice. I fixed it the first time. 100' tall pine dropped on it. I got the message.

[j44ke]

And here comes the wind....

[j44ke]

Another one of the neighbors stopped by for drinks.

[j44ke]

Concrete floors in the house! Woot woot woot!





Also on Monday morning, we closed on a one acre parcel that sat in the middle of our two larger land parcels. The spot had been purchased from the original owners in the 1930's to use as a camp (this is the description in the title - I assume it meant no improvements allowed, like a house) but by the 1950's it was being used as an auto junkyard. When we bought the other two parcels, I sent a letter to the current owner of the one acre, a retired auto mechanic who had added his own assortment of cars to the pile. He didn't want to sell, so I thanked him and said if he ever changes his mind.... About two months ago, he changed his mind. We agreed on a price, and he agreed to remove all the cars. Once he did that, we set a date for yesterday and now we own 81 acres. We've taken to calling the 1 acre parcel "The Biscuit" because it joins our two parcels together like a biscuit from a biscuit joiner.