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Thinking about buying property to build a underground house. Foundation has been done and septic tank and electric pole installed and plumbing and water has been installed and all I need is a roof and inside done. The property comes with five acres and driveway is done. Is it hard to sell property in a Tornado area? This area has seen two Tornado's in 20 years.
I wouldn't say that two tornadoes in 20 years was particularly significant or extreme in Tornado Alley, which encompasses a large swath of the South and Midwest.
Every house and property throughout the country (world, for that matter) is going to come with some degree of risk- whether it be from flooding, cyclones, hurricanes, earthquakes or tornadoes.
Whether your property is hard to sell or not, depends on the desirability of the area itself. Most people house hunting here realize and accept the threat of tornadoes, so that usually won't factor into their decision when they're looking to buy.
Where is the house located, exactly? Tornado Alley, like I said, is a BIG area!
I wouldn't say that two tornadoes in 20 years was particularly significant or extreme in Tornado Alley, which encompasses a large swath of the South and Midwest.
Every house and property throughout the country (world, for that matter) is going to come with some degree of risk- whether it be from flooding, cyclones, hurricanes, earthquakes or tornadoes.
Whether your property is hard to sell or not, depends on the desirability of the area itself. Most people house hunting here realize and accept the threat of tornadoes, so that usually won't factor into their decision when they're looking to buy.
Where is the house located, exactly? Tornado Alley, like I said, is a BIG area!
Good luck to you!
It's on the Putnam County and Jackson County line in Tennessee.
I think there is too much focus concerning the chances that your home may blow away in Tornado Alley. Statistically speaking wouldn't there be just as much of a chance that somebody else's stuff will land on your property. Hey look outside, free cow and boat!
First of all, that is not an underground but is a partially earth- sheltered house and I'd be more concerned with how that banked portion was built and finished to protect it against water intrusion then about a tornado blowing it away.
Especially since it's block rather than solid pour.....which brings up whether or not shear pressure was taken into consideration.
The same with resale.Damp and moldy doesn't sell.
You refer to it as 'the foundation" which indicates a house to go atop but then say all you need is a roof and interior which implies that is the living area which means moisture is very important.
We built a fully bermed (3 walls under, only one exposed) and followed some very careful protocols to be sure we'd be 'dry'
First of all, that is not an underground but is a partially earth- sheltered house and I'd be more concerned with how that banked portion was built and finished to protect it against water intrusion then about a tornado blowing it away.
Especially since it's block rather than solid pour.....which brings up whether or not shear pressure was taken into consideration.
The same with resale.Damp and moldy doesn't sell.
You refer to it as 'the foundation" which indicates a house to go atop but then say all you need is a roof and interior which implies that is the living area which means moisture is very important.
We built a fully bermed (3 walls under, only one exposed) and followed some very careful protocols to be sure we'd be 'dry'
The block is 12 inches wide. The builder used Waterproof seal on the Foundation. The property is for sale for 45,000. I wonder what it cost the owner to build the foundation and sewer tank, cement floor, plumbing, electric pole with temp electric panel on pole?
The block is 12 inches wide. The builder used Waterproof seal on the Foundation. The property is for sale for 45,000. I wonder what it cost the owner to build the foundation and sewer tank, cement floor, plumbing, electric pole with temp electric panel on pole?
Thanks.
This is obviously my opinion only.
Unless local land pricing is quite low, that sounds like a decent enough deal for all the improvements.
And if that was only going to be a basement,waterproof seal alone is standard.
If you stop and think of how many people complain of musty cellars, foundation cracks, leaking.......how many are in business to do retro work on all those houses.....well....doubt you'd want to face that in your bedroom or kitchen.
It's simply not an unusual problem.
Just to give you an idea ....we had the walls "tarred" (waterproofed)and then added insulation board(all seams sealed) up to ground level.(all 3 sides)
That was backfilled with good draining gravel that had two layers of drain tile (doing the second level was not much extra as long as we were at it)
Oh, and by the way, we chose acreage that was mostly sand/gravel so the drainage was pretty good to begin with.
The good news is.....if the price is good for that area, you could excavate around the house and add extra waterproofing since it isn't finished or landscaped yet.
Just something else for you to consider.....that doesn't look too big. Think of floor plans and if there are to be rooms in the 'front' and some in the 'back' where no windows are,where is light (and ventilation)going to come from ?
In order to meet code, what about egress from those back rooms with no windows?
Are you locked-in to a specific area? I ask, because you are fearful of tornado's in that specific area, you are considering building partly underground because of that; and are worried about resale value. Whether the perceived danger is real or not, your piece of mind is important. If you absolutely can't find a way to live somewhere else, perhaps you should consider renting, ... at least until you get more comfortable about buying there.
On the other hand, is the perceived danger real ... or only in your imagination? If you avoid any area where a tornado has touched-down in 20-years, you might be forced into a cave in Alaska or ?? The news media and "experts" invented and tend to emphasize the 'alley' label. For example, we lived on the East Coast of Florida ... which the news/experts characterized as "hurricane alley" for many years. Research, however, verified that there had only been one hurricane hit there since 1979 (David) ... and even that one skipped over.
The world and media capitalize on 'fear' to achieve their own agenda, but, there are always two ways to look at any situation. Consider, for example, the 'sky-is-falling unemployment rates' as high as 9-10-percent in some parts of the country. Instead of screaming that in every headline and newscast, suppose instead the 'talking heads' reported, "Full employment is currently between 90 to 95-percent!" Of course, that wouldn't let them wring their hands in mock desperation ... or, in the case of tornados and hurricanes, stand outside in their blue windbreakers for days pointing at the same mobile home with a peeled-back roof panel or downed tree branch! --Try not to allow the media to live your life for you!
Location: Mokelumne Hill, CA & El Pescadero, BCS MX.
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To relate this to something more in our area. Would you buy something in an earthquake fault zone? Millions, and I mean millions, of Californians do. If it's going to be an earth sheltered home, I'd say your neighbors will come seek refuge when the sirens start blowing.
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