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Weekly Survival Real Estate Market Update
2007 is over and the new year looks like it will bring some of
the best survival real estate deals to be had in years. For those of you out
there that are on the edge of actually making a retreat purchase anywhere in
the world, your best bet will be in the next three months (in the snowy
northern latitude climates that is) as the mad panic is now in full swing.
Sellers are dropping prices and now willing to carry private notes on their
properties
with reasonable
down payments. If you can wait it out until the fall of 2008 I'm sue you'll
be able to save a few more bucks on your purchase, although then you are gambling
on not having your retreat should some 'event' take place between now and election
time 2008. Personally, I don't think such a gamble is worth the savings.
As more and more of the SurvivalBlog readership put off their retreat purchase
due to worsening financials in their real estate and 401(k) holdings there
may be a light at the end of the tunnel. I have mentioned it before but as
time
goes
on the idea has more relevance. The fact is that most preparedness-minded folks
do not have many, if even one friend/family that is like minded (due to the
public's perception that we're "survivalist" nuts, I suppose) and
therefore have nobody to a purchase a retreat property with. On the surface
one may think
that anyone you'd be dealing with on a retreat purchase should be a well-trusted
friend, but the reality of the issue is this: If you could only afford 5 or
10 acres you'd be buying a property next to someone you have never met anyway,
right? So, why not go in with some fellow SurvivalBlog readers and purchase
a parcel together. What would be the difference? At least you would know they
were preparedness-minded folks whom own their parcel free and clear. People
seem to think that their neighbors need to be the same religion or like the
same baseball team or whatever 'standard' they have made up. Do you remember
the old saying that goes something like this: "everything changes when
the first shot is fired"?
There are several parcels in Montana and Idaho which would be perfect for such
a venture. One of these is already split into 7 parcels dividing a 100+ acre
piece, here in Idaho. The others range in size from 80 to 160 acres with a
price range
of $369,000 to $640,000. All of them can be worked out to be split into a minimum
of 10 parcels or more and sizes ranging from 5 to 20 acres. This would be a
great opportunity for less than $30,000 to $50,000 each to secure a retreat
property ready for building before the Dollar loses more of its' value. Please
contact
me via e-mail if you'd like more detailed information on how such a purchase
would be completed and for details on the properties.
Speaking of having limited funds there are some opportunities to build a very
nice retreat by utilizing a simple manufactured home on top of a heavily built
and fortified bunker basement. I know, manufactured homes are not the best
built but given the times most of us are in financially it's a great alternative
to the log home bunker that now is out of reach for most of the SurvivalBlog
readership. And if it comes down to actually having a retreat or just dreaming
I'm sure it will be much appreciated. The overall goal would be to spend 60%
of your cash on the 'basement' then the other 40% on a basic manufactured
home to have installed on the top of the bunker.
Here is what you'll want to do. First, the bulk of your money will be spent
on your high tech 'wine cellar' as the contractors will know it as. Pick your
size and type but make sure that the basement is 15 feet deep from finished
floor to ceiling. There will be four feet of the concrete that will stick up
out of the ground with culvert style windows one each corner (for the defensive
emplacements of course). The wall thickness from the ground to four feet above
should be
a minimum of 24 inches thick for obvious ballistic reasons. You'll need a separate
tunnel, made out of 12' diameter culverts to save on concrete, leading to your
secure vault and the NBC shelter (to house those most precious wine bottles),
which will be an alternative bug out route to the OP/LP position constructed
at the end. The idea here is to frame up after construction is complete and
the contractors are gone, a simple but effective gun port/fighting position
platform that runs the perimeter of the basement and yet can be sealed off
should a breach occur, to allow for proper defense and/or escape.
With today's building prices and the sowing sales in the home building business
my expectation is that you can pick up a decent newly manufactured rancher
style log home look a like with 1,500 square feet for about $45,000 to $60,000
(shop around your intended retreat area). Remember that this gives you 1,500
square feet below ground (or more) as well for a total of 3000+. Here in north
Idaho a finished basement bunker like detailed above with all the fixings should
run about $65,000-to-$75,000. Using insulated foam block construction would
be the best in this situation. Including a land purchase a ready to go retreat
could
be had for just over $200,000 or so. Not a bad price tag depending upon your
situation, some may pay cash and others will need to finance it, either way,
what a nice investment it'll be one day.
We have a
spectacular new listing featured on SurvivalRealty.com. This unique
and beautiful property features almost 156 acres nestled among the tranquil
Amish and Mennonite communities of South Central Kentucky.
Well, I'm off to start reading the expanded edition of JWR's novel "Patriots",
having read the first edition four times. I'm looking forward to it. God Bless,
- Todd
Savage
