EAGLESTAR.NET LAND AND PROPERTY REVIEW
http://www.eaglestar.net
Issue #26
July 21, 2008

IN THIS ISSUE:
Properties of the Week:
- Ramah, NM: 8 Ac. Ranch, New Home, Sale or Lease
- Kettle Falls, WA: 13 Ac. Organic Orchard, 2 Homes
Special Report: Should You Evacuate During A Wildfire?
Sponsor's Corner:
- Hunting Creek Estates: 13 Lot Subdivision, VA Shore
Buyer's List Update
Auction News
- Missouri Hunting Preserve and Lodge
Landterms.com Term of the Week: Rate of Return


"Property is an intellectual production. The game requires coolness, right
reasoning, promptness, and patience in the players."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson (American essayist and philosopher, b. 1803 - d. 1882)


PROPERTIES OF THE WEEK
New Mexico High Country Ranch with New Guest House
8+/- Acres, For Sale or Lease
New guest home with artist's loft has dramatic 360 degree views of lakes and
mesas. Views of Timberlake Valley and Zuni Mountains, awesome locations for
private mansion. Custom 2600+/- square foot guest home has 3 bedrooms, 3 full
baths, cathedral ceiling, artist's loft, laundry room, new appliances, and
hardwood floors. Property is scenic and wooded, zoned for 2 horses; backyard
has stunning red rock cliffs. Great hiking and photography opportunities.
Abundant deer, elk, and other wildlife. Property is for sale or can be leased
for $1,500 per month starting August 1, 2008. Interior, exterior, and scenic
photos available at http://www.eaglestar.net/plct.html.

Kettle Falls, Washington, Certified Organic Orchard
13+/- Acres, Home and Buildings For Sale
Property has approx. 850 ft of frontage on south Peachcrest Road. The fenced
property is split into two pieces by railroad tracks (one 10 acre, one 3 acre).
Fruit trees planted on 9 acres: peach, pear, apricot, cherry, and apple trees,
and some berries. There are two houses on the property, which can be subdivided
into one acre lots. Soil type is sandy loam and can easily be dug to a depth
of 6' without much effort. The fruit trees need no irrigation due to the high
water table (with the exception of new, young trees). Property has both city
water and a well; groundwater is clean and needs no treatment for potability.
View photos and additional information at http://www.eaglestar.net/noc.html.


SPECIAL REPORT:
SHOULD YOU EVACUATE DURING A WILDFIRE?
Wildfire is a natural process, and it is good for nearly all ecosystems - it
acts as a cleanser of sorts, removing dead material and allowing life to spring
anew. Wildfire is not, however, good for your home and personal property. As
more and more Americans move to wooded or other rural areas potentially in the
path of natural or human-caused wildfires, it becomes increasingly important to
examine and discuss exactly what the official response to such a disaster
should be. Historically, the response has been to evacuate occupied areas
threatened by a wildfire. New insight into this issue indicates that mass
evacuation is not always the best answer, and that it often causes more
problems than is solves.

The Downside of Mass Evacuation
If you choose to evacuate your home because of a wildfire threat, it is
reasonable to assume that at least you will survive, even if your property does
not. But is that really true? Not according to the Rancho Santa Fe
(California) Fire Protection District, which states, "During evacuations...
panic and chaos ensue, causing traffic collisions, blocked roadways, injuries,
and deaths. In fact, most wildfire-related deaths occur during evacuation
efforts." In many places prone to wildfire, road capacity is insufficient to
carry evacuees to safety, especially in the mountain West where many
communities have only one road in or out - and often a steep, narrow one at
that.

Invariably, evacuations due to natural disasters result in complete disruption
of the lives of the evacuees and a high degree of stress which is often
prolonged for weeks. Some people interviewed following mandatory evacuations
caused by the Hayman Fire in Colorado (2002) said they would rather stay and
fight to protect their homes rather than go through that horrible experience
ever again, citing, among other things, the "loss of income" and "mental
anguish" that accompanied evacuation. Evacuees from other fires in Arizona,
California, and Colorado resented not being allowed to defend their homes,
arguing that this is a basic property right. They also felt that not knowing
about the condition of their homes, pets, and livestock was nearly unbearable
and was the worst thing about the evacuation itself.

An Alternative to Evacuation: SIP
Recently, some communities have begun to incorporate the concept of
shelter-in-place (SIP) into their wildfire response plans. SIP, or the
practice of remaining in buildings for safety during a disaster event, is
already the standard response in the U.S. to tornadoes and chemical spills.
Shelter-in-place in response to wildfire has been in use in Australia for
decades, where it has proven to be highly effective in saving both lives and
property.

It should be emphasized that SIP in response to wildfire is different from SIP
in response to other disasters in that it requires resident participation in
the process. SIP in response to fire depends on the willingness of residents
to create and enforce standards of safety and maintenance for individual homes
and for the neighborhood as a whole, and to stay and fight the fires as they
occur. Planning and preparedness are essential elements of SIP, as is proper
coordination with local land management and disaster response agencies.
Without these things in place, it is not safe nor is it prudent to stay and
fight a wildfire.

It should also be noted that shelter-in-place is not the proper response in all
cases, nor in all places. Some communities may lack the funds or other
resources necessary to implement an SIP program. In addition, wildfires are
often unpredictable and may have the potential to be extremely catastrophic and
dangerous to fight. Each disaster event must therefore be analyzed separately.
In many cases, evacuating rather than staying to defend one's home is the
safer and wiser choice. After all, no property is worth a life.

The Pros of SIP
In a recent radio interview, wildland fire expert Stephne Pyne said that if we
really want to protect houses, then we shouldn't mass evacuate. Most homes
lost from wildfires are not engulfed by walls of flame - they burn because of
fires started by burning embers that grow until eventually the homes are
consumed. As Pyne stated, "It only takes one spark to burn down a house, and
that's not the case if there's somebody there to defend it." Although
homeowner education and training will be necessary for shelter-in-place to work
properly, Pyne likens this to learning first aid, pointing out that people who
are intent upon defending their homes from wildfire are more likely to take
proactive steps to make the house easier to defend. Allowing homeowners who
participate in an SIP program to defend their property could potentially save a
tremendous amount of public resources. Even more importantly, the risk to
firefighters' safety would be lessened considerably - many injuries occur
because firefighters are attempting to save someone's home without the
necessary defensible space between the house and the burning vegetation.

Obviously, public opinion and perceptions, along with buy-in and collaboration
from residents and their community, play important roles in the SIP process.
After all, without adequate planning, proper commitment of resources, and
citizen support and involvement, an SIP program is ultimately destined to fail.
Since this idea is in its infancy in the U.S., it is uncertain what
discussions will take place or what sorts of tests of the SIP concept will
occur in the future. The Eaglestar.net Land and Property Review will keep our
readers abreast of developments in this field, as well as other news related to
the general topic of real property and wildfire.

Where can you obtain information about fire and other disaster response plans
in your community? Your local fire department or fire prevention district is
the best place to start, or you can inquire with your county or parish
government. Much of this information is available online. If you are having
trouble finding this information, the nearest library can most likely help.

Some online resources:
Interview with Stephen Pyne on National Public Radio:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92372857

SIP Discussion paper on Firewise.org (PDF file):
http://www.firewise.org/resources/files/Resources_for_Life/Paveglio%20et%20al%20SIP.pdf

Rancho Santa Fe Fire Department:
http://www.rsf-fire.org/education/programs/adult_shelterinplace.asp


SPONSOR'S CORNER
The Land and Property Review would like to thank this week's sponsor,
Hunting Creek Estates:
13 Lot Waterfront Subdivision with Access to Chesapeake Bay
Motivated Seller, Price Reduced, First Reasonable Offer Gets It!
Virginia's Eastern Shore: 28.5+/- acre, 13 lot subdivision on navigable Hunting
Creek, completed and ready for building. 7 waterfront lots, 6 interior lots -
docks can be built on private waterfront lots, all lots with deeded access to
community dock. Lots range in size from 0.75+/- acres to 12+/- acres. Located
with access to Chesapeake Bay. Property is ready-to-build, with paved roads
and all necessary approvals. 5 miles from the shops and restaurants of
Onancock, VA; 3 hours from Washington, D.C., Baltimore, MD, and Philadelphia,
PA; and 5 hours from New York City. Find photos, subdivision map, and other
information at http://www.eaglestar.net/dvs.html.


BUYER'S LIST UPDATE
http://www.eaglestar.net/Land_Buyers_List/index.html
Place unlimited free buyer's ads on Eaglestar.net. Go to
http://www.eaglestar.net/pages/buyers.html to begin.

Northern Nevada: Near Jackpot, Elko County. Seeking small acreage to park an
RV or camper, no subdivisions or restrictions. Doesn't need to have water or
power, but must be $1,000 an acre or less. Please refer to buyer #20832.

Pennsylvania: Chadds Ford, Media, or West Chester. Looking for small farm or
hobby farm. Please refer to buyer #20827.

Wanted: 20+ acres of recreational land in California with access to fishing.
Can be a year-round creek, but small rivers are preferable. Hopefully wooded,
terrain does not need to be level, mountains preferred. Will look at
burnt/destroyed/abandoned plots or old gold claims (patented). Willing to pay
significantly more for dock-sized access to nearby lake. No utilities
necessary. Please refer to buyer #20825.

Carroll County, Illinois: Agricultural farmland wanted. Must be top-producing.
Will pay $6,000-$7,000 per acre depending on yield. Seeking minimum 320 - 1000
acres within 100 miles of Carroll County. Please refer to buyer #20824.

Looking to buy river bottom or lowland in Alabama, near the Alabama River, in
Autauga, Lowndes, or Dallas counties. Prefer that the majority be swampland,
with some dry enough to be planted and flooded in winter. Would like 50 to 150
acres. Maximum to spend is $100,000. Please refer to buyer #15189.

Looking in: Southern Mississippi, SW Louisiana, Southern Georgia, Florida
5-40 acres, preferably on paved road, with small house ideal but not necessary.
Willing to spend around $100k. Please refer to buyer #16476.

Looking in rural or urban Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico or Utah. Water, mineral,
and land-use rights. Geothermal or housing development potential. Especially
interested in land with geothermal/hot springs/wells. Size range from 10 acres
to 1,000 acres. Price range from $10,000 to $1,000,000. Please refer to buyer
#16300.


AUCTION NEWS
http://www.eaglestar.net/Land_Auction_Calendar/index.html
Mudhole Duck Club, Orrick, Missouri, Absolute Auction
Saturday August 2, 2008
World Class Waterfowl Hunting Preserve and Hunting Club Close To Missouri River
World-class hunting preserve for ducks, geese and more on 337+/- acres.
Located in an area that is famous among hunters for its waterfowl populations,
the Mudhole Duck Club has been carefully managed for high productivity and the
ultimate hunting experience. Approximately 240+/- acres flooded for waterfowl
hunting, custom planted river bottom land, hunting depths of 12 to 18 inches,
and wells installed to maintain ideal water levels. Includes heated blinds,
modern hunting lodge with full kitchen and space for 20 bunks, and rights to
Mudhole Duck Club name and mudholeduckclub.com Internet domain. Harvested fowl
as of January 30, 2008: 927 ducks, 879 doves, 571 Canada geese, 24 snow geese,
and 71 teal. See photos and details at http://www.eaglestar.net/crw6-.html.


LANDTERMS.COM TERM OF THE WEEK
http://landterms.com
Each issue we feature a real estate, forestry, natural sciences or other
land-related term from our partner site, Landterms.com.

This week's term: Rate of return
The relationship (expressed as a percentage) between the annual net income
generated by a business or investment and the invested capital, appraised
value, or gross income of the business or investment.

Browse terms and definitions in dozens of categories, including Real Estate and
Finance at http://landterms.com/categories.html.


SUGGESTIONS
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