Another High Value Low Cost Preparedness Home on the Market

        Usually, homes that are being marketed as turn key preparedness or survival homes are very expensive. Often, they range into the millions.  Twice in the last two weeks a private owner has placed their own preparedness home up for sale on Survival Realty.

        

Off-Grid Prepper Bug-Out/Vacation Dream

$150,000.  USD       2.5 acres  Debbie Kind 

PREPPER DREAM: Totally OFF GRID house in Ranch of the Rockies in Hartsel, CO; Stucco Santa Fe Style just built in 2007! MULTIPLE energy systems: solar, back up propane generator, wind generator, underground radiant water pipe heat, fireplace, unlimited firewood, skylights, washer/dryer, range/vent, refrigerator w/ freezer, 2 greenhouses, firepit, barbecue grill, indoor/outdoor media speaker system, flat screen TV, dog run/chicken enclosure, private fishing lake, 40 acres dog/hiking area, picnic tables, hammock. 2 1/2 acres, plus additional National Forest directly across the street and acres and acres of bordering undeveloped land. Tons of privacy, 2 sheds, underground storage, tons of trees and mountain views, hiking trails, well, septic, tee pee poles for tee pee, outdoor jacuzzi available, horse boarding and pastures, free roaming wildlife.
Close to Arkansas River, rafting, river walk, Buena Vista, and Anterio Reservoir. On site fire department. Ranch of the Rockies is your ticket to endless hiking, biking, rafting, camping, fishing, and four-wheeling. It is also located near Breckenridge Ski Resort. PREPPER DREAM. Couldn’t be more valuable. Grab it before the collapse comes! Nothing this cheap in OFF-GRID in the area. Only $150K. Will also trade for silver/gold or other comparable asset.

9086 Ranch Road, Ranch of the Rockies, Hartsel, CO 80449

Contact

• Debbie Kind
• (719) 930-4601
• debbietkind@gmail.com

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This concludes the work product of Debbie Kind.

After the property has sold, I will mark it as such, but keep the post here so that others may see what can be purchased if one shops very carefully.

Exploring a Free Sale

                   I like to think that I am fairly well informed in all the manner of cost effective ways of gathering animals, tools, and items that may be wise to acquire second hand.  Until recently, I had never heard of a "Free Sale".   Craigslist alerted me to one in an area a fair distance away but with which I had some familiarity. They advertised some things that my adult kids with houses had been looking for.

                   When I discard things I don't generally have a garage sale. I used to have them in the suburbs and they were quite successful, but here in the country, once you find our property, you still would need to find the house, and I am not that sure I want strangers having the layout, or perhaps coming here again. So when I get rid of something, I usually give it to someone who had admired it, or I ask them if they know someone who could use it.  Of course, in a large family, I often wind up giving it to someone in the family. If everyone has one and really doesn't need it, then I take it myself to Goodwill. I am careful to get a receipt for its value which helps on  income tax if you itemize.

                  I was interested as I drove today, as to what would motivate someone not to have a garage sale, and not to drop their discarded belongings at Goodwill, but to have a Free Sale.   Like me, the Free Sale marketers had a home that was a distance from civilization and was hard to find.  Also like me, not everything is accessible via GPS.  Sometimes one must drive, look, and follow the signs, some of which have blown away.  It felt like driving to a treasure hunt.  I finally arrived and I was the first one there.  There were CDs, DVDs, household items, unopened packages of durable food within expiration date, new pillows, new items that were likely gifts to them, rugs, baby clothing, women's clothing, new hats and shoes and some computer peripherals. Yesterday, there had been furniture also. There was some shelving and some rather nice curtain rods.

                   What motivated the family to have a Free Sale ?   They are moving out of the country within a very short time. The items they are keeping are packed and on their way.  These are the items they need to have gone as soon as possible. They have a lot to do and therefore running several trips to a Goodwill doesn't fit their schedule.  I also got the impression that they were doing rather well and that they didn't mind sharing their bounty with others.

                   Since I was first, I was able to gather a number of things my kids would have appreciated.  There were some Jazz, Classical and Celtic CDs that are hard to find.  Most items were new or nearly new. I also picked up some household items. It was worth the trip and I enjoyed the drive.

                 For preppers a free sale may be a chance to buy some things that will free up other money for preps. It may be a way to acquire some things you actually need for your preps.  It could also be a way of learning about your area, the people there, and perhaps even making some acquaintances.    Whenever you travel to a place advertised on Craigslist or similar venue, you should not go alone. You should also file a "flight plan" at your home, so everyone knows where you were going when your car broke down or you otherwise disappeared.  Remember that many places in the US do not have reliable cell service. It is possible to break down and be unable to call for help.

               If you do have a chance to speak to the family providing a "Free Sale", please thank them.  It is a big help to many people to acquire things that are "new" to them.  Most things can be washed, or one can go over them with alcohol and a paper towel.  Their generosity is not only commendable but can influence others to do the same.  I hope you had as enjoyable a day as I.

A Low Cost High Value Home for Those Who Value Preparedness

         


 
         

 From time to time I profile a preparedness property that has recently come up for sale, and that I believe may be both a good choice and a reasonable buy for someone who is a reader here. I am not generally a fan of manufactured housing, but I think this home may be the exception.

This home is located on ten acres in an area that Joel Skousen has said is a good area for those of us who have preparedness and survival concerns.  It is located halfway between Mountain Home and Harrison Arkansas.  It has access to all the things you really would need, but is not close enough to urban centers to be of concern.  It is a three bedroom, two bath manufactured home which sits securely on a concrete basement.  It has a garage, and an interior basement structure which functions as both a safe room and a safe.
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This is the complete information provided by the owner of the property:

(The information between the two sets of undulating lines is the work product of the owner, Bob Jacobs)

• Bob Jacobs
• (985) 768 2373
• rljmisc@aol.com

A 3 BR two bath manufactured home located on 10 plus acres of land in rural northwest Arkansas. The 27 by 42 ft exterior dimensions and sits sits on a walk out, poured, 8 inch walls. concrete basement that includes a two car garage and a 7 ft by 10 ft poured concrete vault with bank style combination lock door that serves as a gun vault, high value safe storage and storm shelter. The 10 plus acres of land is primarily cleared but contains some standing trees.





The house was constructed in 2000 and reflects the original outfitting except a new refrigerator and microwave were installed in the last 3 years. Other appliances are a gas stove/over, a gas fire place, and a washer and dryer. The roof is 5 years old and is composite shingles. Cooking and heat is propane from a 250 gallon rented tank Water is from a 400 plus foot well with a static head that produces good tasting water. The well pump can easily be connected to a single manual throw transfer switch to connect to a generator for Grid down supply and an installed 1500 gallon water storage tank is located in the basement. A larger low pressure captive air tank is installed on the well pump supply side with a booster pump and a second captive air tank on the booster pump discharge side. Sewage is by a septic tank and drain field. Electrical is grid supplied.



Additional structures include a 20 foot shipping container, an 8 by 16 foot shed and a 24 by 36 foot pole barn with a dirt floor. A dry drainage creek splits the property approximately in half with a new concrete water crossing. The front part of the property is fenced with smooth wire.
The property is situated on a gravel/dirt road 9/10 of a mile from a paved county road with an additional 4 miles to a US secondary highway. The property is located in a valley with several neighbors two of which are visible from the house thru woods. Yellville is halfway between Mountain Home and Harrison, Arkansas and both have large Home Depots, Lowes, Wal-Mart Super Centers and large farm stores. Yellville and Flippen provide gas stations, a Wal-Mart, farm and hardware stores. Smaller hospitals in Yellville and Flippen with a a large hospital in Mountain Home. A Helo Medical Evacuation service with a yearly subscription fee exists in the area. Mountain Home is a highly recommended retirement area.




The property is in an area listed in Stragetic Relocation by Joel M Skousen which is a study of retreat locations.
The property is equipped with a monitored security system and video surveillance system.
A list of major equipment and supplies that can transfer with the property at additional cost is available on request

Property is listed currently for $140,000 USD
Other equipment present on the acreage could be purchased for additional funds.

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 When this listing has sold, I will notate as such, but I plan to leave this blog post up for those of you who wish to contact a  realtor for other listings in the subject area.  It's also important to see what is possible periodically for comparatively little money. 

I have no axe to grind here. I receive no funds when the property sells and everyone is encouraged to do one's own due diligence, as always.

  
This property is now sold, but there are others. Arkansas is an excellent place for properties of this type.

In Good Conscience, Who Can I Vote For ?

       

Rather than having an "embarrassment of riches" where candidates are concerned, we simply have an       "embarrassment of candidates."

           Last evening I was watching France24 when they scrolled as breaking news the fact that Ted Cruz has suspended his bid for the presidential election. For a moment, I honestly thought that it was some type of an error or misunderstanding, until I confirmed the news via the internet. Ted Cruz was not a perfect candidate, but he was a conservative and largely a known quantity. I would have voted for him.  At this point I have no idea whether I will be able, in good conscience, to vote at all in the upcoming presidential election.  The choices are just too flawed or too inept.

            Hillary Clinton has been doing whatever she wants dating right back to working as an attorney in Little Rock, Arkansas.  There have been scandal upon scandal where she is concerned, even without her philandering husband Bill.  She mismanaged the Benghazi affair resulting in the deaths of her employees. She used a private server in violation of the law for her communications as Secretary of State, probably to shroud dealings from official eyes.  She believes that children are the property of the state and that parents, if they raise the children her way, can continue to have some input in raising their children, but if they do not, the village will raise them. We have enough village idiots already. That isn't working. She has also said that she will support Obamacare when everyone concerned with it says it is failing, expensive, and will collapse. She also has health issues which make it less than likely that she will live through a serious crisis in the White House that would not allow her uninterrupted sleep.  I will never vote for her.

            Donald Trump is now the presumptive Republican candidate.  Traditionally, I have gone to Republican rallies and I know a number of the candidates for elected office from Virginia.  I believe in what they say they stand for, even if the Republicans appear at this time, not to.  Donald Trump concerns me because although his family and his children believe he would make an exceptional president, he seems short on the social graces, calm, and the diplomacy necessary in which to deal with the myriad of powder kegs which presently exist in the world. I agree that the president needs to advocate for the United States, and that the one we have does not, and will not. I don't agree with his broad brush criticisms of some groups. So will I be able to cast a vote for a man who appears to be a bully ?  We are chugging toward a world war and I am not sure how good a wartime president Mr. Trump would be.

           It would be difficult if not terrible to have to cast a vote simply to block Hillary Clinton from holding the office.  Tell me, what alternatives do we have ?  Someone, please give me some perspective !

Forest Fire at Shenendoah National Forest

        

This photo was taken by the National Park Service.

          The next time one of you tells me that you are ready to shelter in place for anything and that you don't need a family and animal evacuation plan, I would like you to consider this.

                 Over the last several days, the Shenendoah National Forest has been experiencing a wildfire. Thus far, 2000 plus acres have burned.  Heavy smoke is causing problems for anyone with respiratory history as far away as thirty miles from Richmond.   Charlottesville, Staunton and Harrisonburg have heavy smoke and a haze is obvious over the mountains.  Yesterday, at DMV in Charlottesville, people could not stop coughing due to the smoke outside, despite the fact that the air conditioning and filters in the building were going at full tilt.
              As of yesterday, parts of the Appalachian Trail are closed. Skyline Drive is closed from Swift Run Gap to Loft Mountain.  Nicole Mittendorf, a firefighter, was in the park and is presently missing.  Please click the link for full details, if you have been in the park recently.

 Also, according to local news, this fire is visible from space.

Photo NPS Alan Williams

              Anyone with a history of respiratory chronic illness, whether they are young or old should have an evacuation plan, which may need to be activated at a moment's notice.  Even if the fire itself does not reach your own farm or property, such heavy smoke can be dangerous not only for those with respiratory illnesses but for those with cardiac issues as well.

 

                Thus far, the first has not yet been extinguished and we are not expecting even the possibility of rain until the weekend.  Thus far, the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

            Don't let the fact that you have created a safe haven for most disasters prevent you from formulating a viable evacuation plan for yourself, your family and your animals. The life you save could be your own.



http://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Virginia-forest-fire-visible-from-space-376106891.html



Alerts and Conditions from the Park


This is the Smoky the Bear Large Fire Incident Map

UPDATE:   According to Richmond Times Dispatch today, the fire has now consumed almost 3000 acres

  UPDATE:  April 22, 2016
The body of a young woman believed to be Nicole Mittendorf has been found in a rocky region of the Shenendoah National Forest.  Police are declaring the death a probable suicide. A medical examiner's report is pending.

Let's Discuss Elizabethkingia

        

This is Elizabethkingia Anophelis in a culture.

 

  Elizabethkingia is a gram negative bacterium which only rarely sickens humans. It is named for Elizabeth O. King, who discovered this organism.   It can cause a cellulitis, or a respiratory infection. Fever and chills may be the first symptoms. The causative organism is most correctly Elizabethkingia Anophelis. I am mentioning it here today because surprisingly, very recently there has been an outbreak of the illness in both Michigan and Wisconsin, and now Illinois.  It is an organism that may be present in some species of fish and some frogs. It has been demonstrated to survive cleaning with alcohol and it can survive in alcohol. It is also resistant to a fair number of antibiotics. Before this most recent three state outbreak, outbreaks were rare and small and occurred most often in compromised patients in a health care setting.

              There are four species of this organism

 E. anophelis 
E. endophytica 
E. meningoseptica 
E. miricola



  It most often impacts those older than 65 and those with at least one other pre-existing illness.  Don't let this make you too comfortable because the organism can afflict anyone, and it can mutate as it wishes. Recent cases in the two aforementioned states took 20 lives, and there were 61 confirmed cases. There are several other cases under investigation. There are likely to be many more. Death when it occurs, is usually due to sepsis.  Although this organism is found in dirt, no one yet knows the commonality by which all these cases are connected. The personal products of all of those afflicted are being cultured to see how these cases may have been connected.
                This disease killed yet another person as few as three days ago, and we still have no idea as to how it is spreading.



                This is a public health issue which demands our attention.  All that we can do presently, is the following:

1. Keep any and all known chronic illnesses under control.  Diabetes with hyperglycemia, COPD poorly controlled, and other chronic issues leave the patient vulnerable to infections from all sources.

2. Although I realize that good hygiene is boring, and makes most of us think of the nineteen thirties, it works. Hand washing with regular soap, before eating, before handling food, after using the bathroom,after handling pets, being obviously soiled, and on coming home after being out or outside, goes a long way to preventing sickness from organisms with which we come in contact. I don't usually use anti-bacterial soaps as a strategy of avoiding resistant organisms, although I have used them for specialized purposes occasionally.

3. Any child under two who develops a fever greater than 101F needs to see a physician. Children dehydrate quickly and may become septic more quickly than older children.

4. Anyone over 65 who develops a fever and chills with a temp of 102F or higher should be seen that day by a physician.

5. Get enough sleep. Our immune systems work best if we are optimally rested.


Please keep alert to any additional happenings with regard to this infection.





http://www.cdc.gov/elizabethkingia/index.html

Elizabethkingia





            

The Trip to Cabela's

              

   A few years ago, my eldest son and I were headed to Nova Scotia via car.  On the way back from our blighted trip, we stopped at a Cabela's in Pennsylvania.  Wandering through Cabela's allowed us to do most of our Christmas shopping there before returning to Virginia.   Many times since then, my son and I have said to one another, "I wish we had a Cabela's in Virginia !"   Effective this week, we do.  My son has not yet had a chance to visit, but my husband and I made it to the Virginia Cabela's this week for the Grand Opening festivities.
      The Cabela's just West of Richmond, Virginia is a large structure, like many of the other branches. This one has a room for recreational boats. It has a sandwich shop and cafe. They have a fireplace in the entryway so tall that it is reminiscent of one of the grand hotels outside the Grand Canyon.  It has a room called the "gun library" which sells all manner and type of consigned handguns and rifles. I was pleased to see Sig Sauer well represented.  This is quite near the section which sells new handguns.  There was, hands down, the largest selection of varied and unusual types of ammunition I had seen anywhere, and this includes the Richmond Gun Show. There were also packages of large amounts of ammo. Some of these were not cheap, but some rounds were also not as expensive as you thought they might be when sold in a retail establishment.  I spent a lot of time in gun accessories, which is impressive.  There is a knife department, a bow and arrow section, a dog section, climbing section, shoe, coat, clothing section, etc. There is the largest fishing section I have ever seen anywhere, and I go to a fair number of sporting goods shops with all my sons.  There is also a communications or walkie talkie section. There are sections for dehydrating your own food on a small scale, and for sausage making.  There were also sections with electronics that would be of particular interest to preppers.  There is also an entire room of reduced or "only one left" items at the back of the store, yes, even in a store that just opened.  There are also the very expensive light weight sleeping bags and tents you would expect to find at both Cabela's and places like REI.  The outdoor clothing, shoes and boots are quite expensive, but of exceptional quality. I still have a jacket I bought from Cabela's in Pennsylvania which is holding up well even after rather hard use on my part.  Cabela's is not the place to go for many of the least expensive items you might need for prepping, however, it should be somewhere you visit.  Cabela's not only is the gift center for men and teen boys, but their product range is so broad that simply by seeing some of these items you can organize preps in such a manner that you may solve problems you did not yet realize you had !

This is an actual Cabela's display from their store in Alaska.  There were similar displays in Richmond.

        I returned later in the week when the crowds were fewer.  Children will especially enjoy the museum quality taxidermy displays of animals and the giant sized fish in a huge aquarium, and the unusual snacks and candy.  Cabela's is definitely a place you should visit, wherever you are.

           I don't receive any benefits from advertising Cabela's.  In fact, I am not even a card carrying member of their discount system.  I do think that you should take a trip to Cabela's whenever you can though. Have a great time.