Home Appraisals Generally Miss the Biggest Danger. Wildfire
Most people will tell you that their biggest investment and largest asset is their home. It should stand to reason then that home buyers would want to make sure that they are aware of all, not most of, the hidden dangers contained in a home or property. Most new home buyers are so happy to be moving into their new home in the country that they never stop to consider the potential risk to their investment or to the lives of their family.
The Biggest Hidden Danger often times glossed over in a hap-hazard home appraisal is with Wildfire. From personal experience I can tell you that in California, there is a very small paragraph buried in the middle of a large tower of paper warning you of “Acts of God”, “Acts of Terrorism”, Earth Quakes, Floods, Wildfire and other natural or man-made calamities that you may possibly encounter after signing the loan documents. All of these potentially life threatening and investment devastating possibilities are written down on papers that you must sign in acknowledgment of the hazards. Most people understand some or even most of the hazards but for out-of-towners, they have no idea unless someone appraises them of the possibilities.
Now, here’s what you will find disclosed about wildfire in those documents.
(The property referred to as parcel #555-01-021 is located in a high hazard severity zone)
That’s it? What does that mean? Will I burn up in my new home during the first summer? Most people never stop to ponder that because they will never ever even see that section of the disclosure close enough or long enough to even notice. So how does a new home buyer of country property really find out what the threat is? You call Firescape.
Okay. You call us at (707) 894-2008 and speak with our specialist who has over 15 years of professional paid firefighting experience coupled with 17 volunteer years of firefighting experience. Then, our specialist will come out to the property and conduct a defensible space evaluation, fire hazard risk analysis, take some photos, develop a fuel reduction plan and estimate the costs for such repairs. After the defensible space evaluation and site inspection, our specialist will consult with the local fire authority for other pertinent information such as widlfire historical frequency, water availability, response times, fire department staffing levels, etc. to complete a well rounded assessment.
At the conclusion, you will be delivered a report that will tell you exactly what the wildfire risk is both in terms of a numerical and name rating, the amount of defensible space work that would need to be done to comply with local vegetation management fire codes and ordinances, a defined list of areas for improvement that will cause a lowering of your rating and finally an estimate of what it would cost to become “as safe as possible from wildfire” in this new home.
This defensible space evaluation and appraisal is very important to the new buyer because it will shout out the hidden wildfire dangers, lay out a plan to mitigate the hazards to an acceptable level and present the buyer with a factual piece of information that should be used to lower his/her final offer in the event that defensible space work must be done. Generally speaking, a home in the country surrounded by forest or brush on 1-2 acres will cost approximately $3,000 to $10,000 dollars to remedy depending upon a variety of factors.
Heres the bottom line. Before buying, start prying (for answers). If you dont know the questions to ask or would feel more comfortable having an expert appraise your potential new home in the country then call us at Firescape. We would love to help save your life!
Firescape Defensible Space Evaluators have conducted hundreds of these evaluations/inspections throughout Northern California. We were one of two contractors hired by Napa County Fire Department to provide them to their constituents an no cost through a grant program. We evaluated homes in Deer Park, Atlas Peak, Napa, Calistoga, St. Helena, Angwin, Berryessa Estates, Berryessa Highlands and Browns Valley. We have worked with other clients from Mill Valley, Kentfield, San Anselmo, Ross, Novato, Tiburon, Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Fountain Grove, Philo, Healdsburg and Cloverdale. We have also been as far south as the Santa Monica Mountains. We will go wherever we are needed! So dont wait, call us right away.
Firescape LLC
(707) 894-2008
www.firescape.us