Please help me with a decision.
I live in a densely populated suburb of a major city. My spouse and I have a unique opportunity to purchase a country home, needs work, 10 acres semi-wooded farmland next to a river, near hunting land. Has a pond, well, woodstove; our current home has only a fireplace. We can’t just up and move to the country place; my spouse already commutes 2 hours and this new house would up it to 4 hours a day.
Buying this place (which is a great deal) would put a huge strain on our budget, in effect two house payments. We could probably “flip” the house if a panflu never hits, but it would be rough. But if a panflu hits, it would be our best and probably only chance of making it — I am convinced we would not survive where we are now.
OK, now buying extra canned goods and sleeping bags is one thing. But extending ourselves to the limit for something that might happen is another. What would you do — gut feeling? To what extent have *you* put your money where your mouth is?
Thanks for your responses. I’ve had a hellish couple nights tossing and turning, trying to figure out what to do.
my husband and I have purchased a home partly based on panflu-the house has a larger yard, closer to his work -bike distance, better neighbors and 200K cheaper than our last house-we were trying to get a cheaper house before the housing bubble burst. our investments our in areas that we hope will survive a major social upheaveal. we have spent thousands preparing-canned goods, dried foods, water barrel, meds, radios, ect we have put in a veg garden, my husband puts in many hours and much money into attending conferences on panflu. he will attend a meeting in new orleans and DC in Oct and then give a talk at a medical conference in our state. in other words we are true believers and the thought of pan flu drives almost every purchase we make. we too have thought of a second home but honestly cannot afford it and we keep thinking housing will go down if and when avian flu hits-morbid I know.
Just my opinion, but I’d rather not be facing 2 house payments when TSHTF. A good plan might be to sell your current house, downsize to a smaller house in easy commuting distance that you can pay off & be mortgage free, and buy a tiny dump of a place on a smaller chunk of land in a country area that you can bug out to if necessary (no real need to have 10 acres when 3 or 4 would suffice).
What anonymous – at 21:10 said.
I was seriously considering, made several bids, 10 acres “out in the country” 33 miles from major city…and decided against because I didn’t want to be stretched financially in the aftermath, with the possibility of repossession of my living quarters. Decided to stay in town and fortify in my “paid for house” in a more urban area.
Difficult to decide the best plan…but in the words of an ex…if you think life is a b@#ch…try it broke.
Besides if the CFR is what’s being discussed there is going to be a lot of stuff for sale…cash, as always, will be king.
I used to commute three hours a day and finally gave it up to earn 25% of what I used to (smiles, I make more now) and be my own boss. Can you go in with anyone else on the 2nd property? Is there any chance of telecommuting now or in the future? A change in occupation? I think you should buy it (67% sure)
cash may be nil… it concerns me a lot that the U.S. Pandemic Plan legalized printing of U.S. currency outside of the United States. Somehow I equate this to “get ready for post pandemic money”
Northstar, your country house sounds ideal from a ‘dealing with BFP’ perspective, at least to me. I can see why you would be considering it. We’ve decided not to relocate or buy a second property for a variety of reasons, but then I haven’t come across the perfect place, either. Still, I look with lots of interest at ads for country property with year-round streams. :-)
Have you evaluated the general area for how safe you’ll feel there? I’m thinking that people who hunt and are comfortable with weapons may be an issue if things get very bad and their kids are going hungry. Especially if you are newcomers to the area. On the other hand, if they tend to be self-sufficient with food put by and there’s game available it may be a very good place to be.
I’m NOT intending to imply ANYTHING about the good/bad quotient of country people vs any other people. If your kids are starving, people living anywhere may do desperate things. It’s almost certainly safer than the present situation you’ve described.
It’s a tough call to make.
When would you decide that the panflu never hits?? THAT would be difficult…
Besides “bugging out”, there is “bugging in”. Contract with some builder way out of your area to build a disguised “safe room” in your basement (hope you have one). If things get really bad, the family could retreat in there while whoever rummaged through the rest of the house. Eventually they would move on, there would be plenty of empty houses. Once the “winnowing” of the local population was done, your family could emerge to cope with whatever was left.
Hiding-in-place may be the best strategy for these worst scenarios. There will be no safety anywhere through the first month or two. And in the worst scenarios eventually everybody will have to surrender some of their supplies and materials and at some point jump into the fray with the virus and other potential predators out there. But if you can get the family by the first wave that will be a big first step.
I’m with anonymous.
“If panflu never hits”… when exactly could you be sure of this ?
These are great responses… keep ‘em coming.
Northstar: There are two issues as I see it. One is having a country place to shelter. Another is buying the place you mention. If a panflu hits, housing prices will drop and if things do not fall apart completely, you would have a big mortgage and negative equity. Can you rent the place you mention or do they have to sell? Could you buy land more cheaply and build a place? Could you rent any other place? I would put more resources into food & gear and less into a second home at this point. True, building a “safe room” in a rented place is not feasible, but I am not sure how well that works if you are already stretched anyway. It is always hard trusting strangers in a new place though, so it is a tough call if you expect something in the next few months.
we moved to the country in 98 - love it - tried the 2 hr commute but gave it up after 2 yrs - decided better to live in the country with less money than to have the stress of the commute - is there no way you can work from home - or find a job in the rural area? I wouldnt be counting on the stream for water or fish - what looks remote to you as a newcomer could be effluent from another town, village or toxic dump upstream! To say nothing of the cows who tromp through it polluting as they go!! A natural spring on the property would be of more value I think!! Except for the employment situation, living in the country is a zillion times better than the city - we dont miss the ‘bright lights’ at all - there is plenty to do - theatre,music, art,yoga,sports, grow your own organics, raise a few goats - I trust my neighbours, most folks out our way dont even lock their doors! Crime/drugs etc are minimal - and everybody will help you out if you need help. Even ‘them outlaw Jones kids on the next concession’ will push you out of a snow drift if you are stuck! And they are more likely to offer you food than steal yours!!
I don’t think you should over extend yourself. It is one thing to buy food and other supplies that can be used or donated and it is another to buy a second house that you can’t live in because of the distance to work. Either try to find a better place than you are in now closer to work or find a different job closer to where you want to live.
Infomass has a good point regarding moving in among strangers. If you don’t have the time to acclimate into the new area and create some bonds with other people, you may not know who is even remotely trustworthy. You may become the victim as you are the outsider. Obviously, if the new area is very remote, this may not be much of an issue.
While I think there is always a risk, regardless of where you are, I think you have to evaluate refugee traffic in your assessment. If you are on a major or direct road that post pandemic refugees may travel while trying to exit heavily populated areas the risk increases profoundly. I worry more about these “nomads” than the local neighbors. Yes I acknowledge that desperation can come from anywhere but I think my neighbors will fear me as much as I will fear them.
We will stay put as long as possible (water could become an issue over the long haul) and if we have to bug out, we will travel to family that have 100 acres situated in a bedroom community. There we will have no issues with heat & water. The downside is these relatives are not prepping at all…yet…still a work in progress.
I wish you well in coming to a decision.
During times of stress, I think you should stick with what you know. Have you ever lived out in the country before? If you have not, you may be unpleasantly surprised by some of the details — do you know anything about wells, septic tanks, dirt or gravel road repair, fence repair; the care and feeding of a generator; county services, what to do when the neighbors cows stray in and eat all your vegetables? Or your dog gets shot for chasing the neighbor’s goats?
Can you afford the commute — the price of gas will more than double from what you are paying now, or become very scarce, plus you may not feel like doing anything to the property or prepping when you get home, in the dark, in the cold, when you are very very tired. Will you get snowed or mudded in? Do you have four wheel drive, a very high wheel base, and a winch on the bumper?
Maybe you could just rent or lease it for a couple of months, with an option to buy if you do like it. Try before you buy—
Diiaammnn .. I had a post all written out, and it was flushed … ah well, again ..
Don’t over rotate on planning for something that may or may not happen. 4 hour commute + higher mortgage = overstressed life. Life is short enough as it is, without making it more difficult. Moving to the boonies is not the “only option to survive”. Even with 40% Case Rate, 25% Fatality = 90% survival. I too live in the city areas (SF Bay Area …) - I think we will be OK with some judicous planning.
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature nor do the children of man as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” - from The Open Door, 1957 by Hellen Keller.
You can do all “Ultimate Right Stuff” : House in the boonies, grinding hard winter wheat, 1–2 years of dehydrated food, 10,000 gallon water storage, car & truck diesel running on cooking oil/grease, full home pharmacy, an armory that would put the pentagon to shame, full 100% NBC suits with a gazillon N100 filters, etc. and still not *feel* safe. You could still go belly up from pan flu. guys and gals, there comes a point where rational decision making spills over to the irrational.
Take a deep breath. Prioritize your pan flu planning, and budget what you feel you can comfortably afford to spend.
For me:
Priority one: Tamiflu - Done.
Priority two: N95 masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, clorox - Done.
Priority three: One month food, water, cooking resources - Done.
Priority four: 2nd month food, water, etc. - In Process.
that’s it. I started about 12 months ago … slowly, step by step. If panflu comes soon, at least high priority items done. If panflu comes later, both high & medium priority done. In the meantime - vacations, dinners out, fun, etc. If panflu never comes, oh well - I haven’t sunk my life savings into it.
best,
Annonx2
Check out “Peak Oil”. Comuting by car will not be a long term lifestyle anymore.. Acres of land on the other hand will… Many will have to deside where to live the comming years, My knowlegde tells me that its in the urban areas with good public transport, bicycklin and walk, Or on the real contryside, where the real resources are. “Inbetween” will be one of the sadest history of human sivilasation..
Of course buying a country property and carrying two mortgages is not a financially prudent decision. But then, neither is staying in a place where you think you’ll have no chance to survive. Look at all possible options, not just these two and choose the least foolish course. What is the worst possible result in each case?
let me also bring in one more important factor. Make sure any property you buy is abowe a certain level from the sea. The melting of Greenland and the poles is acellerating much more faster than even the worst estimates by the scientists. We are now talking in tens, not in hundreds of years :-(
Thanks, all, for your comments. Getting the problem off my chest gave me the first night of sleep I’ve had in days. Forgive me if I don’t respond individually because an unusual number of my posts have been dropping.(I’ve started copying them before I post.) I thought it was just my computer but I see other people have been mentioning it, too.
Here’s a little more background: The farm is near foreclosure so the owners, who said they liked us, asked the realtor to call us up and offer it to us at the price the foreclosure buyer is offering — rock bottom. So they have to sell now and we have to buy or not buy at this point. So it would work out to basically the cost of an apartment in this area… not to speak of the 10 acres. The housing market here is very depressed so we can’t just sell and move out there, besides the commute problem.
I figured if a catastrophic panflu seems imminent in my judgement, we would cash out retirement funds (at a huge penalty) and pay off the country home so we owned the land free and clear. I figure that there’s no way we could hold on to our real home… no work, no mortgage. It’s gone. I’m reconciled to that. And with land and hunting, we could eke out a couple really tough years as things shake out. I’m much more worried about the neighbors here than there; there are just so many people. I can’t help thinking as I drive past neighborhood after neighborhood that these houses will all be packed full of hungry people. There is a bad element, too, much harder and tougher than I am.
No real chance to change jobs — within touching distance of having 30 years in while still being young enough to change careers — or moving closer to work in the megacity; that’s why we live so far out in the first place.
It didn’t help to read this morning of Dr. Webster’s suggestion in AARP to go to a house in the hills near a stream if possible…
Comment still very welcome… I am weighing very seriously what everybody is saying and appreciate you’ve taken the time to help with this decision. Thanks.
Topographical maps, yes, Urdar-Norge. (Isn’t, off the top of my head- I wouldn’t buy anything lower, 21 feet higher than current sea levels, or worse, possible?)
moeb – at 21:29, Ugh -thanks for *that* reminder! I better take care of some of my own procrastinated bits of the to-do list today, lest those nice new panflu awareness cards (and press release) get me too distracted. If officials would tell the public to pay attention and prepare, I wouldn’t have to spend(waste?) my time and resources. I have bought many preps I wouldn’t have, and I do sometimes think because I tried to change things and warn others that I just might be better off leaving, but, that would be difficult (partly for lack of a good destination). (Chuckled at recalling the “Let’s all become FluWikiKiwis” idea someone had, but, it would be more fuel-efficient for me to pick somewhere on *my* side of the planet…)
Northstar, what are the chances of, say, urban firestorm near you, or, refugees therefrom? Might your partner find other employment closer to country home? Could you afford to do some of that needed work to the country house *before* you moved in? Whatever you decide, all the best to you.
(Hm; maybe the housing market isn’t so depressed; perhaps someone, deep inside your major city, would appreciate getting away from current problem neighbors? Maybe some fluwikian would consider your place safer than they are now?)
:-)
I haven’t had a chance to read the other sesponses yet, but my initial reaction is yikes! Holding two mortgages could get really, really ugly if one of you were out of work, etc. not only because of AF but anything could happen (been through many a corporate restructuring myself!). Also, the commute on a regular basis is not very feasible for your dh’s sanity or your gas bill, let alone if there are gas shortages. Persoanlly my philosophy is that you’d buy a 2nd home because you really want to - it’s part of your long term plan for vacationing, retirement, etc., not because of AF. What about renting in the city and buying the other place? Chances are you’d save lots of money, you could move closer to work, etc. then if need be bug out to the country. Better to stiff a landlord if you have no money than a bank.
I moved out of NYC 2 years ago 50 miles out. I LOVE IT!!!
Besides all the great things about living outside the city, if I was still living in an apt there, I’d be locked up in the loonie bin by now!
In pandemic - water? hahahaha fagetaboutit
food/ hahahahaha where ya gonna store 3 months for 5?
Heat? yea right
security? NOT
I’d advise - if you are seriously considering it - SELL THE city space while you still can.
Figure out how to telecommute as much as possible. Change things in your life to make it easier.
If you have a choice consider yourself very lucky
IMHO, even if you decided to buy that place today, you don’t have the time to make the move.
Panflu is not here yet. There is still time.
it may take years or a week, imposible to know, imposible to ruin your life based on a treath. Continue your lifes, be prepeard.
I have lived and worked in Portland Maine, Boston, Philly, Cleveland, Kansas City, Greeneville S.C, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh. In some of those cities, more than one place. I could not even imagine being in transistion when TSHTF.
I also have a real estate license and experience in the mortgage industry. It would be different if you could pay cash for the place today and start moving tommorrow.
Again, it is just my opinion that you don’t have enough time. I hope in 6 weeks I am proved wrong.
I suggest that your consult with a mortgage broker and the agent handling the property to get a time frame. Ask a lot of questions like “Does the present owner have to find another place still?” Once your have a good handle on that you’ll be more comfortable with your decision.
Good luck!
Northstar - if there were no mention of panflu, would you buy the property?
Northstar: Your second posting told me what you want and what you think you should do. You think you can swing it, so do it. Get out.
And get out with due speed.
I live on 10 acres with neighbors who also live on 4–10 acres and just a couple days ago discovered my shed lock had been broken and 100 lbs of dog food and some tools were stolen.Its hard to get away from the crap no matter where you are.
Malachi at 9:30-The more dense the population in your given area the more chances for chaos. Chaos will taper off and become more random the further out you go. AND with SOME panflu scenarios you could be almost totally safe in the countryside while some cities or city areas would be ravaged. Sometimes I let fatalism color the actual “odds calculations” that one should do when making these decisions. Go to the country, no question, no ifs, ands, or buts.
I agree that the country will be safer than the city for sure.Just pointing out there is crap to deal with anywhere.Being from MI if I lived say near Detriot I would want to move but since I live near Central MI well, I still want to move.Wishing I was a UPper about now.
I think
Bluebonnet – at 09:06′s question “Northstar - if there were no mention of panflu, would you buy the property?”
is the heart of the dilemma here. I moved to the mountains with having the BFP in mind AND because I always wanted to move up here. I know how hard the winters are, how challenging it is at times, and how wonderful. My advice: Don’t just move because of a pandemic threat. What do you know about the area, what is it like during the winter? How about public transportation (I believe we will have to rely on those at some point over the next 10 years)? In case you will NEVER have to worry about money, I would say go for it, buy the house just for the fun of trying out. I believe you do have the time to make the move. If you are like me, and you do have to work hard to make a living, don’t buy it.
Northstar-Your decision is really a microcosm of the “horns of a dilemma” decision that all of TPTB face. “Do I really want take the chance of upsetting my economic applecart by taking irrevocable actions with longterm consequences in order to meet this threat?” Right now TPTB are “playing” at meeting the true threat, working the edges of the problem, so to speak. TPTB need to do a war mobilization type program. You face the same decision. Do you work the edges and hope for the very, very best or do you go for broke. And if you go for broke, you have a hope of realistically safeguarding yourself and your family from something worse than a very mild panflu.
We bought a house in the country and I commuted 3+ hours a day for 8 1/2 years. One time during a snowstorm it took me 6 hours to get home. It has been nine yrs since and I would commute again if I had to. Jobs come and go but now we have apple trees, nut trees, a garden, chickens, firewood everywhere, a very large water supply…but I live here because I love it, not because of something that will/might happen. Any chance that you may move there permanently? Can you handle the upkeep of two places? Insurance? Pipes bursting? Vandals?
I like the idea you could pay off the country house if need be. Wow, not an easy decision. I wish you the best of luck!
I’ve been commuting 3 hours a day for 5 years and live in a community of 15,000 (36,000 in county). It sounds like a good deal. Any way you could work from home 1 or 2 days a week? You don’t mention where it is - does the area have harsh winters where it would be difficult to commute? I would try to pay cash for it (can you take a loan from retirement?). Don’t count on your retirement monies being there to pay for it when panflu occurs - your retirement may go down the toilet if the economy crashes.
I’ll chip in my 2 cents for what it is worth. Hubby and I are property managers and we own most of the units we manage so I can give you the low down on that. Additionally, before panflu was even on our radar, we had decided to invest in some land and got lucky to do it before land prices starting skyrocketing here in FL. For us it was a retirement investment and will remain so whether there is a panflu event in the near future or not — one of those do it now while we are younger or it wasn’t going to happen at all, especially not with five kids to put through college eventually.
First, you really need this to be a sound investment even if panflu never directly affects you. I know, I know everyone is so sure that it will … but we honestly don’t know and still have to make financial decisions based on what we DO know. Add up all the expenses you will have … make sure you include everything such as fix up, property taxes, mortgage payment, insurance, extra utility bills, etc. Also add in the additional commuting costs and the extra maintenance costs on any vehicles. Even if you don’t live in this place full time, you will still incur expenses traveling back and forth to it.
Now that you have that figure, add in what you already must cover in your current budget.
Can your current income cover this? Would you be better off investing your “excess” cash in some other way as opposed to putting it into the land/home? Which direction are housing prices going in your area? Up or down … what about where the acreage is located?
Will you have to cut so many other “pleasures” out of your life to cover the extra expense/home that it will become more chore than investment? How easy would it be to divest yourself of one of the homes if it comes down to it?
Something else that hit our family square in the face this year … just because the place is in a rural location does not mean that it is less vulnerable to break in and vandalism. <sigh> We suffered vandalism and theft to the tune of 100K that we are still dealing with. We are now required by our home owners to have a monitoried security system … yet another monthly expense that won’t ever go away … and we’ve also added more security ourselves in the form of security shutters and roll down doors. That was an expense I could have done without. <shudder>
You also will have expenses related to the upkeep of the other property such as mowing and weather related maintenance. Fencing too if you have any.
I’m not saying don’t do it. Hubby and I did it and it had nothing to do with panflu. However, go into it with all the knowledge you can. Surprise expenses suck … especially when you find out they are supposed to become a regular part of your already limited budget. We are making do and we’ve tightened our belts even further for the duration. Given the housing prices in Florida it was a good decision and our family has benefitted from it even with the vandalism incident. But it can be challenging and you really have to sit down and decide if the extra work and expense is worth it for your personal situation.
Kathy, I am not saying you are wrong, but transform your text with TPTB being the author and the State or National budget being the details. It puts things in a new light, doesn’t it? You either meet the threat or you don’t. You either think panflu is real or a lot of puffed-up flim-flam.
Sacrifices and Risk, that is what life is all about. And what is really on the line here, financial security or LIFE itself?
Even for us who have been immersed in this exercise for many months, when “the pedal hits the metal” on hard choices, it is hard to maintain absolute belief in the inevitable threat. The seductive tug of our current reality is overwhelming and everpresent.
Medical Maven – at 10:15
Northstar-Your decision is really a microcosm of the “horns of a dilemma” decision that all of TPTB face. “Do I really want take the chance of upsetting my economic applecart by taking irrevocable actions with longterm consequences in order to meet this threat?”
Medical Maven, you’ve put your finger on it exactly. Panflu doesn’t break out in <5 years, and it’s the dumbest-@$$ thing I’ve ever done. Panflu breaks out this winter, and it’s like I’ve read the handwriting on the wall, sold the jewelry store at a loss, packed up the family and fled Germany — before the pogroms. Some —very few — did, most did not.
What comes to mind is the time I was in charge of a group of 6yo ballerinas. I had turned them over to the backstage workers when a fire alarm went off. The stage workers talked among themselves, wondering what to do, consulting, deciding it was probably a false alarm and they should wait for instructions about what to do. I was the *only* one, when they refused to bring those children out from the dark, crowded backstage, to go back and calmly lead the line out myself, to stand by an outside exit door. I never got “in trouble” for it, but snide remarks were made about some people”overreacting during fire alarms” because “they knew what to do.” Sheesh. I would have hated to have someone smell smoke in that darkened backstage and start a stampede over those tiny girls.
Kathy in FL: You’ve got it, too. Looked at logically, it’s a terrible decision to buy this place — a lot of hardship for us and the saving grace maybe being able to sell the place at a profit, fixed up. Hidden expenses? (groan) They’re not hardly hidden, they’re all over the place. It’s a hundred-year old farmhouse, and while I *love* cool old farmhouses, if a building inspector ever looked at this house their head would explode. But could we hole in it while the city burned? Heck, yeah. (And burn it will. Already has, for lesser reasons.)
Urdar-Norge – at 07:51
“it may take years or a week, imposible to know, imposible to ruin your life based on a treath. Continue your lifes, be prepeard. “
So many wise voices here! Aaaaagh!
But I am appreciating all the input. I feel like I have the angel on one shoulder, the devil on the other, and the guy with the glasses and calculator standing on my head. (G)
Medical Maven – at 12:04
OH yea … do I see that side of it as well. Husband and I are on the hook for too much money and with too many legal responsibilities. I could say … sell everything as soon as possible, the sky is falling. On the other hand I could totally ignore the inevitable pandemic in whatever form it might take.
We are trying to balance it all. We have to be able to support our family and we need to attempt in some ways to secure our family’s future. Some of that security comes in the form of financial investments we are making as well as putting aside money for college tuitions. Some of that security comes in the form of the physical preps that we’ve set aside in the case of a catastrophic event of one type or another.
What our family has decided is to remain as finanically sound in our current situation as we can … we don’t put anything on credit that can’t be paid off next month, our vehicles are all well-used, we budget our “play” money probably a good deal more than many families do, we track where we spend every penny we bring in (on the computer using Quicken), etc.
At the same time we have decided to suck it up and scrimp even more to take care of some of our physical security … including finding all the extra food dollars we can to create a larger pantry that we can rotate items in and out of.
I’ve only purchased a few truly long term food items … powdered eggs, powdered margarine. We have our camping gear that we use regularly anyway. Husband’s work requires a wide varieties of tools, so those would be “normal” purchases as well.
Will I look back and wish I had invested in more long term storage items and alternative fuel sources. I don’t know.
Its like trying to decide if buying an alternative fuel vehicle is a sound business decision or not. We don’t have money to burn and alternative fuels are readily available in our area so for us the answer is no … for another family it could quite easily be yes.
I think the same is true for Northstar. Her family is at that point where they’ve got a little bit extra and are trying where to put it to make the future more secure. It has both its good points and its bad.
People without wondering what the problem is, we should be grateful we’ve got such a problem. People with more wonder what the problem is, go for it. <shrug> Rock and a hard place.
The “sell your house and rent” idea sounds like a good option. If you don’t have children at home you might consider renting a small apartment close to your husband’s work…a sort of a pied a terre.You could go work on your farm on weekends and holidays. That way you would have one, less expensive place that wouldn’t have surprise bills and you would save on gas if your husband was closer in. (Not to mention saving wear and tear on your hubby).
By the way, is this place somewhere you would really like to live?
I don’t think I would consider renting a SIP place in the country. When the pandemic hits many owner’s would probably throw the tenants out and SIP there themselves if they don’t have a better current location to do this. Rental contracts may not help in this situation.
The best idea I have seen here is to sell your main home and rent a place near where you work. Buy your house in the country. Stock supplies there. Refurbish the important things in the farm house that may need to be improved such as your well. Think, what do I need to do to survive there?
If there is no pandemic, you can always fix the place up to sell, or rent it out until the market improves.
Maybe I am partial to this idea because I live in the country. I have wooded acres and a pond, room for gardens. The country is a good place to SIP. I read on one of the threads yesterday that Dr. Webster was interviewed in this months AARP magazine and said the following:
“Q. If H5N1 mutates, what could readers do to protect themselves?
Webster: You mean if they can’t get a vaccine? I’d say: If they have a house in the hills, then go to it-and stay there for 3 months. And have enough food there already so that you can stay as far away from neighbors as possible.
Q. So you advocating people stockpiling food and medicane”
Webster: Absolutley. Most of us can afford dry food for 3 months. One bottle of clorox is enough to purify all the water you need out of local rivers. (NOTE: I have trouble with this)
Q. Why get the standard flu shot?
Webster: It may do a little bit against bird flu. A little bit. Another thing: Tamiflu or Relenza, have them on hand. . . I keep a supply myself. I always take it with me when I travel-just in case I get exposed.”
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