"Why would you want to give up this gorgeous property?"
The current owner has recently relocated to Southern California.
1. Can you see or hear the highway from the property?
You can see small sections of the highway, most of highway is blocked from view. You can hear the highway in the distance some days but it is not very loud. Other days it is not audible at all, if the wind is blowing towards the highway, which seems to be the prevailing direction. The home site faces primarily hills and burms that are in front of the highway.
2. Has the water been checked for contaminants or minerals?
There is a water system in the home, that is being serviced within the next week.
3. What are the snow conditions on the road, who is responsible for plowing it generally? Same question for garbage.
There are no plow responsibilities. The two closest neighbors have their own plows. The years I lived there, I just drove over the snow. That has worked fine most years, but obviously would not have worked last winter. There is garbage pickup at the bottom of the road.
4. Is the property zoned for horses? Any restriction for personal trailers?
We believe it is, neighbors have horses, but buyer should verify with the city or Reno and/or Washoe county.
5. Can the property be sub-divided?
Buyer should check with the city of Reno and/or Washoe county.
What is the lot size?
Answer:
The property spans 8.9 acres, beginning at the bottom of the driveway and extending just past the on-site well. The original owner placed several property markers on the premises that are believed to be close estimates to the property corners.
Is the property completely off grid?
Answer:
No, the solar panel system is tied to the grid. During the day the solar panels sell energy to the power company, and during times when the sun is not shining power is sold back to the house. This insures that electricity is always available to the resident, regardless of weather.
Photo taken by original owner-builder in 2013
What is the heating system?
ANSWER:
The house uses radiant heating from a hydronic system beneath the concrete floors in the downstairs area. The current owner has also kept an electric heater upstairs for particularly chilly evenings. The water is heated by the solar system with additional support from the on-site propane system if necesary.
Photo taken by the original owner-builder in 2013
Is the house well insulated?
ANSWER:
The original owner put a great deal of thought and effort into making the house comfortable for all seasons. He used straw bale insulation to provide a thicker wall that is sealed in with plaster, which generally gives an insulation system an R-value in a range of 25-35+ compared to the typical stick frame home that has an 18-20 R-value