Re: Planing on moving again

[Guest guest]

,

I know several people that live in central New Mexico. I would not

go any further south because of Valley Fever. Arizona has alot of

cases of VF that has tripled within the last year. I know NM does

experience some high winds at times, but it seems like a prime

location. The heat is another story, HOT. Their winters are mild

within the central area, almost idential to where I live now in GA.

This may be a possibility for us, but I like where I'm at and I like

the forests. That would be the biggest change for us, the landscape.

The only time my wife has a problem here is during a rain storm or

just after. I know our home is safe and that is one of the most

important things to consider since it would be so difficult to find

another that she wouldn't react to. One of my most important ties

here are my grandkids. I have two more shadows and that would be

difficult to leave behind.

KC

>

> I know I raved about this new house I moved into, guess to a

large

> degree it was the placebo effect. That and because it's closed all

> the time and I am exposed to it almost 24 hours a day it's worn me

> down to the point where I can't take it any more. Had to come clean

> with my land lord and explain why I am holed up in the room all day

> long and never go anywhere. Also had to ask him for permission to

> sleep on the porch.

> It's a horrible situation, all the neighbors can see right in. I

can

> only imagine what their thinking.

>

> I am leaning towards moving out west. It's very discouraging

looking

> at land prices. I am thinking if I can find an acre of land

somewhere

> with no restrictions (rent or purchase) and put my truck on it

with

> the camper made from all home made materials I can give that

another

> shot. My thinking is it didn't work in NC because I was connected

at

> the hip to a 70 year old house and living in a forest with rotting

> trees and leaves everywhere.

>

> I don't know how I will take the heat in the summer out in the

desert

> but I am going to take this one step at a time. If anyone with any

> resources they can pool want to join me, feel free to back channel

me.

>

> Or if anyone has any advice where out west I can get the type of

land

> I need to do what I want it would be greatly appreciated also.

(rent

> or purchase) Been looking on craigslist but can't find anything for

> rent which is what I would like to do in case I have to bail again.

>

> Don't really know of a good area, been looking in the Tucson area.

> Also going to comb new mexico, I want to be out of this house by

> December one way or another.

>

> If anyone has moved out west and regretted it or had success to

some

> degree or another I would love to hear from them also.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks KC,

I have been scouring the AZ area but NM is next. I think the

reasoning for AZ is I thought it was dryer and that's pretty

important. Conversely the way I understand how Valley Fever works is

through breathing dust which is more common in dryer climates so maybe

a place like NM would make much more sense. I have enough problems I

don't want to add this to my list.

On Sat, 22 Sep 2007 01:15:23 -0000, you wrote:

[Guest guest]

Sorry you are suffering in new location. Is it the chemicals the other

person uses?

[Guest guest]

Hi , Did you read posts by Dan and Carmella about renting log

cabins? Those posts were about a month ago I believe. Good luck in

finding a place. I will probably do the same thing eventually if I

live that long! I find it hard to consider leaving my old house due to

fatigue. Finding a place to move and moving sounds harder than fixing

up and repairing. I don't know if I have the energy, or would turn

out successful.

--- In , Christ <antares41_41@...>

wrote:

>

> I know I raved about this new house I moved into, guess to a large

> degree it was the placebo effect.

[Guest guest]

,

Fourtunally none of my roommates seem to use colonge or anything of

that nature.

I really hate being around that stuff when I am already terribly ill

from mold.

On Sat, 22 Sep 2007 10:10:33 -0000, you wrote:

>Sorry you are suffering in new location. Is it the chemicals the other

>person uses?

[Guest guest]

Hi Barb,

I really hate giving advice when I have failed so miserable at

everything I have tried. I was doing much better 5 years ago when I

lived underneath a carport. But I think that I made myself much more

sensitized to mold with all the chemical exposure I had when I bought

the sailboat and did repairs to it using a lot of very nasty voc

emitting chemicals.

It really is a hard choice. But I don't know of anyone who has ever

reacted to a house with mold and were able to fix it. I am sure it

happens and I am sure their are very many variables to consider

carefully. It is definitely scary selling your home and being

homeless. I did that reluctantly, and regret it now. I should of torn

it down and put up a metal building on a cement pad.

.. On Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:23:40 -0000, you wrote:

>Hi , Did you read posts by Dan and Carmella about renting log

>cabins? Those posts were about a month ago I believe. Good luck in

>finding a place. I will probably do the same thing eventually if I

>live that long! I find it hard to consider leaving my old house due to

>fatigue. Finding a place to move and moving sounds harder than fixing

>up and repairing. I don't know if I have the energy, or would turn

>out successful.

>

>--- In , Christ <antares41_41@...>

>wrote:

>>

>> I know I raved about this new house I moved into, guess to a large

>> degree it was the placebo effect.

[Guest guest]

Hi , Thanks for the input.

I'm not afraid of moving at all. It's just that I'm too tired to do

unless I have to. I have Epstein Bar virus also. Moving out of the

house seems like a task that would kill me, nor do I know where to go

that I would feel okay anyway.

--- In , Christ <antares41_41@...>

wrote:

>

> Hi Barb,

> I really hate giving advice when I have failed so miserable at

> everything I have tried.

[Guest guest]

, I wouldn't tear down my house. It really wouldn't be bad for

people with normal healthy immune system. We all got here different

ways. I think a medicine that suppressed my immune system got me in

trouble with mold in house, which I still think is not an unusual

amount but I really need clean, extra clean due to my own health

problems. House does not deserve to be torn down. It's an old lathe

and plaster house with I think relatively limited mold problem in

attic that hasn't spread due to no drywall or anything that would aid

it's spreading. Zoning laws and the community would not allow me to

build anything that would be unattractive or wouldn't fit in with

neighborhood which is very nice also so way too expensive for me.

--- In , Christ <antares41_41@...>

wrote:

>

> did that reluctantly, and regret it now. I should of torn

> it down and put up a metal building on a cement pad.

[Guest guest]

Barb,

Have you looked into Heat Recovery Ventilation systems?

I know you posted some questions on them in the past, how did that pan out?

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

In response to this statement, I would be very interested to know if

anyone here has had personal experience of successfully fixing their

house so that they no longer react to it.

Of course it could be that those who manage it then get well and drop

off of this list, but thought I would ask.

Pam

--- In , Christ <antares41_41@...>

wrote:

But I don't know of anyone who has ever reacted to a house with mold

and were able to fix it.

[Guest guest]

I moved to Truth or Consequences, NM-and although my house has not

worked out for me, I can heartily recommend the area-If you plan on

spending alot of time out of doors-this is the place-except for July

and August-when it is hot-and rains-and Jan -cold- you can live

outside the rest of the time-prices are extremely cheap-and NM has

state run health insurance-they cover everyone-and you can get them

to pay for 75% of it. Camping in NM can be totally free- for the

summer you can move to the mountains. And the hot springs totally

remove toxin from your skin-the water in general is alkaline-very

good for washing toxic clothes. I have asked about vally fever many

times-they do not have it like in Ca. and arizona-Arizona is

expensive and hotter-and is becomingmore humid all the time.

> I know I raved about this new house I moved into, guess to a large

> degree it was the placebo effect. That and because it's closed all

> the time and I am exposed to it almost 24 hours a day it's worn me

> down to the point where I can't take it any more. Had to come clean

> with my land lord and explain why I am holed up in the room all day

> long and never go anywhere. Also had to ask him for permission to

> sleep on the porch.

> It's a horrible situation, all the neighbors can see right in. I can

> only imagine what their thinking.

>

> I am leaning towards moving out west. It's very discouraging looking

> at land prices. I am thinking if I can find an acre of land

somewhere

> with no restrictions (rent or purchase) and put my truck on it with

> the camper made from all home made materials I can give that another

> shot. My thinking is it didn't work in NC because I was connected at

> the hip to a 70 year old house and living in a forest with rotting

> trees and leaves everywhere.

>

> I don't know how I will take the heat in the summer out in the

desert

> but I am going to take this one step at a time. If anyone with any

> resources they can pool want to join me, feel free to back channel

me.

>

> Or if anyone has any advice where out west I can get the type of

land

> I need to do what I want it would be greatly appreciated also. (rent

> or purchase) Been looking on craigslist but can't find anything for

> rent which is what I would like to do in case I have to bail again.

>

> Don't really know of a good area, been looking in the Tucson area.

> Also going to comb new mexico, I want to be out of this house by

> December one way or another.

>

> If anyone has moved out west and regretted it or had success to some

> degree or another I would love to hear from them also.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I have heard of situations where the insurance company spent a lot of money

paying their so-called experts to remediate houses. Sometimes the remediation

went on for several months and the houses still weren't safe. If those

so-called experts can't detox a house, then who can?

Pam Gibbard <pqgibbard@...> wrote: Hi all,

In response to this statement, I would be very interested to know if

anyone here has had personal experience of successfully fixing their

house so that they no longer react to it.

Of course it could be that those who manage it then get well and drop

off of this list, but thought I would ask.

Pam

--- In , Christ <antares41_41@...>

wrote:

But I don't know of anyone who has ever reacted to a house with mold

and were able to fix it.

---------------------------------

Check out the hottest 2008 models today at Autos.

[Guest guest]

I think that some buildings are basically dry and well designed and for them

remediation is usually cost effective, unless

a problem existed with leaks or water intrusion for a long time that was not

fixed. For them, remediation is clearing out mold from a few problem areas

and cleaning them out thoroughly, then replacing what was removed. Not such

a big thing.

But some other buildings are so damaged, or so badly contaminated from years

of problems that it would probably be necessary to completely gut them down

to the structural members and rebuild them from that, or even replace major

structural members, which is basically rebuilding them from scratch.. In

that case it might be cheaper to just tear them down and rebuild. Then,

everything is a known quantity.

On 9/24/07, Brown <charlesb35@...> wrote:

>

> I have heard of situations where the insurance company spent a lot of

> money paying their so-called experts to remediate houses. Sometimes the

> remediation went on for several months and the houses still weren't safe. If

> those so-called experts can't detox a house, then who can?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I realize that a steal building isn't realistic for most. I although

could of probably gotten away with it where I lived. It's unfortunate

I didn't know than what I know now.

On Sun, 23 Sep 2007 17:33:11 -0000, you wrote:

>, I wouldn't tear down my house. It really wouldn't be bad for

>people with normal healthy immune system. We all got here different

>ways. I think a medicine that suppressed my immune system got me in

>trouble with mold in house, which I still think is not an unusual

>amount but I really need clean, extra clean due to my own health

>problems. House does not deserve to be torn down. It's an old lathe

>and plaster house with I think relatively limited mold problem in

>attic that hasn't spread due to no drywall or anything that would aid

>it's spreading. Zoning laws and the community would not allow me to

>build anything that would be unattractive or wouldn't fit in with

>neighborhood which is very nice also so way too expensive for me.

>

>--- In , Christ <antares41_41@...>

>wrote:

>>

>> did that reluctantly, and regret it now. I should of torn

>> it down and put up a metal building on a cement pad.

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks ,

I will check into that area. I have started feeling a lot better

since I started sleeping out on the porch but want my life back. I am

sick of this up and down rollercoaster ride. Also would like to try to

get back into the workforce one day.

On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:41:54 -0000, you wrote:

>I moved to Truth or Consequences, NM-and although my house has not

>worked out for me, I can heartily recommend the area-If you plan on

>spending alot of time out of doors-this is the place-except for July

>and August-when it is hot-and rains-and Jan -cold- you can live

>outside the rest of the time-prices are extremely cheap-and NM has

>state run health insurance-they cover everyone-and you can get them

>to pay for 75% of it. Camping in NM can be totally free- for the

>summer you can move to the mountains. And the hot springs totally

>remove toxin from your skin-the water in general is alkaline-very

>good for washing toxic clothes. I have asked about vally fever many

>times-they do not have it like in Ca. and arizona-Arizona is

>expensive and hotter-and is becomingmore humid all the time.

>

>

>> I know I raved about this new house I moved into, guess to a large

>> degree it was the placebo effect. That and because it's closed all

>> the time and I am exposed to it almost 24 hours a day it's worn me

>> down to the point where I can't take it any more. Had to come clean

>> with my land lord and explain why I am holed up in the room all day

>> long and never go anywhere. Also had to ask him for permission to

>> sleep on the porch.

>> It's a horrible situation, all the neighbors can see right in. I can

>> only imagine what their thinking.

>>

>> I am leaning towards moving out west. It's very discouraging looking

>> at land prices. I am thinking if I can find an acre of land

>somewhere

>> with no restrictions (rent or purchase) and put my truck on it with

>> the camper made from all home made materials I can give that another

>> shot. My thinking is it didn't work in NC because I was connected at

>> the hip to a 70 year old house and living in a forest with rotting

>> trees and leaves everywhere.

>>

>> I don't know how I will take the heat in the summer out in the

>desert

>> but I am going to take this one step at a time. If anyone with any

>> resources they can pool want to join me, feel free to back channel

>me.

>>

>> Or if anyone has any advice where out west I can get the type of

>land

>> I need to do what I want it would be greatly appreciated also. (rent

>> or purchase) Been looking on craigslist but can't find anything for

>> rent which is what I would like to do in case I have to bail again.

>>

>> Don't really know of a good area, been looking in the Tucson area.

>> Also going to comb new mexico, I want to be out of this house by

>> December one way or another.

>>

>> If anyone has moved out west and regretted it or had success to some

>> degree or another I would love to hear from them also.

>>

>>

>>

>

[Guest guest]

,

We've been through a lot, even in the process of moving. What

works for one may not work for another, and there are lots of factors

to look at moving west. Like KC said, VF in some of the further south

areas.

Our primary plan in moving west was to go through Colorado to

Denver, then head south on I-25, with our target being New Mexico.

Things happened along the way, and our route changed to taking the

southern route through TX and OK, and entered into NM that way. Once

we got into the south things started getting better for us, but we

were primarily living in either a tent or a log cabin in campgrounds.

New Mexico was nice, the air is dry, but one of the greatest

hazards to mold growth is construction techniques. In NM and AZ,

there is a lot of adobe styled homes which by tradition are flat

roofed. Even though they built the exterior with adobe, the inside is

modeled with standard construction materials, i.e. drywall or gypsum

board if you prefer. The problem with flat roofs are, they fail

sooner than slanted roofs, and the fact that it may not rain there

much adds to the problem. One area we were in went 7 years without

rain, and when they got rain, many of the buildings got leaks, and of

those that had roof leaks, many of those had mold. Even if we lived

in a tent, we cannot live in an area where going shopping or to church

would expose us to mold, because we would be perpetually ill or suffer

from migraines again.

For , heading south of Albequerque seemed to work for her,

but there are issues there as well. For us, it was heading north from

there, just the opposite of our original plans. When we got into

Colorado, the housing styles changed again to the slant roof, and the

small towns in southern CO are older, lat & plaster construction. The

house we rented in Walsenburg Colorado seemed somewhat livable to us

until the water heater started leaking in the basement, and the

landlord refused to fix it. The southern town of Walsenburg just

wasn't quite right for us, it is a small town and most of the people

there were born and raised there, and new comers are not welcomed by

everyone, in fact we wonder if that wasn't part of the problem we

encountered.

I questioned if moving north to Colorado wouldn't be moving back

towards wetlands again, but surprisingly it isn't that bad, and mold

seems to be minimal here. In the south we would get rains almost

daily, in the afternoon around 2 along with thunder and lightening,

but by evening the sky was clear and you could see the stars. The

water does not stay long, the ground is more rock than soil and what

doesn't run off, dries up rapidly in the dry air. Very different from

Indiana where a rain would make it humid and miserable, after a rain,

if you didn't see the wet sidewalk, you wouldn't even know it rained.

From southern Colorado we moved further north, didn't like Pueblo

or Colorado Springs, (we have an affinity for bigger towns, we like

the country feel). We had made reservations at a campground to live

in our tent while we searched for a place to stay, and the campground

is in Woodland Park. Nice little town of 5,000, a mean household

income of $60,000+, this little town is like a shopping mall. The

streets are lined with stores, (including a new super walmart), and

most of the people here are people who moved here from other areas of

the country thinking they've found Colorado's hidden secret.

Woodland park is a higher altitude, and I didn't think with my

breathing problems that I could live in higher altitudes, but

surprisingly I am breathing better here most of the time than I did in

Indiana. Of course if you exert yourself or walk up a hill you become

breathless faster, but that is normal for everyone, there is less

oxygen here, but likelwise, there seems to be less mold here as well.

So far I don't think we've walked into a store or church that has

mold. We were getting ready to rent a motel room for the winter when

we mentioned what we really wanted was a 5th wheel but we could not

afford or get financing, and as a shock to us, the owners of the

motel/RV park had one out back for sale by a friend who was willing to

finance. Interest free to boot!

We checked it out, it was mold free. It had water leaks in it in

the past, but the owner took the entire slide floor out which was

damaged by the water, and replaced it, (all the damaged wood).

Another interesting thing, and I don't know what the

microbiologists would say about this, but mold doesn't seem to grow in

these upper altitudes, or at least not as easily as they do down

below. I read a hiking guide for hiking in the mountains, and they

mention what to do if you need to relieve yourself, and ask that you

go at least 200 feet away from any stream, and to dig a hole and bury

your waste and they specifically say, Because it does not deteriorate

or biodegrade very fast up here in high altitudes.

Another great feature here is Log Cabins. Log cabins are a style

of Colorado mountains just like adobe homes are in NM and AZ. We've

not found a log cabin that was unfriendly to us yet.

Cost of living? In the southern part of the state, housing and

real estate are cheap, but like I said, many of the smaller towns are

newbie unfriendly, but we did not drive west of I-25. Example, in

Huerfano County, (Walsenburg area), we found a 2 acre lot for $6500,

you could park an RV on it for 1 year while you build your home. The

biggest problem there is water, you either get a cistern and truck

your water in or pay more for water rights than the land is worth,

(about 10 grand), to drill a well. Up here, housing is more expensive,

but some area's off the beaten path are not so bad. Where we are is

probably good investment area, property values have been climbing

rapidly. RV lot rentals are around the $325 to $500 range, (the

highest price is for a lot with a view of Pikes Peak right out your

window). We are paying $350, and if it is meant to be, we may

eventually buy some acreage here, and we are poor folk!

For us, we love Colorado and I wouldn't leave the scenery or the

area, unless something forced me away. We've made friends rapidly,

we've adjusted to the altitude, and we are moving our 5th wheel to

another park where we will have a nice view of Pikes Peak, and it is

beautiful.

I forgot to mention the weather. At our altitude the temps can

get cold even in the day time, but normally it is cold at night, warm

in the daytime. If we go 18 miles south, and downhill about 2000 feet

to Colorado Springs, they have nice weather most of the year. Yes,

they get some good snows, but they also get warm days. Me, I like the

snow so it isn't a bother to me.

The bottom line, you really need to travel. Listen to your gut

instinct. Just because a place seems nice, don't be afraid to travel

further. Almost no matter where you end up in the south west, it is

likely to be better than where you are at. We find Colorado to be

more friendly to us with our mold issues than we did the desert

southwest, and the climate is more temperate, but you still get the

same dry air.

Dan

Dan & Carmella

Quoting Christ <antares41_41@...>:

> I know I raved about this new house I moved into, guess to a large

> degree it was the placebo effect. That and because it's closed all

> the time and I am exposed to it almost 24 hours a day it's worn me

> down to the point where I can't take it any more. Had to come clean

> with my land lord and explain why I am holed up in the room all day

> long and never go anywhere. Also had to ask him for permission to

> sleep on the porch.

> It's a horrible situation, all the neighbors can see right in. I can

> only imagine what their thinking.

>

> I am leaning towards moving out west. It's very discouraging looking

> at land prices. I am thinking if I can find an acre of land somewhere

> with no restrictions (rent or purchase) and put my truck on it with

> the camper made from all home made materials I can give that another

> shot. My thinking is it didn't work in NC because I was connected at

> the hip to a 70 year old house and living in a forest with rotting

> trees and leaves everywhere.

>

> I don't know how I will take the heat in the summer out in the desert

> but I am going to take this one step at a time. If anyone with any

> resources they can pool want to join me, feel free to back channel me.

>

> Or if anyone has any advice where out west I can get the type of land

> I need to do what I want it would be greatly appreciated also. (rent

> or purchase) Been looking on craigslist but can't find anything for

> rent which is what I would like to do in case I have to bail again.

>

> Don't really know of a good area, been looking in the Tucson area.

> Also going to comb new mexico, I want to be out of this house by

> December one way or another.

>

> If anyone has moved out west and regretted it or had success to some

> degree or another I would love to hear from them also.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

I think your experience is a lot like the ones many of us get after

we get hypersensitized. But if you can get yourself into a semi-mold

free environment for a while, which may not be possible in South Carolina,

that might help a lot. Then you might be able to eventually come back

to your home now, as long as you stay away from

buildings, workplaces, stores, etc. where there is a bad mold problem.

But be aware, those dry areas may not have much mold in the air, but they

can

have other problems, like a lack of your support network and

a tight job market (at least around Santa Fe and most of the college/skier

towns..)

[Guest guest]

Thanks Dan,

I have been considering colorado also, becuase it's not so hot and

although I hate being cold it's easy to heat a place if it's cold.

Much more dificult to run ac becuase they can generate mold.

So I need to weigh the trade offs very carefully.

Having left NC which is very mold I am concerned with places that are

more temperate and not quite as dry becuase they have more vegitation

that might give me problems. I think I need to travel and see where it

leads me. To bad I can't use my 18,000 moldy trailer to do that

traveling with. Did those lots for 6k have electric and phone? I would

like to at least stay connected to the internet if possible. Most

properties I looked at in this price range were no where near even

moderate sized towns and had no electric or water or phone. All which

are necesities. I would also like to be relativly near a moderate

sized town if at all possible.

On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 23:05:45 -0700, you wrote:

>,

>

> We've been through a lot, even in the process of moving. What

>works for one may not work for another, and there are lots of factors

>to look at moving west. Like KC said, VF in some of the further south

>areas.

>

> Our primary plan in moving west was to go through Colorado to

>Denver, then head south on I-25, with our target being New Mexico.

>Things happened along the way, and our route changed to taking the

>southern route through TX and OK, and entered into NM that way. Once

>we got into the south things started getting better for us, but we

>were primarily living in either a tent or a log cabin in campgrounds.

[Guest guest]

Live,

I havn't been able to work for ten years anyways, so a town with no

work would be an advantage from the aspect of property prices. Of

course when I run out of money due to no job I will be faced with the

prospect of losing my property. It's all very depressing any way you

look at it. That's why it would be nice if I could find someone with

the same issues as I that would be willing to share resources. I could

live longer on what I have left from selling my homes.

The guy I am renting a room from is really great, not judgmental at

all, not put out by my using his porch and happy it's helping me. It's

like putting money in a bank when I sleep out their, and conversly

when I come back inside like borrowning money. So I think I am going

to try not to be rash and plan my next move carefully. Hopefully this

rediculous realestate market will deflate a little bit in the mean

time.

[Guest guest]

When I've been in that area it seemed that all prices jumped up 20% when

crossing from NM or Utah into Colorado!

Colorado had a bit of a northern California feel, culturally.But, like

northern CA, its expensive. This was for the mountains. Once you cross the

Rockies and are in the flatlands on the eastern side, its different.

Cheaper. More urbanized. But also more expensive than similar territory in

NM. Thats also where I experienced the most intense rainfall I have ever

been in!

For the amount of money you are describing, you might do better in New

Mexico, in some of the very old towns along the rivers there. But those

towns are very poor. But they seem to have a life that transcends wealth and

time.

If I were you, I would stay away from Texas. Its also not dry. If you want

dry, New Mexico is about as good as it gets, without being uninhabitable.

Utah might be okay, but the smaller towns have some strange aspects to them.

And its less friendly to non-Mormons than other places, obviously.

New Mexico is more to my liking. The people are often very nice there. The

less developed areas are still semi inexpensive.

Its got a fascinating history and incredible local food. The recreational

possibilities (hiking, camping, etc.) are about as good as it gets anywhere.

Plus you are within traveling distance of much more.

The air is very dry, but there is water, so much that when you are down in

the river canyons, you feel like you are in some kind of paradise, the plant

growth can be lush in those places. But the dryness I would think means that

there isn't a mold problem there like in humid places.

There is also enough of a smattering of economic growth to support people

making a decent living. Its not constricting economically. But not too much,

which ruins everything. There is art and artists, as well as music and

communities that have real vitality instead of just being bedroom

communities for cities.

And its really, really beautiful.