What makes your home a Green or Healthy Home?
solar panels provide the electricity to the house and garage. the large batteries that collect the solar output and feed the house were new in 2011.
propane powers the fridge, stove, and hot water heater. also, there's a gas furnace that is used to keep the house from freezing during the winter when i put the place into hibernation. (for me, this is a summer only home).
there are no power bills or water bills or utility bills of any kind. only the satellite providers.
there are two wood burning stoves, one in the great room that can heat the entire house easily, and another stove in the kitchen that can be used for old-fashioned cooking or heat, whichever.
the well is now pumped by the sun, and the water is stored up the hill in a 2500 gallon tank. the gravity powered flow has plenty of pressure.Property Description
for lovers of sun, sky, moon, and sagebrush! here's a turnkey house in the middle of the great sagebrush ocean of the great basin, about 175 miles from reno and 75 miles northwest of eccentric gerlach, nevada. the house features a great room that has directv and a wood burning stove, a large kitchen with a propane-burning fridge of decent size, one large bathroom with clawfoot tub/shower, three bedrooms. There is a veyr sizable garage/work area, with the entire garage being a bit bigger than the house. plenty of room in the garage for a tractor (a hard-working kubota comes with the property), ATV's, cars, trucks, whatever.
in between the house and the garage sit two storage sheds, one of which houses tools and the large telescope (nothing less than an awesome house for an avid astronomer--this night sky is about as dark as it gets in the lower 48. seriously), and one of which stores the batteries that collect the electricity captured by the solar panels that sit atop.
the well is now powered by solar panels, which is nice and quiet and steady. there is a pond in the front, a small one that is a vital watering hole for wildlife in the summer. the birds up here can be quite surprising. the house birdlist, compiled in five summers, is now up to 83 species. this place could very well support a nice population of sage grouse. still awaiting their adoption of the place! they're all over, just not living on my property yet.
the resident birds are barn swallows, who are nothing less than fabulous (and darn good bug controllers!) and the nevada state bird, the mountain bluebird. there are 12 bluebird boxes on various trees and fence posts on the property, and at any given time, 4 to 6 of them are occupied. they hunt all over the house and yard, and are old friends up here. the two of them being here every day in the summer is nothing less than terrific. the swallows have nests in the eaves of the front porch, so you literally co-exist with a thriving colony of these amazing creatures. it's pretty cool, if you like birds.
also breeding here....a pair of ash-throated flycatchers, a pair of gray flycatchers, and a red tail hawk couple just off the back fence. plus loads of species that live in the sagebrush.....brewer's sparrows, vesper sparrows, sage sparrows, sage thrashers, and a few poorwills. for birders, it's pretty cool.
as for wildlife, deer are plentiful. never have seen or detected a cougar, but they wouldn't be a surprise if they were around up in the high hills. badgers thrive out here...i spied one drinking at the pond one morning. they are very necessary out here to keep the prairie dogs (belding's ground squirrels) under control. not as many antelope as you might think, but you never know about them.
as for modern amenities....directv is on, as is hughes satellite internet service. so the place is wired up and in contact with humanity. but sleeping, napping, and reading are fantastic out here. it's an amazing place for quiet, if that appeals to you.
out here, there is no (1) air pollution. spotless air out here. (2) water pollution. you get your water from the aquifer, and you're the only straw in there. (3) light pollution. reno is 175 miles away, klamath falls is 125 miles away. nothing from those two towns. the lovely little town of cedarville, california is the closest town to the place, and it's 40 miles. about one easy hour on good roads. but c-ville is only about 2,000 and makes no light pollution. (4) no wire pollution of any kind. (5) no noise pollution. out here, any noise you hear is usually NOT made by humans. sometimes there are planes, sometimes trucks (the road doesn't really come near the place), but for the most part, it's pretty quiet. the coyotes at night are common and at times, impressive in their numbers and vocals.
about 3 miles down the road is Boulder Reservoir, a spring fed pond that is loaded with 6-12 inch rainbow trout. it's a treeless place, and not a swimming hole, but it's a vital watering spot. i've seen bald eagles fishing there.Neighborhood Description
you're out here by yourself. the nearest neighbor is 15 miles away. the surrounding area is sagebrush ocean and juniper forest. the house sits in a slight bowl that looks out to the north, with trees in the southern area behind the house.Market Area
this is ranchin country. the nearest settlement is the california town of cedarville, in the surprise valley. the nearest large city is reno, 175 miles away.School District
Community
Location of Home or Land
Rural
Elevation of Home
Mountain
Air Quality
| Agriculture in Area | no |
| Industry in Area | no |
| Air Pollution in Area | no |
| Pesticide Free | yes |
| Fragrance Free | yes |
| Cleaned with Green Products | yes |
Interior Environment
| Heating System | Fireplace |
| Cooling System | Other |
| Ventilation System | Part of Heating System |
| Whole House Filtration | None |
| Whole House Vacuum | no |
Energy & Water
| Water System | Well |
| Wastewater System | Septic System |
Construction Information
| Exterior Finish | Plaster - Earth |
| Interior Finish | Gypsum Board - Sheet Rock |
| Interior Paint | Auro |
| Floor Material | Linoleum |
| Roof Material | Metal |
| Window Material | Vinyl or Vinyl Clad |
| Insulation Material | Fiberglass |
Garage / Car Port
| Garage / Carport | yes |
| Garage Type | detached |
| Number of Cars | 1 |
| Garage Area | 1400 sqft |
