Eliminating Risks

by Anna Glendenning | More from this Blogger

26 Apr 2006 11:33 AM

My husband and I are in the middle of moving to our dream home after two years of looking for just the right place. He originally wanted to find some property on the Columbia River I wanted a view. During our long and painful hunting we found some very wonderful homes some filling his dream and some mine. One of our major concerns about our new home is that we can live there for a long time and face minimal risks.

It didn't take a lot of hunting for us to realize living on the river itself was more risk then we wanted to reduce and control at this point in our lives. The property we looked at was right on the rapid moving fast water, and we have a four year old. We very quickly decided the river is a nice place to visit but the risks to our family and possibility of flood is more then we want to control so decided to eliminate the risk completely and look at property with views.

In the end we have found the right home, on flat ground. At this point in our lives we have decided that a safe structure built in a nice community is the level of risk we feel most comfortable accepting. The houses with the views offered other risks we simply aren't ready to assume. Most of the homes with the best views were also on the side of hills or in a wildfire area. The idea of land slide and wildfire are not risks we are interested in dealing with at this time.

We do know that our risk of flood is low now and our home should not be part of any landslides our choice has reduced our need to plan for and insure for these things. Had we decided on the property by the river we would have had to take different steps to control and reduce the risks we faced. Our choice alone changed the level of risk we have and the amount and type of insurance we need.

Yes, the house on the river was beautiful and I would have loved living there, but the huge fence around the property and the alarm system on the four-year-old would be a lot of stress and work. We also decided that with or without insurance we simply didn't feel up to experiencing a flood so we are better off away from the river. We eliminated some of the risks we originally wanted to take once we planned what these risks mean to our family. Related Blogs:

• Personal Risk Management
• Risk Management: Protecting Your Assets.
• What is "Risk?"
• Retained or Accepted Risks
• Controlling and Reducing Risks
• Eliminating Risks

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Learn more about Anna Glendenning

Anna Glendenning is a mother of four. Two biological children grown and out of college, and two siblings and adopted together in 2003. Anna's Personal Website http://www.adoptiveparentsnetwork.

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mcmama (51978) 26 Apr 2006 11:06 PM

Thanks for this. I am considering buying a home in a shore area in the next few years - I've been thinking along similiar lines. Yes, that bay access is really nice, but at this point in my life, do I want to deal with storm surge? Property more inland, within a few minutes of the water, view or no view, certainly has its appeal for me! Best of all possible worlds.

Evan (130) 07 Sep 2006 04:10 PM

Any updates to give us on the status of your interest in buying a new home in this type of area. Were you able to insure your home in a reasonable manner?

Evan www.Leads4Insurance.com

Anna Glendenning (4234) 12 Sep 2006 11:42 AM

We have moved, about 4 miles from the river and 1 mile from a lake. Our home is on Flat Land and the property is landscaped with fire safety in mind.

The downside is that OUR VIEW is Mt St Helens! Which is 28.6 miles from our new home!