Axl home. California wildfires

[cineater]

There's not enough builders and supplies to rebuild that area any time soon.  I'd buy a nice RV and park it on my property.  Not rebuilding, prepared to be mobile when needed.

Fortunately or unfortunately - depending on your view - there are zoning laws, so you might not be able to park an RV on the property or at least not without a house also on the property. Don't get me wrong, I like your idea.

They probably have those but they are going to have to let in those trailers the feds bring in for disasters.  12,000 structures and still burning.  Individuals can't even clean up that mess.  Can they even live on that land any time soon?

[Mysteron]

There's a few stories here that fire insurance in the US seems to max out at 3 million. Covers most, but I'm guessing for some in LA that probably isn't enough. Seems like a risky life for rich folk in LA given the constant fires

[poorlakers]

If the City of L.A. does not suspend the permitting process (for home/building and recovery) immediately, there is not help for the peeps!

[pilferk]

Fortunately or unfortunately - depending on your view - there are zoning laws, so you might not be able to park an RV on the property or at least not without a house also on the property. Don't get me wrong, I like your idea.

Looks like at the municipal, county, and state level, there's already movement to suspend, or at least waive, a lot of those zoning laws to allow for "approved temporary shelters" to be staged on those properties.  RVs would mostly likely be at the top of that list, but so would some of the FEMA shelters they could erect quickly.

This is pretty common in natural disasters.  Florida does this pretty regularly. So do a lot of the tornado belt states. It allows the displaced to be on site for clean up of their site and not be "homeless"/displaced for quite as long....which is really of benefit to everyone.  City inspection has to occur to make sure the site is safe/suitable, and that may be the wait out, but they're also not going to have enough enforcement (both in manpower or in willpower) to matter much for awhile.

[pilferk]

There's a few stories here that fire insurance in the US seems to max out at 3 million. Covers most, but I'm guessing for some in LA that probably isn't enough. Seems like a risky life for rich folk in LA given the constant fires

True.

That being said, rebuild cost is not the same as property value.  You can typically rebuild in CA for a LOT less than your property value becuase the property, itself, is actually higher value than the building ON it.  That 3 million should suffice for like 90%+ of the people who lost homes because, while a 1900 sq ft home may have a property value of 1.3 million....the cost to rebuild it is a LOT less than 1.3 million.  The big mansions may end up less big, though.  Or their owner will have to kick in the difference.

The problem is going to be demand driving up labor/contractor costs (and probably materials, short term...though I think Newsome is doing some work on gouging executive orders to minimize that impact).  There is going to be a pretty good sized construction boom coming out of this, and I suspect you'll see that industry grow and attract surrounding area skilled labor, and it will balance out.  But we will see.

I also suspect we're going to see a similar insurance exodus from CA (similar to what we've seen in Florida) which is going to be a bigger issue NEXT TIME this happens.  CA may well end up propping up a state funded/sponsored homeowners insurance fund to cover the gap.  If any state would do it, it's them (and they have the means if they have the will).

[cineater]

Could do some real out of the box thinking.  There is an ocean right there.  How about cruise ship living?  Floating apartment  complex.  Could become a permanent thing and a long term solution to housing problems.  An all inclusive life, how cool would that be?  I want a room with a balcony!

[NaturalLight]

Fortunately or unfortunately - depending on your view - there are zoning laws, so you might not be able to park an RV on the property or at least not without a house also on the property. Don't get me wrong, I like your idea.

Looks like at the municipal, county, and state level, there's already movement to suspend, or at least waive, a lot of those zoning laws to allow for "approved temporary shelters" to be staged on those properties.  RVs would mostly likely be at the top of that list, but so would some of the FEMA shelters they could erect quickly.

This is pretty common in natural disasters.  Florida does this pretty regularly. So do a lot of the tornado belt states. It allows the displaced to be on site for clean up of their site and not be "homeless"/displaced for quite as long....which is really of benefit to everyone.  City inspection has to occur to make sure the site is safe/suitable, and that may be the wait out, but they're also not going to have enough enforcement (both in manpower or in willpower) to matter much for awhile.

Correct, I was initially responding to a post in which the person said they would permanently set up shop in an RV on their property. I know in most communities, if your house burns down, you can't just clean it up and move an RV onto the land and live in it. Residential zoning laws and be super prohibitive. In regards to temporarily lifting it for an emergency - yes, I can see that. And who knows how long "temporary" will be. It could be a long time.

[pilferk]

Correct, I was initially responding to a post in which the person said they would permanently set up shop in an RV on their property. I know in most communities, if your house burns down, you can't just clean it up and move an RV onto the land and live in it. Residential zoning laws and be super prohibitive. In regards to temporarily lifting it for an emergency - yes, I can see that. And who knows how long "temporary" will be. It could be a long time.

Again, using some of the previous instances in Florida and some of the tornado belt states, the "dispensation" is often 18 to 24 months from the time it passes.  I don't know what Cali will do, but I expect someting similar.  They also could pass it open ended with a 6 month "phase out" at the end.  We've seen that before, too (in/around New Orleans, for example).

They also overrule HOA rules in Florida (where they are ubiquitous pretty much everywhere) so the HOA can't start levying fines for 36 months or longer in "disrupted" areas.  Not quite of much of an issue in California, but I'd expect similar treatment.

The FEMA trailers and shelters will probably start arriving in the next few weeks.  I have a friend who does tech reviews on youtube who lost his entire house. He has been told he can start site clean up around the 28th of January, pending any more fires/incidents.  They mention "temporary shelter allowances" in his alert messaging, but no specifics yet on the how/what/when that's allowed.  I'd guess that relates to RVs, trailers, and FEMA shelters but we'll see.

[NaturalLight]

Correct, I was initially responding to a post in which the person said they would permanently set up shop in an RV on their property. I know in most communities, if your house burns down, you can't just clean it up and move an RV onto the land and live in it. Residential zoning laws and be super prohibitive. In regards to temporarily lifting it for an emergency - yes, I can see that. And who knows how long "temporary" will be. It could be a long time.

Again, using some of the previous instances in Florida and some of the tornado belt states, the "dispensation" is often 18 to 24 months from the time it passes.  I don't know what Cali will do, but I expect someting similar.  They also could pass it open ended with a 6 month "phase out" at the end.  We've seen that before, too (in/around New Orleans, for example).

They also overrule HOA rules in Florida (where they are ubiquitous pretty much everywhere) so the HOA can't start levying fines for 36 months or longer in "disrupted" areas.  Not quite of much of an issue in California, but I'd expect similar treatment.

The FEMA trailers and shelters will probably start arriving in the next few weeks.  I have a friend who does tech reviews on youtube who lost his entire house. He has been told he can start site clean up around the 28th of January, pending any more fires/incidents.  They mention "temporary shelter allowances" in his alert messaging, but no specifics yet on the how/what/when that's allowed.  I'd guess that relates to RVs, trailers, and FEMA shelters but we'll see.

Oh I wasn't disagreeing. I'm just saying it won't be forever. The key word is "temporary" and how they define it. It could be ten months or ten years. And I'd guess as well that it relates to RVs, trailers, etc., so they would be allowed. I would hope so anyway.

Also, you used a good example (and I'm showing my age here) but when Hurricane Andrew destroyed Miami in 1992, I was down there about a year and a half later visiting a friend and there were RVs/trailers set up in neighborhoods with million dollar (at the time - probably much more now) houses. I haven't gone back to that particular area of Miami since then and it's been a generation, so I'm guessing there are houses on those lots now. 

[The Wight Gunner]

There's a few stories here that fire insurance in the US seems to max out at 3 million. Covers most, but I'm guessing for some in LA that probably isn't enough. Seems like a risky life for rich folk in LA given the constant fires

True.

That being said, rebuild cost is not the same as property value.  You can typically rebuild in CA for a LOT less than your property value becuase the property, itself, is actually higher value than the building ON it.  That 3 million should suffice for like 90%+ of the people who lost homes because, while a 1900 sq ft home may have a property value of 1.3 million....the cost to rebuild it is a LOT less than 1.3 million.  The big mansions may end up less big, though.  Or their owner will have to kick in the difference.

The problem is going to be demand driving up labor/contractor costs (and probably materials, short term...though I think Newsome is doing some work on gouging executive orders to minimize that impact).  There is going to be a pretty good sized construction boom coming out of this, and I suspect you'll see that industry grow and attract surrounding area skilled labor, and it will balance out.  But we will see.

I also suspect we're going to see a similar insurance exodus from CA (similar to what we've seen in Florida) which is going to be a bigger issue NEXT TIME this happens.  CA may well end up propping up a state funded/sponsored homeowners insurance fund to cover the gap.  If any state would do it, it's them (and they have the means if they have the will).

House insurance prices are derived at by taking the cost of clearing a site and rebuilding a like for like building in its place. Its the sentimental stuff costs that can't be calculated such as heirlooms and photos etc.  One thing that does strike me as tragic is the history that's gone for good.

Watching programme like American pickers, you see places that are rammed to rafters with stuff that would do good for a museum, but remain in private collections, unseen and unloved by everybody but the collector.

[cineater]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiYNWk1ut4k

Guy bought a homemade sprinkler system where your water source is your pool and saved his house.  Seen a couple of these.  Drained his pool and the neighbor's pool with a ten hour soaking.  Paid under $4000 for it.  The fire department should have a bunch of these.

[cineater]

Kind of not going away.  Showing up in the south now.

This one company,  Frontline?, has a whole protection system that can wet and foam your house.  I'm sure that cost big bucks.  They can remotely monitor and activate it for $500 a month.  So if private companies can do this, government can do it too.  Something to consider when rebuilding the area.

[pilferk]

House insurance prices are derived at by taking the cost of clearing a site and rebuilding a like for like building in its place. Its the sentimental stuff costs that can't be calculated such as heirlooms and photos etc.  One thing that does strike me as tragic is the history that's gone for good.

Watching programme like American pickers, you see places that are rammed to rafters with stuff that would do good for a museum, but remain in private collections, unseen and unloved by everybody but the collector.

Yes.  That was my point.  So the 3 million dollar cap on pay outs isn't as restrictive as you would think because many people think the payout is like for a car....total "assessed value" (aka blue book or something like it).  In CA, that amount is considerably more than the rebuild cost for the house would be because property values are so high.  But a house that was bought for 3 million probably only costs 500k to rebuild (maybe less) and replace the contents.  Because 2.5 million of that 3 million is basically paying for the land and right to occupy the space in a crazy competitive (due to demand) market.

And I agree: The real losses are the sentimental ones.  Stuff you just can't get back. 

[cineater]

Is there a cap on the number of days insurance pays for you living elsewhere while you rebuild?  I expect there is going to be lengthy delays on starting rebuilding.  I'm wondering if areas are going to be deemed toxic and people will be forced into a government buyout.

[BOILER GUNZ]

I saw the POTUS in California yesterday speaking to local city, county, and state officials and citizens.  I heard him say to speed it up! And let them clean up, they don’t want to wait for permits…

[cineater]

And here comes the rain.  Just in time to mix all that toxic shit into the soil before they can get it off.

[BOILER GUNZ]

And here comes the rain.  Just in time to mix all that toxic shit into the soil before they can get it off.

-It’s not just that she’s worried about the trauma she experienced from seeing the destruction in Altadena, where Boucher, 70, has lived for decades. She is also concerned about possible health risks.

“They talk about asbestos and they’re talking about lead and they’re talking about all of the things that have burned in the loss of the homes and the danger of that,” Boucher said

[cineater]

Army Corp of Engineers says 18 months to just clear the land.  All that toxic shit, paying rent on top of mortgages, unsellable property, worth more than the insurance on structures.  The nightmare has only just begun.  I'd be hoping for a government buyout and living in a tent.  That's if I was staying.  I'd probably look for a job somewhere else and let the bank foreclose or if I owned it, keep paying my taxes until I could sell the land.

[cineater]

Jim Clash: You live in Los Angeles. How did you do during the recent wildfires?

Susan Holmes McKagan: Thanks for asking. We have a home in Los Angeles and one in Maui. We were here, in LA, when the big Maui fires were happening, tragic and scary. We donated, and let some people stay in our home. Then we happened to be in Maui when the recent fires hit LA! It was surreal, an apocalypse of sorts. Our two daughters, Grace and Mae, were in the LA place, and had to evacuate. I just donated a bunch of clothes to the Boys & Girls Club. In the end, we were lucky. Our homes are fine.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimclash/2025/02/08/susan-holmes-mckagan-on-axl-rose-jeff-beck-slash-and-modeling/

[cineater]

If it's not fire, it's snow.  Reddit has a video from Beta of them shoveling the snow off the roof in Montana.  Kind of figured Axl would like the mountains and be out there playing in the snow. 

In Yellowstone, they use rope to clear off the snow from the roofs.  Comes off pretty quick.  Not exactly sure how it's done but here's a video.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugb5fyaVZx0  Maybe they tired it.