[dds07]

We found a really fantastic piece of property with a fixer-upper home on it. It has a small pond, wooded area and is very close to my work, in a good school district and it is in our price range. However, there are some tall power lines fairly close behind the property- maybe 50 yards or so away. Other than being an eyesore (which is a consideration, although they aren't really too bad because they are high up and there is a big wooded area separating them from the house), would you have concerns?? Would it stop you from purchasing a property?

 

[BunnySlippers]

I would not. At least not long term.
Even just worrying about them would be bad for your health.

 

[RiverSky]

Nope, it would worry me too much, and I'd think that if I ever needed to sell it, it'd be harder to find someone to buy it, as many people would have similar worries. Better to keep looking and waiting until you find another wonderful property. Good luck!

 

[Kontessa]

My first reaction is no but then I read all the other good things about it and I think I would be here posting about it as well. Hum.... I just do not think I would.... If it was just me at 60 years old with some cats then I might consider it. The risk seems to be to children more so from what I have read. I personally have no cancer as far back in the family tree as I can find.

I would not want my children living near them, specially as my husbands family has lots of cancer in it.

 

[crl]

I don't know the details on the cancer-power line connection. I believe it relates to high voltage or something? I would research that in detail. I'm not sure that all tall powerlines are necessarily an issue? And I'm not sure what distances are considered to increase cancer risks. So I'd track all that down.

If the powerlines are the kind that are an issue and if they are close enough to increase risk, then I would pass on the property despite the other advantages.

Catherine

 

[dds07]

they are the big ones...here is an aerial photo with the power lines in blue:

I did a search on pubmed and the scientific evidence is somewhat inconclusive. It appears that most of what people have heard is from a poorly designed study done in Denver in the 1960s and that most of the "hearsay" came from that. I still just don't know...I had that really good "gut" feeling when we saw the place, but I also have a bit of a nagging about the power lines...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3547/...e8a9ab.jpg?v=0

 

[Kontessa]

Thanks for the picture! It looks perfect accept for the power lines.... sooooo close. Too close in my opinion.

How about trying to find the study from this article?
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...976840,00.html

 

[Kontessa]

Another link that might help: http://www.emwatch.com/PowerLines.htm

Also... my family lives on a military post. The area has a cancer cluster. We have no choice about being here right now but it will not be for long. The CDC came to try and figure out why and as always, they never could find a reason. I will say this. EMF testing is done here.

EMF is the danger with power lines.

 

[PassionateWriter]

i could not live there

also resale value would be an issue for me

 

[newbymom05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PassionateWriter i could not live there also resale value would be an issue for me

Ditto.

 

[AllyRae]

Maybe I'm clueless but don't all houses have power lines by them? How else do you get the electricity to your house if you don't have them? I must be missing something because I see a poll with 2 lines out it right outside my window and all of the houses on the street have the lines going into the side of their house...are these not what you're talking about?

 

[HeatherAtHome]

They are the giant power lines that bring electricity from it's source. They probably look something like this, right?

I would pass on that house.

 

[dds07]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeatherAtHome They are the giant power lines that bring electricity from it's source. They probably look something like this, right? I would pass on that house.

They aren't quite that size, but similar...

 

[HeatherAtHome]

Yeah, I looked at 2 houses that had those power lines bordering on the property. I really didn't feel comfortable being so close to them because of 1-health risks 2-the way they crumpled in that ice storm we had 10 years ago and 3-they're big and ugly and worry about resale.

 

[AllyRae]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeatherAtHome They are the giant power lines that bring electricity from it's source. They probably look something like this, right? I would pass on that house.

Ooooh, ok. Yeah, those *would* freak me out! Last year we almost bought a new build that had one of those right in the back yard. Thank goodness our house didn't sell so we *didn't* buy that house because after reading the articles posted in this thread, it would seem like a horrible idea!

 

[artemis33]

I'd keep looking

:

 

[harmonyhobbit]

My hubby is a safety officer for a power co-op. If the power lines meet safety standards, they are safe. 50 yards is adequate.
When we were house shopping, we looked at a house about that far from a substation, and he felt it to be safe.

 

[rsummer]

It would seem that with everyone kind of saying no, I would REALLY worry about the resale, but I wouldn't either based on being freaked out about having kids around the giant electromagnetic field... but not the Magnetic Fields

 

[Sharlla]

The duplex that we are going to buy is a couple blocks from a substation but you can't see it from where we are and we are only going to live there a couple years. I guess it doesn't matter that much considering that I work 3 blocks from home anyway so either way I will be spending a significant amount of time near a substation LOL

 

[annekevdbroek]

I'd pass on it.