Ellen Ruby Blog's: Underground Compound of 4 Fallout Shelters in Montana Awaits Buyer To Burrow In

Thursday, 25 February 2021

Underground Compound of 4 Fallout Shelters in Montana Awaits Buyer To Burrow In

Underground Compound Fallout Shelter — Theresa Lunn

When spectacular mountain views are available, nearby homes almost always feature an abundance of windows to soak in the vistas.

However, this property in Montana heads in a completely opposite direction. These four homes have no windows at all—they’re completely underground.

The quartet of below-ground homes sit beneath 10.6 acres in Paradise Valley near Emigrant, MT, just north of Yellowstone National Park.

Listed for $1.75 million, the earth-sheltered homes were originally built as fallout shelters. They offer all the amenities a comfortable residence requires—albeit with curved walls.

Three of out of the four homes measure in at about 2,500 square feet, and each features multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, and living spaces.

The fourth home is significantly larger, with space to accommodate a crowd looking for a real escape.

“The largest one has several bunk rooms, so you could have more than a couple people in there,” says the listing agent, Theresa Lunn.

Each boasts a basement for food and supplies storage and to house all of the mechanicals.

The earth keeps the houses at a constant 50 to 55 degrees and to increase the temperature as needed, each home is equipped with its own HVAC and ventilation system.

“It never feels musty in there with the air circulation system. It always smells fresh,” Lunn says.

Each home comes with its own kitchen, complete with appliances.

“Once you’re in there, they’re comfortable. It’s just like you’re in a house,” Lunn explains. “You walk down hallways, but then you just you walk into a kitchen that you think is your mom’s kitchen—a great area, bedrooms, very nice bathrooms.”

One house features a pool table in the rec room.

The current owner is a builder and is willing to sweeten the deal for a buyer who might be interested in buying the land and the underground homes.

“He would put a very nice [above-ground] home for an extra $240,000 onto the list price. Underneath the house, it would have a discrete entrance into shelter No. 4,” Lunn explains. “The additional house has not been built. He is offering that as a buyer package, if someone wanted that.”

The Paradise Valley area is known for its outdoor activities.

“It’s arguably one of the most beautiful places in the U.S., for sure. It’s a huge mecca for fly fishermen,” Lunn says, adding hunting, hiking, snowmobiling, four-wheeling, and horseback riding are also popular.

“It’s a great spot for vacation rentals,” Lunn says, adding that renting an underground home could offer a unique allure for guests. “If you bought this, you could live in it and still rent it out. It’s also a great retreat possibility.”

Lunn says buyers have shown an interest in the property—ranging from those in search of a sustainable property, to folks who desire the ultimate in protection.

The agent says she doesn’t like to use the term “preppers,” because of the negative connotations attached to the term. But she acknowledges that that is basically what people do when they store supplies in underground bunkers.

“If our great-grandparents didn’t prep, none of us would be here,” she says. “It’s just being prepared.”

The homes are currently attached to the electrical grid, but could be unhooked if a buyer decided to rely on the property’s own generators for power.

As in the case of most fallout shelters, the entrance to each home is through a thick door. Upon entry, the hallway takes a turn at a right angle.

“Any bunker worth its salt has to have those 90-degree turns, because nuclear and chemical material can’t go around [corners],” Lunn explains. “That’s really one of those tips of the trade for guys that are building bunkers.”

Lunn stresses these are regular homes where people would be very comfortable living or vacationing.

“[They’re not] some kind of freaky, end-of-the-world, zombie-apocalypse whatever. There is a lot of need for this type of property.”