Gopher What?

When I returned to New Orleans, I found the phone number for the realtor who listed the property. I kept looking at it and kept saying to myself, its only a phone call. So I called the number and inquired if the property was still for sale. It was. I asked for the particulars, which a received fairly quickly. I called back the realtor and asked why such a low price for nearly 3 acres of land. She told me it was a couple getting a divorce. Fair enough. So I did what I thought was due diligence, checking on the taxes, any liens on the property, zoning etc. Called the county and checked to see if I could put a dock out front, yes you can but you need to watch the protected sea grass, ok great. So everything checked out. I told the realtor I was going to the bank to secure the loan and she told me no one will loan you money for the property. Really, then how do people buy property or houses? I went to the bank and less than a week I owned the property. Actually, on June 29, 1015 I owned the property. Well me and the bank owned the property. Very cool!

 Usually, I act on things too late. The opportunity that had presented itself had passed, but not this time. I actually had followed through and now I had a direction concerning where I would retire. I contacted the surveyor who did the boundary survey for the purchase and asked for an elevation survey of the property so I could get an idea where I might want to put the house. His response, "You need to take care of the Gopher Tortoise situation first. My reply, the What?

Gopher Tortoises

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Well I soon learned more than I ever wanted or expected to know about Gopher Tortoises! I had no idea they were protected. And I had no idea of all the rules and regulations concerning them. For instance, you won't be issued a building permit until its been certified that the site is in compliance with regulations concerning building where there are tortoises living. Such as no disturbance of their habitat can be within 25 feet of a burrow. The construction area has to be free of any tortoise burrows and silt screening has to protect the building site from any tortoise from entering the construction area. Any tortoises that are removed cannot be taken if the temperature has dropped below 50 degrees, three days or fewer prior to extraction. So I educated myself and took the on-line Gopher tortoise training 101 course. Oh man, it would have been nice if the realtor would have told me about them. I'm sure she knew or was aware that they were on the property. But then again had I known about them maybe I wouldn't have bought the property. And that would have been a shame, so I'm glad I didn't know about the tortoises. I realized that I wouldn't be able to trap the tortoises myself since I lived in New Orleans and would be able to visit the property only during the summer and during school breaks. So I didn't worry about it too much. I didn't think I had too many on the property and it would be a nuisance but not a real issue. My main issue now was to get a builder and an architect lined up. My timeline was to leave Tulane when I was 65 and then retire to the house. When I bought the property I was 61, so I had time. Or so I thought.