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These 2 sidebars appeared with the story: 1. FINDING THE RIGHT SITE ``You're never 100 percent sure what you're buying is safe,'' says Spokane building official Bob Eugene. But he and others agree you can reduce the risk of encountering dangerous and expensive soil-related problems by looking for tell-tale signs, such as: Loose dirt or anything else on raw land that doesn't look ``natural.'' Building sites that are difficult to walk around. Exposed rock. Soggy soil, an indication of potential ground-water problems. Seasonal or year-round surface water. Scattered cans, glass, partially buried refuse or other clues the property was used as a dump. 2. WRIGHT-DESIGNED HOME LEGENDARY Difficult sites make for exciting solutions, local architect Stephen Clark likes to tell clients. Probably the most famous example is ``Fallingwater,'' the Pennsylvania retreat that Frank Lloyd Wright designed for merchant Edgar Kaufmann. Wright envisioned a bold concrete-and-glass home cantilevering over a waterfall at Bear Run, Kaufmann's rustic 1,600-acre estate. Kaufmann admired Wright but worried the renowned architect's ego may have finally surpassed his judgment. So Kaufmann sent the blueprints to civil engineers in Pittsburgh. They, too, were skeptical, and Kaufmann forwarded their doubts to Wright's headquarters. Predictably, Wright was furious and threatened to abandon the project. Instead, he returned the engineers' observations in an oblong box wrapped in burlap and instructed that these prophecies of doom be buried in the cornerstone. Actually, they were sealed in a bedroom wall, where they remain safe today, 60 years later. Michael Guilfoil
When Sandpoint architect Royal Shields decided to build on a steep patch of lakeshore property, he encountered two obstacles: loose rock ... and skeptics.
The loose rock was easily overcome. Six hours into excavation, Shields hit solid earth and had a suitable platform for his family's new home.
The skeptics proved more obstinate.
Loan officers wouldn't touch the project.
One neighbor refused to believe Shields intended to build a house off the edge of Bottle Bay Road across the water from Sandpoint.
After enduring several interrogations, a mischievous young worker finally "admitted" to...