Amen brother! No body armor, no radio, no backup, and no family elsewhere in the house to worry about here. And as you eluded to, you have the tactical advantage by sitting and waiting for the intruder to come to you. Just because I clear buildings at work, doesn't mean I want to do it at home without all of those additonal things.
There was one time when I was enroute home in my unmarked veh (870 in trunk), and learned that a local county drug task force had just engaged in a shooting incident with some suspects at a rural drug compound, hidden in some hills not that far from our semi-rural community. The nature of many properties not having fences around their properties/yards, and the reported DoT of a suspect who had fled the scene, on foot, possibly armed with a FA subgun/rifle, made it seem not impossible that he might reach our property. Sigh.
First thing I did, while still enroute, was call my wife. Luckily, she was at her church for a choir practice. Grown kids not living at home. No dog. Black as pitch due to nature of community and hills. No alarm.
I arrived and parked in our open car port (no garage in that property), clearing my way to the front door. No sign of forced entry. I was NOT going to go out back and search the orchard or pool house area for armed suspect who just demonstrated a willingness to engage an armed TEAM of cops. Instead, I went to my safe and pulled the AR. Did I forget to mention the suspects were reported to have worn body armor? An issued .45ACP and an 870 isn't up to defeating body armor, right?
Knowing the layout of the old ranch-style house, and each and every one of its normal nighttime sounds (nice creaky floors, even though there was some tile and carpeting in some rooms), I waited at one end of the house, listening to/for anything. Finally, believing I was alone, I cautiously cleared the rest of the house, and detached family room (connected via breezeway), and found all doors, windows and locks intact. Still no way I was going out back to the orchard, pool area and the estate of the neighbor at the rear of our orchard.
Soon learned suspect had been apprehended. Called wife to let her know it was safe to come home. Returned AR to safe.
There have only been a couple other instances where something happening in that semi-rural community, and now the rural community where we bought property, which compelled me to pull the 870 and/or AR from the safe. Still not going to venture far to clear anything anymore. I'm no longer paid or expected to do so. Might change if some exigent circumstance were to (again) occur where the local SO can't respond, or has encountered a nasty incident nearby.
Never say never, but I'd just as soon wait and make any violent threats come to me, nowadays.
Stay safe brother.
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