$149k for 4000sqft garage workshop on 0.5acre of land in what looks like a realtively nice suburban neighborhood. Some elbow grease required. 1hr from Philly
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/223-E-Walnut-St-Birdsboro-PA-19508/2061135479_zpid/?
Wow! I just looked at the pictures and if I was in that area, I would JUMP on that! Those are real wood floors, probably hard wood floors, in the garage! And it has a huge four door garage and with a sliding door on the end and a sliding door on the side that gives access to the 2nd floor as well. And it looks like it was build when they really knew how to build well. And she'd be getting huge lot. I think that she might be able to sell off the upper part of that lot to someone else for a home site if she wanted to. The shed appears to be full of old boards but my guess is that that is probably all hard wood and would be quite valuable to wood workers. Fran could probably sell the lumber, tear down the shed and sell that side of the extra as well. If Fran would get that place and put her other projects on hold for a year or two while she fixed it up, I think she'd have a very nice place to live and to work, and could potentially make a LOT of money if she ever sold it. And look at the size of it's lot compared to the lots around it in the aerial view. Every property that I've seen in any large US metropolitan area in recent years that has a large lot is now bringing a super premium. Like James-s said, the lots are sometimes worth far more than the homes.If that is the case, then why didn't the property sell yet?
99.9% of the market want a house, and probably 90% of those want a renovated house.
This is giant run down old barn that is useless, and would cost a fair bit to knock down and remove it all to build a house.
Add in a depressed market and it's no surprise it's not seling fast and they have dropped the price.
Absolutely. The market is depressed and the house as it is is for niche projects.
Absolutely. The market is depressed and the house as it is is for niche projects.
In this case it doesn't even have a single toilet, and no kitchen, it's essentially just a big barn.
I'd kill for a place like this near my home, or having land big enough to build something.
For an additional $20k and some work, I'm sure you can get a bathroom and kitchen done.
Absolutely. The market is depressed and the house as it is is for niche projects.
In this case it doesn't even have a single toilet, and no kitchen, it's essentially just a big barn.
I'd kill for a place like this near my home, or having land big enough to build something.
For an additional $20k and some work, I'm sure you can get a bathroom and kitchen done.
Absolutely. The market is depressed and the house as it is is for niche projects.
In this case it doesn't even have a single toilet, and no kitchen, it's essentially just a big barn.
I'd kill for a place like this near my home, or having land big enough to build something.
1970s stuff however I'm not that fond of.
Don't know specifically about US mortgages, but in the UK you can only get a residential mortgage on a property if the property has: working plumbing (at least one sink and one bath/shower), working toilet, provision for electrical power, and at least one form of cooking appliance (microwave doesn't count.) It must meet the "minimum standard" of being somewhere someone could live. So in some of these places you will literally see a toilet plumbed into the living room and a knackered old cooker left behind because that means it can be sold to someone with a mortgage.
Don't know specifically about US mortgages, but in the UK you can only get a residential mortgage on a property if the property has: working plumbing (at least one sink and one bath/shower), working toilet, provision for electrical power, and at least one form of cooking appliance (microwave doesn't count.) It must meet the "minimum standard" of being somewhere someone could live. So in some of these places you will literally see a toilet plumbed into the living room and a knackered old cooker left behind because that means it can be sold to someone with a mortgage.
If I had the money I would pay 20 chinese immigrants $2500 each to build us an underground bunker. That or an island made from garbage.
This above ground stuff confuses me and I've always felt at home amongst garbage.
If I had the money I would pay 20 chinese immigrants $2500 each to build us an underground bunker. That or an island made from garbage.
This above ground stuff confuses me and I've always felt at home amongst garbage.
Sometimes the garbage is not outside, but inside of you.
I'm an avid advocate of such self-reflection, and before you point it out, yes, I too can see I am projecting some of my own thoughts on Fran here. In some ways, I'm in a similar situation, living near the center of a largeish city. I'm almost 50 myself, no dependants. In other ways, I don't have over-large expenses or anything like that, and am just pondering where I myself might be/become happiest. The things that seem initially important and first come to my mind, tend to crumble to insignificance and reveal just 'force of habit' and 'crude superficial assumptions'.
I rarely use emoticons, but this one appears to be very appropriate to describe this thread. Here it is --->
I'm an avid advocate of such self-reflection, and before you point it out, yes, I too can see I am projecting some of my own thoughts on Fran here. In some ways, I'm in a similar situation, living near the center of a largeish city. I'm almost 50 myself, no dependants. In other ways, I don't have over-large expenses or anything like that, and am just pondering where I myself might be/become happiest. The things that seem initially important and first come to my mind, tend to crumble to insignificance and reveal just 'force of habit' and 'crude superficial assumptions'.
We just spent a few weeks on a large property, and Mrs EEVblog has always flat out rejected moving home for a multitude of reasons. All legit of course. Just streets away from her parents, she loves her home, kids love the home, neighbours are great, close to transport for her work, almost every service we need a stones throw away, etc.
But I just saw the first chink in the armour, and I now think she's not totally against moving to a bigger property. Nearby of course, so the kids can still go the same school and she can still get to work.
So cue the next crypto boom and you might find me doing build videos constructing a gigantic backyard lab
Of course if we really wanted to we could sell the home and the lab and storage units and move into a bigger place, but that's one of those massive commitment steps you'd never take unless you really had to. Too easy to just tweak our little slice of existing comfort.
Keep in mind that having a bigger place also means more cleaning &upkeep to do. Your kids will move out at some point and then you just have a lot of space just sitting there that needs to be kept tidy either way. The latter will be more difficult when you get older.
Keep in mind that having a bigger place also means more cleaning &upkeep to do. Your kids will move out at some point and then you just have a lot of space just sitting there that needs to be kept tidy either way. The latter will be more difficult when you get older.
Originally I had the plan to move to a bigger home at some point but other stuff got in the way. Nowadays I could get a mortgage for a much bigger place but my kids are almost at the age that they'll move out and then the extra space really isn't needed. I've also put quite a bit of work into upgrading our current home. Yes, having land for a big shed would be nice but I think I'll help my youngest son to get a plot of land to built a home AND a big shed on (so I can use it as well).
Keep in mind that having a bigger place also means more cleaning &upkeep to do. Your kids will move out at some point and then you just have a lot of space just sitting there that needs to be kept tidy either way. The latter will be more difficult when you get older.
Typically you move again at that point back to a smaller place, and you end up with cash left over that you can do other things with.
So not really an issue.
How do you climb a mountain? One step at a time... I really dislike people with a "can't do, impossible job, will fail" attitude. With such an attitude you won't get far and keep paying through the nose to have something done you can easely do yourself.