Ingam? (Pittsburgh, Crafton, Ingram: apartment complexes, violent crime, house)

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by Caladium

I'm surprised the owner didn't bother to clean up even a little before taking those photos, though. That's not a good sign.

I completely agree. That's basically the owner acknowledging that the place is a fixer-upper, at best. Sometimes that's not the case, like if it's an estate or the owners are out of country after renting it out for a while, but it's definitely not a positive sign.

The bathroom and kitchen aren't just dirty, they show considerable wear and damage. Even the other pictures show peeling wall paper and other bad signs. It's an awesome looking house on the outside (at least in low resolution real estate pictures), but when you can see that many bad things just in the online listing, there are bound to be many, many more issues that show up in person and during the inspection. It looks like there is an extension cord dangling next to the stairwell; I'm guessing the electrical system is either very old or very poorly updated. It would be a great project house, but it's no surprise that it's only listed for $50K.

EDIT: What is going through a listing agents mind when they take and post photos like these? Do the just not care? Or is it a case of nightmare clients? I mean at least have the owner kick the trash out of the camera's view.

[PreservationPioneer]

I hope whoever buys that house has the good sense and taste to retain the original woodwork, mantles, and plaster throughout, not to mention the exterior trim. Very few historic homes are this intact, and too many people gut the interiors for drywall, and the exteriors for vinyl. Pray that doesn't happen to this rare survivor.

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

I hope whoever buys that house has the good sense and taste to retain the original woodwork, mantles, and plaster throughout, not to mention the exterior trim. Very few historic homes are this intact, and too many people gut the interiors for drywall, and the exteriors for vinyl. Pray that doesn't happen to this rare survivor.

I would hope so too. I hope it doesn't end up getting split into apartments as so many other of those grand old homes on Prospect have. I bought a fixer (not quite as far gone as that one) and have put about 35K into it so far, though most of the work has been my own. It's a really special feeling when you get the floors done, the plaster repaired, wallpaper removed, etc. and the room really pops as if it were brand new. You just can't get that from a newer home. You just have to be OK with the imperfections (plaster will always crack eventually, floors have uneven dark spots, etc...) that you cannot correct. If it were just me, I'd buy a home like that and focus on one or two rooms and a bathroom to start and progress from there as I had the money. It's really easy to do since most of the older homes have pocket doors and can be closed off, at least on the first floor. However, I have a family so I had to put more money into it at the start than I would have liked. Even then, there are still too many projects left to count!

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by ferrarisnowday

EDIT: What is going through a listing agents mind when they take and post photos like these? Do the just not care? Or is it a case of nightmare clients? I mean at least have the owner kick the trash out of the camera's view.

No kidding. I could understand some of the shots, like the bath tub. Maybe they didn't want to take the effort to clean it up. But some of the shots showed stacks of books/junk just laying around. It would have taken a few seconds to move those things, and they look very trashy. Makes me wonder if they were left in the shot to cover up a bigger problem.

The fireplace mantels are gorgeous, though.

[Goodjules]

The house is obviously a fixer-upper. As far as the photos go, the owner and realtor probably want potential buyers to know what they're in for. And because the house is priced so low, they don't want to put any time, effort, or money into the place.

[Hopes]

That's more than a fixer-upper. There's a lot of work to be done in that house. The roof is leaking. We draw the line at wallpaper.

[Shenandoah]

Still up for sale - I just spotted it and sent the listing to my daughter. Love the old homes, but this grand old dame needs someone with deeper pockets to slap on more than just lipstick.

My daughter is looking for a 3 bedroom place in the Keystone Oaks school district. Dormont taxes are pretty high, but Castle Shannon is a bit more reasonable. So, here's hoping that something comes up in her price range, that the flippers don't snatch up first.

blessings, Shen

[SweetTea615]

My husband and I will be moving to Ingram next month. He has been in the Ohio area for a while, but I will be moving North for the first time.
I like that I can read and get some information about my new town.

[Monjam]

Must have sold as the listing has been removed. I'm an architect with interest and expertise in older homes and would have do loved an old home to restore - my wife probably wouldn't though. It's a shame, I didn't even get to see the pics as listing had already been removed by the time I saw this thread. Did anyone on CD nab this one?

[guy2073]

Monjam, have you used this site yet? Real Estate Portal | Search | Allegheny County if not just punch in the address and it will give you info on the property