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Yikes! And to think only 8 years ago, we were at rock bottom. The real estate market in MA is heating up - maybe not as much as CA, but it's definitely a sellers market in MA now. NJ is still on the soft side - sort of in between buyers and sellers market.
Not sure if that's true of western Mass. I see a lot of land that's been on the market for more than a year. Almost every property we looked at had had the listing price reduced recently. I think it's more static there.
The $30,000 was the cost to replace an old septic and leach field. So I'm guessing it would be less if there isn't anything there to dig out. Unless like you said, you hit ledge and have to break it up.
I've never heard of a well costing anywhere near that much. I had a well dug for $3,000 for a vacation camp in Maine. They had to drill 140ft. to find ledge and 180ft. to find water. The total depth of the well is 260ft.
That's Maine. I'm talking about California. Our own well is 480 feet, if I remember correctly. It's a 50 year old well. They have to drill deeper now.
If you have to build a leach field above the water table, because the latter is only a couple feet under the surface, it can be 30 grand. That's what I was told anyway.
You neglected to buy property 35 years ago where there is now an insanely bloated real estate blimp (too big to be a mere bubble . . .). An ordinary modest house on 2.5 mostly unusable acres on my road went for $1.1 mil a few months ago. It was on the market for two days. These are weird times.
Yes I was neglectful.I was busy working and taking care of my family.
Not sure if that's true of western Mass. I see a lot of land that's been on the market for more than a year. Almost every property we looked at had had the listing price reduced recently. I think it's more static there.
Raw land is always slower to move - always has been, always will be.
One family houses have been flying from "for sale" to "sale pending" in less than 10 days in some of the Pioneer Valley towns.
Bloody Californians, coming here and tearing things down with no sense of history. Feh.
Excuse me, but have you even read my thoughts on the matter? I called the planning commissioner. I read the lady's obituary. I researched the history of the farm. I have great interest in architectural history, especially rural houses and barns.
You'll be happy to know that we decided to pass on it largely because of its historical value, to which we would not be able to afford to do justice.
This particular house was probably last 'upgraded' in the 1920's or 30's. To renovate it to modern standards even without changing its appearance at all (modern wiring, plumbing, insulation, removal of lead paint, etc.) would take a lot more money, time, and energy than we have -- than almost anybody has, in fact.
Only someone with extra millions in their pocket or someone who has many years to spend to make the house livable could take on this project as a historical reconstruction. The only way any normal person could use this property is to tear the house down. No matter where you were born.
I liked your idea of keeping some of the house intact but it does seem like it would cost millions to do it right.
My hope is that someone with buckets of money can afford to restore it. An old house like that becomes a landmark for locals and there are probably also descendants of that family (I think it was Stebbins) who might come back to look at "their" house and it wouldn't be there. (Yeh, spoken as a genealogist and lover of old homes, lol.)
I liked your idea of keeping some of the house intact but it does seem like it would cost millions to do it right.
My hope is that someone with buckets of money can afford to restore it. An old house like that becomes a landmark for locals and there are probably also descendants of that family (I think it was Stebbins) who might come back to look at "their" house and it wouldn't be there. (Yeh, spoken as a genealogist and lover of old homes, lol.)
Well, I hope so too. For my husband, it was staring at 150 years of white lead paint and imagining how to get it removed safely, that was the clincher. For me, it was reading about the family and how integral they were to Granby history (the road was named after them, gives you an idea). Too heavy a burden for me.
I have a friend in Wisconsin who bought a historic farm property, a showplace house owned by a couple of bachelor brothers who ran a dairy farm. It turned out very well for her though. First, she was a Wisconsin native, although not to that town, so familiar with the culture. Second, she and her husband invested themselves in the local church. Third, she started a small commercial goat dairy and ran a little market stand selling goat milk soap etc. They are very well appreciated there. But they started that project 30 years ago, when they were young and strong. Makes a difference.
Well, I hope so too. For my husband, it was staring at 150 years of white lead paint and imagining how to get it removed safely, that was the clincher. For me, it was reading about the family and how integral they were to Granby history (the road was named after them, gives you an idea). Too heavy a burden for me.
I have a friend in Wisconsin who bought a historic farm property, a showplace house owned by a couple of bachelor brothers who ran a dairy farm. It turned out very well for her though. First, she was a Wisconsin native, although not to that town, so familiar with the culture. Second, she and her husband invested themselves in the local church. Third, she started a small commercial goat dairy and ran a little market stand selling goat milk soap etc. They are very well appreciated there. But they started that project 30 years ago, when they were young and strong. Makes a difference.
Yeah, I know. I'm retired. At this stage of the game you want a house that's up and running, not a fixer upper. Thank you so much for respecting the history of our towns and that of our early families.
I'll still suggest some place like Leverett for land. I do remember lots of open land--although I haven't driven around there in years--but back then it was mostly open. A few professors in quirky style new houses too, that was about it. I don't think of Leverett as having any historic homes to worry about or residents who would be offended at a tear down. (I could be wrong but that's my perception.)
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