Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I guess this belongs in the Real Estate section . . . probably because there is not a Mental Health section here on CD.
We tend to see things a little off the leash, and have been doing some real estate shopping.
Part of what we were thinking includes -- Quiet, Some Acreage . . . . it turns out an abandoned church may fit that sort . . .
And since many old churches come with cemeteries, we were thinking a cemetery would make for some quiet neighbors, as well.
Here is an ad that caught my attention . . .
Cemetery for Sale - 20%+ cap (http://austin.craigslist.org/off/878649021.html - broken link)
That particular one looks a little bit more than the typical countryside church, but Heather and I were pondering what are your obligations if you own a cemetery?
Not that we would do anything wilder than maybe a Halloween Party but do you not have some obligations to the existing "tenants" if you buy a cemetery?
And not that we would want to . . . but why could not a new owner go "grave robbing?" Shopping for gold teeth and jewelery, for example? Or build a sub-division over it? (shades of Poltergeist)
And not that we would want to . . . but why could not a new owner go "grave robbing?" Shopping for gold teeth and jewelery, for example? Or build a sub-division over it? (shades of Poltergeist)
Only if you enjoy prison. I'm sure others with more time will actually pull up some laws, but there are at least a few out there.
edit: your link already outlines the fact that further development of the area is quite restricted, to say the least. You're not going to subdivide it without removing all remains through one of the methods they provide a link to.
Only if you enjoy prison. I'm sure others with more time will actually pull up some laws, but there are at least a few out there.
edit: your link already outlines the fact that further development of the area is quite restricted, to say the least. You're not going to subdivide it without removing all remains through one of the methods they provide a link to.
Well, sure. That was all tongue in cheek, and like I said -- "not that we would . . . . "
I am sort of joking about making it a profit center. In practice, I would probably make a robotic mower to trim and maintain the site, and one or two days a year, re-level the headstones, and maybe have picnics with the kids and the "neighbors."
But I was sort of thinking there must be a "New Cemetery Owner's Manual" -- if one were part of some property you bought. Does that make sense?
Maybe I am jaded in my engineering type thinking -- we have or make manuals for EVERYTHING. IEEE specs or NEC code for putting lights in a urinal type documents.
Like I say, the link sample there in Corpus is WAY over the top of anything we have looked at, it was just an easy site to link to. Most of this type stuff is not for sale on the 'net from what I have seen.
In my area there is a fabulous converted 1842 school house on about 1.5 acres with a charming cemetery on the property. The property is in an area of horse farms and 5 acre estates. It would make a nice weekend home for city folk looking for a close-in country place.
In my area there is a fabulous converted 1842 school house on about 1.5 acres with a charming cemetery on the property. The property is in an area of horse farms and 5 acre estates. It would make a nice weekend home for city folk looking for a close-in country place.
Location: Mokelumne Hill, CA & El Pescadero, BCS MX.
6,957 posts, read 22,303,611 times
Reputation: 6471
As you have already discovered the laws about moving and/or disturbing remains are quite specific and demanding. I had a neighbor once who sold cemetery plots and urn space in a large cemetery in the SF Bay area. There is a lot of money in that business and the 20% Cap rate on the link you posted shows that.
If you were to own a cemetery, you probably would be liable to the decedents and heirs to maintain the property. Locally we have cemetery districts that are funded to do just that for public cemeteries.
This situation is one where you would need to do a very detailed due diligence to make sure you don't end up with a pig in a poke. Good luck and keep us informed if you decide to go ahead with something.
As you have already discovered the laws about moving and/or disturbing remains are quite specific and demanding. I had a neighbor once who sold cemetery plots and urn space in a large cemetery in the SF Bay area. There is a lot of money in that business and the 20% Cap rate on the link you posted shows that.
If you were to own a cemetery, you probably would be liable to the decedents and heirs to maintain the property. Locally we have cemetery districts that are funded to do just that for public cemeteries.
This situation is one where you would need to do a very detailed due diligence to make sure you don't end up with a pig in a poke. Good luck and keep us informed if you decide to go ahead with something.
Thanks.
Found the Texas State Laws related to this embedded within one of my other links >>>
HEALTH & SAFETY CODE CHAPTER 711. GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO CEMETERIES (http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/HS/content/htm/hs.008.00.000711.00.htm - broken link)
The greater Barrington area is about 35 miles NW of Chicago. It spans about 100 square miles and 4 different counties. This particular property is located in Barringtons Hills, horse country, where home prices typically begin at $1MM.
This anomoly however, is priced in the low $500's. I am not sure if it's OK to post a link to it even though it's not my listing. The MLS # is 06922572 and can be found on realtor.com.
Well, sure. That was all tongue in cheek, and like I said -- "not that we would . . . . "...
Maybe I am jaded in my engineering type thinking -- we have or make manuals for EVERYTHING. IEEE specs or NEC code for putting lights in a urinal type documents.
Like I say, the link sample there in Corpus is WAY over the top of anything we have looked at, it was just an easy site to link to. Most of this type stuff is not for sale on the 'net from what I have seen.
I had a feeling but online you never know (wanna see crazies, check out some of the other forums here). And yeah, I'm an engineer too in aerospace so we've got manuals, procedures and procedures on how to build manuals.
I'd guess that owning the land a cemetery is on might be a pain since somebody else ran the place earlier and sold plots to whoever. You're kind of at the mercy of how well they kept on top of things over the years... think of the problems someone could get into if they went to bury somebody and found out there's already someone there.
The greater Barrington area is about 35 miles NW of Chicago. It spans about 100 square miles and 4 different counties. This particular property is located in Barringtons Hills, horse country, where home prices typically begin at $1MM.
This anomoly however, is priced in the low $500's. I am not sure if it's OK to post a link to it even though it's not my listing. The MLS # is 06922572 and can be found on realtor.com.
Thanks -- that is cute enough.
No mention of the cemetery in the write up? Yeah, I know that might not seem popular, but if I were a shopper/buyer of that, I would be annoyed that you had not put the information in straight-up and up-front. That would bother me more than the cemetery, and make me harder to deal with. Just mentioning that to you for a would-be buyer perspective.
But a half million . . . phew. A half million? Probably the local conditions? I know the trades pay over double up there as opposed to the South, but I could not see anyone asking even 1/2 to 1/3 that in Texas. But I guess I would probably double my income if I were local to that area, so it all averages out?
I suppose the local schools are pretty good and we would be saving on the Private School budget, as well?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
