Cheap Old Houses: House in IL's neighborhood maybe?

[sweetana3]

toomuchstuff: We had a program to renovate a neighborhood and resell to teachers and similar at good prices. Problem: Crime. Bad crime. Very bad crime. The area was known for it and these few houses were surrounded by bad properties. We have other neighborhoods that are being renovated organically moving out from the center city and are much more successful. These still have crime coming from outside but more like petty theft and property damage than shootings and such.

Neighborhood is so important. Habitat has pulled out of some due to gang threats.

[JaneV2.0]

It’s tragic though isn’t it? Someone has lived in this house for a long time, taking care of it, not removing any of the original features.

In a perfect world, it could be moved without too much fuss.

[iris lilies]

In a perfect world, it could be moved without too much fuss.

Old, structurally sound houses are like healthy pit bulls in my city: way too many of them for the population that wants them.


And it’s interesting that it’s one demographic producing all of them. Hmmm

[KayLR]

Too bad! That fireplace--OMG!

[jp1]

Dang. This house is a serious time capsule that appears to be fairly well cared for. And the houses on either side of it look decent as well. If there are other blocks in the neighborhood that are also as good as this the gay men will be moving in soon enough to take over. Maybe they'll call it Castro 2.0, the St. Louis edition.

[iris lilies]

Dang. This house is a serious time capsule that appears to be fairly well cared for. And the houses on either side of it look decent as well. If there are other blocks in the neighborhood that are also as good as this the gay men will be moving in soon enough to take over. Maybe they'll call it Castro 2.0, the St. Louis edition.

A bunch of gay men moving to that neighborhood would be the best thing that’s ever happened to it. I agree that the houses on either side look substantial and occupied.

[jp1]

Since SO is from St Louis we have friends there. The guys our age wouldn't be interested. They've all bought in Soulard and the central west end (I think that's what it's called?) and have done the renovate the house thing. The younger kids though will grab up houses like this in a heartbeat. They can't afford the done neighborhoods but are more than willing to move to the "up and coming" neighborhoods, especially if those neighborhoods include awesome places like this that they can live in for now and improve over time.

[iris lilies]

Since SO is from St Louis we have friends there. The guys our age wouldn't be interested. They've all bought in Soulard and the central west end (I think that's what it's called?) and have done the renovate the house thing. The younger kids though will grab up houses like this in a heartbeat. They can't afford the done neighborhoods but are more than willing to move to the "up and coming" neighborhoods, especially if those neighborhoods include awesome places like this that they can live in for now and improve over time.

But the tragedy of this neighborhood is that it’s not up-and-coming, it is down and plunging. If you look at Realtor.com in the ZIP Code For this house,it’s all very sad.

[littlebittybobby]

Okay---I'll tell you what----I still think there's money---good money---to be made, buying and flipping old, abandoned Pizza Huts! Here's a photo of one, See?. Not sure where it is. But yeah--- if you could get it for the right price, and do all the work yourself, you might be starting your own empire. Yup.2022-10-28 (1).jpg

[iris lilies]

Neighborhood is so important. Habitat has pulled out of some due to gang threats.

habitat for Humanity is building in a near Northside neighborhood that is a lot like Soulard and my neighborhood that JP referenced.


By “a lot like “I mean like our neighborhoods were not nice in the mid 1970s. I’ve watched this neighborhood struggle and struggle with young people who have enthusiasm going up there to rehab houses. It just is not making it.

City of St. Louis is losing population at too fast a clip to support another Victorian neighborhood being brought up from decay. Renovating in this area is super expensive and for every dollar you put it and you can only get $.50 back, if that. Most people don’t have that kind of money for that kind of foolishness. This neighborhood had millions of federal dollars from taxpayers poured into it to develop a commercial strip. The strip is now 3/4 empty and has only fringe businesses and social services in the buildings.

Our friends who have crap tons of money were renovating up there for a while, but they gave up and left. Every night someone would break into the house and steal all the equipment or copper pipes or etc.