SARASOTA, Fla.--A developer is giving away four historic homes. But there's a catch--you must move them off the property.
Developer Mark Pierce is trying to give away the houses to make way a mixed-use retail development on the land, the Herald-Tribune reports.
The houses up for grabs include:
--a bungalow built in 1925;
--a 1,192-square-foot, wood frame house built in 1910;
--a 2,275-square-foot brick bungalow built in 1938; and
--a 2,471-square-foot bungalow, built in 1925.
As you can imagine, moving houses isn't cheap. One estimate for moving a 1,000-square-foot house just two blocks came in at roughly $25,000, Clifford Smith, senior planner for historic preservation with the city of Sarasota, told the Herald Tribune.
But even with the moving and land costs, these homes can be a steal, he says.
Even with moving costs that can easily run in excess of $100,000, an old house could be a deal for someone who already owns a lot on which to put it, Smith said."A receiver should end up with a house that would be worth more in the end than it would have cost you to put it there by building it," he said. "You wind up with a larger structure, a better structure."
If you're interested, move quickly before the homes are demolished. The development project is scheduled to begin within the next 30 to 90 days.
For more information about the houses, contact the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation at 941-953-8727.
For the full story, click here.
Source: Herald-Tribune, Sarasota, Fla.
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**Don't get ripped off when you buy your next historic home. In The Home Buyer Defense Guide, a former real estate appraiser will tell you which questions to ask, and how to make sure you're getting the right home at the right price, without any surprises.
Oceanside, Calif.--A historic home is for sale for the bargain price of $1 if you're willing to relocate it from its beachfront property.
If the 100-year-old Rorick/Reid House does not find a buyer, it will be demolished to make way for a Westin Hotel, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
"Commissioners, apologizing for not thinking of it sooner, said they hope someone will be willing to move the Rorick/Reid House."
However, one of the house's more famous neighbors will be spared. A home that has been known as the "Top Gun House" since the 1986 movie was filmed there will be moved a block north.
If you're interested in the Rorick/Reid House, you'll need to move it at least a month before the September 2008, when groundbreaking is scheduled for the hotel, Jane McVey, city economic development and redevelopment director, told the Union-Tribune.
For more information, contact (760) 435-3352.
For the full story, click here.
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
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