It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

Fall Creek Place had an Open House this weekend for homes still available in the neighborhood. Not that I can get a house anytime soon *major pout*, but I do love my neighborhood tours and this was the closest I would get for awhile. Here's the deal:

• Take 1 totally crime ridden, economically disadvantaged neighborhood just north of downtown known as Dodge City because you were dodging the bullets from the gangs.
• What original old turn of the 20th century homes are still viable, offer them for rehab.
• Plow under the homes that are too far gone.
• Get federal aid to revitalize the neighborhood.
• Pour a ton of money into infrastructure like sewers, sidewalks, repaving of roads.
• Get several different developers to construct new housing in the area.
• Force the developers to make the new houses in similar style to the old historic housing.
• Offer such housing to a diverse public from low income to high roller ($300,000).
• Stir and let simmer for 5 years.

Now we have a neighborhood were crime is down 90% in five years. A vital urban neighborhood with an economically and ethnically diverse homeowners. With all the new construction it obviously isn't a 'historic' neighborhood, but plenty of rehabed and awaiting to be rehabed structures still exist in the neighborhood. It is also just north of two officially designated historic urban neighborhoods so I like the area.

One custom home wasn't quite finished as much detail work needed to be finished. It was still very impressive with marble master bath, a small deck off the master bedroom, oak flooring downstairs, and a small yet fabulous kitchen. The entire upstairs loft was the master suite and what a view of the downstairs. The architect/builder is very familiar with historic renovations and I may have to talk with her in the future.

The $300,000 home was next to some more unassuming houses. I'm hoping that block holds it's value as it was quite a design mix of plain, unassuming homes, this huge friggin palace, some rowhouses, and a few original homes in various states of repair. The palace was nice though. Carpeted, finished, and huge basement with a finished third floor that would be a fantastic play area/home office. The au pair/in-law/sex slave suite (complete with full bath) above the attached garage was amazing. That area was larger than my first apartment.

The fixer-upper was what I really got excited about. One organization, that will remain nameless because I don't want you to steal my houses, purchases many abandoned, but salvageable homes in the area. They stabilize and repaint the exterior and sale the home to someone willing to renovate the inside. Usually the homes were rentals for many years, not well maintained, and abandoned for years so the interiors are shot and sometimes unsafe to be honest. Sometimes you'll find some architectural details inside worth saving, but not often. You will be doing a gut-rehab (tear it down to the guts and rebuild it from the inside). Naturally these houses don't cost as much as the custom homes.

I went in and saw the holes in the drywall or plaster. Several cabinets were missing in the kitchen and the late 50's decor was obvious there. The master bedroom (I'm using the term very loosely) had...I guess it was a closet as I didn't see any water piping for a bathroom had the half-stair. I know that sounds weird so lemme explain it. The stairs from the third floor attic came down to my chest. Below the stairs was a fairly solid piece of horizontal plywood, but to get to it would involve climbing onto this wobbly hunk of wood that might have been a chest at some time. Oh yeah, the stairs didn't have a full sized doorway, but a hole about 3 feet by 2 feet in size. Some would think it was too unsafe and you had to be insane to climb through that. 'Insane' is my middle name and don't you forget it.

The chest was very wobbly, but I got my knees onto the plywood shelf. I wrapped my hands around the doorjam and heaved myself onto the stairs and crawled up. The attic either suffered fire damages at some time or was covered in a lot of coal dust. Nearly everything was covered in black except the new lumber that framed the newly installed windows. With sidewalls about half the attic could be usable as something like an office or children's play area. The brick chimney was in the middle of everything. Most of the bricks seemed okay, except for one area in the middle that turned to dust when I touched it. The new windows were fixed. What a shame as they could catch a good breeze if they opened. I crawled down the stairway to the plywood shelf and wobbly chest.

I feel the house had potential, but if you built a two car garage in the yard you wouldn't have much yard left! So many people see old abandoned houses as eyesores. I see them as potential gems. A couple on that block could be made nice again if someone was willing to put in the effort. A interesting 3,000 square foot gem a few blocks down could be fabulous if I get a decent job. Even with a new garage plenty of yard would exist. I'm not telling you where it is as that one is mine!