Your opinion of this fixer upper property....

[TedH71]

It's being offered for $30k or OBO. I'm thinking of trying $20k cash. It doesn't have a/c but am thinking a swamp cooler would work in the dry central Texas area. Most of the sidings are dry rotted as well as the wooden front porch. You can't see it from the photos. I do have more photos that I took myself. It has a meter hook up and water hookups although I took a picture of something hooked up to the water system looked like a fat propane bottle. The house was apparently seized by the cops bec the former tenants grew pot in the closets. The house is painted red, dark blue, and black inside on all walls. Very junky in the backyard. I am debating whether to jack the house up higher and remodelling it or just have it razed down and buy a used mobile. Wood underneath the house is in good shape and no termites. My opinion is that the back add on needs to go. What are yall opinions on it? It's located at Taylor, Texas and very cheap considering most property goes for $100k or more. It's located very rural and private driveway.

Http://austin.craigslist.org/rfs/149507660.html/

[TedH71]

Seems the Craigslist post was removed. I can post pics but am unsure how to do so since I can only send photos from my Sidekick but not post the pics directly. Can anyone post the pics if I was to email them?

[Boleyz]

Go to www.photobucket.com and open a free account. You can upload your pics there, and then copy and paste the [IMG.../IMG] url into your post here. When someone opens your post here, the picture will appear. It's very simple to use.

[marvella]

without seeing it, make a low ball offer on the value of the land only, thinking of the house as a liability on the land.

[TedH71]

Would $20k be considered a lowball sum? I was thinking of getting a loan for $40k and $20k offer and if taken then use the remaining to remodel the house. The guy also offered $3k down and $246 per month for 15 years or $216 per month for 20 years. I can't download the pics to photobucket because the pics can be sent by email format only and is in my Sidekick which is an email pager thingy.......

[Wolf Flower]

Originally Posted by TedH71

Would $20k be considered a lowball sum?

And to think I just bought a "fixer upper" in California for $340K... and thought that was a steal! I'd say $20K is pretty lowball. Hahahaha.

Don't think you can do all the needed repairs for $20K, though, unless you plan on doing all the labor yourself. I haven't seen the property so I'm just guessing, but things always cost more than you think and they always take longer than you think.

I haven't had the heart to go add it all up but I figure I've already spent $15K on my fixer, and I haven't put fences up or dealt with the floors yet, and I haven't touched the garage.

[TedH71]

Biggest problem is the junk...in the backyard and inside the house. They just left everything scattered and in the yard there's 2 dead truck and car. There's also a good looking cistern. Unbelievable amount of metal junk...and on the falling down building in the back is tons of old drywall. Looks liek it used to be a garage at some point but since it was made of wood it's falling apart due to dry rot. I'm gonna find out how much it would cost to rent 2 50 foot dumpsters. How much would it cost to have someone who's an electrician to check the wiring? Ballpark quotes please.

[Tabitha]

Remember the Nearings, Helen and Scott? Well, they advised against fixer upper houses. they did both, bought an old house they had to redo an d lived 15 years in, and later built a new house of stone. I guess they knew what they were talking about.

[wncramsey]

just a / too many

http://austin.craigslist.org/rfs/149507660.html

[KindredSpirit]

Unless the land alone is worth the $20,000.00 I would spend a few hundred and have a home inspection done and see what you are up against. Then you will know about how much it will cost to fix it up. Doesn't look bad from the pic, building looks pretty straight, but you can't tell much from looking at a picture. The pond and the land look pretty nice!

[FolioMark]

Sure does look like a pretty piece of ground and a nice pond. House is plain as dirt but looks solid enough in the picture. Is it a cement block house? Roof looks okay to me. Once you got it shoveled out and the junk hauled which shouldnt cost an arm and a leg, it shouldnt be too hard to make it liveable. It doesnt need to be fancy. Fix the electricity and get a basic bathroom and you could go on from there. Id make the offer of 20K and be willing to come up a bit , if you can get a bank loan for under his financing offer of 8.5. You could do better at the bank if the house is in fairly decent shape. Good luck with it.

[chickflick]

Sorry, to tell you my dear.. .BUT.. you should check this for SPECIFICS.. but that entire area is future development for an enormous 6 or 8 road expressway. One for autos, one for trucks, rail, etc. I can't remember the name of the website or the projects name, but I'll look for it. Something to do w/ "corrider highway"??? Darn.. I hate it when my mind goes! (Their 'excuse' is to ease traffic on I-35 from N/S Texas/Mexico.) My son has been at a college in Georgetown for several years and I have made many trips, but on the last several, I've seen a lot of BEAUTIFUL acreage for sale - even riverfront- and been tempted to call. My last place ran me off w/power lines.. so??? ALWAYS check on the future development when the deal seems too good to be true!
I hope this is not the case for you and your particular property..... but if you'll drive along Hwy 29 between Georgetown and Taylor.. you'll see what I mean. I can't fathom THAT many places being for sale w/o a GOOD reason!!

EDIT: Here I found this, but the better site is one by a citizens group. I'll keep looking, but in the meantime:
http://www.keeptexasmoving.com/flash...nteractive.htm

[TedH71]

I'm deaf so I could care less about the highway. In that area is a state park that's so overrun with feral hogs that they run into front yards at night and hog hunting with dogs is my thing

No that stone facade is poorly put together..up close it's a bad job. All the stones are in different sizes and not even. Bad cement job. I was thinking yanking all that and putting new insulation then putting up cement sidings..don't know what they're called. I've worked with this type of siding and nothing eats it, lol. I am gonna do more research and look into house inspection. Hadn't thought of looking into it. Thanks!

[fordy]

Originally Posted by TedH71

Would $20k be considered a lowball sum? I was thinking of getting a loan for $40k and $20k offer and if taken then use the remaining to remodel the house. The guy also offered $3k down and $246 per month for 15 years or $216 per month for 20 years. I can't download the pics to photobucket because the pics can be sent by email format only and is in my Sidekick which is an email pager thingy.......

...........If , you decide to make an offer , be sure and Include contingencie(s) to cover Unmarked\UNdesignated ROway's , polluted well water or anything else you can thinkl Of . You should really have the water tested before making an offer . fordy...

[fordy]

Originally Posted by TedH71

I'm deaf so I could care less about the highway. In that area is a state park that's so overrun with feral hogs that they run into front yards at night and hog hunting with dogs is my thing

No that stone facade is poorly put together..up close it's a bad job. All the stones are in different sizes and not even. Bad cement job. I was thinking yanking all that and putting new insulation then putting up cement sidings..don't know what they're called. I've worked with this type of siding and nothing eats it, lol. I am gonna do more research and look into house inspection. Hadn't thought of looking into it. Thanks!

..................Noise is NOT the ISSUE!!!! They may TAKE the Property to build this NEW highway... fordy...

[chickflick]

Originally Posted by TedH71

I'm deaf so I could care less about the highway. In that area is a state park that's so overrun with feral hogs that they run into front yards at night and hog hunting with dogs is my thing

I am gonna do more research and look into house inspection. Hadn't thought of looking into it. Thanks!

TED.. I'm not talking about your comfort or likes... I'm telling you this so you don't loose your *ss! This is NOT just A highway.. It is a Quarter Mile WIDE superhighway. Now... check the map and make your decisions. From what I've seen and what you said, if you are east of Hwy. 95 it appears to be free from the corrider... but one never knows. The path could change before it's all done. Good luck!!

[headwaters]

Originally Posted by fordy

Noise is NOT the ISSUE!!!! They may TAKE the Property to build this NEW highway

Quite. The change in air quality would be a major factor for me in making a decision to roost some place close to a proposed super highway.

Just eyeballing it seems that land is going to take a lot of work if you want to grow anything in/on it. The problem is: you're going to be so busy hauling off the scrap, trash, and that wreck of a house you're likely to be too tired to work on your garden.

I always liked this advice about buying a new place (from Gene GeRue, and I paraphrase):

Look at lots and lots of places. Endless numbers of places. When you've seen everything there is to see, list the ten best properties you visited from best to worst. Buy the next place you like better than the property you listed at #1.

[TedH71]

Thanks for the advice. I hadn't thought about the superhighway and the air quality issues. Will do more research.....