06/23/09, 12:18 PM
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Central New York State
Posts: 5,694
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Vet
Read the offer very carefully. Any money that comes from the Government has strings attached to it.
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This statement is absolutely correct. I have dealt with SHPO for properties owned by non-profits and the rules and regulations cause the renovations to exceed the property value every time. One property required almost $200,000 in renovations and ended up being worth about $90,000. Of course, it was probably worth $80,000 before the renovations! 
Anytime one dime of government money is used to fund a project, all lead and asbestos must be mitigated from the property. Any structure built prior to the 1960's is going to have lead and/or asbestos present. SHPO will only grant money if the property is deemed to be historic. This title can be bestowed if something is significant architecturally or if it was the site of an event (i.e. George Washington slept here). It can also be betowed if some politician has an axe to grind or if enough people create a ruckus. The designation lasts forever.
Once it is deemed to be a historic landmark, you are no longer allowed to do what you want with the property. Want to erect a fence? The fence must be pre-approved and be in keeping with the character of the style of the property and use materials that would have been used at that time. (Wrought iron and wooden replica fencing all cost an arm and a leg!) Replacement windows are even more of a hassle! Every repair that you make after the property is labeled a landmark will cost 10 times more than if you just went ahead and did the repairs without a grant. While you may get a grant once to help with the barn, you are unlikely to get a grant to help with any later repairs, but the agency (SHPO) will always be there to tell you how to spend your money and won't let you modify the original footprint of the building (i.e. add on to the building).
For that reason, I would never want to own a historic landmark in New York State... There are too many people looking over your shoulder trying to tell you what to do and how to do it. That much government intervention seems to go against the reasons why most people homestead.
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