Unfortunately we aren’t buying this beauty (I wish). The other day after my haircut I thought I’d drive down Jefferson Ave. (a street in Ogden that has some incredibly hugh old homes and in the past few years undergone some major rehabilitation), and couldn’t believe my eyes. There have been numerous houses on this street over the years that I’ve entertained the idea of buying with the cost ranging from $225,000 for a dump to $698,000 for the house that’s actually just to the south of this one (it’s fully restored and anywhere else in the US would be double to triple that).
Last night I took Susan and the kids on a drive by after dinner to see it (Susan made me take the above photos). But there are major reasons I wouldn’t want to live on Jefferson and thus why this house is not going to be ours. One, it’s in a ghetto, and I mean ghetto. Prostitution, drugs, crime, is all within walking distance (granted we only live 10 or less blocks away right now from this house). Jefferson Ave itself is really beautiful and there are now only 2-3 house on the street that look as bad as this one; everything else is restored to it’s former beauty. I’m sure as time passes other parts of the neighborhood will improve, but how do you get over the fact that right now it’s scary and you fear for you family’s safety? Dang it. I’ve always wanted to live in a victorian beast. This house probably has more rooms and space than we have need or would ever have need for. I was joking with Susan that we could all have our own bedrooms plus our own offices. I really do wish I was braver. I’ll probably never get a chance to buy a victorian restoration project for the price of dirt again.
Let’s get it!! Every Sunday when we lived above the bakery on 25th we’d pass these old houses. I remember saying the same thing to James and just wishing. The church we went to isn’t even there now and a lot has changed, but again, not enough to want to let your kids run up and down the sidewalks on their bikes. I wonder is you could haul the house to the field to the south of us. We could be neighbors!!!! Do it Marc!
03.21.10 at 2:13 pm