Looking for a historic/older home

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The house belonged to an elderly couple. The husband was a doctor who passed away 2 years ago the wife moved to a senior care facility. The house was transferred to an entity who has no intention of keeping it or to renovate it. The exterior was recently painted before the listing. This home has a floor plan that flow well and packed with a lot of footage almost 5,000 sf. This house has 3 stories excluding a basement. With proper renovation this house could be restored to its former beauty. The previous expansion did not ruin this home. The attic rafters sustained water and possibly fungus damages over the years but does not appear to be structurally weakened. The simple front to back gable roof saved this house from water penetration the most damaging element for all vintage homes.



The formal rooms are very good size with ample ceiling height and good proportion. However all horizontal, vertical and ceiling surfaces need extensive cosmetic work. Kitchen was redone several decades ago and is crying for renovation. The yard and accessory structures also needed help as well. The rear is up against an 3 story office building monstrosity that will need a bamboo forest to shield the yard and house from the office view.



This house is not in a good defensible position because 3 adjoining commercial properties meant burglars with ladders could easily hop the wall and gain entry through the rear. It is easy to tell when the occupants are not home from surveillance at the rear.



This home has good potential but will need a big budget for renovation and additional cost for the rear yard.
 
[quote author="bkshopr" date=1249306177]The house belonged to an elderly couple. The husband was a doctor who passed away 2 years ago the wife moved to a senior care facility. The house was transferred to an entity who has no intention of keeping it or to renovate it. The exterior was recently painted before the listing. This home has a floor plan that flow well and packed with a lot of footage almost 5,000 sf. This house has 3 stories excluding a basement. With proper renovation this house could be restored to its former beauty. The previous expansion did not ruin this home. The attic rafters sustained water and possibly fungus damages over the years but does not appear to be structurally weakened. The simple front to back gable roof saved this house from water penetration the most damaging element for all vintage homes.



The formal rooms are very good size with ample ceiling height and good proportion. However all horizontal, vertical and ceiling surfaces need extensive cosmetic work. Kitchen was redone several decades ago and is crying for renovation. The yard and accessory structures also needed help as well. The rear is up against an 3 story office building monstrosity that will need a bamboo forest to shield the yard and house from the office view.



This house is not in a good defensible position because 3 adjoining commercial properties meant burglars with ladders could easily hop the wall and gain entry through the rear. It is easy to tell when the occupants are not home from surveillance at the rear.



This home has good potential but will need a big budget for renovation and additional cost for the rear yard.</blockquote>
Interesting...so given all this information, how much does this home end up selling for when the dust settles?
 
[quote author="usctrojanman29" date=1249307079][quote author="bkshopr" date=1249306177]The house belonged to an elderly couple. The husband was a doctor who passed away 2 years ago the wife moved to a senior care facility. The house was transferred to an entity who has no intention of keeping it or to renovate it. The exterior was recently painted before the listing. This home has a floor plan that flow well and packed with a lot of footage almost 5,000 sf. This house has 3 stories excluding a basement. With proper renovation this house could be restored to its former beauty. The previous expansion did not ruin this home. The attic rafters sustained water and possibly fungus damages over the years but does not appear to be structurally weakened. The simple front to back gable roof saved this house from water penetration the most damaging element for all vintage homes.



The formal rooms are very good size with ample ceiling height and good proportion. However all horizontal, vertical and ceiling surfaces need extensive cosmetic work. Kitchen was redone several decades ago and is crying for renovation. The yard and accessory structures also needed help as well. The rear is up against an 3 story office building monstrosity that will need a bamboo forest to shield the yard and house from the office view.



This house is not in a good defensible position because 3 adjoining commercial properties meant burglars with ladders could easily hop the wall and gain entry through the rear. It is easy to tell when the occupants are not home from surveillance at the rear.



This home has good potential but will need a big budget for renovation and additional cost for the rear yard.</blockquote>
Interesting...so given all this information, how much does this home end up selling for when the dust settles?</blockquote>


$200/sf at this point. Factoring in another $50/sf for renovation will bring the grand total to $250/sf for a house on Victoria. The site is not ideal backing up against the office properties and should be a negative premium. Because of the poor interior condition many may not be motivated emotionally thus allow them to make rational decision unlike the recent Ivy phenomenon. I suspect neighbors will likely be the one who most likely purchase this home. Outsiders do not understand the idiosyncrasy being on Victoria and having the imagination to visualize the potential of this home similar to recent similar size houses seen on home tours.



I think the current price is fair.
 
[quote author="bkshopr" date=1249311140][quote author="usctrojanman29" date=1249307079][quote author="bkshopr" date=1249306177]The house belonged to an elderly couple. The husband was a doctor who passed away 2 years ago the wife moved to a senior care facility. The house was transferred to an entity who has no intention of keeping it or to renovate it. The exterior was recently painted before the listing. This home has a floor plan that flow well and packed with a lot of footage almost 5,000 sf. This house has 3 stories excluding a basement. With proper renovation this house could be restored to its former beauty. The previous expansion did not ruin this home. The attic rafters sustained water and possibly fungus damages over the years but does not appear to be structurally weakened. The simple front to back gable roof saved this house from water penetration the most damaging element for all vintage homes.



The formal rooms are very good size with ample ceiling height and good proportion. However all horizontal, vertical and ceiling surfaces need extensive cosmetic work. Kitchen was redone several decades ago and is crying for renovation. The yard and accessory structures also needed help as well. The rear is up against an 3 story office building monstrosity that will need a bamboo forest to shield the yard and house from the office view.



This house is not in a good defensible position because 3 adjoining commercial properties meant burglars with ladders could easily hop the wall and gain entry through the rear. It is easy to tell when the occupants are not home from surveillance at the rear.



This home has good potential but will need a big budget for renovation and additional cost for the rear yard.</blockquote>
Interesting...so given all this information, how much does this home end up selling for when the dust settles?</blockquote>


$200/sf at this point. Factoring in another $50/sf for renovation will bring the grand total to $250/sf for a house on Victoria. The site is not ideal backing up against the office properties and should be a negative premium. Because of the poor interior condition many may not be motivated emotionally thus allow them to make rational decision unlike the recent Ivy phenomenon. I suspect neighbors will likely be the one who most likely purchase this home. Outsiders do not understand the idiosyncrasy being on Victoria and having the imagination to visualize the potential of this home similar to recent similar size houses seen on home tours.



I think the current price is fair.</blockquote>
Is there a flip opportunity with his home? e.g. if you put in $50-$60/sf in renovations and repairs, could you sell the home for around $300/sf? If so, let's pool up some IHB money and roll up our sleeves and get to work. ;)
 
<a href="http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/2019-N-Victoria-Dr-92706/album/index.html">What's that about no interior photos of 2019 Victoria?</a>



I went through some rooms twice so a few pictures are out of order.
 
<a href="http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/2225-N-Victoria-Dr-92706/album/index.html">And I did the Tara house (2225 Victoria) while I was at it.</a>



What on earth are the green fruits growing in the back? The ones I took close-ups of?
 
[quote author="caycifish" date=1249312711]<a href="http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/2225-N-Victoria-Dr-92706/album/index.html">And I did the Tara house (2225 Victoria) while I was at it.</a>



What on earth are the green fruits growing in the back? The ones I took close-ups of?</blockquote>
I especially dig the toilets, especially the pink one. haha
 
[quote author="caycifish" date=1249312263]<a href="http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/2019-N-Victoria-Dr-92706/album/index.html">What's that about no interior photos of 2019 Victoria?</a>



I went through some rooms twice so a few pictures are out of order.</blockquote>
It looks like some rooms and bathrooms are in very good condition while other areas of the home are screaming for some renovation work.
 
[quote author="bkshopr" date=1249306177]The attic rafters sustained water and possibly fungus damages over the years but does not appear to be structurally weakened. The simple front to back gable roof saved this house from water penetration the most damaging element for all vintage homes.</blockquote>


What did you make of the crack and bowing in the upstairs bathroom?



http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/2019-N-Victoria-Dr-92706/album/slides/IMG_5967.jpg



http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/2019-N-Victoria-Dr-92706/album/slides/IMG_5968.jpg



Typically when it looks like that... the big crack and serious bowing... it means that a leak from the pipes have caused the wood to soften up and when there is weight on it it will crack like that. But... it didn't feel soft... I was that kid in the adult sized body jumping up in down in the bathroom.



Anyway, we do agree on the $50 a sqft., as I told Cayci it would require about $200k of work, but I would want a $50k can of worm buffer after I saw the upstairs bathroom. This house has really great bones, and with the right contractor it could be a beauty of house. Especially if you could install a 40 foot high electrical fence in the back to... um... keep the squirrels away from the avocado tree you plan on planting there.



Oh... and when we were there, there were about 40 people there. One couple was Chinese, yes this cracker can understand most of the differences in the Asian languages, so I asked them why SA and not Irvine? They said Ivy sucks, bad feng shui and too many fours in the prices... plus we are not stupid, the costs to buy at Tamarisk or Andover make them a better financial decision. This home here in SA has real value, and will be good for many years, not fall apart like Ivy.
 
I agree the location being next to the office building was a huge negative. There were a few youths peering into the backyard when I was there. Has that side of the street had problems with break ins?
 
[quote author="tmare" date=1249226020]Funny story that illustrates the differences in the market today.



My in-laws received a knock on the door 3 years ago. A man wanted to purchase their Floral Park home (very similar to the one M80 posted). He offered 2 million cash and became extremely frustrated and angry with my father-in-law's insistence that it was not for sale. The one for sale now is on a street that is considered to be much more desirable and it is offered at 1.1 mil.</blockquote>


That type of situation (where somebody out of the blue offers way too much for a property, a business, a classic car, whatever, when you aren't even trying to sell it) is great, if you are willing to sell. They probably could have countered with $2.5 million and the guy would have taken it-he was clearly emotionally attached to the house. Of course, that's assuming you are willing to part with whatever it is, which your in-laws weren't.
 
[quote author="usctrojanman29" date=1249313112][quote author="caycifish" date=1249312711]<a href="http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/2225-N-Victoria-Dr-92706/album/index.html">And I did the Tara house (2225 Victoria) while I was at it.</a>



What on earth are the green fruits growing in the back? The ones I took close-ups of?</blockquote>
I especially dig the toilets, especially the pink one. haha</blockquote>


<a href="http://savethepinkbathrooms.com/">Save the pink bathroom! </a> You can re-do the mauve one, just not in Home Depot circa 2006 granite and dark wood.



Also, it appears that buying these homes is one thing, but there seem to be a problem with maintaining them. What's up with that? I can understand not having the time / ability / desire to do it yourself, but one would think that if you could afford the house, you should be able to afford to write a check to fix what's broken, too. Or is it that the owners just don't "see" where the house needs maintenance?



Please note that I am distinguishing between updating and maintenance. There are a whole generation of older folks who very justifiably believe that if something is still serviceable, it need not be replaced.
 
[quote author="EvaLSeraphim" date=1249338729][quote author="usctrojanman29" date=1249313112][quote author="caycifish" date=1249312711]<a href="http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/2225-N-Victoria-Dr-92706/album/index.html">And I did the Tara house (2225 Victoria) while I was at it.</a>



What on earth are the green fruits growing in the back? The ones I took close-ups of?</blockquote>
I especially dig the toilets, especially the pink one. haha</blockquote>


<a href="http://savethepinkbathrooms.com/">Save the pink bathroom! </a> You can re-do the mauve one, just not in Home Depot circa 2006 granite and dark wood.



Also, it appears that buying these homes is one thing, but there seem to be a problem with maintaining them. What's up with that? I can understand not having the time / ability / desire to do it yourself, but one would think that if you could afford the house, you should be able to afford to write a check to fix what's broken, too. Or is it that the owners just don't "see" where the house needs maintenance?



Please note that I am distinguishing between updating and maintenance. There are a whole generation of older folks who very justifiably believe that if something is still serviceable, it need not be replaced.</blockquote>


EvaL, I thought of you and that site when I saw the pink toilet.



I'm amazed that the kitchen appliances in both homes were still functioning. The choice to put in cream/beige marble all over the house regardless of whether it matched or not is a matter of taste. So is the orange carpet. I did point out to Graph that there seemed to be an emphasis on making the outside of the house look nice but not bother to fix issues inside. IE, what the Joneses don't know won't hurt them.



I asked about the partially painted blue wall in the Tara house. I was told that there was a plumbing issue many, many years ago that caused damage to the wallpaper on that wall, and that it has since been fixed. You can also see the discoloration where they didn't bother to try to cover it up on the other side of the wall in my photos. I will give the Tara house folks credit in that the carpet on the second story was all fluffy still, so at least they had bothered to maintain the floors.
 
[quote author="caycifish" date=1249312711]<a href="http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/2225-N-Victoria-Dr-92706/album/index.html">And I did the Tara house (2225 Victoria) while I was at it.</a>



What on earth are the green fruits growing in the back? The ones I took close-ups of?</blockquote>


I believe the tree is a Osage Orange (also known as hedge, hedge-apple, bodark, bois-d'are, bowwood and naranjo chino). It was planted in thicket-like hedge rows before the advent of barbed wire fences. The branch wood was used by the Osage Indians for making bows and is stronger than oak and as tough as hickory. A yellow-orange dye is also extracted from the wood and is used as a substitute for fustic and aniline dyes in arts and industry.
 
[quote author="graphrix" date=1249313885][quote author="bkshopr" date=1249306177]The attic rafters sustained water and possibly fungus damages over the years but does not appear to be structurally weakened. The simple front to back gable roof saved this house from water penetration the most damaging element for all vintage homes.</blockquote>


What did you make of the crack and bowing in the upstairs bathroom?



http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/2019-N-Victoria-Dr-92706/album/slides/IMG_5967.jpg



http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/2019-N-Victoria-Dr-92706/album/slides/IMG_5968.jpg



Typically when it looks like that... the big crack and serious bowing... it means that a leak from the pipes have caused the wood to soften up and when there is weight on it it will crack like that. But... it didn't feel soft... I was that kid in the adult sized body jumping up in down in the bathroom.



.</blockquote>


In most vintage homes small hexagonal floor tiles were used because of the floor deflection caused by several people standing in the bathroom. The hexagon mosaic tiles disguised and controlled the hairline cracks along the zig zag edges of the tiles unlike the straight crack line along a larger tile depicted in the photos. No floor is perfectly flat and leveled therefore the smaller tiles negotiate warped surface better than larger tiles.



When the floor was redone several decades ago the installer probably the homeowner did not have the understanding of floor movement and laid the tile known as thin set right over the floor without preparing the floor with a proper substrate consisting of a monolithic mortar bed of light weight concrete. The idea is to spread the liveload forces over the entire floor causing the entire bathroom floor to settle rather than to deflect at the weakest point of the beam causing tiles to pop or crack.



Bathroom weight varies daily. A tubful of water plus the occupants could add 800 pounds to the floor and that is enough to cause deflection. If the floor was damaged due to water related issue then the ceiling of the room directly below should display evidents of staining and warpage.



Don't invite IHO to your home or restrict him to the powder room downstairs.
 
[quote author="Mcdonna1980" date=1249348260]Vlad, did you get a chance to tour Fullerton this weekend? If so, I'd be interested to hear what you liked and disliked.</blockquote>
I didn't get a chance to check out Fullerton. Actually, we were just really lazy this weekend. My wife also needs a little convincing to go check out Fullerton, she really doesn't want to see any of her current or former students outside of school. I can totally understand that, I don't even like seeing most of my coworkers outside of work.



We did drive around Tustin a little more and had lunch at Rutabegorz in Old Town Tustin. I got an enormous garlic chicken salad!
 
[quote author="Vlad" date=1249359855][quote author="Mcdonna1980" date=1249348260]Vlad, did you get a chance to tour Fullerton this weekend? If so, I'd be interested to hear what you liked and disliked.</blockquote>
I didn't get a chance to check out Fullerton. Actually, we were just really lazy this weekend. My wife also needs a little convincing to go check out Fullerton, she really doesn't want to see any of her current or former students outside of school. I can totally understand that, I don't even like seeing most of my coworkers outside of work.



We did drive around Tustin a little more and had lunch at Rutabegorz in Old Town Tustin. I got an enormous garlic chicken salad!</blockquote>


Yum, I'm going to have to check out Rutabegorz. I love garlic. About the running into student thing. I wonder how likely that is? I would say I ran into the people in the apartment across from me a total of 5 times in the last 3 years. Does she teach at one of the home schools in the historic neighborhoods? I can kind of understand where you are coming from. I'm paranoid about joining Facebook thinking my boss will try and add me as a "friend".
 
[quote author="Mcdonna1980" date=1249370641][quote author="Vlad" date=1249359855][quote author="Mcdonna1980" date=1249348260]Vlad, did you get a chance to tour Fullerton this weekend? If so, I'd be interested to hear what you liked and disliked.</blockquote>
I didn't get a chance to check out Fullerton. Actually, we were just really lazy this weekend. My wife also needs a little convincing to go check out Fullerton, she really doesn't want to see any of her current or former students outside of school. I can totally understand that, I don't even like seeing most of my coworkers outside of work.



We did drive around Tustin a little more and had lunch at Rutabegorz in Old Town Tustin. I got an enormous garlic chicken salad!</blockquote>


Yum, I'm going to have to check out Rutabegorz. I love garlic. About the running into student thing. I wonder how likely that is? I would say I ran into the people in the apartment across from me a total of 5 times in the last 3 years. Does she teach at one of the home schools in the historic neighborhoods? I can kind of understand where you are coming from. I'm paranoid about joining Facebook thinking my boss will try and add me as a "friend".</blockquote>


I guess it bears repeating again. My husband and I both teach in the same city that we live in. You'd be surprised how seldom we actually run into any of our students. From time to time, we encounter our or former students' parents at their place of work and they are always extremely kind and respectful (they also offer us discounts and freebies sometimes). It really isn't an issue for us. In fact it is kind of nice to have a vested interest in your own community as a teacher.
 
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