house outside of Lansing

So, tomorrow after work, we're going to go look at this house:



Go here to look at pics of the interior.

It's a foreclosure and has been sitting for at least a year. When the company that the bank hired came and cleaned it out, they threw away some of the original woodwork and doors. It's selling for $39,900.

It's located in Charlotte, Mi, the county seat of Eaton County. Here's the county courthouse, just a couple blocks down the street:



It has a large back yard with an old water pump (Carl says that the well is most likely dry, but you never know)-- sits on about .3 acres. It has over 3000 square feet, not counting the basement and attic, and the previous owners where in the process of developing it into three apartments.

It has a hot water heat system which might have blown pipes and there's no telling the state of the electrical. The huge pine tree out front obscures most of the house and really should go. The roof looks okay for now, but the carved fascia needs painting.

If it's not sold soon, it'll get torn down.

I'm playing with ideas of crowd-source funding it and renting the apartments or even rooms to folks who need inexpensive housing. What think you? Might there be an interest?

I was thinking that it would make a pre' amazing youth hostel or boarding house, too. Maybe a cooperative? I was also thinking that we could offer free housing to people who would work on it for a year -- kindof a restorer's internship.

Here it is on Google Maps:


View 423 W Lawrence Ave in a larger map