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End of the Line for the New England, Berkshire & Western?

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  • Member since
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  • From: Maryland
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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Saturday, January 12, 2019 6:50 PM

So Brent, I had some of the current details wrong, but the overal result is about the same as it applies to our situation.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by BATMAN on Saturday, January 12, 2019 7:03 PM

BigDaddy
I would have to take an eskimo walk in the woods before I did that. 

Actually, they go sit out on the ice flows and wait for the next Polar Bear.Dinner

I agree wholeheartedly about the old geezer's facility, no thanks. I have been careful to observe those that came and went before me, none of them that surrendered to the old folks home did well, it was a short stay. 

My family still shows a somewhat hearty side displayed by the family pioneers of the past. I use to backpack into the mountains, even in the middle of Winter. I think I will put all terrain tires on my scooter if I ever need one and head into the Rockies. Won't be a Polar bear, but maybe a Grizzly.Laugh

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

  • Member since
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  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
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Posted by BATMAN on Saturday, January 12, 2019 7:28 PM

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

So Brent, I had some of the current details wrong, but the overal result is about the same as it applies to our situation.

Sheldon

 

Close enough.

Do you have old houses that are designated "heritage houses?"

My Brother-in-law bought two houses designated heritage houses side by side about thirty years ago and has not done that well as far as increasing value of the properties. He is regretting the move I am sure. He is so limited on what can be done with them, fewer and fewer people would be interested in buying a house with such restraints. He has fixed them up nicely but it is two heritage houses surrounded by modern development.

We have a saying up here in Vancouver. "if you ever leave you can never afford to come back". Real estate prices are so high that in Vancouver proper, 2 million CA will get you the dumpiest place in town.

In 1960 my parents bought a brand new house outside of Vancouver for $16.000.00. I noticed it sold for just over 2 million not long ago. In 1960 it was a nice new middle-class home in a nice new subdivision. The area is still really nice but the house is old and will likely be bulldozed in the near future.

My kids are resigned to the fact they won't be living in the Vancouver area. My son will if he continues on in the movie biz, but then he will make enough doing so. A decent house will cost you 3 million. That's $20,000.00 a month mortgage payment. Only New Zealand where our friend Bear lives is more expensive.

 

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

  • Member since
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  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Saturday, January 12, 2019 7:56 PM

BATMAN

 

 
ATLANTIC CENTRAL

So Brent, I had some of the current details wrong, but the overal result is about the same as it applies to our situation.

Sheldon

 

 

 

Close enough.

Do you have old houses that are designated "heritage houses?"

My Brother-in-law bought two houses designated heritage houses side by side about thirty years ago and has not done that well as far as increasing value of the properties. He is regretting the move I am sure. He is so limited on what can be done with them, fewer and fewer people would be interested in buying a house with such restraints. He has fixed them up nicely but it is two heritage houses surrounded by modern development.

We have a saying up here in Vancouver. "if you ever leave you can never afford to come back". Real estate prices are so high that in Vancouver proper, 2 million CA will get you the dumpiest place in town.

In 1960 my parents bought a brand new house outside of Vancouver for $16.000.00. I noticed it sold for just over 2 million not long ago. In 1960 it was a nice new middle-class home in a nice new subdivision. The area is still really nice but the house is old and will likely be bulldozed in the near future.

My kids are resigned to the fact they won't be living in the Vancouver area. My son will if he continues on in the movie biz, but then he will make enough doing so. A decent house will cost you 3 million. That's $20,000.00 a month mortgage payment. Only New Zealand where our friend Bear lives is more expensive.

 

 

The short answer is no, no "heritage houses".

But the detailed truth is complex.

The Federal Government has the National Register of Historic Places, which does help homeowners protect their property from outside forces that would damage its historic setting, but believe it or not, private properties on that register are not protected from change or even demolition by their owners unless they take federal grant money, which is seldom available. Why, because of States Rights and personal sovereighty of property ownership.

THEN, the next level is historic recognition at a State or Local Government level. This varies greatly from State to State, remember in many ways we are still 50 little countries..... But generally, homeowners have to agree to such listing, and that does usually come with both restrictions and tax benifits.

Then, on the town or county level, local governments can impower historic preservation commissions, with very strict rules. But these require nearly unanimous homeowner approval to create from scratch. So where they already exist, they have power, not many new ones being created....

Our house is not on any such lists or registers, or under any such control.

BUT, our zoning is a special "histoic presevation" zoning for the whole village, which does provide benifits to those who choose to keep their houses more original.

23 years ago we were able to rebuild the missing turret on our house without an exception dispite newer height restrictions for residential construction. And no one questioned rebuilding the porch with the same 28" railing it was built with in 1901.

We had similar benifits just two years ago working on another old house. Part of our nearby town of Havre de Grace is a National Register Historic Distric, and the town controls their own building permit process. So we were allowed to keep all sorts of stuff that would not meet current codes even though some parts of the bulding needed major reconstruction. Notice lack of railings on the porch. We have proof it never had any.

That was this property:

This house, now restored is worth about 1.3 million here. It has a view of the Chesapeake Bay headwaters and the Susquehanna River from that porch gazebo.

Not anything like Vancouver prices......

They paid $400,000. The restoration cost about $500,000

Sheldon 

 

 

    

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Posted by BATMAN on Saturday, January 12, 2019 8:02 PM

Beautiful home Sheldon. I have always liked front porches even on modern homes.. Something about sitting out front with the guitar even on a rainy day.

You said once your house was on a TV show. What's it called? It's may be on You-Tube. Would like to see that tour.

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Saturday, January 12, 2019 8:08 PM

BATMAN

Beautiful home Sheldon. I have always liked front porches even on modern homes.. Something about sitting out front with the guitar even on a rainy day.

You said once your house was on a TV show. What's it called? It's may be on You-Tube. Would like to see that tour.

 

Our house was on Restore America, a show on HGTV in the early 2000's. I would have to look up the info. We have it on video cassette, I have no idea if it is on the web anywhere.

It was very short segment done with still photos. They wanted us for their live action feature house, but we could not be here for their shooting schedule in this area.

So it was my 6 minutes of fame.....

Sheldon 

 

    

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Posted by BigDaddy on Saturday, January 12, 2019 9:03 PM

In Annapolis, there was a court battle over of plastic trellis at a home in the historic district, locally nicknamed the hysterical district.

I've seen Sheldon's house a couple times.  And it is lovely.

This was granddaddy's house.  Admittedly a weird design.  Built by a bootlegger at around $60K and bought at discount by my grandfather when the owner went to prison.  He died too young, as the treatment for hypertension back then was a rice diet. 

We have a film of my uncle's bar mitzvah in 1937.  The basement had beautiful brick walls and people were literally drinking like fish and smoking like steam engines.  Freshman year in college had nothing on those folks.

As harsh as it sounds, my grandmother sold when an Afro American doctor moved in a couple houses away.  This house was turned into apartments at some point.  It looks like someone has restored it and from it's nader.  

In 2008 it sold for $371,000

In 2012 Fannie Mae (a US govt mortgage firm)  sold it for $163,000  9000 square feet and a view of a lake (reservoir.)  That tells you all you need to know about the neighborhood.

In the 30's to early 1950's it was the place to live and send your kids to public school.  Now not so much.  My grandmother made the right decision.

Somewhere there is a picture of me as an infant in or outside the house, I do not remember it or more than a single snapshot memory of my grandfather. 

If I could find it, maybe I would break my Baltimore ban and knock on their door with my metal detector.  Family history has it that grandfather buried gold coins in Prince Albert tobacco cans in the tomato garden.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Saturday, January 12, 2019 9:32 PM

BigDaddy

In Annapolis, there was a court battle over of plastic trellis at a home in the historic district, locally nicknamed the hysterical district.

I've seen Sheldon's house a couple times.  And it is lovely.

This was granddaddy's house.  Admittedly a weird design.  Built by a bootlegger at around $60K and bought at discount by my grandfather when the owner went to prison.  He died too young, as the treatment for hypertension back then was a rice diet. 

We have a film of my uncle's bar mitzvah in 1937.  The basement had beautiful brick walls and people were literally drinking like fish and smoking like steam engines.  Freshman year in college had nothing on those folks.

As harsh as it sounds, my grandmother sold when an Afro American doctor moved in a couple houses away.  This house was turned into apartments at some point.  It looks like someone has restored it and from it's nader.  

In 2008 it sold for $371,000

In 2012 Fannie Mae (a US govt mortgage firm)  sold it for $163,000  9000 square feet and a view of a lake (reservoir.)  That tells you all you need to know about the neighborhood.

In the 30's to early 1950's it was the place to live and send your kids to public school.  Now not so much.  My grandmother made the right decision.

Somewhere there is a picture of me as an infant in or outside the house, I do not remember it or more than a single snapshot memory of my grandfather. 

If I could find it, maybe I would break my Baltimore ban and knock on their door with my metal detector.  Family history has it that grandfather buried gold coins in Prince Albert tobacco cans in the tomato garden.

 

Henry,

I know where that house is, 3000 Powhatan Ave in west Baltimore, at the corner of Powhatan and Hilton, across the street from the Lake Ashburton reservior. The neighborhood is called Forest Park.

I don't know how that neighborhood is these days, but many of those neighborhoods have come back somewhat, some a lot. Still lots of wonderfiul old houses - if you can live in the city.....

Yes, in the day, that was serious upper middle class territory......

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Saturday, January 12, 2019 9:55 PM

By the way, thanks to both Henry and Brent for their kind words about my previous home and my work.

It is a privilege to earn a living doing something that you love.

Sheldon 

    

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: west coast
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Posted by rrebell on Saturday, January 12, 2019 10:05 PM

BATMAN

 

 
ATLANTIC CENTRAL

So Brent, I had some of the current details wrong, but the overal result is about the same as it applies to our situation.

Sheldon

 

 

 

Close enough.

Do you have old houses that are designated "heritage houses?"

My Brother-in-law bought two houses designated heritage houses side by side about thirty years ago and has not done that well as far as increasing value of the properties. He is regretting the move I am sure. He is so limited on what can be done with them, fewer and fewer people would be interested in buying a house with such restraints. He has fixed them up nicely but it is two heritage houses surrounded by modern development.

We have a saying up here in Vancouver. "if you ever leave you can never afford to come back". Real estate prices are so high that in Vancouver proper, 2 million CA will get you the dumpiest place in town.

In 1960 my parents bought a brand new house outside of Vancouver for $16.000.00. I noticed it sold for just over 2 million not long ago. In 1960 it was a nice new middle-class home in a nice new subdivision. The area is still really nice but the house is old and will likely be bulldozed in the near future.

My kids are resigned to the fact they won't be living in the Vancouver area. My son will if he continues on in the movie biz, but then he will make enough doing so. A decent house will cost you 3 million. That's $20,000.00 a month mortgage payment. Only New Zealand where our friend Bear lives is more expensive.

 

 

Very reasonable, houses were I used to live avg. $2,660.000 Cad and in Palo Alto, close by they avg. $3,730,650. A realy nice area is more like $5,550,000 Cad. That is for average.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Saturday, January 12, 2019 10:13 PM

rrebell

 

 
BATMAN

 

 
ATLANTIC CENTRAL

So Brent, I had some of the current details wrong, but the overal result is about the same as it applies to our situation.

Sheldon

 

 

 

Close enough.

Do you have old houses that are designated "heritage houses?"

My Brother-in-law bought two houses designated heritage houses side by side about thirty years ago and has not done that well as far as increasing value of the properties. He is regretting the move I am sure. He is so limited on what can be done with them, fewer and fewer people would be interested in buying a house with such restraints. He has fixed them up nicely but it is two heritage houses surrounded by modern development.

We have a saying up here in Vancouver. "if you ever leave you can never afford to come back". Real estate prices are so high that in Vancouver proper, 2 million CA will get you the dumpiest place in town.

In 1960 my parents bought a brand new house outside of Vancouver for $16.000.00. I noticed it sold for just over 2 million not long ago. In 1960 it was a nice new middle-class home in a nice new subdivision. The area is still really nice but the house is old and will likely be bulldozed in the near future.

My kids are resigned to the fact they won't be living in the Vancouver area. My son will if he continues on in the movie biz, but then he will make enough doing so. A decent house will cost you 3 million. That's $20,000.00 a month mortgage payment. Only New Zealand where our friend Bear lives is more expensive.

 

 

 

 

Very reasonable, houses were I used to live avg. $2,660.000 Cad and in Palo Alto, close by they avg. $3,730,650. A realy nice area is more like $5,550,000 Cad. That is for average.

 

 

Staying right here looks better all the time..........

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
  • 9,352 posts
Posted by BATMAN on Saturday, January 12, 2019 10:16 PM

rrebell
Very reasonable, houses were I used to live avg. $2,660.000 Cad and in Palo Alto, close by they avg. $3,730,650. A realy nice area is more like $5,550,000 Cad. That is for average.

The 3.7m is about what I would get for my place, but I am an hour SE of Vancouver in the sticks.

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, January 13, 2019 8:27 AM

ATLANTIC CENTRAL
Staying right here looks better all the time..........

.

Yes, I 100% agree. I am going to stay right here also. This place looks great, and even better now.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: west coast
  • 7,667 posts
Posted by rrebell on Sunday, January 13, 2019 10:19 AM

BigDaddy

In Annapolis, there was a court battle over of plastic trellis at a home in the historic district, locally nicknamed the hysterical district.

I've seen Sheldon's house a couple times.  And it is lovely.

This was granddaddy's house.  Admittedly a weird design.  Built by a bootlegger at around $60K and bought at discount by my grandfather when the owner went to prison.  He died too young, as the treatment for hypertension back then was a rice diet. 

We have a film of my uncle's bar mitzvah in 1937.  The basement had beautiful brick walls and people were literally drinking like fish and smoking like steam engines.  Freshman year in college had nothing on those folks.

As harsh as it sounds, my grandmother sold when an Afro American doctor moved in a couple houses away.  This house was turned into apartments at some point.  It looks like someone has restored it and from it's nader.  

In 2008 it sold for $371,000

In 2012 Fannie Mae (a US govt mortgage firm)  sold it for $163,000  9000 square feet and a view of a lake (reservoir.)  That tells you all you need to know about the neighborhood.

In the 30's to early 1950's it was the place to live and send your kids to public school.  Now not so much.  My grandmother made the right decision.

Somewhere there is a picture of me as an infant in or outside the house, I do not remember it or more than a single snapshot memory of my grandfather. 

If I could find it, maybe I would break my Baltimore ban and knock on their door with my metal detector.  Family history has it that grandfather buried gold coins in Prince Albert tobacco cans in the tomato garden.

 

Wow, people like your grandmother made me my fortune. Back in the day, people would move a person of color into an all white neigborhood and most of the white people would leave called blockbusting. Got my start with what they called reverse blockbusting but it was a different as it was the poor in general who were fleeing (gentrification they call it now). Our group had the invite to participate in a this old house type show back in the 70's but we were all too busy and none of us saw a future doing this, boy were we wrong but then again only This old house made it, in those early days and our specialty was renovation, not restoration, though I learned to re-cove ceilings and cast replacement plaster, repair stained glass windows, repair intricate floors ect. etc.

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Posted by E-L man tom on Sunday, January 13, 2019 1:14 PM

Please excuse my ignorance, but is the NEB&W that famed model railroad on the campus of Rennselaer Polytechnical Institute (RPI). As a former upstate New Yorker (Catskill Mt. area), I have read and heard much about that layout. If so. that, to me, is a shocker. I would have thought that, especially being a renowned engineering school, that they would have had it made, as far as permanency is concerned.

Tom Modeling the free-lanced Toledo Erie Central switching layout.
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Posted by BRAKIE on Sunday, January 13, 2019 1:33 PM

E-L man tom
lease excuse my ignorance, but is the NEB&W that famed model railroad on the campus of Rennselaer Polytechnical Institute (RPI). As a former upstate New Yorker (Catskill Mt. area), I have read and heard much about that layout. If so. that, to me, is a shocker.

Yes, all to sadly that's the one that was featured in MR some years ago.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


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