Every Little Thing

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

And he came early this year for me. I just found out that one of my co-worker agents bought the house across the street from where I live. The link at the bottom of this posting will take you to the picture of this house and the accomanying post.

That house across the street has been an eyesore and a symbol of what inner city Wilmington is coming to. Old houses, usually owned by absentee landlords (Wilmington is 50% rentals), sit empty collecting cockroaches and squatters. They continue to deteriorate and sometimes sit there for years.

Then someone comes along (probably not from around here) and sees the potential in this diamond in the rough and makes the decision (from the heart and not the head) to renovate the home and bring it back to its glorious roots.

Another scenario is that someone comes along, buys it for a song because it is a piece of crap but essentially solid, puts a bit of money and sweat equity in it and becomes the next landlord to own it.

Yet another scenario is that someone buys it, moves into it as is and it remains an eyesore only this time with the added bonus of brightly colored toys strewn about the yard and punctuated by weekly shouting matches between significant others in the front yard. This is the worst case scenario. There is no landlord to complain to and the eyesore has just become an earsore also.

The last scenario is the one that has become my early Christmas present. Granted, it is not the optimum solution because the time for restoration has long since gone. But in this case it is the best that can be hoped for. The house will be torn down and a new, nice little ranch will replace it. Yes it will be rented but so are several others on the street that are owned by the same person.

So yes, Virginia, there are still some signs of life in this small town. It seems to have lost its way when it comes to a sense of pride in its appearance, but where there is life there is hope.

Merry Christmas and Happy Halloween.

http://housecents.blogspot.com/2007/09/being-for-benefit-of-mr-kite.html