Friday Fix! Historic Homes 25K or Less!

Well we know everyone is out shopping, so why not shop for your next restoration project? It's Friday Fix and another sampling of Midwest historic homes priced at 25K or less!

129 Kaster is short sale in Dayton Ohio. A delightful brick cottage that we think would benefit by opening up the front porch and changing the exterior paint colors. Its bigger than it looks and has 3 bedroom and 1 bath and is priced at an amazing 7500.00. Did you notice that wrought iron fence out front?

More info: 129 Kaster

219 15th street is in Logansport Indiana is a large 4 bedroom 1 1/2 bath home with great free classic designed front porch. Its priced at only 19,900. This house needs restoration but is solid and could be lived in during restore

More Info: 219 15TH St, Logansport

436 Lillie St is in Chillicothe Ohio and is priced at 22,500. 3Bedrooms, 1 bath and a generous size lot. I suspect under that vinyl is some good clapboards and would be quite charming in a 3-4 color paint job.

More info: 436 Lillie

920 Main is our "Banner home" today. Located in Elwood Indiana. The home has original woodwork with built-ins in the dining room and living room. 3 bedrooms and 2 baths (one up and one down) with a large bonus room upstairs. Large covered front and back porch .Priced at 17,000!

More info:920 Main

Preservation Envy: 165 E Deshler Ave, Columbus Ohio

German Village was one of the first pioneer preservation areas of Columbus Ohio. Decades later this very restored neighborhood boast some of the best Victorian era homes and commands top prices.

Today's "Preservation Envy piece is this home at  165 E Deshler Ave . On the market at  1,175,000.00 is not cheap but when compared to brick veneer and vinyl sided "Mc Mansions" in the burbs, this represents true quality at a competitive price.

We love the pier mirror and mantle in the Parlor

Elegantly appointed dining space great for entertaining

This was a high end house when built and that same elegance shows through today. Grand parlors and dining room , updated kitchen and plenty of bedroom and baths, it shows a sensitive blend of preservation and updating that strikes a good balance.

Another great mantle in the Day Parlor

Large pocket doors provide visual openness between rooms

Well appointed Chefs kitchen

More info and photos: 165 E Deshler

Love the Aesthetic Movement bed and classic slate mantle

Sitting room off bedroom provides a quiet place  to read

Tasteful period elegance

Midwest Preservation Bargain; 139 Park Ave, Coshocton,Ohio

This house has a great street presence and the interior has some really great features and w think if you are looking for a house you can live in while you restore, this may be the ticket.

139 Park is a two story Victoria home with we suspect some great exterior design under that vinyl, probably some gable banding and maybe some stick details. What we do know is this house has some stained glass windows, square bay on one side and nicely pitched high roofline.

Inside is a nice staircase, some columns and some great mantels, I also bet there are some great floors under that carpet. Those great Victorian radiators will keep you warm and toasty this winter.

This house is currently a duplex but it looks like an easy conversion back. 4 Bedrooms 2 baths an over 2200 square feet, 2 car garage , this home sits on a generous 7000 sq foot lot.

Price at only 63K we think this a great value at this price point and the area would support a proper restoration based on sold property values.

More info and photos : 139 Park

The Country Place : A "Roaring 20's" Estate, Muncie Indiana

Maybe your idea of a "country place ' is your own "Biltmore" or a roaring twenties estate you can drive your Packard up to.

This may just be it, 10 Acres, 9281 square feet of 1928 English Tudor country house. 5 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths, a 26x14 beamed living room, formal dining, breakfast room, sunroom and lots of built ins.

Oh did I mention the pool and tennis courts? They are included but will need some work according to the realtors listing.

So if your dream is to spend years laying out those grand Formal Gardens or maybe you want to be the latest Indiana vineyard? Maybe you will put up a big iron gate and everyone can just leave you alone?

This estate is outside of Muncie Indiana but hey you have room for an air strip if you want to fly out of town for the evening.

The one thing you are asking? What's the price?  Would you believe 190K...That's not a typo. Sure its a little rough around the edges but 10 acres and a mansion UNDER 200K!

More info and photos here: 4105 S Burlington, Muncie IN

Friday Fix ! Great Midwestern Homes 25K or less!



Its Friday and its Friday Fix day! We explore the Midwest looking for great Victorian homes priced at 25K or less.

Many people are beginning to realize smaller is better and for those who are downsizing looking for small Victorian to restore and call home this one in Richmond IN has a great deal of potential. Nice mantel and built in here so you should look beyond the plain white paint to picture this in some colorful painted lady colors and  a Victorian columned porch with fretwork. Priced at only 18,000.00

More details and photos here: 427 Lincoln

441 Brightwood is an estate sale some and appears to be well priced  and move in ready. This home has some good woodwork and mantles with tile surrounds and that fish scale on the gables will look great when this house gets a colorful paint job. 3 Bedrooms , 1 Bath 2400 square foot

More details and photos here: 441 Brightwood

167 W 6th street is in Peru Indiana and is over 2300 sq feet, based on the front yard this home looks like it has been well maintained and is in a solid neighborhood. Priced at 17,900 and it has a garage!

More info: 167 W 6th street Peru Indiana

Our Friday Fix cover home is located at 3411 Meramec, 3 story brick building already gutted and ready to finish! This is a total rehab, close to shopping on Grand, over 2700 square feet. These large Second Empire Townhomes in St Louis are getting increasingly harder to find and prices are rising.

More info: 3411 Meramac St Louis

Midwest Mansions: 815 S Garfield, Burlington IA

What grand house this is! Imagine celebrating the Holidays here? Plenty of room for the whole family! A brick towered Queen Anne with large wraparound porch. Leaded and stained glass windows and more.

4 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Baths, multiple parlors and a formal dining room, butlers pantry, this home recalls the grandeur of the past but has been updated to provide modern amenities.

This home has great woodwork and inlaid floors and some great encaustic tile in the bathroom.

This amazing home is priced at an unbelievable 289,900!

More info: 815 S Garfield

"The Country Place": 143 E Church St, New Vienna, Ohio

A classic textbook example of Gothic architecture

We know that a lot of you would like to just get away from it all, the congestion and crime of the city. Or maybe you long for second home a Victorian in a small town or in the country where you can decompress and enjoy a slower pace with your kids. This recurring series, "The Country Place" explores Victorian homes with some space or land where you can enjoy that experience.



This house is larger than it looks with 8 rooms

This home needs restoration but is architecturally stunning. Gothic revival homes that are not covered in vinyl and had their porches lopped off are rare indeed.

3BR, 1.5B two story historical home! Front & side covered porches! Original staircase & wood trim! Inlayed hardwood floors, transom windows, 9ft ceilings! Claw foot tub! Tall shade trees! New Vienna is a quant small town filled with Victorian homes in  Southeast Ohio.

Original interior shutters on second floor bedroom

While we wish there were more photos we can see that the second floor has its original shutters on the bay window. The lower bay will need restoration but you have model to work from. The exterior detailing on this house would shine with proper paint job.

Large lot perfect for formal gardens or that organic garden

The kicker? This house sitting on a huge lot is priced at ONLY 14,900 and you are about an hour to Cincinnati or Columbus OH in case you need your occasional city fix.

We do not think this will last long before someone snaps it up. More info: 143 E Church

Midwest Preservation Bargains: 19 N 6th St. Hamilton Ohio

The porch columns are nice, wait until you see the inside! 

Lets face it, while we might like to live in a grand mansion, we have to deal with the real world of restoration and upkeep once we are done. Finding a comfortable size home with the history intact is really hard to find. Often they have been trashed by slumlords or HGTV'd to death.

Now maybe from the outside you might pass this by, the vinyl siding does nothing for it although it has a porch with potential.

Note the stain glass window in the entry!

 However, when you enter the front door all your perceptions of a "ho hum" house goes out the door. This house has the things most of us are looking for in a restoration.

Rose color tile surround and a great columned mantle in the parlor

Dark green tile in this room with another fine mantle

 Woodwork, nice staircase, original tile and mantels AND some real bonuses of the original stained glass and a great dining room built in that is totally unexpected in a house in this price range.

Stained glass and transom stained glass on the landing, Wow!

Dining room built-in is amazing and unexpected

And speaking of price ...can you believe 24,500? The price was recently dropped and I can't believe this one will last long. So if you have been looking for something affordable with character and style, this is it.

Stairs to a 3rd floor offers expansion possibilities

It will need kitchen updates but two bathrooms and a third floor attic for expansion means this house can grow. Just tearing out the carpet and a fresh coat of paint on the inside will do wonders and come spring, you can invite all your friends over to 'devinyl" the outside and paint here in a 4 color Victorian paint job this house deserves. I predict there is some fish scale and maybe some stick detailing hidden under that plastic!

Really cool 1920's tub could be incorporated in the bathroom makeover

More information: 16 N 6TH