Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I already found my "Oil City". Its called Fairmont, West Virginia. I got my house for a song, but know that I will be waist deep in rehabs for the next couple of years to get it up to par.
I can tell you, as one person moving into what you're looking at...you cant go in with delusions of grandeur...houses like you're looking to take serious work and commitment. Its an uphill battle to work towards something you can be truly proud of in the end. You have to go into it with your eyes open, not just blinded by a low housing pricetag.
Anyway, enough of that...if you're actually interested, Fairmont looks almost identical to your Oil City, but it's close to Morgantown and WVU, so it has decent shopping, and some places to eat without having to drive up down and all around to find it. (as a side note to Cosmic, the hunt for chow was a personal favorite part of your saga. You made my night, and I thank you for that!!)
Well I have also been to Fairmont, WV long way in and a longer way out, mght have been up hill both ways too, about all day for not too many miles.
I don't remember any hills in Fairmont like in Oil City. The camera really does not do justice to their slope in OC. I didn't do much of a tour in Fairmont, tried to find the Army Reserve Center there. Was surprised it was that big. Did have lunch at a Mickey D there too. Nice lil town.
Good luck in the rehab, I know exactly what you are talking about. Can get some good deals on surplus replacement vinyl windows down in Paden City if you can do the drive out. Got some el-cheapo other stuff including carpet. Windows at like $70 each, they are new.
I got lucky on my place, the windows are all recently replaced...unfortunately, that about the ONLY thing in the house that's recent. LOL!! The guy I got it from snagged it as a forclosure, started on it, got sidetracked, and just...stopped. You know the story. Worked out well for the both of us in the end, tho. He gets what he has in it, and I get zero mortgage before I'm turning 30. Sometimes karma does kick in and something good just falls in your lap!
Where's Paden City at? I'm going to be in desperate need of some carpet, that's for sure. I lucked out on my living room, though...we pulled up the old in the room and low and behold...hardwood! Good condition! Hallalujah! 1 room down, way too many to go!
Fairmont has some serious slopes...I have a little 4 cylinder Scion, and we've already decided that she's getting tarped for the winter. Without 4WD, it's just not going to happen there!
The trouble that you're not seeing, is that there is no such thing as a perfect 50K house, my friend. It may seem like it at the time...but I assure you, it isn't happening. I dont want to bust your bubble, but anything that low is going to need some form of work.
Anyway, as Cosmic stated before, my house was bought basically for the shell and the land of it...plus a killer view. Nope, it's not livable. Not by a long shot, but with the work Im putting into it will make it worth it in the end.
Rehab costs are all relative. What I pay will not be what you pay, or what my neighbor pays. It all depends on what you're looking and willing to invest vs. what your NEED to invest. Im good friends with some contractors, and using the opportunity to cash in some owe-you-ones. Also, every house needs diff. things. There's no real set guideline that a rehab will cost
Rehabbing takes a lot of commitment and money to burn, basically. Im selling my home in Baltimore, and using the equity made to purchase and rehab an older place.
Also know that home inspection in WV are noted to be very leniant, so even going off the words of a professional isnt all you'd think it to be.
It's a big jump...just dont put all the eggs in one basket, and keep your eyes open, ok?
Yup, it's gorgeous Joee...Im a nature buff, and just one look at those mountains and I was a goner. It is definately gorgeous out there!
There are sellers renting out $30k homes for a ripoff of $450 a month to tenents. I assume the houses must be near perfect in order for the landlord to legally rent out the house to tenents. No tenent would rent a house that was not livable. I really need to visit Oil City and get to the bottom of this mystery once and for all. I am hearing two sides to the story and I dont know who to believe, I will have to personally see it with my own eyes.
Good luck with rehab. I want a house that needs little or no rehab because I dont have the skills and my dad isnt gonna work on a house that cant be done in a month or less. So itll need to be perfect or near perfect. I can settle for a smaller, simplier house for $50k and I believe Cosmic said thats possible to get a perfect $50k house if its small and nothing fancy, no bricks.
I have high hopes that I will find something good in Oil City at a price I can afford. There are people living in houses as cheap as $15k so I already know they are in livable condition, even if not perfect. In fact I have a friend in WV thats gonna buy a nearly perfect 4 bedroom house for $32k so I know deals are out there. Maybe you just havent found those deals. I refuse to believe you cant get a perfect house for $50k because I know several people that have.
I got lucky on my place, the windows are all recently replaced...unfortunately, that about the ONLY thing in the house that's recent. LOL!! The guy I got it from snagged it as a forclosure, started on it, got sidetracked, and just...stopped. You know the story. Worked out well for the both of us in the end, tho. He gets what he has in it, and I get zero mortgage before I'm turning 30. Sometimes karma does kick in and something good just falls in your lap!
Where's Paden City at? I'm going to be in desperate need of some carpet, that's for sure. I lucked out on my living room, though...we pulled up the old in the room and low and behold...hardwood! Good condition! Hallalujah! 1 room down, way too many to go!
Fairmont has some serious slopes...I have a little 4 cylinder Scion, and we've already decided that she's getting tarped for the winter. Without 4WD, it's just not going to happen there!
Paden City is out on the Ohio River south of New Martinsville. Best to go north on 250 and then take Rt 7 east to New Martinsville, then Rt 2 south.
The place is called The Warehouse, go thru town about half way going south, then turn left and go up the hill and search for it. Couple big buildings, don't remember the street. Also another place all the way thru town, just at edge of town on the right is a large bldg with carpet. Same company. Pretty good prices.
Phone 304-337-8686.
Also a surplus place up in Wheeling, WV, at 185 north main. Which is Rt-2 going north, be a big bldg on the left. Really saved my bacon. lots of stuff cabinets, sinks, wood, trim, flooring, mirrors, on and on. I got the vinyl flooring, wood trim, ton of stuff super cheap. Totally saved me on a rebuild on an old shed and then added on too it. The siding was going to kill me, got a enough vinyl board lap type siding to do it there. My total for the shed like $600. Probably cost like $8K in just new materials to equal it.
Will have the total rehab for like 9K, everything plumbing, electrical, heating, new bath, kitchen, paper / paint, appliances, etc. That place in Wheeling was my go to place, then Lowes.
Maybe NAH will go to Fairmont. Tho I think Oil City will do. Anything really cheap in Fairmont??? Ohio is had a boom of sorts, nothing much on the market is the problem right now.
So itll need to be perfect or near perfect. I can settle for a smaller, simplier house for $50k and I believe Cosmic said thats possible to get a perfect $50k house if its small and nothing fancy, no bricks.
I have high hopes that I will find something good in Oil City at a price I can afford. There are people living in houses as cheap as $15k so I already know they are in livable condition, even if not perfect. In fact I have a friend in WV thats gonna buy a nearly perfect 4 bedroom house for $32k so I know deals are out there. Maybe you just havent found those deals. I refuse to believe you cant get a perfect house for $50k because I know several people that have.
Well I never use the word perfect. Most new houses are not perfect, but some of those ones in Oil City did look in good shape.
Well I wish the best of luck to you on your quest.
Oh, for the record, people can live in nearly anything. I myself lived in just a tent at a campsite for nearly 2 months up near Penn State. Just 'cuz you can, doesnt mean you're going to want to.
Nevertheless, I wish you luck.
I dont want to live in a tent, I want a proper house. As long as the house is safe and livable, I am fine with this. There are people living in houses as cheap as $15k. Still have a ways to go before I earn enough to visit Oil City and find out the reality of the situation for myself. Who's side of the story was right? The people claiming perfect $50k houses or not?
Yup, there's actually some dang good deals in Fairmont. Ive been checking out a few places lately for a few friends of mine that are tempted to move down with us in search of their own fix'ers. I got my 4 BR for 12k with some materials included (the windows, and some pergo) but we knew the guy who was selling...there are definately deals to be had there. You can find some really great handyman specials for around 40 to 50-ish. They need work, but nothing too unreasonable!
Mine, the upstairs is actually really good. Gutted, but good. The downstairs, Oi. That's where the work comes in. Luckily we can manage out of the upstairs while working on the downstairs. Upstairs should be habitable in just a couple of weeks.
Thanks for the heads up, Ill DEFINATELY check out the place in Wheeling. We hadn't found any supply places in the area. There's a Lowes, but they run pricey, and the Home Depot isn't quite completed there yet. Good deals will be needed. We're hoping to get it all done under 15k. A good supply outlet should help slide us right under that number! Thanks a bunch!
Yup, there's actually some dang good deals in Fairmont. Ive been checking out a few places lately for a few friends of mine that are tempted to move down with us in search of their own fix'ers. I got my 4 BR for 12k with some materials included (the windows, and some pergo) but we knew the guy who was selling...there are definately deals to be had there. You can find some really great handyman specials for around 40 to 50-ish. They need work, but nothing too unreasonable!
Mine, the upstairs is actually really good. Gutted, but good. The downstairs, Oi. That's where the work comes in. Luckily we can manage out of the upstairs while working on the downstairs. Upstairs should be habitable in just a couple of weeks.
Thanks for the heads up, Ill DEFINATELY check out the place in Wheeling. We hadn't found any supply places in the area. There's a Lowes, but they run pricey, and the Home Depot isn't quite completed there yet. Good deals will be needed. We're hoping to get it all done under 15k. A good supply outlet should help slide us right under that number! Thanks a bunch!
There is also a lumber / sawmill type place coming out on Rt-7 about half way on your right going toward the river. These can be super buys. I got enough oak planking (that is right oak) to finish up my shed at an Amish local sawmill for about next to nothing. Can get you a pix. Dynomite stuff. Some things you can get away using green wood.
Can get you more details on the place in Wheeling. Ain't been up there lately, should be by there in a week or too. He had been hit hard in some areas because of everybody looking for the deal. Had trim strips, like 1/4" x 2" x 7' for trimming out windows, etc. Not a spliced joined strip, totally clear, what you will kill for. 30 odd in a bundle for $30 come to ~.80 a strip. Got enough high grade 12" tiles to do the ceiling / walls above the tub surround ~32 square feet for $5. You think you just died and gone to Heaven, it can't be true.
I also got some hickory trim resawn totally clear 1/4" by varying widths some 16 footers for helping a guy clean out a barn. You just can't buy it, that sawmill might have stuff like that. I want to do solar at some point, bagged super high grade mirrors in Wheeling for peanuts, also got a truck load of plywood there for like $100, never know what the guy will have.
Wheeling guys has furniture, appliances, tools, paint, nails, etc, etc. used to have a killer wire collection but somebody bought out the entire section. Tunnel at Wheeling is closed. Big flap going to miss the reopening by a bunch. So you can't get in easy the back way.
You can plan out a run to go up Rt 250, swing out on Rt-7 to the river, go up Rt-2 to Wheeling, also a Lumber 84 over in Bridgeport can get good deals on the 'Specials Area' and then can hit the Ohio Valley Mall a few clicks west on I-70. What I do, hit a lot of places in one run. Wheeling also has a Lowes, again I got to have the bargains. Surplus, coupons, sales, rebates is the name of the game. Paden City also has other stuff too, it varies it is all buy out surplus. You could hit them all in a good day run.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
