house hunt

Last week, Anna at Door Sixteen blogged about a house for sale in Newburgh, NY, where she lives, for just $95,000. It's a true fixer upper, and when I saw it, I fell in love with the house's charm and the freedom of renovation.

When it became abundantly clear this week that the economy was truly tanking, I realized that a fixer upper would be the perfect route for me to take. I decided a while ago that I wanted to buy a house in the next 2-3 years, but maybe if I can bump that timeframe up to 1-2 years, I can take advantage of the low cost housing market.

So that's where I've been the past few days, being a little down in the dumps and excited at the same time, lusting over homes in New Hampshire and Maine. Down in the dumps because whenever I decide to do something in the too-distant future, it's always so tough to wait it out (so I don't advise doing this as much as possible.) Excited because of all the possibilities! Take a look at some great homes I've found.


This house (above) is in Winchester, NH, which is 14 miles southeast of Brattleboro, VT. For just $72,500, this rural farmhouse has 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, an attached barn, an unfinished basement, and is on one acre of land.



This one is in Danbury, NH, which is 30 miles northwest of Concord, NH. It's a classic cape listed at $73,900. That'll get you 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, about 1900 square feet, and 2.2 acres. Though the exterior needs work to look more uniform, this house is by far my favorite. It has so much charm and potential. Look at those fireplaces and hardwood floors! Gorgeous.



This last house is in Livermore Falls, ME, which is 31 miles northwest of the capital, Augusta. This adorable place is just $65,000. It has 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, a basement, 2 car garage, and a little over a quarter of an acre of land. The interior definitely needs to be stripped of all that carpeting, but look at that side porch! I can already see myself eating breakfast out there, admiring the fall foliage.

Of course, I really haven't considered living in any of these areas. I've wanted to move to Maine for some time, but I want to be as close to the ocean as possible, so I'd rather the Brunswick area, which is closer to Portland. Granted, the housing prices down there are a lot higher, and I would have to go further north and east to find the great $75,000 or under fixer uppers I'd love. As for New Hampshire and Vermont, I love those states, too, but as I said, I want to be near the ocean. I've always lived in coastal states, so it's hard to imagine not. But my options are open! And, err, it's not like I'll be buying any of these, because I won't be looking until at least next fall, and even that sounds too soon to my ever-renting ears.