10 Under $50,000: A Gingerbread House, A Midwestern Mansion & An Old School Country Store!

This week's edition of 10 Under 50 is sure to please those lovers of Victorian houses and of big, stately mansions (and if you're reading this, I'm going to assume you fall into one or both of those categories). To round out the mix, we've got an early Vermont colonial and an old school country store! Everyone: Get out your Christmas lists, and join me as we sit back, relax and see the potential in this...

Historic Kentucky Italianate for Sale

511 W 6th Street, Covington, KY 41011  On the banks of the Ohio River - just across the way from Cincinnati - stands the city of Covington, Kentucky. Known for its Oktoberfest, Covington also sports an historic district filled with great old houses. And lucky for us, we get to take a peek at one Italianate fixer-upper that just came on the market! She’s not only a beauty, but she’s also joined by...

10 Under $50,000: A Mansard-Capped Mansion, An Oregon Bungalow and a Double Dose of Turrets!

I suppose I love a millionaire's den as much as the next person, but I'll be honest: Perfect, expensive houses can get a little boring. What do I really love? Houses with POTENTIAL. Fixer-uppers! Hidden charm. Something I could pour my heart into. Something undiscovered. Something to lure me to unchartered territory, to toss away my life as I know it, to invest all of my time and energy into a labor...

Gwynn's Island Majesty

This house. THIS HOUSE! JUST LOOK AT IT! Surrounded by the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay, it's everything I love in a big, old house. A little rough around the edges (there's that word we love: "potential!") but still steeped in old-fashioned grandeur.   Earlier this month I was in a bookstore and passed by a book called Life Would be Perfect If I Lived in That House. Oh, if I only had a...

Endangered Smith-Turner House in Lexington, Georgia

Good people of Georgia! There’s a home in Lexington about a half hour outside Athens just waiting for your tender loving care this holiday season. When I saw this listing my heart broke; surely, this great old southern beauty deserves more. And while it’s not going to be easy, I just know someone out there has what it takes to bring her back from the brink, and for a mere $65,000 upfront. This is the...

A Historic Home Fit for the Gods in Portland, Maine

Image courtesy of the Portland Press Herald.   Every Sunday growing up my parents would take us to our local Catholic church; it was called the "Beach Chapel" since it was close to the shore and smaller and less formal than the main site. Religion aside, there was always something comforting about the ritual and the way in which, for at least that hour, there was nothing to worry about. When I saw a...

Baker City, Oregon: Quaint, Quiet, Historic… Snowcapped!

Baker City, Oregon. Image courtesy of Travel Oregon.  Welcome to "You Should Move To...", in which Lindsay travels the country scoping out beautiful, under-the-radar old house towns where big charm can be had for little cost. Have a city, town or neighborhood to recommend? Send it along to [email protected]!   Named after Edward Baker, the only US Senator ever killed in combat, Baker City is...

The Clark-Young House

So, you want a house with a little bit of history? How about one owned by a Revolutionary War patriot who used the second floor as a Masonic chamber? If that's not enough, what if I told you that this c. 1760 house is the oldest wood frame structure in Williamstown, Massachusetts and comes with original paperwork signed by the builder? The list goes on -- the Clark-Young House is indeed a gem. Now let's...

Old Fixer Upper Seeking Immediate TLC in Milford, Connecticut

Image courtesy of John Poole at A Preservationist's Technical Notebook.   I've got a Black Friday deal for you: Buy the house of your dreams, and we'll toss in some local hero worship for free! There's a 1789 house in Milford, Connecticut, in desperate need of love right now, and time is ticking! After the owners put forward a plan to demolish the building, the Milford Preservation Trust reached an...

The Old Vinton Schoolhouse For Sale

I nearly fell over when I saw this listing. How adorable! A one-room schoolhouse with roots on the Oregon Trail? Get out your #2 pencils, everyone, and let your imaginations run wild! Realtor Carole Benson of Coldwell Banker Chandler Real Estate gets an A++ for this absolutely charming schoolhouse-turned-home in Vinton, California. With three slate backboards, the school bell, and many more original...

Mind-Blowing Kansas Historic Victorian House For Sale

526 Union St in 1999, before the current owners began the restoration.   I've hopped over the rainbow to Kansas today, where something tells me there's no place like this 1894 home. Today’s Queen Anne fixer-upper is in the city of Emporia, and I just couldn’t believe my eyes as I looked through one mind-blowing photo after another. Really, it just keeps going! This is a case of owners pouring...

An Authentic Los Angeles Restoration by "Mr. & Mr. 1941"

Mid-century fans: You're in for a serious treat! I am absolutely thrilled to share with you today an authentic 1941 apartment restoration by Steven Keylon and John Delarosa, residents of the National Register-listed Village Green complex in Los Angeles. Steven has been very involved in the preservation of the Village Green (more on this in the coming weeks!) and he was kind enough to share some photos with...