WANTED: Unrestored Carriage House, Firehouse, Small Commercial Building, etc. for Personal Use

[PhillyFellow]

Hi All! This is my first post on this site and I'm simply thrilled to have found this community What an incredible resource!

After living nearly 2 decades in the suburbs (*yawn*), I'm looking to make a move into the City. Looking to buy a double wide carriage house, firehouse, small industrial building (e.g., former bakery), or similar space with a pre-existing curb cut. The structure could be anything from completely finished to needing TLC to an unrestored shell. Eager to find what's available beyond the MLS. I am NOT a builder or developer. This would be my primary home and solely for personal use.

Perhaps you have a property that's not being used that you'd like to sell? Maybe you have a friend or relative looking to diversify beyond the real estate market? Maybe you keep walking by the same building each day, admiring its grace but saddened by its declining health, and suddenly see or hear that it's for sale? I'm looking to find something I can call home, fall in love with it and bring it back to life with my own two hands. Can gladly work with a FSBO but more than willing to respect a broker/agent role as long as they have an active listing that meets the aforementioned criteria. Cool with any type of zoning up to R10A or even C2. I'm a cash buyer who can promise a smooth, quick and highly enjoyable transaction.

Focusing currently on Museum District/Fairmount, Spring Garden, Logan Square, Rittenhouse, and Fittler BUT staying open minded. Could easily be persuaded to consider Old City, Society Hill, Queen Village, Washington Square and Bella Vista.

So... what have you seen or heard about that's off the radar? What gems are out there that aren't making it onto the MLS? I'm a quiet gentleman, am house trained and come with excellent references.

Due to the nature of this email, it's best to send me a private message (PM).

I appreciate any and all help. Thanks

[supersupper]

.

Fishtown and Kensington. Unless you are really, really, really loaded. Even then, you'll need to be really really loaded.

[PhillyFellow]

Hey SuperSupper! Thanks for being my first response. Diggin' this group!

I'm about to close on my current house and just got approved for a mortgage so I can step things up for the right property. Fishtown and Kensington are incredibly cool, but a bit too much of an edge for my needs. Keep seeing properties between Fairmount and Fittler (and beyond) which have me repeatedly saying to myself, "Darn it, why couldn't I have found that place first?" Trying to do that now... would like to find a special property before the flippers do. My future neighbors will be glad that I did

[firething]

I'm sure you saw this already since it was on MLS, but your post reminded me of my recent crush on this old firehouse in South Philly! It looks like someone started fixing it up and then something bad happened.

808 Morris Street, Philadelphia PA - The Washington Post

The thing I like best is that it has an interior courtyard and a wine cellar. Anyway, probably no use to you. Good luck on your search and welcome to the city. I hope you find exactly what you're looking for.

[PhillyFellow]

Hey Firething! Yep, checked out that property. And several bad things happened, sadly.

Walking into the structure, it felt like a sauna. Turns out that at least one window was left half-open, letting water pour into the kitchen and down into the basement. Since there's no plastic barrier between the drywall and the brick walls, the drywall is blistering everywhere. You can actually smell the mold. All of this can be rectified, an unsuspecting buyer might not be able to detect it as easily in colder months, but it's a strong reminder of how much work needs to be "undone" before someone could properly start to rehab the property. The person who began the improvements was a flipper who ultimately went to jail on fraud charges. (True story.) Just calculating the amount of drywall that would need to be replaced made my head spin. It also made me wonder what we'd find when we pulled down the drywall. Cheap/bad plumbing, electric, other? Despite the misleading MLS description, the property has never been lived in. The kitchen isn't finished. Ditto for the bathroom. The floor plan wasn't well thought out and it shows. The house is really cool, but a buyer would be underwater very quickly. I am looking for a project and don't mind getting my hands dirty, but this property can easily burn anyone that's seduced by it.

You've got a great eye for properties with potential. If you see/hear of anything else, please please please give me a shout

[supersupper]

http://www.pidc-pa.org/uploads/files...n-4-street.pdf

Northern Liberties.

A little on the big side though. When I visited the place in the eighties, it made eraserhood seem like disneyland. or disney world. One of the two.

still a great bargain though if you are looking to get in before everyone else.

[PhillyFellow]

Cool find, SuperSupper. That property probably has the best bang for the buck in the entire City. While a cool $1 million ain't cheap, the incredible architecture and sheer square footage is remarkable. I Googled the area just for kicks and kept getting hits about crime being high in the immediate vicinity of that building?

[supersupper]

Cool find, SuperSupper. That property probably has the best bang for the buck in the entire City. While a cool $1 million ain't cheap, the incredible architecture and sheer square footage is remarkable. I Googled the area just for kicks and kept getting hits about crime being high in the immediate vicinity of that building?

eh, Its only a couple blocks from Blatstein's. And the shrine of St John Neuman's. Christ, thats gotta help somewhat don't you think?

If thats not safe enough I'm thinking maybe you should stick to that Rittenhouse area you mentioned. I've heard that place is ok, except sometimes you can see naked people biking around and stuff like that. Just kidding, thats just nuissance kind of stuff. not really much of a bother if you are an open thinker.

Society hill is out because someone shot a guy and he's still on the loose... Heck, they don't even know who the shooter is- the houses there are so close together I can't imagine how someone could get away with something like that without being seen or heard. People these days. crap.

Fishtown. I'm telling ya, Thats where you gotta go. Rednecks all of them- they will help you protect your property. Lots of young hippie-type kids though. Annoying little fcrs they are, so thats not such a good thing. Ask that guy who opened up a bike shop in an old firehouse on Frankford ave. Dang too bad you weren't looking back then because that place is really really awesome. Lots of churches you can buy in Fishtown too, BTW. No kidding- thats way cooler than a firehouse. I had a buddy who did that. Actually a student of mine from long ago. The nave area was his sculpture studio/gallery. Way cool.

Anything is better than SoufPhilly though, hahaha, you know what I mean? Mafia stuff, and not the white-collar kinda stuff. Even more horrible stuff too, like, that photographer lady gay chick. People man, men even, take their clothes off just so she can photograph them for liberal perverts. No, you don't want to go down there either. crap. Man, it is hard finding stuff around here. crap. I had no idea till I actually thought about it.

[Eastcoast]

What's your budget?

FWIW I like this place.

A Brewerytown Church Could Be Yours | NakedPhilly

[Eastcoast]

Or this place if it's still available.

Stiffel Senior Center, A Building With Plenty of History, For Sale in South Philly | NakedPhilly

[PhillyFellow]

Eastcoast, great finds! Thank you. Those properties are in my price range. Will head down to Philly this weekend to check them out.

What other cool properties are top of mind for you?

[Eastcoast]

Eastcoast, great finds! Thank you. Those properties are in my price range. Will head down to Philly this weekend to check them out.

What other cool properties are top of mind for you?

Those are the only two that have hit my radar lately. If you take that church tread lightly, I'd rather see a clean modern interior with false walls entombing the original details than a wholesale chop job.

Good luck.

[PhillyFellow]

Those are the only two that have hit my radar lately. If you take that church tread lightly, I'd rather see a clean modern interior with false walls entombing the original details than a wholesale chop job.

Good luck.

Absolutely! I can't stand a gorgeous structure that's been hacked up beyond recognition. My goal is preservation and trying to leave as small a carbon footprint in life as possible. If anything else strikes your fancy, Eastcoast, please drop me a line! Thanks

[Brooke]

Good suggestions so far and we have two buyers right now we're looking to find similar spaces for. Fishtown or Kensington are your prime spots for these things. I suggest visiting the neighborhoods and seeing how you feel with them.

[PhillyFellow]

doing exactly that!