Posted by Mike K. on April 05, 2002 at 13:25:43:
Nah, Sheets didn’t come out til 1734!
500 years old??? - Posted by sean
Posted by sean on April 04, 2002 at 23:34:13:
Has anyone ever heard of a house in the US being 500 years old?
It’s cheap, would this be a good thing or a major hassle?
The oldest house in the oldest city in America - Posted by GL(ON)
Posted by GL(ON) on April 05, 2002 at 06:37:30:
ST. Augustine Florida, has the oldest house in the oldest city in the US.
They say the site has been continuously occupied since the early 1600’s and parts of the present home may date to 1702.
http://www.oldcity.com/oldhouse/
Canada can beat it. The Vikings left a home site at L’anse Aux Meadows Newfoundland that is now 1000 years old. The Basques were fishing off Newfoundland, and summering there, within a year or 2 of Columbus’s expidition, possibly before.
Quebec City has houses dating to the 17th century including Maison Jacquet, 1675. This would be the oldest house in North America built by Europeans.
http://www.auxancienscanadiens.qc.ca/History.html
I think the Pueblo Indians can beat that. Acoma Pueblo, the oldest city in the US dates to about 1150.
No, I don’t think there is a 500 year old house in New Jersey though I don’t doubt a lot of them look it.
Re: 500 years old??? - Posted by Tim Fierro (Tacoma, WA)
Posted by Tim Fierro (Tacoma, WA) on April 05, 2002 at 24:28:30:
Yes. To see if it is genuine though, you need to check under the back staircase near the servant’s quarters. You should see the emblem;
Columbus Construction, Inc.
Established 1492
The blacksmith only made 14 of these emblems for the company before the company went bankrupt. Columbus was called away after the first 3 houses were built to sail to other foreign soils, but he left his investor friend to run things while he was away at sea.
He ended up selling the next 4 on lease/options but each and every one of them were not excercised. When they became available again after the option expiration, he already had 7 properties finished and nobody was buying. By the end of 1498, Columbus Construction was sitting with 3 properties sold, 4 in a half state of repair, and 7 that couldn’t sell at the going cost to build them. You may recall from the history books of the real estate crash of 1498.
The bank of Portugal foreclosed on the last 7. The 4 l/o’d properties were bought at the tax deed sale where 1 was purchased by a rehabber, 1 by a tax lien scavenger, and 1 by a flipper who resold the same day to another investor in the crowd who wanted it for his mother to live in.
The last 1 was won in a bid, but the investor never came back with the money to get title and deed. This of course was back when you didn’t have to have cash on the day of sale, you had a fortnight to get the money to the auctioneer. This is probably the property you are looking at. It was rumored that the fire in 1499 that wiped out 13 of the 14 houses built at that time was done in anger and via arson. The goal of course was to collect the insurance money so the owners could get ship passage to England. They all thought the idea of a new world was not going to succeed and they were fed up with it. They wanted out of this so called new world and were willing to go to Portugal, France, or even England if it was the next ship out.
However, the 1 property not destroyed in the fire was not insured and was not harmed. This is the only case of any home that could be possibly 500 years old that I know of.
Re: 500 years old??? - Posted by JJJ - FL
Posted by JJJ - FL on April 04, 2002 at 23:54:50:
LOL…it’s be a national treasure!!
Re: The oldest house in the oldest city in America - Posted by Joe M.
Posted by Joe M. on April 05, 2002 at 19:25:58:
Hey GL, You have got to be one of the smartest individuals I know. I may not agree with some of your posts, but i always learn from them. I’m replying this time because on May 1st I get free air travel anywhere Frontier Airlines flies and for a small fee anywhere delta flies. It’s part of my Girlfriends benefits package at her new job. She is the sweetest. Newayz, I’m outlining my own personal REI education tour. wherever Frontier flies I want to meet with investors and at least have lunch with them if not spend a day with them. I thought it would be a great way to see the country also. SO they start Flying to Ontario as of April 7th. I believe that’s where you are living? Would you be interested in meeting for lunch (my treat of course) If I’m ever in the area?
Happy investing, JOE M.
Re: The oldest house in the oldest city in America - Posted by Tom
Posted by Tom on April 05, 2002 at 07:50:35:
Albuquerque has a house and a church. If memory serves me, the carving on a beam in the church shows that it was rehabbed in 1710.
Re: 500 years old??? - Posted by sean
Posted by sean on April 05, 2002 at 02:51:21:
Your kiddin right, Columbus wasn’t in NJ was he?
Re: 500 years old??? - Posted by Cleanzy
Posted by Cleanzy on April 05, 2002 at 24:37:39:
Bravo, Mr. Tim Fierro, that was the most thorough history lesson on real estate I ever read. I didn’t realize there were any houses more than 300 years old in the U.S.
Thanks for the info.
Re: The oldest house in the oldest city in America - Posted by GL(ON)
Posted by GL(ON) on April 05, 2002 at 20:55:51:
New York! Paris! Tokyo! Honolulu! Cobourg!
She must be one honey of an understanding girlfriend LOL.
Check out this month’s Car and Driver, there is a funny travel article about their tour of Younge Street, the longest street in the world, 1200 miles starting at Lake Ontario in Toronto.
If you still want to come to Canada instead of say Acapulco it’s your vacation. It may even stop snowing here by then. All we got today was a few flurries, no kidding.
See you at the Dutch Oven in the heart of Cobourg’s financial district, where the elite meet to eat, LOL LOL LOL.
Re: The oldest house in the oldest city in America - Posted by JoeS
Posted by JoeS on April 05, 2002 at 08:09:08:
I wonder if the rehabber was a Sheets student?
Re: 500 years old??? - Posted by Ralph Taylor
Posted by Ralph Taylor on April 05, 2002 at 05:17:59:
He went through NJ and got as far west as Ohio.
Re: 500 years old??? - Posted by Mike K.
Posted by Mike K. on April 05, 2002 at 24:44:18:
I think he was joking…