Affordable housing crissis is spreading

[Queen]

Queen, what base is that?

Chanute AFB, it's in Rantoul IL.  It was a massive Air Training Command Base, no clue why they closed it .

[Snikwahjm]

More than a few few years ago we looked at a house on our street. It was empty. It is still empty. Water is standing up to the basement ceiling. Mold, rot, mosquitos, lead paint, etc. No amount of work is going to restore that house because it won’t be worth what it costs to fix it up properly and sell it. It probably comes up every year on the tax sale. Maybe some unsuspecting tax sale buyer buys it sight unseen and let’s it go back IDK but a very real problem is how to get rid of houses like that. Some people on our street have bought surrounding vacant houses and bulldozed them to have a nice yard. I don’t recall what is next to that house but that little section is all pretty badly built. If someone wanted a small plot of land to park on, buy one of the tax houses, tear it down, use the address and camp and mow there when in the area? Cut a deal with a neighbor to mow. (The city dings you $200 to mow a vacant lot.) I’m thinking we saw houses go for a couple thousand. It might cost more than the house to get rid of it if it is really bad. Taxes are pretty low. We also bought a tax sale house next door, gutted it and rebuilt. The grand kids live there - parents, too... could have cheap housing if you have any skills at all and are willing and able to work.

Another problem with those vacant houses is getting insurance. They will say they don’t red line but they do come along and tell you what they want repaired.