I read a news article today and saw that the city of New Castle right here in Delaware ranked as one of the top 12 places to buy an old house. The ranking was given by This Old House Magazine. Their top criteria for choosing a winner included architectural diversity, the craftsmanship of the homes, and the preservation momentum in the area.

Here is what the article reads:

This Old House magazine, is forever on the hunt for the greatest old houses. In the July issue, the magazine identifies 12 neighborhoods nationwide that it considers the best old-house neighborhoods in the United States.The winners were chosen because of their architectural diversity, the preservation momentum in the area, and neighborhood amenities, including walkability, services, and the level of community.The magazine also identifies dozens of other good neighborhoods.

Here are the magazine’s top 12:

• Centre Park Historic District, Reading, Pa.: five-bedroom townhouse can be purchased for about $60,000, a large Queen Anne for $135,000, and a mansion for less than $600,000.

• Hampton Heights Historic District, Spartanburg, S.C.: homes range from $50,000 for a 1930s Arts and Crafts fixer-upper to $250,000 for a restored Queen Anne.

• Galena, Illinois: a Greek Revival or Second Empire home can be bought for as little as $130,000.

• Kempton’s Corners, New Bedford, Mass.: prices run the range in this area, starting at $180,000 and then running as high as $800,000 for a Victorian.

• Old Louisville, Ky.: a rehabbed manse might cost about $275,000, with prices topping out at $800,000.

• Pleasant Ridge, Mich.: prices range from the low $100,000s for a modest bungalow to more than a million for a big Colonial Revival or Tudor.

• Victorian Flatbush, Brooklyn, N.Y.: fixer-uppers are available for $600,000 to $900,000; a restored home will run you upward to a million or more.

• Albany, Ore.: home prices in Albany’s national historic districts range from $90,000 for a run-down Italianate to $400,000 for a fully restored one.

• Georgetown, Texas: price tags on fixer-upper bungalows can be purchased for as little as $90,000; grander homes can run in the millions.

• Centralia, Wash.: homes in the Edison District range from $250,000 for an 1,800-square-foot Craftsman to $600,000 for a massive Queen Anne.

• New Castle, Delaware: a brick Federal in good shape will run you $385,000, while large historic homes with river views cost close to a million.

• Washington, Ga.: Antebellum mansions run as low as $350,000, while a 2,000-square-foot Victorian cottage might go for $130,000.

Getting a ranking in our little state. Pretty cool hugh?

This entry was posted on Friday, June 27th, 2008 @ 6:28 pm on the category Local News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.