Let’s take a look at a possible trustee sale coming up in Carlsbad.
The property is right on Tamarack – the house is a 1,080sf tear-down on a 30,492 sf lot, which is roughly 117 ft wide, by 275 ft. deep.
First determine what is the highest-and-best use. Look at the neighbor across the tracks in the photo; would it be best to follow his lead and build the family compound here?
Or complete the former owner’s vision, and build out his approved plans calling for 13 condos?
Here’s the youtube tour:
Jim – I cannot imagine making any money on that site even if I got it for free. The train is one thing, but add on the crossing bells and the horns you are DOA.
In this market any flaw is being highlighted and I bet you can get a much better buy for $500k elsewhere.
I wouldn’t even buy this using your money, much less my money.
Habitat For Humanity is my answer to this site.
So the arborist took out a $450,000 2nd, what did he do with the money???
It should be a transit system easement.
Good place to sell Christmas trees.
You’d have to pay me to take that off your hands.
That really needs to be non-residential. I’m surprised it was zoned otherwise. That lot could house a small plant nursery or some offices if you built them well insulated with triple pane windows to kill the train noise.
Reminds me of the vacant lots used to sell velvet Elvis paintings…like the ones up in Hollywood.
Or maybe fresh fish bait.
I’d tear it down and build a nice library or book store where people can relax and enjoy some peace and quiet.
Better yet, I’d offer to use it as a site for the real estate exam! Nobody would ever pass and they’d have to keep re-taking it.
I can listen to this all day long!:
http://www.YoutubeRepeater.com/watch?v=lWpUrXimZ94&s=258&e=268
What the heck was in that Koolaide these folks were drinking?
The building would shake too. Its not just the train its the road stop signal bells too.
I think the better use of the land would be to turn it into a beach parking lot. Probably make good money in the summer and be low maintenance year round. Not sure how much it would cost to tear the buildings down.
Well, you’d wake up at the same time EVERY morning.
“How much would you pay for it?” (JtR)
That train whistle bring back such special childhood memories, Jim! You see, when I was a kid, our family lived and breathed trains. You see, my dad graduated with a civil engineering degree from Stanford and worked for Southern Pacific RR–just like his dad before him. My dad worked for SP his entire life (and two younger brothers too). We even had use of a private caboose for memorable overnight trips throughout CA.
*Grin* As a mom, if I ever was stopped at a RR crossing because of a train roaring through, I’d sit back and embraced the moment completely. I’d tell our-then little kids parked in the backseat that it was their grandpa–who died before they were born–saying hi and adding a hug with the whistle!
But–even with all these amazing childhood memories, I would never live that close to RR tracks! *Shakes head* Didja say there were 40 trains roaring by every single day, Jim? Jeez, I’d never get a wink of sleep…
P.S. *Chuckle* I listened to that train whistle in the video twice! I remember my dad would even yell, “All aboard!” for my older sister and I to clamor in our car’s back seat. Mahalo for the memories, Jim. Yep, priceless!
Agree with sheesh. It would probably be best to make it a parking lot. I wouldn’t buy a condo there for $50K, much less $500K.
It’s not completely unfathomable; there are what appear to be a row of townhomes/apartments in the righthand corner of the aerial view. I’m just sayin’…
I hear the train a comin’
It’s rolling round the bend
And I ain’t seen the sunshine since I don’t know when,
I’m stuck in Carlsbad flats, and time keeps draggin’ on
But that train keeps a rollin’ on down to San Antone..
When I was just a baby my mama told me. Son,
Always be a good boy, don’t ever play with guns.
But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die
When I hear that whistle blowing, I hang my head and cry..
I bet there’s rich folks eating in a fancy dining car
They’re probably drinkin’ coffee and smoking big cigars.
Well I know I had it coming, I know I can’t be free
But those people keep a movin’
And that’s what tortures me…
I used to live in the apartments just to the left of the property in question. I will never live that close to the tracks and intersection again. It was a nightmare.
I hear the Pet Rock is coming back. Better get one now. How about overflow parking for the beach? Except the City would have to bear the cost to maintain it – so much for that idea.
Thanks Susie for your patronage and kind words always. Careful with that coffee though, this blog is served ‘as-is’ without warranty. (JtR, “Spanish Style”, 2/4/2010)
“I can listen to this all day long!:
http://www.YoutubeRepeater.com/watch?v=lWpUrXimZ94&s=258&e=268” (Greekfire, Comment #8)
I should have read JtR’s warning from yesterday earlier! I posted comments #12 and #13 last night before listening to the “repeat” video this morning. I loved it, but alas, I cracked up!
Here I am sitting with my morning coffee once again. Jim, please consider offering some kind of “coffee on computer keyboard” insurance policy to me. Really, you could retire early…
And I think you hit on the perfect name if condos are ever built there–“Villas Del Railroad”. It reminds me of a house I once saw for sale up in N. CA. It had one of those huge electrical transformers nearly in its backyard. What did the real estate agent put as the title of the house’s information sheet? Yep, “Electrifying Views”.
How about building a school for the deaf on that site ?