There was a Realtor® next door earlier today at the house where the Hispanic family suddenly scarpered some weeks ago. The house had been on the market for about $90K. Then last week it dropped precipitously to $69K. We moseyed over to take a walkthrough as long as it was open, and I see why. The bank is making the owner do a short sale to cut their losses. There is at least $30K worth of renovation needed in the house (unless of course one is skilled and can do this stuff themselves). They tore out a wall upstairs and added a bathroom to create a master suite (there was not a master suite before; just four bedrooms and a full bath at the end of the hall), and did a truly suck-ass job of it. At some point the furnace was replaced and, inexplicably, was reinstalled in such a way that the closet door no longer closes. The paint is horrible and the electrical wiring probably ought to be replaced. The soffit in the front is starting to come down. The kitchen is straight out of the 1960's; I don't believe the counters and cabinets have ever been replaced, they look just like I remember from when I was a kid.
If anybody is interested in a fixer-upper in the 79th and Ditch area of Indianapolis, let me know.
