Cheapest B.C. home? $1 buys you Boston Bar heritage house

[oneh2obabe]

In Vancouver, you're hard-pressed to find a home for less than a million dollars.

But the town of Boston Bar in the Fraser Canyon is offering up two historic houses for $1 apiece.

"We're trying to find a way to save these houses," said Lloyd Forman, the director for Boston Bar with the Fraser Valley Regional District.

"We finally came up with a plan that if we could offer the house and the lot for a dollar, it might be worthwhile for someone to purchase it. And the only stipulation we have is that the exterior retains the heritage value it has. The interiors can be restored to whatever comfort value they wish."

The Fraser Valley Regional District owns the land. On Tuesday night, their board gave staff authority to move ahead with the plan.

"They're fairly rough. The roofs are starting to leak some," said Forman. "But the only thing is they're constructed of first-growth fir, very clear, very good wood."

"The consensus is they would be rebuildable."

Forman says the houses sit on a city lot of approximately 5,000 square feet, and are about 1,100 square feet apiece.



They're located right in the heart of Boston Bar, across the street from a swimming pool and community centre.

Forman says the houses were built around the turn of the 20th century for Canadian Pacific Railway employees.

There were originally eight, but six have since been torn down.

Forman says the regional district will put out a request for proposals for potential buyers soon.

They're looking to strike a unique deal.

"We'll have to have a legal contract that protects the purchaser and the community," said Forman.

He says Boston Bar is a popular community for retirees, and he'd like to see the houses go to someone who plans to fix them up and move in.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... -1.2514794

[Captain Awesome]

Hmmm, would make a nice summer house.

A whole lot of renovations, of course, but still...

[twobits]

Unfortunately, reno's such as what would be required here, are money pits. One would have to be very passionate about the heritage aspect to justify spending more to reno than tear down and rebuild. You would be looking to put out a "hit" on the building inspector before you got finished.

[Dizzy1]

Vernon has a "Loonie" listing as well ...

http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/news/242464441.html

... the one stipulation is that you have to move it from its current location on 27th St and 32nd Ave.

[Glacier]

I looked at the Vernon house last week. It's in good shape for its age, but I figure it would cost me $200,000 to move the thing. It's right in the middle of town, and would require three phase power lines to be taken down just to get it half a block down the road. From there, every power crossing well set you back $10,000.

[Jo]

I'd be tempted by that Boston Bar house, that's for sure. And would regret it, no doubt, haha.

[Rwede]

Go for it Jo. It looks like an oasis for hippy chicks.

[Ken7]

Buy Boston Bar. Turn it into a posh retreat for the rich and famous to escape too. What is in the area that could be day trips which would be R&R?

[Jo]

I wish I could remember Boston Bar better. "Boston Bar Better" hmm there is the slogan for when I'm mayor? haha

At any rate, only ever went passed through when I was a kid, and we were on our way to the Caribou for hunting. Or rather I *think* we went through Boston Bar.

I wonder if it could be made into a wilderness type of destination?

[Gixxer]

Boston Bar is very small, basically a bathroom break when driving down to the coast.

[Jo]

That's probably why I can't remember anything about it, haha.

[Jo]

I would think with something like this you could use the money you'd normally use for a mortgage for repairs etc.?

It wouldn't really be something I'd go for, I guess, at this stage in my life but when I was younger and dumber and willing to jump into any new adventure, I'd probably have considered it.

[Glacier]

I always liked driving through Boston Bar on our annual trip to the coast because of all the tunnels. It's one of the hottest places in Canada. +40 weather in the summer is more common there than even the South Okanagan. Mild winters, but lots of snow sometimes (my kind of place). The downside is that there's not much work.

Like almost every small community in BC the population has been in decline for 20 years, so houses are cheap. I wouldn't buy the place because the money you'd have to put into the place could buy you a new house in that area.

Boston Bar: So named because of the numerous Americans washing for gold in the bar in the Fraser River at this point. Since the first American ships off our coast were almost invariably from Boston, the Indians took to calling Americans "Boston men." Similarly the Indians call the British "King George men." The Americans, carrying into British Columbia their tradition that the only good Indian was a dead Indian, treated the natives abominably. In 1859 Arthur Bushby noted in his journal that it "is quite strange to see how soon the Indians detect the Boston men & how they dislike them and how much they like the King George men." Provoked by the Americans, the Indians in the Fraser Canyon began to murder isolated parties of whites washing the bars of the Fraser. The trouble culminated in the so-called "Battle of Boston Bar" on August 14, 1858. A correspondent of the San Francisco Bulletin who was present reported the fight "lasted three hours, and resulted in the complete rout of the savages. Seven of the Indians are known to have been killed, and a number wounded. One white man only was wounded, and that slightly in the arm. About 150 white men were in the fight." According to some authorities, "The Battle of Boston Bar" actually took place in Spuzzum.

The original Indian village at Boston Bar was named Koia'um.

[steven lloyd]

According to some authorities, "The Battle of Boston Bar" actually took place in Spuzzum.

Spuzzum ??? Where the hell is Spuzzum BC ??

[grammafreddy]

Lol, SL, you haven't lived until you've been to Spuzzum.