# NW Pennsylvania Property



## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

This is an Amish property, no electric nor bathroom. But for what you do get I think it's a good price. The Realtor told me it needs to be cash or a conventional loan with 20% down, but he may have been screwing with me since I mentioned a VA loan. I know it's in or going into foreclosure, so I would think the bank would work with someone. If you go to the ERA Richmond site and do a search for Spartansburg, PA it should take you to their listing page which has a lot more pictures including the inside. Maybe someone else can get it since I can't.

http://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-Corner-Road_Spartansburg_PA_16434_1116349259

Nomad


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Not a bad looking little place, who needs a bathroom? you would look good standing in that front yard Nomad. >Thanks marc


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

springvalley said:


> Not a bad looking little place, who needs a bathroom? you would look good standing in that front yard Nomad. >Thanks marc


I thought so, too. Unfortunately the realty company over there was less than helpful, so I keep looking. I made the mistake of telling them I was going to use a VA loan. I had hoped to make payments for while and put in the electric myself to pass the inspection and then pay off the balance with the loan. According to the VA guidelines an outhouse is acceptable in some cases, but I had planned to put in a composting toilet anyway. The first person I spoke to said the bank is going to foreclose and was going to talk to them about my idea. After a week of trying to get to see the property, I had to fire her. Then the new person I got was even less helpful. I don't recommend that company. If anyone is interested, I'd find a different Realtor to deal with. The property next to that one is also for sale. It is an Amish house also, so same thing, no electric nor bathroom. The house is about 1400 sq. ft., has two bedrooms with a four stall barn and 9+ acres for $52,000. So if anyone would like to buy both and then sell me the large house, I'd be pretty happy. 

Nomad


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## Shygal (May 26, 2003)

I lived in Spartansburg for a while, its a nice little town, lots of Amish


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## Bear (Jan 25, 2005)

Since most realtors are multi list try a different realtor. I bought my place from Marsh Realty in Titusville, they're right across from the post office on Central Ave. Gary Marsh and his wife Diane run the business and are nice people. Diane's brother Mike worked there and he was my agent, not sure if he was a vet or not, but he was easy to work with. Give em a try!


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

Bear said:


> Since most realtors are multi list try a different realtor. I bought my place from Marsh Realty in Titusville, they're right across from the post office on Central Ave. Gary Marsh and his wife Diane run the business and are nice people. Diane's brother Mike worked there and he was my agent, not sure if he was a vet or not, but he was easy to work with. Give em a try!


Thanks, for the heads up. The problem now seems to be the VA's definition of a safe and sanitary place. I was on the phone yesterday for a good while with the Cleveland office and at first the guy said no pit privies..outhouses. So I pointed out a paragraph in their pamphlet that does allow for them if it is customary to the area. Lots of Amish up there, so yah I think it's customary. That's when he came out with the safe and sanitary thing. Of course he told me he couldn't make that judgment and I had to call the local county health department. So I called Crawford County and was told that they couldn't help me. I had to call the Sparta Township health department. I spent about 15 minutes trying to find any listing or even mention of them online with no luck. I ran out of time, so I'll call the county people back Monday and see if they have the number. I also called the electric company. The woman was less than helpful. I wanted to see what would be involved and what the cost would be to get electric to the property and to the meter. She said she had no idea, that an engineer would have to go out first to look at the place. She did tell me about their web site, so I read all 78 pages of their manual. It didn't say anything about getting to the property, but it did have everything else about what was required to hook it up including all hardware and dimensions, with drawings. There is nothing that says the house has to have a bathroom or a septic system, so that's good. I don't know how far the nearest pole is to the lot though. I'm 125 miles away, so I can't do much except on the phone. But I may be wasting my time unless the bank will give me a huge break. Guess we'll see. Oh and if the house has a cistern, all bets are off. For some reason the VA won't back a loan in PA if the place has a cistern. And here's a funny...while I was talking to the VA guy I mentioned the possibility of a composting toilet. I think they would be considered safe and sanitary. He said, "what's a composting toilet?" I couldn't help myself, I asked him if he was a city dweller. He was, what a shock. I don't see this deal working out, but it sure is an adventure trying. Good thing I'm retired, because it takes up a lot of time.

Nomad


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## tiogacounty (Oct 27, 2005)

Nomad, You had a typical experience with a Pa electric company. Fact is that until you are actually able to talk to an engineer, you are just burning up phone time. Utility office staff is more worthless than nipples on a mule. Generally the field engineer is the only guy that knows the answers and how "by the book" things need to be. I often find that they can be extremely helpful in answering questions and saving you money by bending the rules. I recently was quoted a nasty price for adding a pole for a new install. The engineer showed up and said, "this would be a really good time to make a verbal request for a "yard light". I replied, "well, I'm not sure why, but I got a real itch to put a yard light right about here". He then filled out the request and set a pole to put a street light up. Oddly enough, this was the exact location where they were going to put a $1000 pole in for my new service. In the end, the pole I needed cost me $14. The only rear problem is finding out how to contact the engineer directly. Often the answer is to stop by a local line crew, while they are working and ask, who has a clue in the office, and what is their phone #? Good luck.


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

As it turned out it was all a waste of my time. I spent over two weeks trying to get the realtor to help me with the bank. I had actually given up and was done with it all, and he called me again and said he would go to the bank and try to see if they would work something out with me. I figured they would be better off working with me than foreclosing. He told me to make some calls which I did figuring he was holding up his end. Four days later he e-mails me and says he doesn't see how I could get VA approval and he tells me to talk to the bank myself. That's when I told him to shove it. Why anyone would deal with that company is beyond me. So I keep looking. I thought with the way things are I would have no problem dealing with realtors, but for every three requests I send for informatiom I'm only getting one response. Business must be good for somebody.

Nomad


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

Nomad said:


> As it turned out it was all a waste of my time. I spent over two weeks trying to get the realtor to help me with the bank. I had actually given up and was done with it all, and he called me again and said he would go to the bank and try to see if they would work something out with me. I figured they would be better off working with me than foreclosing. He told me to make some calls which I did figuring he was holding up his end. Four days later he e-mails me and says he doesn't see how I could get VA approval and he tells me to talk to the bank myself. That's when I told him to shove it. Why anyone would deal with that company is beyond me. So I keep looking. I thought with the way things are I would have no problem dealing with realtors, but for every three requests I send for informatiom I'm only getting one response. Business must be good for somebody.
> 
> Nomad


My experience has been the vast majority of realtors do mainly in town residential homes, and are lost when it comes to anything rural or non standard. You might have better luck trying a realtor specializing in farm/rural/land sales. that and commission on 50k or so likely isn't too exciting if they can work on properties 3-4 times that amount.

I'm having the same issues, in fact I was due to close today on 11 acres but it'll likely be pushed right up to the end of my 30 day contract to buy, simply because it's not a residential home purchase and she's a little lost on a few things.

I used a realtor as a buyers agent simply to do a little leg work on paperwork and do the standard offer letters and contracts passing to the sellers agent and back and to the title company and bank which are all 250 miles away from me and local to her, a local gopher more or less, she is useless as tits on a boar for anything else. But her commission comes out of the sellers end so at least it costs me nothing.


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

Txrider said:


> My experience has been the vast majority of realtors do mainly in town residential homes, and are lost when it comes to anything rural or non standard. You might have better luck trying a realtor specializing in farm/rural/land sales. that and commission on 50k or so likely isn't too exciting if they can work on properties 3-4 times that amount.
> 
> I'm having the same issues, in fact I was due to close today on 11 acres but it'll likely be pushed right up to the end of my 30 day contract to buy, simply because it's not a residential home purchase and she's a little lost on a few things.
> 
> I used a realtor as a buyers agent simply to do a little leg work on paperwork and do the standard offer letters and contracts passing to the sellers agent and back and to the title company and bank which are all 250 miles away from me and local to her, a local gopher more or less, she is useless as tits on a boar for anything else. But her commission comes out of the sellers end so at least it costs me nothing.



The guy told me all I needed to know about him when he made a point of telling me about his 4 1/2 million in sales last year. To me that means just about what you said...the commission on $62,000 wasn't worth the effort. Every time I had any communication from him he would tell me how far he was from the property. What I whiner. I was 2 1/2 hours, so I expected some help. Both times I have bought a house I told the realtor I wanted it and then I did nothing else until I signed the papers. Guess I expected too much out of the guy.

Nomad


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## Lyra (Sep 15, 2009)

Being from Western PA my thoughts are:

1. Check with the local township about the water and sewer. Some communities are updating their requirements in Amish areas. You may have to install water and sewer asap.

2. _$62,000_ for 10 acres and a 1997 house. Seeing that price makes me question if the property has the OGM rights. My feeling is that the rights have been sold.


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

Lyra said:


> Being from Western PA my thoughts are:
> 
> 1. Check with the local township about the water and sewer. Some communities are updating their requirements in Amish areas. You may have to install water and sewer asap.
> 
> 2. _$62,000_ for 10 acres and a 1997 house. Seeing that price makes me question if the property has the OGM rights. My feeling is that the rights have been sold.


I have moved on and I am no longer pursuing that property. I'm afraid I don't know what OGM rights are.


Nomad


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## Lyra (Sep 15, 2009)

Nomad said:


> I have moved on and I am no longer pursuing that property. I'm afraid I don't know what OGM rights are.
> 
> 
> Nomad



Oil Gas Mineral. You want to be careful buying a property with land in PA because of the Marcellus Shale boom. Always check about the OGM and mine subsidence issues.


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

Lyra said:


> Oil Gas Mineral. You want to be careful buying a property with land in PA because of the Marcellus Shale boom. Always check about the OGM and mine subsidence issues.



I am looking in PA. This is something I haven't heard about. Seems like it's always something. All I want is a small place where I can have a garden, a wood shop and some chickens. So far it has been too much to ask. Guess I may have to stay a city dweller the rest of my life. That should shorten it some.

Nomad


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