 Aerial view  Just around the corner from us Kaz and I live in the oldest platted and zoned subdivision in Oracle. Some of the homes are older than ours which was built in the late 1940's but the neighborhood anchored by the Oracle Park has held up pretty well. As many of us stroll around our neighborhood, when something happens - or threatens to happen - to a property that we all know well we worry about its fate.
“Will the new buyer put six homes on it?” “Grade and blade after chainsawing the fabulous old trees?” “Build SaddleBrooke style homes that will stick out like sore thumbs?” We didn’t know but anticipated the worst. So much so much so that some of us schemed up an idea for a group purchase … which we all knew was just a fantasy. So we waited with bated breath. The moment of truth came when the "For Sale" sign came down signaling the deal had closed. ————————- Let me back up for a moment. The property in question has wonderful natural features but had fallen into dangerous disrepair. Shacks with holes in the roofs, windows busted out, pack rats running rampant, 50 gallon drums full of god knows what. A colossal challenge to any new owner. Conditions suggested an aggressive assault by heavy equipment, including front end loaders, back hoes and trucks to clear the place at great cost was likely. OMG! ———————- On one of our walks we noticed small changes beginning to happen. Weed whacking for pathways and to reduce fire risk; rusty metal gathered and neatly placed on one pile; block and reusable materials placed on another. No heavy equipment, just a pick up truck and a couple about our age apparently doing all the meticulous work! So who the hell are these miracle workers we wondered? What do they think of the “subdivide whisperers” who populate some of the real estate agencies around town? One morning they were working away as we passed by so we wandered over to say hello. Kaz took the lead with introductions. “Hi, we’re your new neighbors from a couple of properties over. Good to meet you.” "Good to meet you too!” The conversation unfolded from there. Much to our amazement the couple described struggling to overcome obstacles put in their way by the seller to the purchase of land they had fallen in love with. Yes, especially the trees. They refused to give up until they succeeded. Their intention? To build a modest home down the road - themselves. And BTW they’re not ready for retirement at 75. Welcome to the neighborhood!
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6/9/2023 09:10:32 pm
My father, hoping to build a home with an unobstructed mountain view, bought prairie land just off the west end of Helena. I grew up there, as Helena engulfed us and the view was erased by ordinary houses and telephone poles. The trick (for a solitary curmudgeon) is therefore to dwell at least four miles from even a small town, where the problem of Other People will not arrive in your lifetime. I would live among OP’s if I had the admirable political skills of yourself and Kaz. You keep finding the good ones. Leave a Reply. |
AuthorKaz and I moved to Oracle in 1979. The house we bought dated to the late 1940s. With little advance knowledge of the place, we set out to build a new life together, intending to settle in and raise a family. 
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