More about the house:
I was out and about this evening to go get my wife's nachos, (Tradition established during pregnancy that she didn't give up after the kids were born,) and I decided to go look at the house. It's nine blocks from where I get the nachos.
Now I remember specifically. It sits on the NE corner of an intersection. To the north, a sagging apartment building. To the northwest, the local unemployment office. Across the street and two doors to the west, another apartment complex advertisinf studios for $325 a month. The significance of these apartment buildings? A couple of years ago there was a news story about how way too many convicts on the sex offender list were living together against the rules, meaning they are supposed to live a minimum distance from each other. However, due to the lack of affordable housing, and the limits which say they must be a certain discance from a school, they also have a very limited selection of housing. Where do the bulk of the sex offenders in Ogden live? IN THESE TWO APARTMENT BUILDINGS. I know Brother Browning would love to know this.
The house itself is not in great shape. Even from the exterior I could see a lot of work that needs to be done; window and exterior decor replacement, the roof won't last forever, etc. What I mean is, even if it's a fantastic house, it needs to be completely renovated. Someone who could afford it would NOT want to live in this neighborhood. Which means it will probably be sold to be turned into (wait for it,) more apartments, which will be rented by, well....you know. The asking price is optimistic to say the least.
I wish there were a solution to all of this. There is a plaque out front indicating that it is a state historical site, which means there will be some degree of protection. I wish we could turn it into a museum, but we already have a Browning museum downtown, I doubt they are in a position to spring for a buy on the house as well.