In the 1940s Bethlehem Steel built a community of mail order homes in the Mountainview area of Hellertown, PA, on land adjacent to its golf course. Starting at about $1,000, the homes built from kits in Mountainview were cape cods, ranch homes, and bungalow designs right from the Sears catalog. Bethlehem Steel may no longer be a giant in the community, but these homes have stood the test of time and remain highly desirable. Prices for these properties are now approaching $200,000. (The inset photo illustrates a home that I sold last September to the Blooms, my personal gift to the Mountainview community 8-). A compilation of recent sold properties is available here.
Sears offers the following tips to help you decide if a home was ordered from its Modern Homes catalog:
- Look for numbered markings on joints and rafters where they are exposed in the attic or basement; these numbers correspond to Sears blueprints. You may need to remove a stud and examine its end to see the numbers.
- Mortgage records may list Sears as the original mortgage holder.
- Remove a piece of baseboard, window frame or other molding and look for numbering or the label "Norwood Sash and Door Manufacturing Co."
- Bath and hardware fixtures may be numbered or engraved with the letters ASR.
- Check the attic or basement for blueprints or a bill of lading.
Nice Article. Stop Foreclosure Help
Posted by: EnTrust | September 22, 2007 at 05:21 AM
Predatory lending is also a threat to deal with now a days. I am happy you wrote something worth reading about foreclosures. Foreclosure freeze for a wrongful foreclosure is a must. Lenders should explain terms and conditions in a simple manner to home owners. This would certainly decrease the amount of foreclosure fraud.
Posted by: stop foreclosure | October 10, 2011 at 10:18 AM