if its in my neighborhood

its for sale.

I went through the hood last evening and took some pictures of just a few of the houses available for sale or rent in my neighborhood. We had pretty severe flooding in Febuary 09 and as the rainy season ended houses started undergoing construction. Many of them are being lifted. Many were already on the market and the realization has set in that they won't sell if they aren't lifted. That leaves some homeowners in a really hard spot. Can't afford to raise and it won't sell. Some of the houses are real success stories. Owner has taken the plunge and raised crumbling house 3ft above the road. Now they have a really nice, should be safe from flooding house.

Take for instance the 2 above. They'd sat empty for over a year. Sometimes extended family would come and stay in them for a day or two but they were only used as extra sleeping space for a few nights. Then one day bamboo goes up in front of the house on the corner- this one we suspect is being lifted 6 feet off street level. The one just inside from the corner, sheet metal goes up and they are making better time than the neighbor next to them. But what could they do- both of their neighbors would be higher than them, sure thing the flood water would be well inside their house.

Now look at some of the guys who have lifted. The above house looks like a palace. Their house still isn't selling. Everyone in the city knows what happens to the neighborhood. Even if you house were the ark and would float, no one wants to or can drive to the house. Meaning that until the water goes down in the street you can't leave your house- unless you want to walk through waste water.