Secret Doors!

Ever since I was a kid I have had a fascination with secret doors. I remember going through my house, searching for the secret entranceway to a passageway I just knew had to be there. Probably the result of too much Scooby Doo. In fact, the closest thing I ever found to a secret passage was the exit to the Safe House in Downtown Milwaukee.

Recently I showed a vacant home in Harambee. One of the people we were with noticed a hole in one of the panels of the dining room. With a little effort, the panel opened up, revealing a small storage area. While this was no secret passage, it was still great to see that 80 years ago someone took the time to install a secret door.

It makes me wonder how many secret doors I have passed in my life. I think I have to go check my living room...

One thing is sure, whoever built this house had a good sense of humor. These busts appear around the porch (which was later enclosed).

Where did the sausage go??

When I think of classic Milwaukee businesses, I always think of Dentice Brothers Italian Sausage at the corner of Jackson and Pleasant on Milwaukee's Eastside. Located across from Sanford's Restaurant, this classic storefront is left over from an era when Milwaukee had a corner store (or bar) on virtually every corner. The cream city brick, simple signage, and striped awnings add to the historic flavor of the neighborhood.

While I never tried their Italian sausage, rumor has it that it is the best Italian Sausage in the city. Given the quality of sausage products in Milwaukee, this is no small compliment!

Unfortunately, the last few times I have driven by Dentice Brothers, there has been no evidence that they are still in operation. I hope this is just a temporary winter closure, but I suspect the closing is permanent.

It is always sad to miss the opportunity to visit a local business only because it falls to the bottom of a to-do list. Milwaukee has a lot of local flavor, but if it is taken for granted it will disappear. In the last year we have lost several classic business, including Goldmans, Bryants, and Art's Concertina Bar. I hope the Dentice Brothers will not become part of this list.

If anyone knows the status of this business, please email me.

What about that old fireplace? Part One.

When looking at houses, especially homes from the turn of the century to the 1920's, buyers are often delighted to find a historic fireplace, complete with wooden mantel or nestled between two bookcases. I am often asked whether the fireplace works or if it can still be used. Of course, I generally don't know the answer to this question, but I have compiled a lot of information on historic fireplaces.

First, there are several types of fireplaces I encounter in old houses:

Decorative Fireplaces:

These were generally cast from concrete and were never intended to function. In fact, when you look "up the chimney", you may be surprised that there is no chimney. Decorative fireplaces often have electric outlets that would power a decorative electric log unit.

Wood Burning Fireplaces:

A wood burning fireplace generally has a deeper, good sized firebox that is lined with concrete or brick. While the fireplace may be operable, older chimneys may not have a clay tile liner (i.e., an unlined chimney) which could make the fireplace unsafe to operate. Regardless of whether the chimney is lined or not, you should have a pro inspect the fireplace and chimney to assure it is safe to operate. If a fireplace is a top priority in a home you are purchasing, make sure to include an inspection contingency that allows for a fireplace and chimney inspection and a draft test.

Coal Burning Fireplaces:

Some homes were built with coal burning fireplaces. Coal was often used in open fireplaces to provide heat. Coal fireplaces were usually built with small fireboxes or partially enclosed boxes that would hold the coal in place. The picture at right, courtesy of Bricks and Brass, is an example of a register grate.

Unfortunately, even if your coal burning fireplace is still operable, I don't have the slightest clue where you would buy coal these days.

Gas Fireplaces:

Gas fireplaces are also common to see. There are three different types of gas fireplaces I commonly run in to. Those that were built as gas burning unit, those that are converted solid fuel burning units, and modern gas units.

Some people feel that gas is a safer option than wood since gas burns cleaner. While this may be the case, a fireplace inspection is still vital when dealing with a gas unit. Gas produces a ton of water as it burns, which can quickly degrade a masonry chimney. Many gas units require special liners to protect the chimney from failure.

Sometimes, gas units are not vented at all. Similar to your gas stove, which releases the combustion by-products in to the room. While may believe these units are safe, there is some reason to be concerned about carbon monoxide poisoning. If you have a vent-less unit, it should be used under careful supervision.

Should you use your fireplace?

When buying a historic home, you should explore the use of your fireplace. Have it assessed and tested by a reputable inspector or chimney contractor, but don't be surprised if you find out that the unit is not operational. I would always suggest erring on the side of caution, especially when it comes to fire in the home.

Some reputable Milwaukee contractors are:

Royal Chimney Service, Inc.
(414) 771-2282

Smokestacks, Inc.
(262) 797-8181

Clean Sweep Chimney Service
(414) 962-1985

No matter what type of unit you have, there are some ingenious modern solutions to that will allow you to safely burn a wood or gas fire. These will be covered in "What about that old fireplace? Part Two."

Foreclosure Help from WHEDA

Last fall I received a call from a past client of mine who is the pastor at a local Lutheran church. He was concerned because one of his parishioners was in danger of sliding in to foreclosure because of an adjustable rate mortgage change coupled with a job change. He asked if I knew of any resources that could help prevent this person from becoming another foreclosure statistic in Milwaukee.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of illegitimate businesses out there who are offering "foreclosure assistance" by essentially offering to buy the mortgage and rent the house back to the person. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

After calling around, I found one credit counselor who was working for a local economic development agency. It was hard to find and obscure, but it worked. One thing became very apparent- there is a need for legitimate assistance for people facing foreclosure.

Recently I noticed that WHEDA has stepped in by partnering with the National Homeownership Preservation Foundation. This foundation provides free help and financial counseling to those who are facing foreclosure. Not only is this service free, it is also legitimate and is approved by HUD.

If you, or anyone you know, is facing foreclosure, contact the National Homeownership Preservation Foundation as soon as possible:

Homeownership Preservation Foundation

3033 Excelsior Blvd., Suite 500
Minneapolis, MN 55416

(888) 995-HOPE (4673)

You can also start an online counseling session HERE.

Things to Watch Out For: Clever Coverups

There has been at least one positive effect stemming from the collapse of the sub-prime market and the tightening of the credit market: there will be a lot fewer rehabers in the real estate market. Not saying that I am opposed to real estate rehabbers- on the contrary, I believe many are helping turn around forgotten neighborhoods. After all, would Brewer's Hill be Brewer's Hill without the risk taking and skills of a good rehabber?

This said, there are also some very poor rehabbers that are either a) ignorant or b) downright criminal. On a recent visit to a home in Riverwest, we spotted the sure signs of the latter type of rehabber: a criminal beast that should be watched out for and avoided when possible. This was the work of a particular rehabber who, for the sake of anonymity, we'll call Bim Trophy.

In the basement of this home, we saw what appeared to be a "new" foundation wall running nearly the entire length of the north wall. Usually a good sight when done properly, I mentally marked this in the "positive" category for this property.

Upon further observation, we noticed that the foundation wall was actually sitting in front of the existing foundation wall! This wall offered no structural support since it ran parallel to the floor joists.

In other words, the rehabber had a wall built, where its primary purpose was to cover up the existing wall. Now, since we could not see the original wall, we could only assume the worst. Upon speaking with a pro who had been in the basement years prior, I found out that the basement wall was bowed in 6" or so! While it is possible that the wall had been rebuilt and then a cover up wall installed, this is not very likely given the expense of such a proposition.

A Photo of the space between the two foundation walls. The old wall is on the left, while the new pretty wall is on the right. The photo on the left shows the area behind the furnace and shows that building a fake wall takes some thought- especially when you need to run HVAC ducting.

When I see something like this, I always loose a little faith in humanity. Who would purposely set out to deceive? I guess there is a lesson here. Always hire a licensed home inspector and a good Realtor and watch out for the dishonest rehabbers out there. For a list of qualified, dependable home inspectors, click HERE. To hire a dependable Realtor, click HERE

1159 E Kane- What happened?

1159 E Kane- Back on the market as-is...

For those of you keeping up with the Eastside real estate market, you may be aware that 1159 E Kane was sold last spring for $117,000. This small, workers cottage is located in the prime development area along the Milwaukee River. The house was not in the best shape and appeared to have some serious foundation issues. While most real estate developers would try to raze this little house to bring the land to its highest and best use, this property is located in the East Village Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District, which makes tearing down existing buildings difficult (at least politically).

This didn't stop whoever purchased 1159 E Kane from marketing the property as a pre-construction single family with a modern design and a price tag of $399,900. This 2 bedroom 2.5 bath home looks like it is straight out of Bucktown in Chicago. Designed for a narrow city lot, this building maximizes the square footage.



While many people may not appreciate the building's aesthetic styling, there is usually a good demand for new construction single family homes on the East Side. I expected to see this house sell for under asking, but instead it has been pulled off the market.

After 100 days on the market, the lister has pulled the pre-construction single family listing and has re-listed the tired little worker's cottage for $149,900.

One can only speculate what happened. Did the city refuse to grant a raze permit to the developer? Was there no demand for a $399,900 house in the heart of the East Side? Is this project a victim of the current real estate market? Would the develop be willing to sell the blueprints along with the house? If anyone has any information, please let me know.

City of Milwaukee Request for Proposal: 2231 N Martin Luther King

2231 North Martin Luther King

The City of Milwaukee is taking requests for proposals on a vacant piece of land located at 2231 N Martin Luther King Blvd. in Milwaukee. The asking price is $93,750, but given the great location, the actual winning bid may be more.

The city is looking for a pedestrian scaled building, from 2-5 stories tall. And, while some may first think of high-grossing businesses for this busy block, the city does have some prohibited uses:

Prohibited uses include churches, convenience stores, check-cashing facility, cigarette or cigar shops, community center, day care centers, gun shops; and social service facilities, pawn shops, liquor stores, payday or auto-title loan stores, automotive parts store, surface parking as a primary use, second-hand retail outlets, taverns (unless food service is the major component) and all other tax-exempt uses.

Personally, I would like to see a restaurant/club at this location. Soche and Gee's Clipers and Hair Design, two local businesses located nearby, have done quite well on this street. In addition there has been plenty of press about proposed developments in this area. This may be the perfect opportunity for someone to join the Milwaukee Bronzeville revitalization.

The deadline to submit the RFP is July 1, 2008. For more information on the RFP, please visit the City of Milwaukee web site:

Milwaukee DCD

For more information on King Drive and Bronzeville, visit these resources:

King Drive BID

Bronzeville

As always, if you need assistance planning and submitting a RFP for this property, please feel free to contact me by phone at (414) 899-3972 or by email.