At 76, I Bought Back Our First Home for $3—The Mayor Called Our House an Embarrassment—One Year Later, It Was Worth More Than His Mansion

buildings after fires, floods, settling failures, foundation shifts, and bad construction. He knew when a house was dying. He also knew when a house only looked dead because nobody had cared for it.

Before he told Edith, he drove to Cedar Street alone.

The house sat at the end of the block like it was ashamed of itself. The yard was bare dirt and weeds.continue reading …