All, Several years ago, while visiting in Orkney and lusting after buying a small house there, I spoke to a local and said, "New let's see if I've got this straight. I buy a house for a hundred thousand, spend a second hundred thousand fixing it up all nice, and now I own a house worth a hundred thousand. Is that right?" And he replied, "You've got it exactly right." So perhaps now I can knock those numbers down a bit, but the principle remains the same. I guess I'll wait. Tuck On Mar 27, 2009, at 9:51 PM, stephen davie wrote: > I noticed this evening, that there seems to be quite a raft of > properties floating on the market in Orkney. Perhaps it is just that > I found a website with the bulk of the listings, or perhaps it is > this new economy speaking to people. Lots of "doubling up" going on > here in Canada, with family members merging their housing, as the > economy continues to shrink faster than GM's bailout money. > > One add which was cute, suggested that if you moved to Stronsay, you > could avoid traffic jams! haha. Over to you Bruce. Bin stuck in the > rush hour traffic lately? > > Then the Balfour Castle is for sale, and comparing it to a Muskoka > Estate near my place, the price at 2.7 million pounds is virtually > justifiable, in an economy with some long term prospects that aren't > so unholy scary. Indeed, the photos are just lovely, and the 14 > bedrooms and 10 baths are a delight. To ever replace the stoney lofty > structure would be virtually unthinkable. I further did not know that > the property is indeed one that affords world class waterfowling. It > would be the ultimate b and b. > > All the places posted seem to reflect a drop in price. There did not > seem many with acreages a few years back, and indeed the prospects > below two hundred thousand pounds, were few and sketchy. > > Indeed two of the places for sale are priced at thirty five and forty > five thousand pounds respectively. One of these has six acres, on > Sanday in think, and the other little place, only six miles from > Kirkwall in Tankerness.... a wee rocky fixer-upper. > > It will be interesting to see how things fair in Orkney in the new > world economic storm. I suspect, that like farming communities here, > people will do better there than in the big cities to the south. > Farmers near here say that in light of the fact that they live within > a budget, and have no propensity for unrestricted spending frenzies > on borrowed money, that their lives will be the same, basically. That > frugality is evident in Orkney, and will shortly prove it's value > methinks. And the expatriated Orkney families of yesteryear, will > continue to return and explore their roots, and in some cases invest > in their heritage with a property there. Orkney is indeed a world > class attraction. > > So, not much news from the green isles these days. I still have two > feet of snow some places in my yard, but that will soon disappear. > Spring here, as in Orkney, is a tonic for the soul. > > Cheers....Stephen in central Canada > > ( the doonies in 2009!) > _______________________________________ > Orcadia Group Photo Album > http://tinyurl.com/28bx9x > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message

Tuck....You can't put a price on yer heritage and food fer yer soul. I will probably end up with jist enough property there for a cairn. Indeed, there was a lovely 50 acres with an old rickpile of a house, on the water not far from Finstown. Some Italian duckhunter bought it! Paid enough to buy about a hundred thousand ducks. I have the solution to your formula problem. Ya line up some relatives or friends, and form a trust. I call it my "share the pride" program. cheers...Stephen On Mar 28, 2009, at 11:17 AM, Tuck Langland wrote: > All, > > Several years ago, while visiting in Orkney and lusting after buying a > small house there, I spoke to a local and said, > > "New let's see if I've got this straight. I buy a house for a hundred > thousand, spend a second hundred thousand fixing it up all nice, and > now I own a house worth a hundred thousand. Is that right?" > > And he replied, "You've got it exactly right." > > So perhaps now I can knock those numbers down a bit, but the principle > remains the same. > > I guess I'll wait. > > > Tuck > On Mar 27, 2009, at 9:51 PM, stephen davie wrote: > >> I noticed this evening, that there seems to be quite a raft of >> properties floating on the market in Orkney. Perhaps it is just that >> I found a website with the bulk of the listings, or perhaps it is >> this new economy speaking to people. Lots of "doubling up" going on >> here in Canada, with family members merging their housing, as the >> economy continues to shrink faster than GM's bailout money. >> >> One add which was cute, suggested that if you moved to Stronsay, you >> could avoid traffic jams! haha. Over to you Bruce. Bin stuck in the >> rush hour traffic lately? >> >> Then the Balfour Castle is for sale, and comparing it to a Muskoka >> Estate near my place, the price at 2.7 million pounds is virtually >> justifiable, in an economy with some long term prospects that aren't >> so unholy scary. Indeed, the photos are just lovely, and the 14 >> bedrooms and 10 baths are a delight. To ever replace the stoney lofty >> structure would be virtually unthinkable. I further did not know that >> the property is indeed one that affords world class waterfowling. It >> would be the ultimate b and b. >> >> All the places posted seem to reflect a drop in price. There did not >> seem many with acreages a few years back, and indeed the prospects >> below two hundred thousand pounds, were few and sketchy. >> >> Indeed two of the places for sale are priced at thirty five and forty >> five thousand pounds respectively. One of these has six acres, on >> Sanday in think, and the other little place, only six miles from >> Kirkwall in Tankerness.... a wee rocky fixer-upper. >> >> It will be interesting to see how things fair in Orkney in the new >> world economic storm. I suspect, that like farming communities here, >> people will do better there than in the big cities to the south. >> Farmers near here say that in light of the fact that they live within >> a budget, and have no propensity for unrestricted spending frenzies >> on borrowed money, that their lives will be the same, basically. That >> frugality is evident in Orkney, and will shortly prove it's value >> methinks. And the expatriated Orkney families of yesteryear, will >> continue to return and explore their roots, and in some cases invest >> in their heritage with a property there. Orkney is indeed a world >> class attraction. >> >> So, not much news from the green isles these days. I still have two >> feet of snow some places in my yard, but that will soon disappear. >> Spring here, as in Orkney, is a tonic for the soul. >> >> Cheers....Stephen in central Canada >> >> ( the doonies in 2009!) >> _______________________________________ >> Orcadia Group Photo Album >> http://tinyurl.com/28bx9x >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- >> request@rootsweb.com >> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and >> the body of the message > > _______________________________________ > Orcadia Group Photo Album > http://tinyurl.com/28bx9x > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- > request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message >

Stephan and all, Lining up some friends is indeed the way to go. First of all, owning another house in a distant land, romantic as it may seem, has certain drawbacks. One is that's where you go every time you travel. So much for France, Spain, Italy, etc., it's always to the same house in Orkney. Second, when you get there you will probably spend most of your time working to repair any deterioration since the last visit. Fun. Third, no matter where you are, one of your houses is sitting empty, prey to burglars, water damage, fire etc. So the trust is a good idea, because you share cost, work, and time. Know of anyone? Tuck On Mar 28, 2009, at 2:37 PM, stephen davie wrote: > Tuck....You can't put a price on yer heritage and food fer yer soul. > I will probably end up with jist enough property there for a cairn. > Indeed, there was a lovely 50 acres with an old rickpile of a house, > on the water not far > from Finstown. Some Italian duckhunter bought it! > Paid enough to buy about a hundred thousand ducks. > > I have the solution to your formula problem. > Ya line up some relatives or friends, and form a trust. > I call it my "share the pride" program. > > cheers...Stephen > > On Mar 28, 2009, at 11:17 AM, Tuck Langland wrote: > >> All, >> >> Several years ago, while visiting in Orkney and lusting after >> buying a >> small house there, I spoke to a local and said, >> >> "New let's see if I've got this straight. I buy a house for a hundred >> thousand, spend a second hundred thousand fixing it up all nice, and >> now I own a house worth a hundred thousand. Is that right?" >> >> And he replied, "You've got it exactly right." >> >> So perhaps now I can knock those numbers down a bit, but the >> principle >> remains the same. >> >> I guess I'll wait. >> >> >> Tuck >> On Mar 27, 2009, at 9:51 PM, stephen davie wrote: >> >>> I noticed this evening, that there seems to be quite a raft of >>> properties floating on the market in Orkney. Perhaps it is just that >>> I found a website with the bulk of the listings, or perhaps it is >>> this new economy speaking to people. Lots of "doubling up" going on >>> here in Canada, with family members merging their housing, as the >>> economy continues to shrink faster than GM's bailout money. >>> >>> One add which was cute, suggested that if you moved to Stronsay, you >>> could avoid traffic jams! haha. Over to you Bruce. Bin stuck in the >>> rush hour traffic lately? >>> >>> Then the Balfour Castle is for sale, and comparing it to a Muskoka >>> Estate near my place, the price at 2.7 million pounds is virtually >>> justifiable, in an economy with some long term prospects that aren't >>> so unholy scary. Indeed, the photos are just lovely, and the 14 >>> bedrooms and 10 baths are a delight. To ever replace the stoney >>> lofty >>> structure would be virtually unthinkable. I further did not know >>> that >>> the property is indeed one that affords world class waterfowling. It >>> would be the ultimate b and b. >>> >>> All the places posted seem to reflect a drop in price. There did not >>> seem many with acreages a few years back, and indeed the prospects >>> below two hundred thousand pounds, were few and sketchy. >>> >>> Indeed two of the places for sale are priced at thirty five and >>> forty >>> five thousand pounds respectively. One of these has six acres, on >>> Sanday in think, and the other little place, only six miles from >>> Kirkwall in Tankerness.... a wee rocky fixer-upper. >>> >>> It will be interesting to see how things fair in Orkney in the new >>> world economic storm. I suspect, that like farming communities >>> here, >>> people will do better there than in the big cities to the south. >>> Farmers near here say that in light of the fact that they live >>> within >>> a budget, and have no propensity for unrestricted spending frenzies >>> on borrowed money, that their lives will be the same, basically. >>> That >>> frugality is evident in Orkney, and will shortly prove it's value >>> methinks. And the expatriated Orkney families of yesteryear, will >>> continue to return and explore their roots, and in some cases invest >>> in their heritage with a property there. Orkney is indeed a world >>> class attraction. >>> >>> So, not much news from the green isles these days. I still have two >>> feet of snow some places in my yard, but that will soon disappear. >>> Spring here, as in Orkney, is a tonic for the soul. >>> >>> Cheers....Stephen in central Canada >>> >>> ( the doonies in 2009!) >>> _______________________________________ >>> Orcadia Group Photo Album >>> http://tinyurl.com/28bx9x >>> ------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- >>> request@rootsweb.com >>> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and >>> the body of the message >> >> _______________________________________ >> Orcadia Group Photo Album >> http://tinyurl.com/28bx9x >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- >> request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes >> in the subject and the body of the message >> > > _______________________________________ > Orcadia Group Photo Album > http://tinyurl.com/28bx9x > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message