I published this back in September of 2008. By that time we were well aware of the recession and that the housing market had crashed. Some of those vacant houses in St. Paul were demolished and some are still vacant and owned by the city and by banks too.
There are currently 615 registered vacant buildings in St. Paul. 565 of them are single or multiple housing units. Not all vacant houses are registered. There are over 64,000 houses in St. Paul.
The number of vacant registered building in St. Paul continues to grow. Currently, there are 2031 registered vacant buildings in St. Paul. Most of the buildings are single family homes and Duplexes. No one knows how many vacant homes there are that are not registered. Some of the registered homes are for sale.
Many need repairs. Some don’t appear to be salvageable as the city has cited them for numerous code violations and it simply costs more than the structures are worth to do everything that the city thinks should be done.
There are vacant houses that have been vacant for years. Will they sit empty forever? The owners do pay taxes and there is no law that says the property has to be used or occupied.
Having a problem with a vacant property? Follow this link the complaint department. (the city reorganized their website and the link is broken)
Are vacant houses a problem? What is it like to live next door to a vacant house? Would you buy the house next door if it were for sale?
Also, see:
St. Paul Real Estate: Vacancy Rate Continues to Climb
