@3 Windows can be replaced, insulation can be injected into the walls. Plumbing and electrical are easily updated. I do it all the time and it wastes a lot less resources and energy than demolishing this house (that could at least be "deconstructed" but likely wont) and throwing it in a hole to allow new construction. It's also much, MUCH, cheaper while still providing good employment opportunities. And if the owner likes, they can chop it up into sublets that are much more affordable for all you young hipsters complaining about high rent and low density in our city. I mean you know they're not gonna tear down houses and build shiny new apartments just so they can rent them for cheap, right?
There's way more vacant homes than homeless. We dont have a hiusing problem we have a resource allocation problem. and If you're really serious about all the enviro friendly stuff you'll look for better solutions than razing homes and building boxes. Their energy consumption once built may be better (if done right) but the inputs required to build them cancels out decades of energy savings.
@12: True if they're just rebuilding, but what exists now is a single family home, and they're likely installing a block of apartments or something similar.
Maybe one of the 12,500 new people who moved into Seattle last year can buy it.
"tear down that bitch of a bearing wall and put a window where it ought to be!"
Cheap or not this town needs TONS of new apts. 5% growth over 2 years has to go somewhere.
http://gawker.com/if-you-start-saving-no…