New Madrid Fault Line Doesn't Stop People from Calling Missouri Home

While rumors have "floated" for decades that California will someday slide into the ocean from the San Andreas fault line, another earthquake fault line goes right through middle America. The New Madrid Fault is said to be a major seismic zone that could be responsible for massive damage at some unpredictable date in the future. The New Madrid Fault is named after a little town in Missouri where the fault line begins. In addition to the small town, the fault line threatens parts of seven states: Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. In 2008, FEMA said that a 7.7 or greater magnitude quake would cause "the highest economic losses due to a natural disaster in the United States" and said damages would be widespread and catastrophic. Clearly, there is the potential of drastically changing the face of real estate in the entire area if a major earthquake ever occurs.

For now, however, real estate in New Madrid is scarce. Only one house is available, but it's an attractive abode. The four bedroom, two bath house with a partial stone, partial wood exterior boast almost 3,000 square feet. With Swiss chalet windows and a spacious barn on the land, the house is a deal with a list price of $70,000.

Near New Madrid is Parma, Missouri which has another huge home currently for sale, listed at $140,000. Having over 3,000 square feet, the three bedrooms, three bath home has been completely updated with hardwood floors, new light fixtures, tile in the wet areas, and cathedral ceilings.

West of New Madrid is a healthy town called Poplar Bluff that has over 100 homes currently listed on the local MLS. On average, houses in this bigger town cost about $85,000 and values have maintained steady even through the real estate market slump of the last two years.

While one bathroom houses seem to be the trend in this area, most have ample square footage and are built with the Midwest know-how that makes them sturdy and long-lasting. Along with sturdy construction, Missouri homeowners know that proper maintenance of a home is important to prevent decay. Regular termite inspections, heat/air check-ups, re-caulking windows, making sure all exterior doors have proper weather-stripping, and other simple preservation work will protect again summer heat and winter chill.

They will remain long-lasting granted that the New Madrid Fault line remains quiet. Living in the area causes some apprehension, but preparedness is the key to both surviving and thriving in Southeast Missouri.

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I-44 Passes Through Rural Missouri, Rural America

As you head from the Atlantic Ocean toward the great Pacific, you may drive along Interstate 44 through Missouri. Why so notable? The interstate begins in St. Louis, the gateway to the West. In St. Louis, the unmistakable Arch dominates the landscape as if to beckon travelers toward a new life. But life in Missouri remains rural and uncomplicated.

Departing the big city, I-44 then takes you past towns like Rolla, Springfield, and Joplin. In each of these areas - and dozens more just a little bit smaller but no less proud - the people of the communities determine their own destinies. They define where they live and how they live, and they proudly share their lives with each other, sitting on the numerous front porches all across the state.

Currently, there are 58,000 houses for sale in the entire state of Missouri along with thousands of condos, farms, and multi-family homes. By far, St. Louis offers the most homes now available with over 10,000 for sale. Perhaps one of the most notable homes in St Louis is a log home listed at almost $300,000. The 2200 square foot house is situated on 5 acres of beautiful acreage. It has three bedrooms, two baths and a completely updated, modern kitchen. But the best part may be the long welcoming front porch on which to enjoy the cool summer nights or a cup of coffee in the early morning.

As you leave the St. Louis area, you can drive along I-44 which skirts along forested conservation areas, it passes military installations like Fort Leonard Hood where soldiers serve their country unflinchingly, and eventually ends just outside of Joplin. All along the route, houses average about $150,000. Overall, homes in the state have remained steady - some areas show real estate values increasing, while other places how a decrease in home values.

But if you want to find yourself in Springfield, a more private style front porch can be found in a home near the campus of Missouri State University. The 1000 square foot house to which it's attached is listed at $59,000 and has two bedrooms and one bathroom. The porch has brick halfway up, but is open to allow cool breezes from three feet to the roofline.

For $147,000, a traditional pizza-delivery only kind of porch can be found in Rolla. The two-story house itself is a four bedroom, two and a half bath traditional home with over 2200 spacious square feet. The carpet needs updated, but the unfinished basement could be a real boost to buyers seeking a lot of space for an affordable price.

Finally, in Joplin, Missouri is a piece of real estate listed at under $100,000 that has three bedrooms, one and a half baths, and a an old-fashioned front porch that hearkens to the days of neighbors talking over a glass of iced lemonade. The porch overlooks a shaded yard, but inside the house is bright and sunny.

Traveling along I-44 and stopping by to enjoy a porch chat with the people from the Show-Me state should be easily accomplished in this long, beautiful state.

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Land of Corns, Iowa

Several years ago a song that should've gone Top 40 (but was limited to being featured on the Bob & Tom radio show) came to my attention. It was called Interstate 80 Iowa and sung by Haywood Banks. You can have a listen to it on youtube at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyeY0hWU28I, but be warned that it's very random!

The point is, if you want to find some corn look no further than Iowa! In fact, corn is so popular that there are web pages dedicated to how many good weather days were to be had in a week to care for it, there are corn cams set up, and people travel to Iowa from all over to see how the Midwesterners grow it!

Are you ready for some corn? During the hot hazy days of summer, most of us like firing up the grill to enjoy either a slab of steak, barbecue chicken, or juicy pork chops. Some prefer a vegan lifestyle, but the grill is the perfect cooking vehicle for many succulent vegetables like asparagus, eggplant, or mushroom burgers. However whether you like meat or prefer a vegetarian lifestyle, corn is perhaps one of the best foods to grill.

One of the best ways to grill it is to leave it in the husk and put a whole ear of corn on the grill. Turn it occasionally, but cook for at least an hour. When those 60 minutes are up, the husk and silks fall off and you will bite into the most delicious food item you’ve ever pulled off a grill.

The freshest, sweetest corn is found in Iowa. If you landed right in the middle of the state (it appears to be Centerville although ironically it was named after a Tennessee politician, not because it's in the "center"), you can go any direction to find delicious corn.

Go North to Fort Dodge to find homes with an average list price of about $100,000. One at that price is a Round Prairie design with three bedrooms, two baths, a three-season porch, wood floors, and beautiful arches doorways.

If you go South to Winterset, homes are worth on average about $119,000. Currently available is a three bedroom, one and a half bath ranch home with 1300 square feet. The home has a double garage that could be easily converted to a man-cave workshop.

West of Centerville, Iowa is tiny little Adair where three houses are currently for sale. Listed at $48,900, $102,900, and $279,000. Whether you're looking for affordable or elegant, your choices are very limited.

Finally if you turn toward the East, you'll find yourself in Ames, Iowa. Real estate choices soar into the hundreds in this larger town, with an average price of $162,900. Ames offers an assortment of single family homes, condos, multi-family homes, and places to rent.

Whatever direction you turn in Iowa, you'll find affordability... and corn.

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American Gothic lifestyle found in Anamosa, Iowa

In a small town named Anamosa, Iowa, new parents in 1891 named their baby Grant Wood. As the baby matured into adulthood, his love of both art and the people of the region grew, too. The nation was fortunate that Wood was able to combine his passions into paintings representing the farm region of the Midwest. One painting in particular – American Gothic – defined for generations the perception people would have of those from the farming region of the country.

Today, Anamosa remains a rural community not quite halfway between Cedar Rapids and Dubuque. The cost of living is still very affordable because residents still live to a degree on the land – they raise their own gardens, fish for largemouth bass in nearby Pleasant Creek Lake or for crappie in nearby Lake Macbride, and even care for their own chickens and other farm animals.

Also affordable are the homes in Anamosa, Iowa. Currently there is one foreclosed home listed for under $20,000. Buyers should expect that it will be a "handyman's special" with new flooring, paint, fixtures, and more repairs needed. However, if you're willing for your house payment to go up to almost $400 per month (not including taxes and insurance), you can jump into a house treated with tender loving care by the current home owner. The $90,000 house has three bedrooms, one bathroom, almost 1600 square feet, and a garage.

Bump the price up by $100,000 and a beautiful Victorian style home could be where you hang your hat at night. The gorgeous home in Anamosa is listed for $190,000 and boasts of four bedrooms and one and a half baths. All the outdated wallpaper was painstakingly removed as the house was updated (say "modern kitchen" and smile), however the charm of the Victorian remains. The home has hardwood floors, a blend of old and new light fixtures, stained and beveled glass throughout, and new paint on the outside.

If your style taste trend for the newer homes, Anamosa also has several houses for sale that have been newly constructed. These homes are a little more expensive, but all the modern conveniences come with the package, along with some very nice upgrades like tiled walk-in showers and, a huge octagon-shaped deck.

The value of homes in Grant Wood's hometown have declined somewhat in the last couple of years, but overall have remained fairly sound. The median price is $115,000, but note that if you want your own real estate to exclude lawn or yard work you may skip Anamosa. There are no condominiums to be found, according to Uncle Google and Aunt Zillow, just the kind of lifestyle you'd imagine possible when looking at American Gothic!

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Delaware: It’s Haven to Corporations, but Others Like it Too

City of Rehoboth Beach

Delaware... paradise found for major corporations all across the nation. Most major businesses in the U.S. really are incorporated in Delaware because it's a very business savvy and business friendly state. Where laws in most states sometimes leave questions unanswered, the business laws in Delaware are very well-defined. Delaware is like a well-oiled machine – when there are business problems or questions, the answers come quickly and efficiently because even the state government is state-of-the-art when it comes to business relationships.

Plus there's the whole limited liability and favorable tax treatment that also helps. Businesses can run their businesses as they see fit without being overly regulated in Delaware. And the residents of Delaware support this because it's these millions of incorporations that help keep the family fed and mortgages paid.

In addition to being friendly to businesses, Delaware is also appealing to people who choose to live there. Although employment is sometimes challenging to find like it is in any other part of the country, the central location by Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Maryland, and the coastal community opens more opportunities than other less populated areas.

The farther North you are, the more, however, in the southern part of the state (not including ocean front real estate), real estate is more affordable. In Seaford, for example, there is a home currently on the market with three bedrooms, two baths, and having just at 1,400 square feet. While it needs updating (carpet, bathrooms), the price is just $112,000.

In Wilmington, another completely remodeled home is now on the market for almost $175,000. It features stainless appliances in the kitchen, granite counter tops, glass mosaic back splash, stunning hardwood floors, three bedrooms, and one bathroom. While I think an extra bathroom would be a good thing, because it is move-in ready and still affordable it may conceivably sell very quickly.

Another home in Georgetown, Delaware has been remodeled and it going for just under $190,000. The single-family home has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and (this is the good part) is just a short drive to the beach.

For just $10,000 more, you can get a four bedroom, two bath home in Milton. While it may seem like a sweet deal, the down side is that except for a beautiful hardwood floor, windows, and doors everything else in the house is missing. The short-sale house has a home owner who thought it prudent to remove everything – including the kitchen sink!

Delaware... paradise found for do-it-yourselfers, people who don't want to do a lot of work and like completely remodeled homes, people who want to live near the ocean, people craving some Atlantic City and Philadelphia fun, and hundreds of thousands of corporations all across this great land that appreciate a state that treats them right!

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First State in Nation After Meeting in Dover

Although it is the second smallest state in the nation, Delaware has accomplished big things. It was the first state to unfurl the stars and stripes in 1777 – complete with 13 stars. More importantly, Delaware was the first state. When delegates met at the Golden Fleece Inn on the Green in Dover to ratify the new U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787, they officially became the first state of the new nation. As such, Delaware is given the first position at federal events including presidential inaugurations.

Homes are very affordable in the state capitol of Dover, with an average price of $159,000. This average price has dropped significantly since 2007 when comparable homes sold for about $190,000. The rest of the state home prices average out to about $250,000, so Dover is definitely one of the most affordable communities in which to live in this proud state.

What kind of real estate can you get for the average price of a home in Delaware? For $159,500, a three bedroom, one and a half bath house on an acre lot can be yours. Built in 1965, this 1300-plus square foot ranch-style home features fresh paint, new carpet and vinyl flooring, two screen enclosed side porches, a full unfinished basement, and a circular driveway.

If you increase the price by just $400, a completely remodeled townhome home is available that has a to-die-for kitchen. With granite counters, stainless steel appliances, and upgraded oak cabinets, the kitchen is a chef’s dream. Unfortunately, the real estate has only two bedrooms and one and a half baths, but there is a large finished family room that completes the 1300 square foot home.

By embracing a price increase of $25,000 (from $159,000 to $185,000), a home buyer can find themselves in a cape cod with less square footage, but a nice layout. With three bedrooms and two baths, the home also has many new components (gutters, electric wiring, and roof). Perhaps the best feature is the stone patio, however the workshop and game room in the full basement are also very appealing.

If a water view is a “must-have” for a buyer, Dover does offer homes with panoramic views of Delaware Bay. However, buyers can expect to pay at least $350,000 for these waterfront cottages. One home features less than 700 square feet, two bedrooms, and one bathroom. However, the private beach certainly makes the real estate worth every penny of the asking price.

Just like accomplishments in Delaware run big, finding the perfect real estate will also be a feat of epic proportions with the many good choices available to a home buyer.

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Live-In Businesses Plentiful in Pennsylvania

With over 12 million people now living in the original colony of Pennsylvania, the manufacturing economy is especially strong – steel, supplies like paint, chemicals, and fiber glass, and edible items like ketchup, frozen foods, pasta, beans, and soup.

However if your heart leans toward rural America, you can find some real estate in Pennsylvania and set up a Christmas tree farm. Over 20 are scattered throughout the state, although the area of Punxsutawney – home of famous Phil – appears lacking in the evergreens.

For $325,000, a 51-acre farm is available in Punxsutawney. It comes with a barn already in place, three-bedrooms, one and a half baths, and lots of privacy. In addition, another home situated on a little more than 30 acres is also available for $169,900. The five-bedroom, two story house also has a barn with a built-in greenhouse that would allow for nurturing the fir tree starts.

For those who are more of a city-slicker breed, but would prefer a turn-key operation as a way to make a living, Punxsutawney also now has a couple of business-type establishments for sale. A 16-unit apartment building is for sale for a mere $225,000. Some updating may be necessary on this Main Street home, but 15 of the 16 units are currently rented so there’s one vacant apartment for YOU to live in!

For businessmen who prefer not to work with renters, George’s Hot Dog Shop is now for sale in nearby Reynoldsville. Established in 1929, when the business sells all the equipment and inventory will be included. If you get hungry at night, the kitchen is an easy stroll from the attached apartment – also included as a bonus! $158,900 will buy you this piece of real estate.

Hungry for more than hotdogs? An ice cream shop that also offers meat and other market items can be yours in Brockway, a little north of Punxsutawney and Reynoldsville. The restaurant is next to a popular flea market (no, they don’t sell fleas!) and is listed at $220,000. Like the hot dog shop, there are living quarters provided with the restaurant in the form of two apartments.

Pennsylvania is clearly a state for entrepreneurs. Whether you choose to spend your time outdoors (even in the cold winters) growing Christmas trees, indoors cooking for other people, managing apartments, or finding a manufacturing job, Pennsylvania offers something for everyone.

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Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania

Nearly every girl in the U.S. has at some point in her life looked at a bridal magazine, whether borrowed from a friend or having spent the money to own one of her own. Besides the amazing wedding dresses pictured, there were extensive ads for romantic honeymoons – with the favorites being the mountain or beach getaways.

The beach offered water, sunshine, and romance. But the mountains offered something more, something special... a heart-shaped bathtub in a secluded location in the heart of the Pocono Mountains. Happy, happy couples staring blissfully into each others eyes and holding glasses of champagne pretty much sold me on a honeymoon in the Poconos.

If, however, you want to stay in this part of Pennsylvania for longer than a week, real estate options are numerous. The area is not so far into the country that you can buy houses for next-to-nothing, but far enough that you can buy a nice home without breaking the bank.

There has been a fairly significant drop in home values – in January 2008, the average price of a home was $202,000, but in just two years the average price dropped to $160,000. When compared to the rest of the commonwealth, prices are overall a bit higher on average where homes are valued at about $150,000.

One builder in the Pocono Mountains offers new construction homes beginning at $118,000. As the location changes and with different models, the brand new homes increase to up to $250,000. All buyers can select the cabinets, carpet, counters, and even the type of stone used for the fireplaces. In addition to community developments, the builder will also build on the lot or acreage already owned by the client.

Other real estate options in the Pocono Mountains include condos, existing single-family homes, and the option to buy multi-family homes where you can live in one side and rent the other. While the multi-family homes often enjoy the traditional Victorian appearance, they have all the modern conveniences including gas heat and cooking, spacious basements, and beautiful hardwood floors, wood trim throughout, and heated garage space.

Pocono Mountain communities include four main areas: Carbon, Monroe, Wayne and Pike Counties. Where Wayne County offers wonderful fishing, Pike County features original settlements. Monroe County offers antiques and car races, and Carbon County specializes in winter sports and activities.

The Pocono Mountains will offer something for everyone – honeymooners, first-time home buyers, families hoping for a good rural life, and folks ready to retire in an area that offers great outdoors activities. 

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Choices and Convenience in Minneapolis Condos

In the famous opening sequence of The Mary Tyler Moore show, the single career woman throws her tam o'shanter in the air with a joyful smile on her face. It reminded a generation of young women that the world was wide open to possibilities and opportunity.

It was not just the job and friends, but also appealing was the idea of living in Minneapolis and the cute apartment Mary called home. And whether you like cute apartments, cozy loft living, or elegant modern designs, housing is abundant. Minneapolis is a vibrant city with nearly 500,000 people and combined with St. Paul, the region has over three million people, making real estate choices as diverse as the people who call Minnesota home.

Like most other cities in the U.S., condominiums are very popular. Condo owners pay fees to home the owners association for the outside maintenance of the property and the freedom from these responsibilities allow for more time to live – like Mary Tyler Moore.

In Minneapolis, condos start as low as $54,000, but like all real estate, prices increase depending on condition and location. The proximity to the universities in Minneapolis and St. Paul and access to public transportation add to the value. Some condos have very strict pet policies, but more and more are becoming animal friendly. In addition, condominiums are also cognizant of the lifestyles residents enjoy by providing exercise facilities, swimming pools, and on-site business centers. Inside, there’s the added perk of warm gas heat, a definite plus for living in a cold weather environment. 

Cold weather doesn't stop Minnesotans from having a good time. In downtown Minneapolis you will find the famous Brit's Pub and Eating Establishment. While most cities have pubs, what's unique about Brit's is the lawn bowling located on the roof. There are specific rules that must be followed, specifically that the balls must roll!

Also downtown is Peavey Plaza which offers outdoor concerts during the summer. Before you take in the concert, sample one of the numerous outdoor eating areas along downtown's Nicollet Mall. One local favorite is a visit to Liberty Frozen Custard, with a fun 50s gas station design. If all the eating available in Minneapolis is too much for the healthy and physically fit minded crowd, there are plenty of parks and river fronts for joggers to use as they ready themselves for the Twin Cities Marathon held annually in October.

Like other parts of the country, jobs in this urban area can be hard to find, but commerce, health care, and finance, as well as universities, are the biggest employers. There should be no worries, however, in finding a great place to live in Minneapolis because real estate is both plentiful and affordable.

 Minnesota Mortgage Rates

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Minnesota Lakes

The land of 10,000 lakes has something for everyone who loves the different aspects of playing outdoors. Whether a kayak or canoe ride on a peaceful body of water is your flavor of tea, whether photographing wildlife and flowers quenches your thirst, or whether water skiing and high-speed boating is what fills your spirit, there will be a lake that meets your needs.

If you do love the outdoors, regardless of the pace you set to play, you will need to take some precautions that will keep you safe and healthy. Although farther North than the sultry climates of the South, the ultra violet rays of the sun can still have the same sunburn impact. Use plenty of sunscreen all the time, but especially when on the water because water will reflect and cause faster and more severe sunburns.

In addition, be sure to use a tick and mosquito repellent. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease are the nasty going away presents from ticks, but encephalitis and West Nile Virus can be transmitted by the cruel bite of the mosquito. And in Minnesota, mosquitoes are the size of small birds! Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but having vacationed there I can attest to the fact that they are so plentiful in places that sometimes it visually looks like a "cloud" of mosquitoes that come to feed.

 Many people with their real estate roots in Minnesota work to avoid the mosquito plague by making sure there is no standing water on their property, bird baths are kept clean, and lawns are mowed regularly to prevent massive breeding. There are also special machines available that attract and kill mosquitoes, including the Mosquito Terminator.

The MT has a temperature controlled skin emulator, special lighting, and expels CO2 (very attractive to mosquitoes and other biting insects). The demon bugs are drawn to the unit where a powerful vacuum pulls them in and holds them captive in a special net. The machine is effective for up to about a half acre of land.

Land in Minnesota is plentiful. It is easy to find real estate that comes with acreage as long as you hope to live outside the cities of Minnesota. One quick search found a five bedroom home on 11 acres for under $175,000. Depending on location, houses with at least an acre, new carpet, hardwood floors, fresh paint, new kitchens, and other wonderful features are available for well under $200,000.

Minnesota truly offers plenty of breathing room for residents, but make it your home with your eyes wide open - cold temperatures are offset with four beautiful seasons, mosquitoes and ticks are just a small part of the plentiful wildlife, and outdoor recreation is abundant in the land of lakes.

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Happy Valley, Oregon Offers "Happy Residents Happy Times"

Once upon a time there was a place where baskets of skittles sit at every corner, the temperature is always perfect, and bumblebees buzz to the rhythm of whatever song is playing on the radio. In happy valley, everyone is merry and life is beautiful.

In Happy Valley, Oregon, residents do enjoy almost perfect temperatures, but there are no bees buzzing to the beat and if you want skittles, you can go to the store just like everywhere else. However, what Happy Valley does offer is amazing – the views are beautiful, recreational fun is to be had with whitewater rafting on the Columbia River, hiking or biking at nearby Mt. Hood, through the Cascade Mountains, and the river gorge, or you can spend days visiting nearby Portland enjoying shopping, nightlife, or the arts.

Happy Valley has a population of fewer than 15,000 residents and household incomes average about $95,000 per year. This means that residents can afford homes upwards of $200,000, but most homes cost more than $300,000. This allows the city to collect property tax income and fund good schools and other community perks.

In 2006, home values peaked in Happy Valley at more than $450,000. The same home is now worth about $349,000 – a 25 percent decrease in value. At $349,000, the real estate now for sale has between 2200 and 2500 square feet, three to four bedrooms, and at least two baths. All have stunningly beautiful views of the valley and mountains.

Compared to other major metro areas of Oregon, Happy Valley is a higher priced real estate market. Portland homes now average about $234,000, Eugene real estate sells for about $198,000, and Salem houses cost about $178,000. On average, single family homes now cost about $211,000.

Once your real estate transaction at Happy Valley, Oregon is settled, you may want to begin immediately planning to go by Pendarvis Farm on Hagen Road in August for one of the premier music festivals in the Northwest. Gates open for the 80-acre festival site on Thursday, August 5th for special ticket holders, but they open to the general public on Friday. Music is continuous on the six stages for the three-day event and families are welcome. In fact, camping sites are available but make a reservation early!

Investing in Happy Valley real estate is like investing in your own happiness. If you choose this wonderful northwest destination to make a life, it’s bound to provide multiple opportunities for a healthy, invigorating, entertaining future.

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Natural Beauty, Unusual Homes and Landmarks Well-Loved in Oregon

Oregon has big, beautiful homes, houses with panoramic views of the mountains, real estate that overlooks the ocean, houses in the forest, homes in cities, and rural, urban, and suburban houses. There's a little bit of everything in this magnificent state – real estate to suit every taste, style and budget.

Oregon also has some unusual homes for the free spirits who prefer unique over typical, creative over traditional. 

The first amazing home in Oregon can be found in Hillsboro, located in the Northwest part of the state right outside of Portland. A 727-jetliner sits on the edge of wine country, far away from any airports or runways. The plane was miraculously moved by the owner who has a dream of eventually transformation to an abode that's bug free, fire proof, and able to survive extreme weather.

Also in the Northwest corner of the state in the town of Clatskanie is The Flippin Castle, built by the owner of a sawmill who had – until that point – lived in crude shacks. The home owner took "A Man’s Home is His Castle" to heart and designed the family's home to look like a castle. Today, no one lives there but the real estate is open to tours.

The Vista House is a landmark that looks nothing like a house or a home, but with architectural beauty enough to merit mention. Located in North Central Oregon, the attraction overlooks the Columbia River Gorge and features Tokeen Alaskan marble, pink and light cream Kosota limestone, and hand carved water fountains. The visitor center honors the natural beauty of the gorge, with poems engraved on the pillars including this Chinook invocation,

"We call upon the mountains,
the Cascades and the Olympics,
the high green valleys
and meadows filled with wildflowers,
the snows that never melt,
the summits of intense silence,
and we ask that they
Teach us, and show us the Way."

Where one landmark embraces natural beauty, another in West Central Oregon attracts some visitors who seek the macabre. The Heceta Head Lighthouse Keepers House is said to be haunted by a female spirit named Rue. She made herself known in the 1970's and some locals believe she may have been the wife an assistant light keeper during the 1890s. She drowned herself in despair after her daughter drowned and now roams the lighthouse searching for her lost daughter.

Whether you are seeking a vacation to one of the most beautiful states or wish to settle down, the local real estate provides many choices of things to do and places to see.

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Rural Living and Outdoor Adventure Found in Indiana

The Ohio River winds its way for nearly 1,000 miles through the eastern part of the U.S., starting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and finally merging into the Mississippi River in Cairo, Illinois. Before the Ohio River ever joins the muddy waters of the Mississippi River, however, there is a quiet little town along the riverbank in Indiana.

One town is named Magnet. Life is slower in Magnet, Indiana.  Farmers tend their corn fields, the local boys offer their services mowing lawns, and the women still can and freeze the vegetables they harvest from their gardens. For fun during the week, dogs jump in ponds and chase frogs.  Sometimes they chase skunks and those endings are not always happy. On weekends, residents open the garage and roll out their speed boat. The boat either goes on the river or to nearby Patoka Lake, 8800 acres of water on a 26,000 acre park that includes hiking trails, bicycling, golf, and camping.
If you want to buy real estate in this town, forget it. The nearest house available is about five miles away in Mackey. With three bedrooms, one bath, and 1260 square feet, the home built in 1900 is listed an incredibly low price of $40,000. When buyers consider a home is available for a price this low, the imagination would lead to perhaps a home that is not attractive. However, southern Indiana is one of the most well-kept areas in the nation. Home owners take great pride in their lawns being well-groomed, flowers watered, and weeds removed.

In nearby St. Croix, there are two more homes available but at a higher price. One 2,400 square foot home has four bedrooms, three baths, and a fair price of $195,000. The second home is much more expensive coming in at just over $300,000. With 10 acres, the log home also has three bedrooms, two and a half baths, and almost 1700 square feet.

If summer sports and rural life are exhausting to you, a little farther north is a town called French Lick where thousands of tourists come every year for snow skiing at Paoli Peaks. This resort town was also the home of basketball great Larry Byrd.

In French Lick, there are two homes available: one for $135,000 and another priced at $160,000. The larger of the two is less expensive because it’s a duplex investment property and needs some work. The other home is a traditional ranch home with a full basement and above ground pool. Both pieces of real estate have recently increased in value, so either could be a positive investment.

The Hoosier State will be perfect for anyone who loves basketball, rural living, outdoor recreation, and inexpensive real estate.

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