PHOENIX — A home in downtown Phoenix could be yours for just $10, but only if you are willing to accept the unique challenge that comes with it.
Known as the Kucharo house, the single-story vintage Craftsman-style house at 624 N. 5th St. is among the last remaining original homes in the Evans Churchill neighborhood near the heart of Roosevelt Row.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Esta histórica casa en el centro de Phoenix puede ser suya por $10, pero hay una condición
Arizona State University bought the property in 2018 with plans to develop the land, which is why the low asking price comes with a catch: The house needs a new home.
“It’s not buying the property, it’s buying the physical asset — the house,” said ASU Associate Vice President Rick Naimark.
That means the 1656-square-foot home, which is mostly gutted on the inside, will need to be moved.
“There are some people who had an out-of-state company take a look at this house to determine whether or not it could be moved and they determined that it could,” Naimark said.
The cost to move a structure depends on several factors like weight, moving distance and route obstacles, Garret Denny of GR Denny and Son Structure Relocators told 12News.
According to Angi, formerly known as Angie’s list, the normal range is between $18,000 to $100,000.
“That’s a very expensive thing to do and complex,” Naimark said. “We have decided that we will contribute up to $50,000 to a successful move because we’re going to have to spend at least that to demolish the house.”
The online auction is now live and closes Aug. 30. The winning bidder will have until Feb. 28 to move the home.
“If they need more time, they can certainly ask for it as well,” Naimark said. “It is not like we have a specific date today that we know ground will break.”
The lot and adjacent property will be part of the Phoenix Bioscience Core, a healthcare innovation district home to ASU, Northern Arizona University, University of Arizona, and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).
Naimark did not have any details or renderings to share but said he expects something will be built on the lot within the next 5 years.
“I happen to live in a historic house myself and I know how much people love those properties,” Naimark said. “If there is a chance for somebody to reuse it in a way that benefits them, that’s fantastic.”
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