Arizona preservation advocacy groups are facing huge challenges as developers eye their historic neighborhoods. There is little protection from state or city statutes. They need your help. If you live in Arizona & curse the wrecking ball, as my old friend, Jane Powell said, “DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!”
Arizona Preservation Foundation
Arizona Preservation Foundation is a preservation advocacy group that works with local, state, & national partners to promote & protect Arizona’s historic resources. They have partnered with the State Historic Preservation Office to present the Governor’s Heritage Preservation Honor Awards & host the Arizona Historic Preservation Conference geared to professionals, in the fields of historic preservation, archaeology, cultural resources management, architecture, and planning. They offer speakers who will appear at your events or meetings. Their page is a terrific resource for preservation information.\n\n
MESA
Mesa Preservation Foundation
The Mesa Preservation Foundation works to protect the irreplaceable public, private & commercial historic buildings & neighborhoods in Mesa. Their website includes a beautiful list of reasons as to why preservation matters, as well as a link to the City’s list of historic buildings- standing, demolished or endangered. They have some wonderful educational programs that cover various areas of the state that you can access through their Facebook page.
TUCSON
Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation
“Saving Tucson’s Places”
The focus of this highly effective preservation advocacy group in Southern Arizona is on saving Tucson’s heritage & cultural resources, protecting the places that make Tucson unique, through lectures, tours & films.They depend on their membership to assist them with their various programs & activities.
VAIL
Vail Preservation Society
“Connecting community through local history.”
The Society works to preserve the heritage & historic resources the area, participating in the Arizona Main Street Program.
They are actively seeking people to assist them in their research, preservation & education efforts, gathering oral histories, saving historic structures & honoring the roots of the community. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity to meet great people & help your community.
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You have decided that you want to buy a historic bungalow. Not surprising! They are America’s favorite house & are highly suited for anyone who values comfort, history & fellowship.
Bungalow neighborhoods tend to be friendly & inclusive, attracting creatives, academics, singles & families of all shapes & sizes. This will benefit you in the buying process.
I am going to assume that you have already decided in which area of the U.S. you want to live. You are focusing on a specific, locale & need to choose a house, a neighborhood & perhaps a city.
Since this article is a how-to, I’m going to write it in sequential order. Just in my head it’s longer than I usually prefer, but buying a house is a huge investment financially & emotionally so I am reluctant to omit anything.
STEPS TO BUY A HISTORIC BUNGALOW
1. Save your pennies so you have a nice stash for a down payment, any needed repairs & a little left over to keep the stress at bay.
2. Clean up your credit. The higher your score is, the faster & easier it will be to obtain a mortgage loan. A high score can lower your interest rate. Loans are all about trust. The less risky you appear, the more they want to give you $$$. This is a good article by a credit reporting company that might help you.
It’s also a good idea to learn to live within your means & may just be the incentive you need to do something about raising your income &/or relying less on that credit card.
3. What is your budget? When you are buying an old house your budget may need to include restoration funds. You also must consider the cost of insurance, which can be more difficult & pricier to obtain on an old house & as with any house, taxes. Some states have tax breaks for certain historic properties so this is something that you will want to research.
Many old houses come with old trees which can be expensive to maintain or remove. You need to figure this expense into your planned budget & you should consider getting an evaluation from a certified arborist as part of your inspection contingency.
4. Get pre-approved by a lender. I’m going to let the experts tell you what you need to know. (I am neither recommending this company nor am I not recommending them. I just thought that what they have to say is informative.)
5. Are you wanting a turn-key property or do you envision yourself rescuing a house from the ravages of time?
Should your choice be turn-key you need to be aware that a clever flipper can make the worst house look all shiny & new. In many states, if someone has not resided in a house, they have no obligation to disclose any defects.
A warning- falling in love with a house can make you abandon all plans & good sense. There is nothing more likely to turn a mild-mannered homebuyer into a knight in shining armor more than walking into a distressed old house & deciding that it’s HOME. I think that this is a good time to suggest that you read my article which helps you sort out what type of house will actually make you the happiest before you go looking to buy a historic bungalow.
6. Find a qualified home inspector. Usually the home inspector is secured during the frantic time between getting a signed contract & closing. Please line up a home inspector who knows old houses before you need one.
Understand what the general inspection will & will not tell you. Read my article on home inspections here & watch my curated videos on inspections here. The videos walk you through several inspections so that you can understand what you can expect from a general inspection & how you can benefit the most from it.
How do you find a qualified, old house inspector?
7. You will probably narrow down a couple of neighborhoods that seem attractive to you. Most of these old neighborhoods have neighborhood associations (not homeowners’ associations. These are voluntary & focus on building strong communities.) Google the neighborhoods & look for upcoming association activities. You can attend these events & let people that you meet know that you are looking for a house in their neighborhood. They will welcome you warmly!
These get-togethers provide a good opportunity to inquire about local Realtors. You want to research any names that you get & also look for them in online listings in the neighborhood (including sold properties.) If they are trusted by the locals, they will usually have a nice inventory.
You can have meet’n’greets with these preferred Realtors by asking them to show you properties. From these encounters, you can see what kind of service they deliver & whether or not you mesh with them.
Check out their reviews online. Are the attributes that are mentioned important to you?
8. At the meetings you can also ask people for inspector recommendations. (Honest, these old house folks live to talk about their houses.) Check out the reviews of recommended inspectors & interview a couple of them. You want someone that you can trust for their competence, service & integrity. Yes, the Realtor who represents you will recommend inspectors too & you can just add them to the list. But ask before you are under contract.
9. Many cities have historic preservation advocacy groups. They can usually refer you to Realtors, home inspectors & tradespeople. My list is woefully incomplete but you can get an idea of what they do.
10. KNOW THIS! When you set out to buy a historic bungalow, there is no one house for you. You do not need to feel that you must have any one house or your life is ruined. Before I found the Hare House, I had my heart set on another wonderful bungalow that had a fraction of the character & many more issues. It was newly under contract & I was very, very, very hopeful that the deal would fall through. My Realtor pressed me to keep looking & I found my beautiful 1910 Craftsman & instantly forgot about the other one & wrote an offer on the hood of her car.
FINALLY!
I saved the best for last. Get yourself educated on old houses. Yes, I am biased, but I recommend that you read my blog from cover to cover, click all the external links (then come back!) watch all the videos that I have curated just for you, study my Pinterest page & read all the books I recommend.
And,
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The preservation advocacy groups of Northern California protect some of the most iconic structures in America & face many of the same challenges as other areas of the country.
We are fortunate that they have several strong groups working to educate & legislate for their built environment.
They need your participation which will increase your knowledge of your state & enrich your life.
San Francisco is rich in the culture of many groups, each of whom has many valuable representations of their built heritage.
San Francisco Heritage is one of the most effective preservation advocacy groups in Northern California, dedicated to preserving the built tale of these intermingled cultures that contributed to the city it is today.
They accomplish this through advocacy, education & the ongoing care of two landmarked historic properties. Help them preserve the history of this vibrant city!
San Jose, founded way back in 1777 was California’s first civilian settlement. Today, its historic buildings and neighborhoods are at risk from both neglect & demolition.
Preservation Action Council of San Jose is a preservation advocacy membership organization in Northern California, working to preserve the unique cultural heritage of San Jose through advocacy, education, and civic engagement. Give them a ring & find out how you can help.
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I hang out on many old house group boards & read many stories of homebuyers whose inspections failed to find & report major issues. Most of the time, the homebuyer didn’t really know what things an inspection is designed to find, or, how to ensure that they receive best, most informative one.
Home inspections on old houses have some similarities with inspections on newer houses, but there are definitely some areas of concern that are not found in new homes. An inspector with experience in both will understand & appreciate these differences. He especially needs to be aware of what factors that can be present that will destroy a house & with it, your peace of mind & your bank account.
In these videos several inspectors explain the basic purpose & process & then there are a couple that address common issues to which great attention should be paid because they are unsafe, expensive to repair or both.
LEARN ABOUT HOME INSPECTIONS ON OLD HOUSES
9 Home Inspection Tips For Buyers (7:51)
Win The House You Love
Some great advice on how to approach a home inspection.
Home inspections for first-time home buyers (12:58)
Structure Tech Home Inspection
Some great information here, even if you’re not a first-time buyer!
First Time Home Buyer HOME INSPECTION Mistakes | 10 Mistakes First Time Home Buyers Make (15:29)
Matt Leighton
Again, NOT for only the first-time buyer!
NOW FOR SOME LESSONS ABOUT INSPECTIONS ON OLD HOUSES
What To Look For During A Historical Home Inspection (18:21)
Galloway Building Services
A overview of home inspections on old houses.
Performing a Home Inspection on an Historic Home (1:14:16)
InterNACHI’s (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) Ben Gromicko
A very thorough look at a 100 year old house.
Check out the article on home inspections, written by an experienced inspector here.
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Though this image is of one we lost, he preservation advocacy groups in Southern California have been very effective in educating & influencing both the public & government bodies despite the financial & political challenges.
Echo Park Lake was originally a reservoir for drinking water. The surrounding park was first landscaped in 1892, & by the 1920s the building boom had brought new homes & community centers to the area.
They offer restoration tips, hands-on workshops & advice on historic tax credits.
The leading preservation advocacy group in Southern California, the Conservancy works throughout L.A. County- 88 cities plus the County’s unincorporated areas.
Their focus on raising awareness of historic places has resulted in great success in stopping their destruction through strong preservation laws & incentives.
Monrovia, incorporated In 1887 is one of the oldest towns in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County. With a charming old downtown Monrovia boast 2 historic districts which protect its stock of homes which are primarily bungalows.
The group’s activities include walking tours of downtown Monrovia & includes a history of the downtown area as well as the history of Monrovia itself.
BHNA is a crackerjack, non-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to the preservation of the homes in its district. Its signature hour tour, only one of the group’s many activities, is a finely-tuned & well-oiled machine, introducing hundreds of people to the charm of bungalows every year.
The second largest preservation organization in the state, Pasadena Heritage has done an outstanding job of protecting this beautiful city’s cultural resources.
Their tours are enchanting & informative as are their educational events.
SAN DIEGO
Save Our Heritage Organization
SOHO, a highly effective, countywide historic preservation organization, was formed in 1969 to save a single home, the 1887 Sherman Gilbert House.
Working both proactively & in response to specific threats to historic cultural & architectural resources. SOHO promotes strong preservation laws & incentives, as well as education through tours & events & the supporting of museums.
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Arizona preservation advocacy groups are facing huge challenges as developers eye their historic neighborhoods. There is little protection from state or city statutes. They need your help. If you live in Arizona & curse the wrecking ball, as my old friend, Jane Powell said, “DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!”
Arizona Preservation Foundation
Mesa Preservation Foundation
Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation
Vail Preservation Society
STAY IN THE BUNGALOW KNOW!!!
You have decided that you want to buy a historic bungalow. Not surprising! They are America’s favorite house & are highly suited for anyone who values comfort, history & fellowship.
5. Are you wanting a turn-key property or do you envision yourself rescuing a house from the ravages of time?
7. You will probably narrow down a couple of neighborhoods that seem attractive to you. Most of these old neighborhoods have neighborhood associations (not homeowners’ associations. These are voluntary & focus on building strong communities.) Google the neighborhoods & look for upcoming association activities. You can attend these events & let people that you meet know that you are looking for a house in their neighborhood. They will welcome you warmly!
The preservation advocacy groups of Northern California protect some of the most iconic structures in America & face many of the same challenges as other areas of the country.
San Francisco Heritage
SAN JOSE
I hang out on many old house group boards & read many stories of homebuyers whose inspections failed to find & report major issues. Most of the time, the homebuyer didn’t really know what things an inspection is designed to find, or, how to ensure that they receive best, most informative one.
Though this image is of one 
