.mt6 .hm3 .h1Grayso Enterprise Ltd Copyrigh GE 1988 .h2Pag # Firs N Seria Rts 1,50 words RECYCLIN VICTORIA HOMES Writte b Jun Grayso Photographe b Richar Grayso Wand Bengoeche buy doome house fo dolla an restore the t thei forme Victoria glor o th wa t he firs million Som peopl ar conten t recycl newspaper an aluminu cans No Wand Bengoechea Sh recyle Victoria homes Whe sh ra ou o empt lot i Champaig-Urbana Illinois sh bough tw adjoinin acreage fou mile ou o tow t star he ow subdivision Sh ha alread move fou house otherwis destine fo th wrecker' bal t thei ne an permanen foundations Sh wil ad si mor house withi th nex on t tw year t complet th subdivision Thes wondrou ol home squa o th barren treeless fla prairi o eas-centra Illinoi lik monopol block o luna landscape Driver o highwa 65 tw hour sout o Chicag an jus sout o th intersectio o Rt 74 tur of t investigat th sight Arrival a th municipa airpor tak th lon wa bac int tow t se what' happening Hundred thron Sunda Ope Hous a th subdivision Peopl ol enoug t remembe Grandp an Grandma' far an hom befor th technologica revolutio ca understan th irresistibl attraction Bot massiv an exuberant thes house evok memorie o America' ow adolescen ag whe opportunit seeme infinite Th s-calle Quee Ann styl o Victoria house tha dominate America architectur i th lat 1800 ha wraparoun porches substantia size an sometime fron towe o turret Gingerbrea detailin adorne th exteriors Steepl pitched hipped o pyramida roof towere ove th trees Quee Ann house introduce ne technology balloo- framing stil th basi o curren residentia wal construction clos networ o ligh lumbe o studs hel togethe b wir nails replace heav interio beams Bengoeche seek thi typ o hous fo he subdivision Bengoeche di no pla t g int rea estat development Bor i Idaho sh studie hom economic i colleg an worke ther fo nin year a a extensio hom economist Ye sh can' remembe whe sh di no lik ol things Sh furnishe he firs apartmen wit junk " lik t mak somethin fro nothing it' m materna instinct, Bengoeche explains Whe th Bengoechea move t Champaign Illinois i 1973 the bough monstrou ol hous a bargai pric becaus i wa "pigpen. Bengoeche cleane u an redecorate th hous i thre month whil carin fo he family The stil ow tha firs hous bu ren i ou a apartments "W can' affor t sel i i suc goo investment, Bengoeche says He firs successfu rehabilitatio gav he confidenc t tr again Fou mile ou o town the foun 1 acre o lan wit privat lake man trees an anothe "Wanda hous on tha look hopeles t casua observe an need he specia visio fo restoration Vacan an vandalize fo eigh years th decrepi farmhous ha 4 window wit no on pan o glass The move int th farmhous i 197 an live i i durin he typica thre-mont restoratio period Th famil relaxe fo thre year th las tim of Bengoeche wa t take A customar i countr building th hous fronte o th grave countr road The coul no loo ou thei window an enjo th lak view Bengoeche decide t buil modern permanen famil hom o th lakefront Sh woul ac a he ow genera contractor T financ th ne home sh sol of th Victoria hous wit tw acre o lan i 197 retainin th lak an te acres Sh bough traile fo he famil t liv i unti the coul occup th ne home "A tha time i di no occu t m tha coul mov anothe hous t ou buildin site, sh says Inexplicably i 198 Bengoeche develope a acut cas o SR sudde rehabilitatio burnout " wa sic o livin i mes an raisin toddlers, sh says "T g bac int hom economics woul hav ha t retur t school a no studen o philosopher hav t b activ ever minute. Sh stoppe wor abruptl o thei home Eve no tw room hav onl th plywoo subfloors Wit $5,00 the ha save fro househol fund an interes rate a 1 percent Bengoeche gamble o outsid rea estate Sh bough ru-dow cooperativ apartmen buildin o contract cleane i u hersel wit he usua swea labor sol it an cam ou wit ne profi o $10,000 The realto steere he t smal bungalo sh bough fo $11,000 Th cockroache i i wer s thic tha eve th exterminato wouldn' g in Sh renovate i i thre month an sol i fo $27,000 Sh ha foun he financia niche Wit ne partner sh forme corporatio t renovat a ol apartmen buildin an tur i int condos Sh di everythin hersel bu th plumbing B now townspeopl kne Bengoeche a on woma reha resource Banker tol he o availabl bankruptc properties Developer aske he t hau ol building awa befor the buil ne ones Sh canno remembe o choose no t sa ho man propertie sh ha renovate sinc sh starte i 1981 Onl he accountan know fo sure " kee al m littl scrap o pape an h make sens o i a th en o th year, Bengoeche smiles Sh als doe no kno ho man renta propertie sh retains Sh doe no alway remembe he buyin an sellin price Wha sh doe remembe i th ne profi sh make o ever dea an sh alway make profit " loo fo somethin ca bu fo $20,00 an ren fo $375.00. Sh prefer t ren he propertie rathe tha sell sinc sh ca alway sel later Sh maintain th properties collect th rents an pay th bills Fortunatel fo Bengoechea Champaig-Urban ha continuin nee fo renta housin fo th mor tha 30,00 student an suppor staf o th Universit o Illinois Startin i th 1850s sturd immigrant buil th substantia house whic ca b recycle today Wh di Bengoeche star he ow subdivisio i 1986 he bigges speculativ projec s far An woma wil understand sh foun bargai sh coul no resist Sh bough he firs ol hous fo th subdivisio fo on dollar Th Universit o Illinoi ha inherite far bu di no nee th ol farmhouse O sudde whim Bengoeche pu i he seale bi o $1.0 (an othe considerations a 11.3 a.m o th da th biddin close a noon Tha afternoo the calle her Sh owne th house Woul sh pleas tak i away Bengoeche ha n suitabl lo an coul fin none either I continua pani fo severa months sh finall purchase th te acre fo ne subdivision. Sh ma hav bough th hous fo on dolla bu othe financia consideration ad up Sh pai t fil i th hol i lef o th origina property I too tw day an $20,00 t mov th hous seventee miles Bengoeche stil ha he problems He cemen contracto wa busy I wa summer H delaye comin ou t pu i th concret foundatio t whic th hous woul b raised Yo ca no insur hous unti i i u o it foundation Someon torche th hous on nigh i tw places Th polic prove arson Fortunately neighbo notice th smok an calle th fir department " praye th whol time, Bengoeche remembers "Please God jus leav th shel an ca mak it. Befor Bengoeche eve finishe th restoration banker' famil wh love antique bough th hous a thei firs inspection Catchin th enthusiasm the als bough th adjoinin lot Wit Bengoechea' advice the relocate anothe ol hous t tha sit t pu thei si son t wor an shar i th creativity Thes finishe home ar no cheap Bengoeche liste th thir hous fo $187,00 i th fal o 1988 "Tha include m labo a te cent a hour, sh laughs Ho doe sh kno wha i goo buy " conside salabilit an whethe hav th skill t red th house I i require majo construction wil tur i down don' hav thos skill an won' mak money Th hous pla ha t flow ca tel b walkin throug hous fo onl fiv minute i i i type, Bengoeche explains "I lik it kno someon els wil lik i too I doe no tak grea skill t tur goo hous around." Sh no work wit ful-tim handyman Sh know th goo contractor sh ca cal fo specia jobs N Ponz schemer sh finance internall s tha sh ca rid ou an storm Sh stil ha dreams bu thi i on entrepreneu wh know ho t pu th righ foundation unde them ####