Remember the century-old Oscar Mayer mansion in Evanston, Illinois? The Chicago landmark, home to Oscar Mayer Sr. from 1927 to 1965, sat vacant for over 10 years before it was purchased and renovated.
VHT’s Petr Poliak photographed the abandoned property last year in its neglected state. There were holes in the roof and vines taking over the home’s exterior. Not a pretty sight.
Most homebuyers would run from a listing in that state, but real estate attorney Scott Hargadon and his business partner Jim Kastenholz were open to the challenge. They purchased the property in June of 2015 and renovations began almost immediately after.
“This house had less curb appeal than anything I had ever seen,” recalls Hargadon in a Realtor.com article. They were pleasantly surprised to see that all original woodwork, hardwood floors and light fixtures were still in place. According to Hargadon, it looked like the home was frozen in time.
