Sometimes houses that are being sold can stay on the market for months and months, and sometimes they’re snatched up in no time at all. And Carson City’s historic district is no stranger to either extreme. The Bender House, located cater-corner from the Governor’s Mansion, had been up for sale for over a year now. It’s gotten so bad that they dropped their real estate agent and are trying to sell it themselves. The last I heard it was a steal at $849,000; they might have dropped it even more by now out of desperation.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Brougher-Bath Mansion on Spear Street. This old two-story Victorian house spent a mere two days on the market before being sold for $1.1 million. The new owners are going to use the top floor for their offices and rent out the bottom for meeting space.
The mansion was originally built in 1903, by mining tycoon Wilson Brougher, and later it was sold to the Carson City postmaster Ernest Bath. He liked to sit on the balcony because from there he could watch the clock over at the post office, and make sure it was keeping the right time. In 2003 it was restored to its former glory, and I’m sure the renovation had a lot to do with the selling price. The Bender House on the other hand doesn’t look like it’s in bad shape, necessarily, but I don’t think it’s been renovated recently either. Of course, for some people that’s an opportunity.
And, if you’re upset about missing out on the Brougher-Bath mansion, I think the Bliss Mansion is still for sale…
