Dive Brief:
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For sale: a three-story home on 103 acres in Plainfield, NH, for $250,000. The catch: There might be bombs in the backyard.
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That property, and a commercial site 11 miles away, belong to Ed and Elaine Brown, who are each serving 35-plus years in jail for tax evasion and for their role in a nine-month standoff with police in 2007. During the standoff, the couple suggested that the properties were booby-trapped.
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The city wants to sell the properties and recover the $198,098 in back taxes the Browns owe, but at an August auction, no bidders came forward. City officials are considering a second auction with better terms.
Dive Insight:
It’s pretty hard to sell a house that police have declared off-limits to inspectors and house hunters because of the potential of hidden explosives. But a bargain hunter could risk it. After all, the housing market is booming in Plainfield, where the average listing price tops $400,000 but the median sales price is just $135,000, according to Trulia.