Four Seasons Appraisal Services, LLC

As always, taxes do impact real estate decisions.

Another scenic drive while appraising in Bedford County.

Opening September 4, 2020!

Another interesting property appraisal. A property between Bedford and Cumberland. The first picture is what the property looks like today from Bedford Valley Road or Route 220 south. From what I was told, the old wagon trail or road went behind the house as it sits to day so you would be actually be looking at the back of the house. A fire damaged the rear section of the house so it was removed. A large porch was put in its place as well as an addition on each side of t...he first floor. This makes sense since there is a full basement under the right side of the porch that still has the original cooking fireplace from the 1840's in the basement but the flue has been removed (and would be on the right side of the front porch). The house has an age of 1843. So moving to what is now the back of the house (or originally the front of the house) is an old log school house. I found a grave marker in the school house that stated it was from the Mexican-American war. That war started in 1846 so the owner could have built the house in 1843, went to fight in the war in 1846 and returned to this farm after the war. The driveway between the house and log building was said to be the original road.

You never know what you are going to find when appraising a house. A large two story house in Roaring Spring actually turned out to be an old log home from the 1830's+/-. The original logs were refinished and still show kept the original Roman Numerals used to put the logs together or put back together more easily if taken apart. Then in the basement the owner showed me an old hot water tank. Based on what I could find, it looks like one of the earliest versions of a hot water tank called a scuttle-a-day. You would load a "scuttle" full of coal into the woodburner-like stove and it would heat the water up a little. Probably not very effective but better than nothing. So go hug your hot water tank today!