Community investment prime desire for couple

Written by Don Ratzlaff Wednesday, 26 September 2007 06:25

JamesGayleVothBuildingP9200033.jpg Click to buy
a similar photo James and Gayle Voth recently completed renovating the Ratzlaff Building on East Main Street in Goessel with hope for a better economic future for their hometown in mind. “We like to hope it helps Goessel in general,” James said. The downtown office building has opened with full occupancy. Don Ratzlaff / Free Press<p>

Not every real-estate development is motivated primarily by prospect of short-term financial gain.

James and Gayle Voth say family history and a better economic future for their hometown were the two key factors that prompted them to transform an old family-owned structure into Goessel’s first downtown office building.

The Voths are planning...

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Local houses for sale make for buyer's market

Written by Don Ratzlaff Wednesday, 25 July 2007 07:03

If it seems an inordinate number of houses are for sale in Hillsboro these days, you’re right. A street-by-street survey of the community last week revealed 50 yard signs around town.

Local real-estate agents agree the number is unusually high.

“When we moved to town nine or 10 years ago, we had, for the size of house we needed, three or four to choose from,” said Becky Nuss of Real Estate Specialists.

“This year, if someone moves to town, you have five houses to look at just at the $120,000 to $145,000 range. You have so much more selection.”

Houses for sale in Hillsboro range in price from $15,000 to a high of $340,000. The listings and the asking price can be viewed on the Web at realtor.com.

The number of houses for...

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Historic hotel will once again bring in business

Written by Laura Campbell Wednesday, 20 June 2007 07:36

elgin94.jpg Laura Campbell / Free Press<p>Jim Cloutier, owner of Shawmar Oil Co. of Marion and Cardie Oil Co. of Tampa, has purchased the historic Elgin Hotel building in Marion and plans to turn it into a bed-and-breakfast, restaurant and conference center. “This is going to have to be a destination place—we’re going to have bring people from all around,” he said. Click image to enlarge.

Jim Cloutier of Hillsboro has more square feet to renovate than he ever expected—15,000 of them, actually.

What’s more, they make up the historic Elgin Hotel that some may never have expected to be used once again for its original purpose—bringing in out-of-towners for a luxurious stay in downtown Marion.

Cloutier...

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Construction underway at Washington, Grand

Written by Don Ratzlaff Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:28

WashingtonApartments.jpg An $800,000 housing project is being built at Washington and Grand, site of the former Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church, which burned in 2004. Plans call for 10 units—two four-plex units and one duplex. The first phase—constructing one of the four-plexes—is under way and scheduled for completion in September. Click photo to enlarge


Workers level concrete for the first four-plex structure to be constructed at Washington and Grand. Martin Rhodes, building inspector for Hillsboro, is project manager for the construction. Rhodes is under contract with Solomon Langley of San Francisco, Calif., who is financing the $800,000 project. Ron Dirksen of Dirksen Construction, Goessel, is the general...

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