“Our ‘Moving Homes’ loan makes it easier and more cost-effective for people to buy and move a home,” said Giove. “Viking Bank’s all-in-one loan finances the various stages of a house move and then the loan transitions seamlessly to a traditional mortgage, saving the costs and hassle of a refinance when the house is in place.”

Though specialized, the market for recycled houses is growing. Buyers gain a home with character and old-world craftsmanship, plus reduced construction costs. For many, another important draw is the ability to reduce construction waste. “Often when an area is rezoned, beautiful old houses are torn down and end up in landfill. In fact, more than 30 percent of our landfills are made up of construction waste,” explained Jeff McCord, a representative of Nickel Bros. House Moving.

“Our company acquires old houses from developers, typically for $1. The developers are happy, in turn, to save their demolition costs of sometimes $15,000 or more. Then we sell the homes to new owners – affordably, including the preparation and delivery costs - and move them to their new locations,” said McCord.