Realtor approved to market Wilton’s returned city lots
By Brenda L. Schaefer, BHG News Service
It seems to be Wilton’s lot in life is to have to sell, well, city lots. The 15 or 16 lots returned to Wilton by McLean County for non-payment of taxes are back on the agenda. At the May 16 meeting, commissioners heard from Joe Hillerson with Trademark Realty. Discussion touched on how best to market the lots and at what cost. The group agreed that some of the lots may need to be platted differently to accommodate the needs of potential buyers. Hillerson and Mayor Ron Peck discussed Lot M which all felt might best be broken down, with portions added to two other lots and the remainder kept by the city due to its location and topography. It could potentially be used to build a road to access future growth to the north. Once again, the specials attached to the lots became the area of focus. The added specials tend to make finding financial backing difficult. Hillerson told commissioners that the market has changed so much in the last couple of months, that if marketed right, they may be able to move the lots. Hillerson said, “Lots in Bismarck and Mandan are pretty scarce, so there may be people willing to purchase those lots if they are looking to move someplace like Wilton.” He explained that Bismarck is getting rid of lots, charging in the $35,000 range, and housing is short there, which could help Wilton sell their lots. He added that usually there are about 200 active single-family homes. Right now Bismarck has about 50, and sometimes more around 40.
