Is Tacoma best place to buy an old house?

As part of the ongoing commitment to the preservation community, PreservationDirectory.com has once again teamed up with “This Old House” magazine to promote their search for “The Best Places to Buy an Old House” in the United States and Canada. An upcoming issue and Web feature from This Old House magazine (TOH) will feature the 4th annual “The Best Places to Buy an Old House” article, which strives to identify affordable-or just plain magnificent-homes in historic neighborhoods and districts across the United States.

According to “This Old House” Associate Editor Keith Pandolfi, “The point of this contest is—as it has always been—to familiarize TOH readers with outstanding, sometimes overlooked neighborhoods or towns that have exceptional older houses, and residents working hard to both restore them, and maintain them-for future generations.” This year, TOH is looking for 64 more (one in each state, one in Puerto Rico, and one in each of Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories) to add to its list of the Best Places to Buy an Old House. “As always,” says Pandolfi, “we’re especially interested in overlooked places known for affordable houses that are heavy on architectural details.”

In order to most effectively accomplish this search, “This Old House” and PreservationDirectory.com are seeking the help of dedicated preservationists, neighborhood boosters and heritage travelers. To nominate your historic district, town or city, please submit the following information:

— The name of the neighborhood, town or district you wish to nominate;

— A brief history of the area A brief description of the types of houses available, including architectural styles, the period in which they were built; and the average price range;

— A short paragraph on why you think the area deserves to be included on our list;

— At least five high-res digital photographs (300 DPI, at about 8.5 by 6.5) of houses and/or streetscapes in the neighborhood;

The top picks, as determined by the “This Old House” staff, will be published in a future issue of “This Old House” and will be featured on the home page of PreservationDirectory.com. Past “winners” include Centre Park Historic District in Reading, PA; Old Louisville, KY; Albany, OR; Washington, GA; Victorian Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY; and Georgetown, TX.

Nominations are due no later than Tues., Dec. 7, 2010. Please send information outlined above to This Old House Associate Editor, Keith Pandolfi at keith_pandolfi@timeinc.com .