Source: WPXI-TV —
DARLINGTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Channel 11 spoke with real estate agents concerning the market after the train derailment in East Palestine.
“I’m just petrified,” said Ronnie Johnston.
Ronnie Johnston put his house on Park Avenue in East Palestine on the market in November 2022. Since the derailment on Feb. 3, three people backed out of seeing his property, and it hasn’t had a showing since.
“We have a creek on one side of the property and the railroad tracks on the other side of the property,” said Johnston. “That’s really killed people’s interest.”
He’s paying two mortgages in East Palestine right now. He found a new home and was hoping to sell his old, completely renovated, home rather quickly prior to the derailment.
“I set myself up for 12 months that I can afford to have this place on the market, and now I’m looking at years for people to be even interested in this market again,” said Johnston.