Hobbit Homes Face Foreclosure

News reaches us of harsh happenings over at The Shire. The Hobbits, it seems, are facing an enemy of truly awesome proportions.

Not the demonic Lord Sauron with his Cradle of Filth threads; not the bad ass Black Riders; not even the plug ugly Orcs with their anger issues and gross dental hygiene …

Nah, this is much worse. The Shire has been cast into cold and wintry darkness by … the diabolical workings of the Credit Crunch.

The Shire: A Place of Enchantment is a themed housing development loosely based on the dream of Merrie England that inspired Tolkein’s Hobbit idyll in Lord of the Rings.

But despite the lure of PVC thatch, faux timber framing, hobbit holes, dragon-shaped support beams, and price tags of $650,000-$899,000 buyers have been as elusive as Bilbo Baggins on his eleventy-first birthday.

The Middle Earth fantasy project has, we’re sorry to report, left property developer Ron Meyers close to bankruptcy. He told The Bend Bulletin:

“Some people were turned off by living in ‘Disneyland.’ It’s more of an artists’ community for a certain market segment that wanted something different.

“There’s been enough people that have come through that would say, ‘What a wonderful concept.’ But then the market crashed, and everyone (went) home.”

It will, I fear, take some serious financial wizardry to help Ron and his hobbity associates out of this  particular hole … in the meantime, the development, in all its ersatz glory, can be viewed here: The Shire: A Place of Enchantment.

And while you’re here, suggestions please for property developments based on famous books…

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