That could be no garage (when all the other homes on the street have one), backing up to or on a busy main street, bordering or in ear shot of active railroad tracks, in airport flight paths, or where the subject property sits next to or across from a trashed house.

If no one wants to do it, it just kinda sits there.

To really cut to the chase, "good debt" is debt that makes you money, and "bad debt" is debt that doesn't (when you buy material things that just sit there).  

After doing the math using the calculator I should sit at about 9.5-10% ROI. 

Before I asked why he did it, his wife spoke up "I got tired of him sitting on the sofa complaining about being bored, so I told him instead of complaining about the gutters, get off your butt and straighten it out".

Yes, the money did sit for a bit as the timing wasn't perfect but neither is life!

If its just sitting in cash or equivalent and not retirement funds, I'd probably use it vs a line of credit.

If you're looking for something that may cost more up front but have little on-going costs or maintenance requirements maybe a nice cobblestone sitting area would work. or a cheaper option would be cement tiles.

Anyway, I recall a time when the merchants in Winnipeg docked a nickel from my dollars on account of the exchange rate. 

@Amanda Thompson any chance they were merely pet sitting?