Barn Restoration?

DH and I are still looking to settle in a particular small, out of the way, rural area in the West. One of the pieces of property we are looking at is a 10 acre piece with a small house and a falling down old barn.

When we were looking at the property, the realtor said, "I think you might be able to get a grant to restore the barn, it is one of the oldest barns in the area." My sweet husband said, "Oh, no, knock it down, why restore it?" The realtor looked like she'd faint. (I'm not kidding!)

The area is remote. Folks have only been settled here about 150 years, and the barn is "over 100 years old." It is falling down. In fact, it is in such a state of disrepair I'm amazed it is still (sort of) standing. The wood looks like it has never been painted and it gray and shrunken. There are gaps an inch wide between boards. The barn is missing boards. It is built on the edge of the property, a spark from someone's car would have the whole thing in flames in minutes. (Please, no suggestions of arson!)

Plus, while many barns are beautiful with interesting design features, this looks like the kind of barn someone like me (with no background in building) would design. Plain, straight sides all around.

The realtor (an outsider, too) seemed to think if we *absolutely* couldn't see our way to restoring the barn, we should ask permission of one of the older families in the town if we might dismantle it.

Okay, I need a reality check. Is the realtor crazy, or are we? The barn seems dangerous. It is right ON the property line next to the road. The road is way on one side of the old town and doesn't see much traffic (it 's not a "through" road), but the barn could conceivably fall down into the road and damage someone or their vehicle. (I'm amazed it didn't fall in the last windstorm.) It pretty obviously has not been used as a working barn for a couple of decades at least, and the materials are in such poor condition it looks like we would more be building a new barn than restoring an old one.

Then again, we are the ones moving into a small town. (Pop: a little more than 1,000). It seems like about half "oldtimers" and about half "new folks." I don't want to move in and have half the population upset with us before we even unpack our bags.

What is the proper course of action to take? Ideas, any of you farming types? Not exactly a gardening question...