Oldies but Goodies?
Or are they ‘Moldy Oldies’?
Old listings that also happen to be old houses; all in La Mesa. The listings aren’t that terribly old, but why do they sit there? Only the sales agent knows for sure, and you can trust her! But seriously, why does one house sell and a similar one doesn’t? Let me count the ways… OK, there are infinite variables but I bet you know some of the top candidates. Can I get you to share?
8074 Lemon Avenue, La Mesa
Has two car garage, central AC, 2 blocks from Trolley and the Village. Included are the lot & garage next door. Reduced from $530k, sold in 2004 for $475k. This is the oldest listing in this part of La Mesa. Why? Some clues- it’s a high per foot price, the owners don’t seem desperate to sell (just a guess), the price includes an extra lot and the potential as a duplex unit so it may seem high to the casual observer.
| address | bd/ba | Sq.Ft. | days | price | comment |
| 8074 Lemon Av | 2/2 | 1,120 | 241 | $450k | built 1931, $402/sq.ft. ↑ |
| 5725 Tex St | 3/2 | 1,256 | 175 | $425k | built 1957, $338/sq.ft, has AC |
| 4924 Pine St | 2/1 | 880 | 172 | $395k | built 1939, $449/sq.ft, AC, f’place |
| 5049 Linden Wy | 3/1.5 | 1,208 | 217 | $475k | built 1931, $393/sq.ft. ↓ |
5049 Linden Way, La Mesa 91941
Yes, room for all four of your cars in those garages! Originally listed at $538k, this house features hardwood floors, laundry room, 5 ceiling fans and two garden windows in the kitchen. This old listing also has a high per foot price. Redfin Savings: $9,500*
Discovering the clues and cues to good pricing requires some detective work. You think your house is worth more than the house next door, but did you know they installed gold filled bath fixtures and Italian marble floors & counters? One can never have ALL the answers. I think some of these old listings have features that don’t stand out in a quick search, and they may be too quickly rejected. As listings and search features improve, it may become easier to compare such homes in the future. Until then, haste makes waste.
[data from generally reliable sources, please comment on any errors!]
