South Seattle: I Am An Island

Hey, you missed a spot. See, there… on the roof, yeah… over to the right.

There are times when it’s great to be the prettiest, and then there are other times when it’s quite awkward to be overdressed. The latter seemed to be the feeling of the day when I stopped by to see this fresh Hillman City house on the market. It’s a healthy sized house, with the usual set of pre-sale updates that are becoming a mandatory set of guidelines for marketability. It’s always nice to be on a corner lot as well.

However, the toughest things about a place like this are the surrounding houses. This little intersection, a block from Brighton Playfield, has seen better days. When I say better days, I mean days when there wasn’t junk all over the yards and porches weren’t rotting off. It’s a delicate balance, this transition that our neighborhood is experiencing. On one hand, it takes a hardy person to get the ball rolling on a block like this, and nothing would ever re-vitalize if there weren’t such participants. But, it can be difficult to not be discouraged by signs of neglect and apathy in close proximity to your brand new house.

While I may sound slightly downtrodden about it, I know this house will probably sell in short order. One thing I’ve noticed in buyers these days is the ability to block out cosmetic impediments and enjoy four spacious bedrooms worth of value. And it’s got an open house this Sunday, April 29th, 1-4pm.

The Specifics: Price: $385,000. No previous sales history listed. 1,780 square feet. 4 bedrooms, 1.75 baths.