South Seattle: What’s $10K Got to Do With It?

Well…it seems to be the favored sum for price reductions on houses located within my stomping grounds. Here’s the scoop on a few that I’ve blogged about.

Evidently I’m not the only one wishing there was something special under the shag carpeting. Of the Easy Rider Era has dropped to $439,950 from the original price of $449,950.

4849 S Lucile Street, Seattle, 98118
Beds: 3
Baths: 1
Sq. Ft.: 1,430
Lot Sq. Ft.: 7,725
$/Sq. Ft.: $308

One of the Home Sweet Pagoda matched set is down to $479,000. It was $489,000 when I posted in January.

5036 42nd Avenue S, Seattle, 98118
Beds: 3
Baths: 2.5
Sq. Ft.: 1,580
Lot Sq. Ft.: 5,065
$/Sq. Ft.: $303

Mid-April I noted that Meticulous Manse in Mt Baker was reduced to $945,000. A $50K reduction is the magic number here and the home is now listed at $895,000.

3849 Cascadia Avenue S, Seattle, 98118
Beds: 4
Baths: 3
Sq. Ft.: 3,000
$/Sq. Ft.: $298

South Seattle: Think Globally, Build Locally

The built green home I listed in last week’s open houses is one of three that have been recently installed on a Columbia City hillside just west of Rainier Avenue. Only two were open for viewing this past weekend and I believe the third is off the market and already occupied, so I checked out the green house and its larger counterpart next door.

Since they share a number of traits I’m reviewing them together rather than redundantly listing those pros and cons in separate posts. I expect these light and airy buildings, armed with ample storage and Dwell-worthy interiors, indicate a trend away from the “craftsman” style town homes currently dotting the landscape and we’ll soon see similar developments sprouting up with considerably less environmental consciousness. For now these houses are set apart by their eco-details as well as their smaller production scale. This set of homes was slickly designed by Case Design & Project Management with a mind to saving the planet in style. The territorial and mountain views are terrific from every level of the structures and their flyers promise a glimpse of Mt Rainier as well. Driving on 34th Avenue S is a bit of a tight squeeze and there’s only enough precarious street parking space for one car per home. There’s about the same amount of space on the sturdier alley side of the homes and at the open house I was told the designers intended this as the parking for residents.

It Is Easy Being Green

Curbside & Alley Views

This 1,920 sq. ft. green home is smack in the middle of the eco-trio. I have to note there are actually 2.5 baths, not the online and flyer listing of 3, as there’s only a powder room on the top floor. The master bath doesn’t have a tub, just a huge open shower, so those who are less concerned with water conservation have to head down to hall to luxuriate in a long soak. Both bedrooms are on the lower level and the upper floor is dedicated to the public spaces. You’ll find dark bamboo floors upstairs and radiant heat concrete floors downstairs. I have to say I thought the gas fireplace installed in a corner of the main living room area looked like an afterthought but I’m sure it will be cozy in the winter. I think the online listing pics were taken in the occupied home as there are a couple of details (the fireplace location for one) that don’t jive with what I saw at the open house. They’ll give you the gist, though.

$549,000
Beds: 2
Lot Sq. Ft.: 3,000
$/Sq. Ft.: $286
Last Sale Price: N/A

Built Grey in Columbia City

Curbside & Alley Views

Of the two homes I preferred this one although it actually has less square footage. It’s larger lot (and additional $100K price tag) allowed the aesthetic to veer a little more toward custom home design rather than duplicating the two neighboring homes. I really liked the kitchen for both size and layout. A huge island with a brushed metal top provides a ton of extra storage and has enough overhang for an eating counter on one side. The rest of the countertops looked like laminate to me but perhaps they’re made from recycled plastic. I think there are better options available, however. Very light bamboo floors and stairs with open risers lend a great sense of spaciousness, as do the slatted wood walls lining the staircase. To my memory the one room in the basement doesn’t have a closet but it does have an adjacent full bath. A peek inside a utility closet on this level revealed the house’s intricate and well-organized plumbing and heating arrangements. The two top floor bedrooms share a cool patio garden with a nifty river rock drain run off. Access to the main entrance is off a public footpath rather than requiring a sky bridge from 34th. I particularly admired this building’s finishing touches which include attractive trim on the eaves and a thoughtful frosted glass window in the basement room to provide visual privacy from the path leading to the back entrance of the home next door.

$649,000
Beds: 3
Baths: 2.5
Sq. Ft.: 1,880
Lot Sq. Ft.: 4,600
$/Sq. Ft.: $345
Last Sale Price: N/A

South Seattle: Paint It Blue

A striking new coat of indigo paint was not enough to persuade me that this Mt Baker home has all the right improvements to justify its $595,000 price tag. Count the kitchen and bathrooms in that list of upgrades and wonder at the choice to put new carpet throughout. Said carpet made the second floor quite hot, even on the mildly warm day I visited, and I imagine it can get pretty steamy up there in the summer. Of the three rooms upstairs, only one has a proper closet (in want of a door) and the largest room just has access to two unfinished crawl spaces. The upstairs bath is only a .5 and since there appeared to be room enough I wish a bath or shower had been added in the remodel.

All the spaces on the main floor are quite generous and there’s lots of light. It looks like every one of the original interior doors is in place throughout and even painted they are gorgeous. Less gorgeous is the wrought iron gate protecting the front door. The all white cabinetry and appliances in the new kitchen didn’t appeal to me at all, both for cleaning purposes and because it all looks like some kind of “kitchen in a box” deal from Lowe’s or Home Depot. The quick fix appearance is not enhanced by florescent lights in the kitchen or the acoustic tile in the breakfast nook ceiling.

The basement is dry and one part of it is finished although it seemed unnecessary to me as it doesn’t really provide a useful room so much as a finished half of the basement. Down there I spotted old Romex wiring (fiber encased), galvanized steel plumbing and an old oil furnace and I was disappointed that these fundamentals were overlooked in the get-it-ready-for-sale overhaul. There is access to the small backyard from this level, though it requires one to hoist oneself up a couple feet to crawl through a door that is better sized for an English sheepdog than a person. Once you’ve wriggled into the backyard you’ll find no privacy from the alley, just off street parking on a concrete foundation that once had a proper garage atop it.

Beds: 4
Baths: 1.5
Sq. Ft.: 2,400
Lot Sq. Ft.: 4,080
$/Sq. Ft.: $248

South Seattle: Charming Columbia City Craftsman

After visiting this home, most of my notes read more like an enthusiastic listing description rather than a critical review, hence the un-snappy post title. This house has been painstakingly cared for and when I visited I saw very few areas that could be of concern to interested purchasers.

The one bath and kitchen are both new and the former has a sweet claw foot tub and tile work appropriate to a home built in 1914. While some may find the kitchen a touch small, it’s been beautifully designed to maximize space and the cabinetry and counters complement the rest of the home nicely. There is only one main room, which is currently serving as both living and dining room. It works just fine with the space divided that way although some might see it as a drawback. The two bedrooms have decent size closets, and while neither room is exceptionally large they both fit all the necessary furniture without challenge. Due to taller houses on either side, I found the house a bit dark from their shadows. However, there’s lovely landscaping all around, and the back yard has a covered porch, a patio and lawn and garden space in which to seek out sun or shade.

In the dry and immaculately clean full-size basement you’ll find an additional room currently serving as an office. What you won’t find anywhere on the property is off-street parking or a garage, which could become a frustration if both the neighborhood population and popularity continue to grow. Nevertheless, with an asking price of $424,500 I expect this house to have new folks trolling for parking very soon.

Sq. Ft.: 1,640
Lot Sq. Ft.: 3,427
$/Sq. Ft.: $259
Last Sale Price: $305,000 (January 2004)

South Seattle: Downward Spiral

Perhaps you read the recent PI and Seattle Times articles (click here and here respectively) about Seattle bucking the nation-wide trend in declining property prices, and we’ve all heard or read amazing stories about bidding wars for local homes of every caliber. Yet here are a couple of houses I’ve reviewed which are, in turn, reducing their asking prices in order to sell.

What would John Donne say to this? No Home Is an Island is stranded on the market and is now $419,500, down from $439,000 (it started at $448,000).

3507 S Genesee Street, Seattle, 98118
Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Sq. Ft.: 1,570
Lot Sq. Ft.: 3,000
$/Sq. Ft.: $267

Vision in Brick is currently priced at $550,000, which is a reduction of $35K from the listed price of $585,000 in December 2006 (and then it had already dropped from $600,000).

4430 49th Avenue S, Seattle, 98118
Beds: 4
Baths: 1.75
Sq. Ft.: 2,388
Lot Sq. Ft.: 7,187
$/Sq. Ft.: $230

Future Retro Real Estate is moving further away from the near million mark it was originally priced at and it’s now listed at $889,950. It was $909,950 earlier this month.

4807 50th Avenue S, Seattle, 98118
Beds: 4
Baths: 2.5
Sq. Ft.: 3,400
$/Sq. Ft.: $262

Someone has decided to Sweat the Small Stuff as that property is now down to $584,950 from $589,950. Not sure that $5K reduction will really turn the tides here, but who knows.

3311 35th Avenue S, Seattle, 98144
Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Sq. Ft.: 1,910
Lot Sq. Ft.: 4,080
$/Sq. Ft.: $306

Open House: Built Green in Columbia City

And this house is green throughout – from the exterior color to all the eco-friendly accoutrements, which include bamboo hardwoods, energy efficient lights and windows and pre-wiring for solar power.

When I stopped by earlier this week to take a snapshot there was still no way to walk from the street to the front door, but I’m sure it’s on the punch list to have done by the weekend since the house is open from 1:00-4:00pm both Saturday, April 28, 2007 and Sunday, April 29, 2007. No showings are available prior to the open house so this is a great opportunity for serious shoppers as well as the lookie-loos.

4056 34th Avenue S, Seattle, 98118

$549,000
Beds: 2
Baths: 3
Sq. Ft.: 1,920
Lot Sq. Ft.: 3,000
$/Sq. Ft.: $286

South Seattle: Room for Improvement

While it isn’t in the totally-crumbling-apart category of primo fixer-uppers, I think this $379,000 Beacon Hill home will require some sweat equity to fully realize its potential.

The most pressing issues for a new owner will be the lone bathroom and the kitchen as they are both well past their prime, the bath particularly. There are still some aluminum windows that could be replaced and the woodwork in one of the two bedrooms has been done in a unique combination of primary colors that may not appeal to everyone. In a space efficient design, the closet for each bedroom is essentially one shared closet space with a 3/4-height wall dividing it in half. I’d want to have that divider run all the way to the ceiling to maximize storage opportunities and add a little extra sound privacy. It would be very nice to see the carpet removed from the bedrooms and main living areas, too.

The basement height isn’t so low that one couldn’t consider finishing more of it (or refinishing what’s been done) and there’s access to the backyard from the downstairs, too. The backyard has some nice planting and is fairly private. However, a chunk of it is carved out for a neighboring lot and the result is an odd panhandle access to the alley.

The location of this home is great – it’s close to lots of amenities and makes for short travel time to downtown, Capitol Hill and the International District. Overlooking one home across the street, which I think is in the middle of improvements, all the neighboring houses are in nice condition with carefully tended lawns and gardens. With a little elbow grease this home could stand proud amongst them.

Lot Sq. Ft.*: N/A
$/Sq. Ft.*: N/A
Last Sale Price: $123,000 (January 1996)
* Information from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

South Seattle: Seward Park Split-Level

Built in 1994 this 2,260 sq. ft.* home is close to a number of amenities and Lake Washington is only a short walk away. Having nice places to go and park spaces so close might make it a little easier to bear the fairly busy street in front and the lack of yard in back.

Overall I found this home fairly lackluster. It’s decent size but very few of the interior spaces appealed to me – they mostly felt cold and conventional. On the main floor there’s Pergo flooring in the master suite and public areas. The master bath is the only of the three bathrooms to escape a very odd choice of carpet over sub-floor. Although the home has evidently been readied for sale it does still show some wear and tear from previous occupants. All the baths could use re-caulking at the very least and in a certain light the new interior paint leaves something to be desired.

Perhaps it was the ’94 construction trend but having really short baseboards (less than 2″ to my eye) makes little sense to me and in this circumstance very few of them lie flush with the walls. It will surprise no one that I was disappointed to see hollow core doors everywhere. With the considerable square footage given to the living and dining room area I think it would have been nice to see some allotted to the kitchen design but as it is the kitchen space is clean and totally serviceable though looking a touch dated. Aside from the two-car garage there’s little else of note downstairs except for an accent wall in one of the bedrooms which is sponge painted in amazing shades of violet, green and orange. It’s bright and lively and a marked contrast to the rest of the property.

$519,500
Baths: 2.5
Lot Sq. Ft.*: 4,450
$/Sq. Ft.*: $230
Last Sale Price: $149,950 (April 1994)
* Information from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

South Seattle: Of the Easy Rider Era

My formative years were spent in Berkeley and as a result I have a soft spot for the did-it-yourself (or with others) property design trends of the ’60s and ’70s. Both the single-family homes and communes of my childhood friends were usually in some state of distress and repair. This funky house in Seward Park had me reminiscing the moment I stepped inside.

I know AH Johnson would gnash her teeth just knowing that the home’s one bathroom is on the ground floor. What really amazed me was that the wood paneled walls that feature prominently in the kitchen and stairwell also made it into the poky lavatory, making that already odd space into the antithesis of today’s spa-inspired palatial bathrooms. I guess that fits this home’s theme, really. The kitchen is the sort that Julia Child would be more comfortable banging around in than Martha Stewart would. At over 6′ tall Julia might find the ceiling a little low, however. My biggest grouch with the kitchen is that the washer/dryer area is installed in such a place that it blocks lovely light from the southern windows if you close the bi-fold doors to hide the laundry appliances.

The three bedrooms upstairs are total anomalies. One very narrow room has incredibly tall ceilings and lots of light flooding in from the east-facing windows. Another bedroom has a better length to width ratio though I think the French Chef would find the upper plane a little confining. The third bedroom has an adjacent conservatory and a nifty loft built in with drop-down ladder access. I can only imagine the antics that would have ensued if that room was part of my juvenility. All three bedrooms share the same type of carpeting that you’ll find in the downstairs living room – in era-appropriate shades of rust and harvest gold. There may have been a patch of army green in there, too. When asked about the possibility of hardwoods underneath, the showing agent ruefully told me the carpet is only hiding sub-floor throughout.

In addition to beautifully cared for front and side yards, the 7,725 sq. ft*. lot has more than enough room for a vegetable patch and kennel in the back yard. If plants are your thing, there’s a greenhouse/sunroom built off one of the second floor bedrooms and from the look of the current plant collection in there it’s great for photosynthesis. There’s also a sizeable deck built out from the second floor.

Sentimentality aside, this 1907 home could be really amazing if brought kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century. I don’t think it needs stainless appliances and Silestone but I’m pretty sure it could make a happy homesteader of anyone willing to streamline the improvements.

$449,950
Sq. Ft.*: 1,430
Lot Sq. Ft.*: 7,725
$/Sq. Ft.*: $315
Last Sale Price: N/A
* Information from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

South Seattle: Closer, But Still No Cigar

I’ve been keeping an eye on the house featured in Close, But No Cigar. It’s been re-listed at least one time since my review and it’s just come up again with a $30,050 discount from the late January price. With the reduction the new price per sq. ft. is $312* and the new listing pictures show some staging elements that were lacking when I toured the property. For my two cents I think another round of reductions will bring this house into a reasonable price range, but who ever said the Seattle real estate biz is within reason?

4711 51st Avenue S, Seattle, 98118

$629,900
Beds: 4
Baths: 2.5
Sq. Ft.*: 2,020
Lot Sq. Ft.*: 4,560
Last Sale Price: $505,000 (August 2006)
* Information from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed.