Palo Alto: Ship-Shape Ranch

I’m sure I speak for most of my fellow Redfin bloggers when I say, there’s always something more interesting to do than tour another ranch-style house. For example, I could get some Q-tips and start cleaning out the crud that collects in the cracks of my keyboard. Or I could pull out my last fifteen years of home improvement receipts to calculate the IRS cost basis of my property, just in case I ever decide to move. And hey, I wonder what the bottom of my laundry hamper looks like?

But I have to say I was pleasantly surprised when I visited the Midtown rancher at 2605 Waverley, because it comes with an interesting tall tale of the sea and a very reasonable price. The previous owner was a builder of historic ship models, so he added on a family room that looks like the prow of a ship. What’s more, to accommodate his tall ship models and historical drawings, he made sure both the living and family rooms had high ceilings and plenty of light, something you don’t find in many ranch homes.

While this house is in move-in condition, I’d feel compelled to update the kitchen and bathrooms over time, and I might even add divided-light wood windows in the front. It’s on a large corner lot, but the garage is hidden on the back side and would lend itself to the addition of an attached office or shop with a garden view

Location: 2605 Waverley St.
Price: $1,499,000
BR: 3, BA 3
Sq. Ft: 2,207
Lot Size: 9,660 Sq Ft

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My Rating: 84 out of 100

Location: 8, Midtown, but a tweaked street
Schools: 9
Noise: 9
Layout: 8, two rooms with high ceilings
Construction quality: 8, sixties but well maintained
Curb appeal: 8, lose the flesh-colored paint, add dormers
Maintenance: 9, tidy
Style: 8, ranch
Privacy: 8, corner lot
Value: 9, good family buy

[Scale: 1=negative, 10=positive]
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