Seattle has buses (and trains). Use them! In which case you might as well find a place to live along a line. One line at a time. Here's the next one, selected at random for the fun of it.
Route 3, down one hill (Queen Anne), across downtown, and then up the opposite hill (First Hill), one route through some of Seattle's oldest neighborhoods. From views to work to views. There must be something interesting along the way.
↑ Serendipity happens; a house with 3 bedrooms with 3,030 square feet on route 3. Even the price, $879,000, is a multiple of 3. If only it was a 3 story with a 3 car garage; but no, only two stories and a one-car garage. Dig back in the records and find out when in 1929 it was built, before the market crashed or after. Its classic structure probably hasn't changed on the outside. Inside it retains some of those elements, but the kitchen and the master bath have definitely been upgraded. As for a view, most listings that claim a territorial view mean the house is surrounded by trees. For this house, the territory is a major swath of territory called the city. Imagine what the time lapse would look like as Seattle grew over the last 85 years.
↑ Spend less and get more - history. Go to the ReStore and help restore this 1907 piece of history, or leave it as is if you already have enough to do. In any case, this 3 bedroom, 1 bath house for $519,000 looks fine. Inspections always make sense; especially, with houses built more than 100 years ago. Wiring was a bit different then. What you get now is an 1,840 square foot house that has weathered a lot of Seattle's weather and growth. Queen Anne probably felt like a suburb back then. Now, you're in town, and a 30 minute bus ride away from downtown, no parking required.
↑ When this sold for $3,795,850 in 2004, they probably meant the entire building, not just the 503 square feet, 1 bedroom, 1 bath townhome that goes for the much more reasonable price of $195,800. It is much newer than the other houses, built as recently as 1987. The vaulted ceilings give it a lot of space and the loft bedroom gets an opportunity to drop water balloons on the living room. A nice space, and if it doesn't contain what you need, go for a walk and you might find it in the neighborhood's shops and restaurants.
↑ The lot is 3,727 square feet. Even without a house on it that wouldn't be much to mow. The house, however, has two stories with a garage underneath. The 3 bedrooms and 3.25 baths are spread out over two floors and 2,858 square feet; and the entire house is effectively lifted a story by the garage. The interior is as stylish as most would expect from a $859,000 house, with kitchen and bath designs that show off modern design. This house was actually built in this century (2003)! One feature rarely mentioned but that should be in every Seattle home is a mudroom. Nice touch, and one that keeps the rest of the house cleaner.
↑ It is a story book house, or at least the picture of it makes it seem so. But, $899,000 buys a real 1930 brick two story with a high-pitched roof, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, and 2,276 square feet. Outside it is almost a century ago. Inside it is modern, but with doorway, archway, and ceiling details that tie the historic to the modern. Houses as nicely renovated as this one are comfortable inside; but the bonus is when the decades of owners have tended the landscaping in ways that can't readily be replicated by a weekend trip to the nursery. Step in and become a bit of this house's history.
See anything you like?
· Route 3 [Metro]
· ReStore [RS]
· All Bus Tours coverage [CS]
Written by Tom Trimbath