Maybe This $220K Mountlake Terrace is Just for Parties

If the house is small, don't hide the kitchen. Small houses can have big parties, or at least parties big enough that the host/cook can use a stove that has a view of the living room. Just north of the King/Snohomish county line is a 1 bedroom, 0.75 bath, 672 square feet house that was built in 1950. It may look that old on the outside, but the inside has been remodeled. The kitchen is unconventional because the range is in the island, allowing the cook to watch the rest of the folks - or the game, in some cases. They're asking $220,000, which is down from its 2007 sales price of $240,000. Evidently, Seattle's housing prices have yet to fully recover to the previous bubble's prices. Take your pick: either you expect prices to continue to those levels, or that is proof that this bubbles isn't as bad as that bubble. Regardless of market forces, if you buy the house you get to live in a place with skylights, vaulted ceilings, new appliances, and new design work - particularly in the kitchen and bath, er, shower. Outside is almost urban camouflage, a house that will blend, rather than stand out; or, if you don't want to blend, get out the paint and change the character with a brush instead of a hammer. In any case, it won't take as much time as it would take for a standard suburban 3,000 square foot house. Just another benefit of buying small. But, is it worth $220,000 just to party? Maybe you should live there, too.

· 5606 237th St SW, Mountlake Terrace [Zillow]
· All Tiny Homes coverage [CS]
Written by Tom Trimbath