Seattle has buses. 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 66 almost acts like it doesn't like the UW campus. It runs from Northgate, down Roosevelt, through the U District, but skips the campus on its way to downtown. That's okay. A lot of those folks probably spent enough years at the U already. Do riders get a discount for humming the tune, Route 66?
↑ If this is a flip, they flipped it well. Just about two years ago, this 3 bedroom, 1 bath, 1,570 square foot house sold for $370,000. Now, they're asking $695,000 for what appears to be a very clean and tidy 1955 rambler. It's empty, appears to have spotless walls and ceiling, and has a basement finished enough for an extra resident. Even the 4,356 square foot backyard is trimmed and landscaped with raised beds and a trellis waiting for a new crop of greenery.
↑ When they say "new construction" they mean it in more than one way. This 1,750 square foot house was just finished, has a modern style, and sits on a 1,030 square foot lot by going up three floors. They're asking $679,950 for one of the new breed of Seattle homes where one house comes down and several spring up. All house, and little or no yard, and maybe a shared wall or two with the other homes. Modern style, appliances, systems, and concept - then topped with a view of Green Lake and the Olympics that surprised the builders. The master suite is on the third floor, but if it's your house you can sleep anywhere you want. Skip the stairs occasionally.
↑ This townhouse was built in 2008, just before the Seattle Bubble popped yet again. Tough time for builders. They made it look good, though. The 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 3 story is trimmed with granite, bamboo, iron, stainless steel - plenty of the high-end materials that are known to last. The sellers are asking $450,000 for the 1,433 square foot house on a 1,189 square foot lot. They describe it as a craftsman townhouse, which may explain the peaked ceilings and roof, and the wood exterior. New-ish without being too-modern.
↑ This 2 bedroom, 1 bath house was built in 1942, during WWII, which may explain its size, 1,170 square feet, and its straightforward design. Maybe people were just too busy to get too fancy, but they did want something that worked. The asking price is $350,000 for the house and the 7,250 square foot lot. That's enough space for a Victory Garden, or at least is home to a variety of well-established landscaping. Inside, very little remains of the original era. Upgrading and redecorating have kept the appearance current.
↑ One of the advantages of apartment condos is the common spaces: hot tub, sauna, pool - all things that get you wet from diving in or sweating it out. Plus, no lawn to mow. What you do get for your $215,000 is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 970 square foot condo that was new in 1984; you know, from before Frazier started telling the rest of the country that Seattle was trendy. On the inside it looks much more modern, and even has a laundry in the condo. Common property is economical, but sometimes it's nice to have some privacy when you're washing your privvies.
· Route 66 [Metro]
· All Bus Tours coverage [CS]
Written by Tom Trimbath