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.
Short and useful, that's Route 67: from Northgate, along Roosevelt, through the U District, with a turn onto UW's campus. Never hit the freeway, and get yourself to either shopping or schooling in probably less than a half hour.
↑ It's new, so you know it'll be nice, or at least have a good chance at the new home smell. It's also modern; so, it's new in many ways. "It" is a 4 bedroom, 2.75 bath, 2,748 square foot house that's part of the sweep of houses defining Seattle's New Era, when blocks and lines define the spaces, and the exteriors are exercises in alternative materials. Do it right, and have something timeless. This one was done this year, and has an asking price of $819,950. The lot is 7,187 square feet, so it isn't a postage stamp. There's actually room to grow grass and park a car or two.
↑ This one isn't new. It was built in 1955; but they've done enough on the inside to make it look new, at least upstairs where there are 3 bedrooms and 1 bath. Basements must be harder to upgrade. The 1,570 square foot house sits on 4,356 square feet of land that is fenced and flat making it much more useful. The listing price is $685,000, already down $10,000. Imagine what else you can do with that extra $10K. Maybe turn that downstairs into a media room, artist studio, or place for the kids to bounce around in.
↑ What is it about lots that are 4,356 square feet? There's more than one, which means there's a story there. This house has such a lot, also has 3 bedrooms, has 1.75 baths, and 1,830 square feet inside. The fireplace mantel is a wall of bricks, one of the few things they didn't remodel and upgrade, which is noticeable because the large extent of the other upgrades is also noticeable. Go ahead, notice it; particularly the granite and stainless steel in the kitchen. Much more modern than the original equipment. The price, $509,900, is also more in the current style. Undoubtedly a lot smaller when the house was built in 1963.
↑ Location, etc. Being within walking distance of shopping, movies, and mass transit can save you a lot of money by not having a car - unless you spend too much on shopping, movies, and mass transit. It could happen. Buying a condo also saves a lot of money, or can be a lot cheaper than buying a house and a yard. This 2 bedroom, 1.75 bath, 1,110 square foot condo is priced at $275,950; substantially less than Seattle's median home price. Nothing flashy, but probably more than nice enough for most; and in the midst of lot of convenience, which can be valuable.
↑ A condo for $188,000? Sure. That gets you 2 bedrooms and 1 bath in 970 square feet. Fewer rooms means bigger rooms, so the place may feel more spacious. Plus, having less to tend means less to clean, and maybe even less to fix. You'll have to assess the projects. Like most of these homes, it will be close to light rail - eventually. In the meantime, Northgate is already busy because there's already so much going on there. Buy a home base, and explore the area.
· Route 67 [Metro]
· All Bus Tours coverage [CS]
Written by Tom Trimbath