We searched for the five most affordable homes in Seattle's Bryant neighborhood, which wasn't hard because there were barely that many to pick from. And for some reason, all are shades of blue or grey. The neighborhood's colors?
Light pastels throughout the house brighten the interior of this 1947 charmer that's within a walk of Bryant Park. The house is a 3 bedroom, 1 bath with 1,460 square feet that is listed at $589,000. Yes, the cheapest house on our list starts at over a half a million dollars. In today's market it will be interesting to see what it sells at. With a sweet interior and an exterior of 5,213 square feet that includes a fenced yard with a stone patio, it manages to look relatively up-to-date while maintaining some of the original decorations.
It is refreshing to see a listing price of nice, round numbers: $600,000. Even the lot is a simple, 4,000 square feet. The house is a 1924 bungalow with 1,350 square feet; enough room for 3 bedrooms and 1 bath. The bathroom is the freshest looking room of the house, an example of the power of a good paint job. Some of the original features remain, like the coved molding. Even after over ninety years, the basement remains unfinished, an opportunity for a shop, or for it to be a project itself.
The single dormer visible from the front is a hint that this is more than a one story with an attic. The house is a 1950 Cape Cod (from one coast to another), that fits 4 bedrooms and 2 baths into 2,320 square feet. They're asking $750,000 for it and the 8,276 square foot lot. A rough rock corner fireplace is about the only thing in the house that isn't refined to some extent. A covered patio provides a view of the fenced backyard, handy for those days when you want to watch the kids play, but don't want to get wet yourself.
Start with the white picket fence, notice the blue walls and the red door, and you could be looking at a house ready to celebrate the Fourth of July. It is another Cape Cod, this time on a corner lot. Inside, it has extensive wood paneling, more grey than brown, with oak floors, leaded glass, and the original molding. It continues a distinctive character that began in 1936. It holds 3 bedrooms and 2 baths in 2,000 square feet on an 8,400 square foot lot; with an asking price of $785,000. Another uncommon, yet useful feature that can be replicated, is the use of interior shutters. Curtains aren't always the answer.
The (relatively) good news is that the fifth house on the list is available for less than a million dollars at $950,000. The not so bad, but slightly complicating news the house is a triplex. It may not have started out that way in 1924, but now it is 4 bedroom, 2 bath house, or a 2 bedroom plus a 1 bedroom plus a 1 bedroom rental opportunity. Buying a way to help pay the mortgage will be appealing to some. It may also be a way to have three generations in one house without them being too close to each other. You get to figure out how to divide up access to the 4,280 square foot lot.
· 4419 NE 65th St [Zillow]
· 5218 37th Ave NE [Zillow]
· 6034 40th Ave NE [Zillow]
· 4516 37th Ave NE [Zillow]
· 5750 35th Ave NE [Zillow]