We checked the listings for five of the most affordable houses in Eastlake. Finding condos and houseboats was not a surprise.
Get twice the view by buying a corner unit, like the one this corner condo has. Look north, see the canal. Look west, see Lake Union. Double the view (double the window cleaning) and have twice as many reasons to look out the glass windows instead into a monitor's glass facade. The 703 square foot unit is listed as a 1 bedroom, 1 bath with nine foot ceilings for $335,000. It was built in 2008, so systems and appliances are relatively new. One distinguishing amenity is the apparent opportunity get dirty. The courtyard appears to be sectioned into miniature pea patches. Check to see if it is more than a communal herd garden (which could still be uncommon and welcome.)
Another corner unit, but this one looks south and catches views of the city. It is slightly bigger at 806 square feet, which is enough to increase it to a 2 bedroom, 1 bath place. The building is smaller, so you're more likely to be able to know everyone but less likely to have enormous common spaces. One extra benefit is a wood-burning fireplace, something that is probably becoming less common within the urban core. The list price is $365,000, not much more than the listing above, and definitely cheaper than the listings below.
We wrote about this floating home back in May. The $675,000 price hasn't changed. Neither has its character as a tiny and tall 1 bedroom, 1 bath that distributes 840 square feet over two stories. It's on the lake, so that quintessential Seattle experience is available, living downtown, living on the lake, and possibly living without a car, while maybe owning a (small) boat that's moored nearby.
If a corner unit isn't good enough, try a top floor end condo. From there you get a 180 degree view for downtown, the lake, and the Olympics. The unit has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath in 970 square feet plus a 500 square foot deck for those views. This piece of the 1989 property is priced at $685,000 - a bit more than the houseboat but with more space and a taller view. Take your pick, if you can afford it, that is.
Stack 1,758 square feet of living space into 3 stories and have everything from a garage to a private rooftop deck. You also get 3 bedrooms and 3 baths, though don't expect one of each on each floor. The price is five dollars shy of three-quarters of a million, $749,995, but that's a reflection of finding fewer than a dozen places for sale in the vicinity. It was built in 2004, relatively recent in Seattle's history, but almost ancient compared to the new construction happening in South Lake Union. Of course, that may be the reason to live in the neighborhood - work in SLU and then walk away from the office every night.
· 2960 Eastlake Ave E [Zillow]
· 2727 Franklin Ave E [Zillow]
· 2025 Fairview Ave E [Zillow]
· 2354 Yale Ave E [Zillow]
· 1816 Franklin Ave E [Zillow]