The sign in the window says NO TRESPASSING in more ways than I thought possible. What it means is, "the bank owns this house and don't even think about messing this up. Don't EVEN. Just have your agent call so you can buy the damn thing."Maybe you should. I hear it's a good time to buy, if you have the means. I dared--yes I EVEN--to peek in the windows. You're going to have hardwood floors, a fireplace, wood trim and a healthy lemon tree in the side yard. That much I know.
I also know there are at least two sweet little old ladies on the block, and at least one guy who looks pretty good with his shirt off.
Late-breaking news: One of my Facebook friends, Iranian photographer Amir Sadeghi, was arrested yesterday at the office of Farhang-e-Ashti newspaper, his place of work, for having published images of the security clampdown on protesters last December 27th. More on Overdog.
22 comments:
Pretty sweet. You were brave to peak! I hope it is found by someone worth of the neighbors!!
Poor little house. I'd love to plant that front garden with roses and lavender, and have honeysuckle and wisteria climbing up the walls.
Er, is that someone's car parked at the rear?
Bellis is right, it needs a whole lot of curb appeal.
You see how intrepid I was. There were two cars parked in back. I have no idea whose they were. But the house was empty.
Yes, it needs curb appeal. But I know from experience that curb appeal means nothing when your house is in a bad place. Location is key. Everything else is fixable.
You should have been a Realtor, Petrea!
Thanks so much for your comment on my blog's 3rd birthday. I tried commenting on your blog yesterday but with you and Kim's it hung my computer. Re-loaded the Flash app and it worked once on Kim's blog. Today, a miracle - everything is working again.Weird.
Any chance it could be bought for less than $200,000? Sigh. Pasadena is just too expensive.
I'm glad everything's working, Jilly! Your blog was probably just overloaded with all the congratulations.
Ben, I'm sure it's a steal--but probably not that much.
Definitely in need of some love and attention...
You neglected to tell us how much it cost. :-)
Real tile roof, late '20's, original windows, 900 sq ft, no basement, 1 x 4 fascia, the stucco is pretty good, (was that a window mudded over?), two bedrooms, one bathroom, an arts and crafts house next door, 40 ft wide lot-got a garage?
What, half a mil?
Without a basement or garage here, in a similar 'hood...$130,000, max.
In frogtown-$85,000.
I don't know how much it costs. You have to call for that, and I didn't call. I'm also going to guess it's at least 1200 square feet. I doubt a foreclosure in that neighborhood would be half a million, but it could be upwards of $400,000. Real estate genius I'm not, but that doesn't stop me from guessing.
I could never have peeked.
Margaret, you cannot be more chicken than I am.
Oh it looks cozy and lovely! Now to find something like that to rent in Pasadena.
1200 sf was my first guess, but the footprint looks smaller. The house must stretch back some distance then.
The housing market in California amazes me. Even without Fed induced inflation, how the heck does one come up with that kind of ching every month? The pressure must be tremendous just to make the monthly nut.
The last I looked, union wages weren't that much more in Cal. Yeah, we got huge heat bills here in the winter, but that shack and my guesswork amenities, if it were in Mac-Groveland in the day, still wouldn't support that price structure. A lot of rehab victorians "on the hill" supported $350 k plus, but that market is history.
Still, the days of the lone breadwinner are gone.
Amy, this town is full of homes for rent. It seems like they're everywhere. Of course now that I mention it I can't think of exactly where.
Well yeah, Bandit, the pressure's tremendous. People get obsessed with real estate around here. And yes, in a lot of marriages both spouses work (as in mine). But mostly it's about Proposition 13, which lowered property taxes and made it possible for people to buy more expensive properties without paying commensurate taxes on them. In the process, it emptied our state's coffers as well.
I am glad to know I am not the only person who peeks and thinks about how to remodel houses that I will never own.
There is a house in our neighborhood (a 3000+ sq ft craftsman) that is occupied and not for sale. It is rather run down but in beautiful unaltered condition and I am just dying to see inside that house. I have thought of knocking on the door and complimenting the owners on their amazing home, but I am too chicken.
Just take a lot of walks in the neighborhood, Gina. We've met almost everyone that way. It helps to have a dog, but if you don't, say hello and something nice about the garden or the porch--or anything. It gets things started.
I lived 2 doors down from this house for 13 years. It is in one of the most fantastic true "neighborhoods" in this city. In addition to the 2 sweet old ladies, (I'm sure I know which ones they are) there are loads of involved and SOCIAL neighbors, kids of all ages, annual 4th of July block parties and Holiday progressive parties, etc. The owner, wonderful man lived there for 40+ years, when he passed away the family went nuts and spent too much $$ upgrading the house, then lost it all. It was in fairly good shape, horrible decor, a bad front enclosure of what would have been a quaint low walled patio/porch area (Spanish revival era) I did hear that all the new fixtures, kitchen, baths, etc were literally ripped out of the house in a fit of pique at the bank. Someone handy should be able to fix. Buy it - you won't regret it!
Hi Caroline--a bank having a fit of pique! Biting off their nose to spite their face, my mother would have called it.
I've learned (from experience) you can doll up a house and make it wonderful but if the neighborhood's not great there's nothing you can do about it. This little house is in a great spot.
I lived next door to this house (to the right in the guest house) for 6 years (moved a little over 2 years ago) and it is a wonderful neighborhood. One of the sweet eldery ladies was my landlady and she is a treasure. Lovely streeet, so glad it was my home for 6 years.
I know your ex-landlady. She is the sweetest! She walks in the neighborhood and we always say hello. That guest house looks darling from the street. It must have been great for you to stay for 6 years.
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