Assuming it’s the address notrichenough posted, it’s a very decent house that could be made beautiful. Is there enough margin to do that??
And the family room is funky. It’s got two steps down into it, which is fine, but then it has two steps down on two sides of – something. What is that thing in the middle with the shelf on it, in picture #13?
It has a doggie door, so I’m favorably disposed.
Sorry… 1097 is the correct number
The thing in the middle of the family room is just a shelf on the wall. I’m guessing they had a TV there at one point. The doorway (and doggie door) to back yard would have to be blown out and new french doors installed. My goal with the family room is to actually raise the floor to same level as the rest of the house so it doesn’t just smack ‘addition’ like it does now. And open up the small kitchen to create a great room effect. My research seems to indicate it is a permitted addition. There is also a really cool studio/workshop/.office to the left of the backyard off the garage in the back.
The house was originally a U shape with courtyard in middle. Family room was built between bedroom wing and garage wing. One set of steps comes down from kitchen/dining area (which are closed off from rest of house) and other set come down from the bedroom hallway.
Funny thing about the house is that there were bee hives (I’m guessing they were actually maintained by prior deceased owner because there are raised platforms in a fenced off area) that the listing agent had to get a professional guy to come remove. Unfortunately there is still a swarm of bees in back yard looking for their old home. Beekeeper says they are not aggressive because they are no longer guarding their hive. Warning signs everywhere… I think that might put off some buyers looking at the house this weekend!
Oh, good!!!
So now we will call it the bee house?
Yes, the bee hive house is perfect… I will keep you all updated on dealings with the agent.
BTW… Marilyn sent me the link when it went on the market and I thought “I cannot afford that house… there’s absolutely no margin”. But then I went to look at it and it needs so much love, I want to see if I can make it work.
Now I’m picturing a house shaped like a bee hive - if I wasn’t out of town doing all my computing on a phone I’m sure I’d find a picture of one.
I like the house…but it doesn’t have CB’s flair at all…and my concern would be…to get that flair, it’s going to cost more than worth it.
But I’m sure CB will crunch the numbers carefully.
When I look at that house, I more see a couple buying it…and doing renovations by room. For some reason, I don’t see it as a flip…at all.
It’s very much like my house - without the weird step down addition. But same teeny kitchen! When we remodeled the kitchen we blew out back wall of house behind the kitchen and dining room and did a family room addition. My kitchen island is in the addition, which makes kitchen look and feel larger ( plus enabled us to extend the kitchen counter once door between dining rm and kitchen were gone.)
To me, the expense of raising the addition floor would be totally wasted $$.
I tend to agree with @thumper1 on this one. I guess it would depend mostly on potential resale and carrying costs. Certainly, you can do the renovations more cheaply than if they hire a contractor.
I’m envisioning keeping the traditional exterior and giving the interior a ‘coastal cottage’ flair, which is very popular here for resale value. My mind is racing with ‘add a bathroom’ to the wood paneled bonus room and turn it into a separate guest suite with private patio and entrance. These are very popular in the neighborhood because people are renting out the rooms Airbnb like hotcakes. Then I need to extend the back small bedroom to add closet and bathroom for a master suite going out to back yard.
Money is piling up in my grandiose plans!!
Well, let’s wait and see what the agent has to say when you speak to him/her!
Meanwhile… the property on Southern…wood, where the agent never even confirmed receipt of my offer went into contract at the beginning of the week for way above asking. I think she updated the asking price from $995k to about $1,050,000. So we was correct that there were multiple offers over asking.
And, crazy listing agent with the small beater on Tivoli (more desireable neighborhood) still hasn’t rented that house. So what does he do??? Take down the sales listing as ‘expired’ and brings it back out with a new asking price $30k over last week’s asking price. Now it is priced at $1,025,000!!! And the rent price keeps dropping.
He still hasn’t sold Charles in the wooded area. That’s the one where he went from $895k up to $995k and back down to $895k. When I first called him he said $900k will get it. Then he raised the price and told me $950k would get it. What the hey???
The Tivoli is listed as a “rent to own” deal, I think. Bad, bad, bad idea.
“To me, the expense of raising the addition floor would be totally wasted $$.”
This is a rambler - a desirable retirement home, but the step is a deal breaker for anyone wanting a single level home. I know able bodied, athletic people who broke or sprained ankles stepping into sunken living rooms thinking they were on the same level. We too passed a few homes with such features…
I know someone who raised the floor of her 70’s era “sunken living room” - it made a huge difference. The space flows now instead of being choppy. It wasn’t that expensive, and they were ripping out carpet and installing hardwood at the same time.
That sunken floor is weird with the doors coming in from each side with the little platforms to step down.
It looks like there is enough headroom at the sides to do it, however the triangular window at the back may have to go (or be replaced with something smaller), and there will now be steps down to the brick patio. If the floor levels work out right, I’d be tempted to scratch the brick patio and extend the deck over to the sliders.
I kind of like the sunken floor with the symmetrical steps, but I think the point about having everything accessible is well taken. I personally prefer the brick patio to more deck, but to each his own.
It is so confusing trying to figure out what flows into what in some of these houses! Wouldn’t it be nice if the listing included a floor plan? 
If you do get the place, I devoutly hope that you will not disturb most of the front yard. Yes, the foundation plantings should probably be yanked out, because they are mostly overgrown, but the bed of ivy, the huge perennial clumps, and the tree are really outstanding. It takes a long time to achieve that kind of look. Go in through the back!
The bed of noxious weed needs to go. The rest of the landscaping looks good!
I just had an update with the listing agent. They have had a ton of showings and a lot of people came through the Broker Open House. But no offers yet. There is an Open House this weekend, but he doesn’t know if any agents are bringing buyers through because it is on a lockbox.
He is much nicer, more forthcoming, than the other agents that I have been trying to work with lately.
We are going to speak again on Monday because he is presenting offers to the Trustee on Wednesday morning. He believes that several agents will play a waiting game and not submit their offers until late Tuesday. If there is a lot of interest, agents will keep calling him asking 'what should my clients offer to get the place?" and it will just keep going up and up. We will see.