This cute little house needs rehab

gelatinousendive · PostOct 03, 2007#12007-10-03T19:14+00:00

http://homes.realtor.com/search/listing ... t=2#Detail

This is currently my favorite house in Soulard, and lo! it hit the market this week!

SOMEONE MUST BUY IT! I cannot. alas, I've got other projects elsewhere.

Alex Ihnen · PostOct 03, 2007#22007-10-03T19:57+00:00

^ What's the interior like? Stable? I'll offer $15K.

gelatinousendive · PostOct 03, 2007#32007-10-03T22:56+00:00

Grover wrote:^ What's the interior like? Stable? I'll offer $15K.

yes, at about $20,000 I'd be forced to jump on it.

And I'm not being facicious here--I really do like this house. I walked by it just last weekend and wondered when the owner would pull his/her head out of his/her *ss and get it on the market.

framer · PostOct 04, 2007#42007-10-04T04:36+00:00

That's what I love about Soulard. It's full of these kind of tucked-away gems.

BTW, I'm no Realtor, but $65,000 seems like a lot for a place where you have to sign a release just to enter. Yikes!

thewayofthearch · PostOct 04, 2007#52007-10-04T04:49+00:00

Judging by the size, it would be practical to rehab that at about 30k max, provided there are no major mold remediation and/or foundation problems. Obviously the roof has to be redone, the entire inside ripped out down to the studs and all new plumbing, electric, and HVAC installed.

But at ~1200 square feet it could be a real cool lofted 2 bed.

now about that asking price...

trent · PostOct 04, 2007#62007-10-04T14:06+00:00

The asking price it too high for a gut rehab. You can find much bigger places for cheaper in good neighborhoods around STL for a gut rehab.

doug · PostOct 04, 2007#72007-10-04T14:46+00:00

Yeah like old north. This house looks like a shack compared to those homes.

billkn · PostOct 04, 2007#82007-10-04T14:59+00:00

Is this the same house that has an abandoned tavern across the street? It's been a while since I've been through there. If it's indeed where I'm thinking, that intersection could use some work (preferably if Red Brick stays away from it).

markofucity · PostOct 04, 2007#92007-10-04T15:20+00:00

I know this house. It really would make a nice rehab - but I agree 65k seems high for what seems to be a shell. Guess that means property is getting pricier in soulard - which is good

gelatinousendive · PostOct 04, 2007#102007-10-04T15:47+00:00

Billkn wrote:Is this the same house that has an abandoned tavern across the street? It's been a while since I've been through there. If it's indeed where I'm thinking, that intersection could use some work (preferably if Red Brick stays away from it).

Yes, I believe there's a corner bar across the street. It IS Soulard, after all.

That block looks pretty good to me. There are brand new, half million dollar houses just a block north. The dog park is very nice and is close by . I would consider that a plus although others might not.

The reason I like this house is that I love 1 1/2 story victorian cottages around St. Louis. I'm hooked on that architectural style. This house is similar in style to the adorable house at 2238 Jules which was on Landmark's "Most Enhanced" list for 2006.

But the price is way too much. It matches the price, though, of a similar house in Lafayette Square (on Dolman street) that is in small and in very bad condigion. The owner wants $65,000 for the Lafayette Square house, too.

At some point housing court can pressure on the owners so that they adjust their price so that someone can actually buy it.

matt · PostOct 04, 2007#112007-10-04T17:29+00:00

This house is in my block. I'll predict it will sell well for the following reasons:

1. corner lot

2. dead end street on the north side

3. alley

4. relatively large yard

5. plenty of space to build a garage

6. located just to the edge of Soulard's nighlife core

7. within 50 yards of homes valued up to around $450,000

The gut rehab cottage at 1017 Geyer (in the same block), just sold for $20,000 after going through housing court. It has none of #1-5 above.

The house at 1007 Geyer is under contract for just shy of $100,000. While it is certainly livable, it needs rehab to realize it's full potential and also doesn't have most of the items above.

If I was buying, I'd offer $45,000. It has the potential to really stand out and possible fetch around $400,000 after a well executed rehab.

gelatinousendive · PostOct 11, 2007#122007-10-11T04:16+00:00

This one is also adorable:

http://tinyurl.com/2rvdw8

It's in the heart of Benton Park on a lovely block. A really, really nice location.

I peeked in the windows (it is empty) and it appears to be habitable.

$69,000 is a great price for a habitable house in this great block.

No, I don't sell real estate, but I have a peculiar passion for these tiny Victorian 1 1/2 story cottages. I also think that 1 bedroom houses are more popular than real estate agents would have you believe. And in the coming energy crunch they will be even more popular. What's more "green" anyway than a small, existing house in the inner city core?

If the yard was bigger for this property I'd trade out my own tiny Victorian cottage for this one. It's in much better shape than my house and isn't all that much more money.

edited to add: I see that this house is promoted as a 2 bedroom house. hmmmmm, I would have to see it to believe there are 2 BRs there.

PostOct 19, 2007#132007-10-19T16:33+00:00

GelatinousEndive wrote:This one is also adorable:

http://tinyurl.com/2rvdw8

It's in the heart of Benton Park on a lovely block. A really, really nice location.

I'm bumping this up becuase I recently went into this little house and I think it's a bargain for the right person. You'd have to get it for below the current asking price of $69,000 for it to be a steal, though. Say, $55,000 to $60,000 would be a good price.

This house is unusual because

1) One of the best blocks in Benton Park

2) It is habitable

3) Small, rehab costs wouldn't be as high

Really this house is great for a single person who love historic architecture and historic neighborhoods but who doesn't have a lot of money.

People say "well you can get a bigger shell for this kind of money" but yeah, that would be in a in a worse 'nabe and with twice the square footage comes much more cost of rehab and maintenance.

There's nothing more "green" than living in an small, existing house in the inner city. This should be appealing to the eco/green crowd.

Sure, it has some ugly modernization on the inside (lower ceilings, for instance) but assuming that the HVAC & Electric systems are all a ok, it would be a good buy.

I look at a lot of tiny houses and I'm tellin ya, this one is something you younuns should talk up with your friends.

jlblues · PostOct 19, 2007#142007-10-19T18:37+00:00

"All persons entering building must sign a release."

alphalfa · PostOct 21, 2007#152007-10-21T12:21+00:00

If you want some inspiration, go see the rehab in progress a half block north of Cherokee in BP South, I guess it was Indiana or Illinois. Some guy's doing a bang up job on a small cottage down there.

Keep up the good work!

PostOct 21, 2007#162007-10-21T12:22+00:00

jlblues wrote:"All persons entering building must sign a release."

Regards the release, sounds like negotiating leverage to me.

gelatinousendive · PostOct 22, 2007#172007-10-22T15:54+00:00

alphalfa wrote:If you want some inspiration, go see the rehab in progress a half block north of Cherokee in BP South, I guess it was Indiana or Illinois. Some guy's doing a bang up job on a small cottage down there.

Keep up the good work!

You may be talking about the smallest house in Bentaon Park that was a one room house when I startedt o watch it some years ago.. I've not been by it for some months. I had my eye on that little baby for a long time. It has a big yard and there was a big hole in that ground next (NOrth) to it.

I watched it for a ocouple of years and then was surprised and happy to see it stabilzed. I think there was grant money going into it.

Hope progress is continuing.

PostOct 22, 2007#182007-10-22T15:57+00:00

[quote="alphalfa

Regards the release, sounds like negotiating leverage to me.[/quote]

I doubt that's it's in any worse shape than any number of gut rehab candidates I've been in over the years. No floors? No problem!

alphalfa · PostOct 22, 2007#192007-10-22T21:39+00:00

Correction on the address, 333x Missouri. Looks great. I hope it got lots of grant money.

rbb · PostOct 23, 2007#202007-10-23T00:26+00:00

GelatinousEndive wrote:
alphalfa wrote:
Regards the release, sounds like negotiating leverage to me.

I doubt that's it's in any worse shape than any number of gut rehab candidates I've been in over the years. No floors? No problem!

New Horizontal Device Prevents Falls To Basement

'Floor' Inventor Makes Millions First Week

September 25, 1996 | Issue 30•07

An ingenious new device has taken the architectural world by storm, and homeowners are voicing a common cry: "We want Floors!"

The "Floor," a rigid, horizontal, platform-like device installed seven to ten feet above the basement, permits people to remain suspended above the basement area, rather than plunging straight downward, as was inevitable before.

"In my research, I found that gravity was the number one culprit in basement fallage," said Floor inventor Theodore Ambrose, an MIT graduate with a doctorate in physics. "Persons with mass, which is virtually everyone, were drawn toward the Earth's center, and therefore toward their basements, by gravity. My concept places an object between the individual and the basement, keeping them a fixed distance apart."

In the past, persons entering their homes plummeted straight to the basement, unable to reach the living areas of their house. Moving any belongings indoors was similarly problematic. "All our stuff used to end up in a heap in the basement," Floor owner Gail Holloway said. "Our lives were very much basement-oriented."

Cont'd...

-RBB

trent · PostOct 23, 2007#212007-10-23T14:06+00:00

The Onion is simply brilliant. Rarely do I laugh as hard at anything, than what I read at the Onion.

gelatinousendive · PostOct 25, 2007#222007-10-25T16:36+00:00

Matt wrote:This house is in my block...

Hey Matt, I walked by there again last night.

I have to ask, what's the deal with the house on the opposite side of the street, the new one that has an upside down front door.

Hope that isn't your house, but if it is, you can 'splain the--interesting-- idea of the door.

PostFeb 22, 2008#232008-02-22T22:47+00:00

Last week I walked by the little house in Soulard that was the topic of this post. It now has a dumpster behind it and the beginnings of gutting is going on.

Wonder how much it went for?

stlcardsblues1989 · PostFeb 23, 2008#242008-02-23T01:20+00:00

I noticed the real estate page link doesn't work anymore.

Anybody have a pic of the house?