What’s Wrong With This House: Downtown Penthouse
This swanky pad in a downtown high rise has been on the market for 782 days. Why?
By Lauren Mang August 11, 2015
Each month, we crawl through real estate listings on various websites searching for homes–in all sorts of price points and locations–that for some reason, just haven’t found the right person or family to call their own. Sad. But why haven’t these seemingly lovely dwellings sold? Almost a year ago we featured this one (which shockingly still hasn’t been scooped up) and got tons of great reader theories as to its continued market presence. My favorite: That it was haunted by a wealthy ghost.
Considering there’s a one-bedroom apartment in South Lake Union that rents (fully furnished) for $6,400 a month, and these 10 crazy expensive rentals actually exist, surely some high roller out there would be willing to spring for this posh three-bedroom, 2,209-square-foot penthouse listed at $2,988,600. But alas, no one has and it’s sat on the market for a cumulative 782 days, 267 days on Redfin.
When my husband and I first moved to Seattle, we rented an apartment in this very building (obvi, not on the penthouse level!) and I can attest that it has some pretty spectacular views of the city. I assume said views are even more spectacular from the 24th floor. Inside you’ll find custom paneling, cabinetry and stonework, plus touchscreens and home automation throughout. There’s also a gas fireplace and the unit comes with two parking spaces.
It’s a sizeable, beautifully designed space in a great location–the walk score for the area is 99 and transit score is 100. HOA dues are $1,492 per month, which shouldn’t be a huge surprise if you’re interested in high-rise living. So why hasn’t it sold? There are several big construction projects underway nearby, including the Fifth + Columbia tower and the 36-story Madison Centre, which is literally across the street and slated to open in 2016. Those projects could certainly be deterring potential buyers.
So what do you think? Why haven’t any high rollers purchased this property? Tweet us your theories and we’ll retweet the best ones we get!
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