What’s Wrong With This House: Sunny Queen Anne Apartment
This charming 1930s co-op unit has been on the market since July 2015. Why?
By Lauren Mang March 2, 2016
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? Back when we first started this column, we featured this one (which I’m happy to report is officially pending!) and got tons of great reader theories as to its continued market presence. My favorite: That it was haunted by a wealthy ghost.
For our March edition, we bring you to Queen Anne where this lovely, 700-square-foot, one-bedroom and one-bathroom unit has sat on Redfin for 220 days. It’s listed at $314,000 and looks like it was initially priced at $295,000, raised to $325,000 after it had been pending, delisted and then relisted and reduced to the current amount.
Really nice sized living room with an adjacent den or office space
Inside there are refinished oak hardwood floors, a partially remodeled, eat-in kitchen and a bonus five-foot-by-10-foot den or office off the spacious living room. The single full bathroom mixes modern finishes with original elements and I’m loving the current owner’s colorful style–if I moved in here, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Several Redfin agents have noted the location’s great walkability: it’s near Kerry Park and tons of shops and restaurants along Queen Anne Avenue N and is in a super quiet section of the neighborhood.
A bright kitchen with a funky and fun color combo
Love the subway tile backsplash and modern hardware
So what’s the deal? For starters, there are HOA dues of $375 per month and the 1930s building is a co-op, both of which could deter some buyers. The listing notes that it’s smoke-free (less of a problem these days), but here’s the biggie: It does not allow cats or dogs (*record scratch*). In a city that’s famously known for having more dogs and cats than children and where one in 10 single women lives alone with at least one cat, that’s a hard pet-free pill to swallow. Another big issue? There’s no parking.
Scroll through the photos and see what you think. Is this condo’s colorful, charming and light-filled surrounds enough to overcome its possible setbacks? Why hasn’t this property sold? Tweet us your theories and we’ll retweet the best ones we get!
This house is so colorful and cute; imagine leaving those windows (it’s on the second floor) open on a breezy summer day
I’m such a sucker for pink and black, not to mention subway tiles
Really nice light in the bedroom
Architectural details about in this home
Follow Us
Blueprints for Building Community
After tragedy struck a local restaurateur family, one of their daughters stepped in to complete the design for her brother’s unfinished home.
Although he was just 35 when a heart attack took his life, Khoa Pham’s imprint on Seattle’s international district was such that the city quickly designated April 21 as a memorial day in his honor. With his rescue pitbull, Pinky, by his side, Pham cut a colorful figure through Little Saigon and became well known…
Tuft Stuff
Tuft Ruft turns fiber art into a social, hands-on experience in Pioneer Square.
It all started with a bout of pandemic boredom. Like many, when COVID-19 hit, recent graduate Carrie Xiao found herself stuck at home, with extra time on her hands. One day, while scrolling social media, she discovered tufting: a textile manufacturing technique that creates a garment or rug with a “pile,” or raised surface. After…
Collaborating Cultures
Looking to build a home to welcome family and friends, one Kirkland couple turns to a sister to design a modern house with influences from the wife’s Thai heritage.
For many years, when homeowners planned to build or remodel, architects and designers advised them to think first and foremost about resale value. From the number of bedrooms to the materials, appliances, and finishes in the kitchens and bathrooms, homes were often treated solely as an investment, with an eye to future sales. In recent…
Whale Of A Remodel
The transformation of an Orcas Island home takes advantage of remarkable views
For many years, Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders entertained his Orcas Island neighbors with breathtaking acrobatics in his vintage airplane. Anders and his wife, Valerie, had purchased a five-acre compound on the isolated western edge of the island for its mesmerizing view, a subject he knew something about. As a member of the first human…