Question: Is this realistic ? (Baltimore, Woodlawn: real estate, crime, houses)

[girlfriday]

to get a house in BCity *near train to DC*, *has not been stripped of architectural elements, *not have to be rehabbed * not in a crime ridden area for $85k ? If so, where ?

[helenejen]

Definitely not realistic in my opinion.

[DivineMsK]

Not at all realistic. Not in the slightest. You'd need to at least double that price.

[rudy_d]

You'll be lucky to find a house anywhere in the city for $85k. If you do, it's either going to need extensive rehab or be in a bad area.

[Streetchie]

I spotted this house on realtor.com for $185k. This stretch of Pratt isn't crime free but is maybe a 15 minute walk to the MARC train to DC.

[ginbelt]

Originally Posted by girlfriday

to get a house in BCity *near train to DC*, *has not been stripped of architectural elements, *not have to be rehabbed * not in a crime ridden area for $85k ? If so, where ?

Depends on what you consider "not crime ridden". Different people would give different answers to that one...it's certainly quite arbitrary. I know I would have a different opinion than many on this board!

[girlfriday]

I thank everyone that took the time to respond to this question. Streetchie, I looked on realtor.com but could not find the listing. But at 185k I can't handle that price .

[chippeebobippee]

85K days are long gone, even in some of Baltimore's worst neighborhoods. What age and type of house are you intersted in?

[carolott]

I did a search on realtor.com for houses in the 75K to 100K range. Most were not acceptable (if I was the one looking for a house) but once you got to the 85K and up range, there were two in my neighborhood that I would look at in person. One was in the 700 block of Hamburg Street...which is a decent block. It has central air, according to the ad, so it's been updated somewhat -- probably 20+ years ago, but maybe it's liveable and you could upgrade as you go?

I used 21230 in my search.

[barante]

If you are hoping to find a livable house for under $85,000 in one of the trendy neighborhoods that posters here tout, forget it. However, such houses may be occassionally available in neighbohoods that posters on this forum scorn.
A friend of mine, a real estate agent, has one on Longwood Street, near Gwynns Falls Parkway, not far from Mondawmin Mall. Central air, modernized kitchen. You may not want to live in this African American neighborhood, but if it turns around, as I think it will eventually because Mondawmin and the Metro are within walking distance, it may be good buy.
The name of the game is to try to spot the next Patterson Park, the next Reservoir Hill. There is no guarantee of the outcome because neighborhood impovement and turnaround in Baltimore take a long time (in contrast to Washington, D.C.), but several neighborhoods are mending. Among them are some African American areas around Mondawmin. So if race is an issue, as it seems to be among those who equate it with crime, forget it. For risk-takers, however, special situations (like a long-time homeowner dying) may offer opportunities.
Remember this: It has taken forty years for Reservoir Hill to get where it is today. As recently as 15 years ago, there were no takers in Patterson Park, even though there was little African American presence.
This same real estate guy that I mention thinks that the most significant change in his lifetime is that white buyers are now occassionally considering black areas if the architecture is unique, prices good and prospects for regentrification good. So enjoy the occassional excellent deals in areas which the white market and black middle class still avoid.
One such area is Rosemont, within walking distance from the West Baltimore MARC station and on the planned Red line from Woodlawn to Canton. Still many African American pioneers who moved there in the 1950s/1960s when the area transitioned from white. In addition to transit plans, the area also is the focus of redevelopment by Coppin State University.