What’s wrong with this house? (Pittsburgh: appliances, houses, buy)

[szug-bot]

Wasn't this one of the three gg was looking at buying, from another thread?

I am of a different mindset. Photo 14 - imagine sitting in bed, reading. Unless you have motion-activated lighting all around the house, you can have someone standing just on the other side of that glass, and be oblivious to them watching....

Photos 5 and 12 - the same concern. Years of city living do that, I guess!

It's actually a beautifully styled interior. Can a garage door be easily installed at the carports?

Maybe there are problems with moisture. It is downslope from other properties.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

The moisture may be a problem. The other issues were a sloped floor over the carports and the fact that the house isn’t very updated, and would cost a fortune to do so if that were your thing. Putting $150-200k into a renovation of a $450k property in Ross Township isn’t very advisable.

[Geeo]

The interior looks very "Fallingwater-ish" to me. My guess is that people initially thought, "cool house design to live in!" and then found it not that practical. The high windows in the bedrooms don't appeal to me, and neither do the brick walls. But the main rooms looking out into the woods are very cool. It just doesn't have a cozy feel that I like in a house. But who knows, it could be structural issues, water seepage, or high gas bills, too.

[svband76]

The seller is just flipping it? Don't like the design. Cold as ice. Nothing homey or warm about it. But if you're into that stuff go for it.

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by zalewskimm

The seller is just flipping it? Don't like the design. Cold as ice. Nothing homey or warm about it. But if you're into that stuff go for it.

It's listed at just $5000 more than it sold for last year. With our title transfer fees, that's selling at a loss. The last two owners also listed it within a year of purchase, with little in the way of price increase. These aren't flips. I've decided it's haunted.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Maybe I should note I actually toured this house with the consideration of buying it. Didn't get to the point of inspection, but again the type of person who is going to spend $450k on this house is someone who really wants a $1.2M house in Fox Chapel but settles on this. It is a Don Owens design from the 60's, of which there are a bunch in Ross. This is a pretty good example, given its size. Most of the ones I have seen are much smaller. It lacks some of the more modern amenities that most people shopping in this price range prefer at the expense of more interesting architecture and less-than-ideal location.

It would be a great project house if that was your thing, assuming no major structural issues. The problem is you are left with one of he highest priced homes in all of Ross Township, which doesn't make financial sense. Someone with the $90k downpayment and $200k in the bank to renovate isn't likely to buy this. My guess is the previous owners fell in love with the architecture, thought they could slowly update, and realized it isn't so easy to update a home like this while preserving the original design.

[RogersParkTransplant]

This reminds me so much of the posh 1960s homes you can find in my hometown -- the design makes a ton of sense in an area like Del Mar, California, where a "cold" winter night might dip into the 40s, and you're surrounded by eucalyptus trees and maybe an ocean view. It's not something I would want in a western PA winter, though.

[wanderlust76]

Because you can buy the same thing for the same price in San Diego, and not Pittsburgh?

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by wanderlust76

Because you can buy the same thing for the same price in San Diego, and not Pittsburgh?

LOL, no.

[RogersParkTransplant]

Originally Posted by wanderlust76

Because you can buy the same thing for the same price in San Diego, and not Pittsburgh?

Oh, that's not true at all -- something like this in San Diego is easily $3-4 million, depending on location. I just meant that the architectural style makes more sense in a warmer climate.