Let’s play a new game that I’m calling “Guess the Price.” Here’s how the game works. I’ll describe a home that’s currently on the market, giving you as many pros and cons as I can, and you guess what the final sale price will be when/if it sells, and the closing date.
Be sure to enter your real email address into the form when you leave your guess in the comments, because the winner gets a $25 gift card to the restaurant chain of their choosing. Don’t worry, I’m the only one that can see the emails that are entered. The winner is the person whose guess is closest to the final sale price, above or below. If there is a tie, whoever guessed closer to the correct closing date will be declared the winner. Contest closes to entries at midnight the morning of December 20th.
Ready? Good, let’s go.
Today’s “Guess the Price” guest star is 3215 Kromer Ave in Everett. With a current asking price of $333,700, this home has been on the market for 78 days, and is not bank-owned. It is tucked back away from the freeway in the western portion of Everett’s Port Gardner neighborhood, where the median sale price of single-family homes in November was $282,000.
Built in 1906, this 1.5-story home (with basement) sports 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. All three bedrooms are upstairs with the full bath, while the half bath is cleverly tucked under the stairs on the ground level. 1,834 of the home’s square feet are above ground, with an additional 338 in the basement.
The exterior of the home has been nicely restored, featuring cedar shake siding, a roof in good condition, and recently painted trim. The yard is well-manicured, and sports a classic white picket fence. Although there is no garage, there is a tool shed and off-street parking for 1-2 cars.
Inside, many of the finishes are either original or believable replicas of the originals. The dining room and kitchen have hardwood floors, while most of the rest of the house has relatively new carpeting.
Outside, a wrap-around boardwalk-style deck provides an excellent view of the sheer dropoff into the massive ravine that comes right up to the north and east sides of the house. Across the ravine you can see the large parking garage of Providence Regional Medical Center’s Pacific Campus, and listen to the low drone of their massive HVAC systems.
In the basement, you’ll find a furnace that is less than a year old, and takes up the vast majority of the center of the room. Around the edges are your washer and dryer, as well as a random closet that contains a bonus toilet (though there is no sink to be found in the basement).
While most of the house has been restored and/or updated, stepping into the kitchen is like suddenly leaping back in time to the ’80s. Appliances that are at least twenty-five years old are complemented by very little counter space (which does appear to be granite), and a refrigerator that is technically not even in the same room. That said, everything is clean and in good condition.
Summary of 3215 Kromer Ave
- Pros
- nicely restored exterior
- nice finishes inside
- fairly quiet location
- off-street parking
- well-manicured lawn
- new furnace
- bonus toilet
- no major defects (leaks, etc.)
- Cons
- terrifying ravine just off of deck
- small, outdated kitchen
- furnace takes up most of basement
So, what say you? How much will this home sell for, and when will it sell?