Harry O’Brien hates to see an indecisive buyer miss out on a house and then compare every property to the one that got away — instead of concentrating on finding a home.
Decide what you must have, and what you’d like to have, in a house so that you don’t overlook a good home just because it has carpet instead of hardwood floors, says O’Brien, an agent with Carlson & Associates Real Estate Services. Then be prepared to pounce. That’s especially important if you want to spend around $100,000.
“Depending on the neighborhood, a great house in this price range already has a lot of eyes on it,” O’Brien says. “If you see it and you love it, act.”
Lillian Denhardt, a Howard Hanna Real Estate agent, tells buyers at that price point that “they either have to be ‘neighborhood people’ or ‘house people,’ meaning that if they’re specific in what they want in either house or neighborhood, they should be prepared to be flexible in the other category.”
Here’s a sampling of $100,000 listings in the Pittsburgh area in our continuing series.
SOUTH
Neighborhood: 1014 E. Warrington Ave., South Side Slopes
Asking price: $99,000
Style: Two-story
Description: This listing by Denhardt, a colorful two-bedroom home situated between the South Side and Allentown’s growing business district, drew a contingency sale. Built in 1900, it has a new roof, new furnace and new second- and third-floor windows. Street parking is easy — “A rare treat for this part of town,” she says — and there’s the potential for off-street parking (access on Sharon Street). A bonus third floor is unheated and captive to the smaller of the two bedrooms. The backyard has room for a patio and garden.
Neighborhood: 900 Woodbourne Ave., Brookline
Asking price: $109,000
Style: Two-story
Description: This brick home on a corner lot has a contingency sale brokered by Tamara Davis of Northwood Realty. The recently refinished first floor has hardwood floors, the living room fireplace is decorative, and the dining room has built-in shelving. The kitchen has over-sized cabinets and a skylight. Access to the attic is through the master bedroom. The basement has two side rooms and could be remodeled into a separate bedroom or apartment, Davis notes.
Neighborhood: 131-133 Brownsville Rd., Mt. Oliver
Asking price: $110,000
Style: Multi-family
Description: This stone and brick building would be a solid investment, with two retail storefronts and three apartments above. The residential units (two one-bedroom, one two-bedroom) are newly remodeled; they’re either occupied or being actively marketed for lease, says listing agent Dustin Nulf with Keller Williams. The electric service is separate for all units. Both storefronts have full basements for storage.
NORTH
Neighborhood: 4030 Franklin Rd., Observatory Hill
Asking price: $110,000
Style: Two-story
Description: This four-bedroom, two-bathroom home built in 1931 has character with its rounded doorways, stained-glass windows, hardwood floors, and French doors, says listing agent Mary Kay Abdulovic with Northwood Realty Services. The front porch offers a view. The house has five rooms and a full bath on the first floor, and four rooms and a full bath on the second floor. This space gives buyers options, says Abdulovic. “You can have a home office, playroom, craft room, dressing room, or even put in a first- or second-floor laundry.”
