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We are sort of maybe thinking about these if we decide that we can afford them. Notice the difference in tree cover from the rent house?
We've been calling this Whidbey Island home the "pommeroy" house. It's 3,000 square feet and sits on a 1+ acre lot. The lot is on a hillside that faces south, so it gets plenty of sunlight and it's got a killer view. It's a smaller, narrower lot than we've been looking for, so the neighbors are close by.
This shot from the northeast shows the house and highlights the view.
bright all-blue (awesome!) master bathroom, kitchen pantry (floor to ceiling cabinets, with a workspace & window on the other side)
Master bedroom.
We looked at this house the same day we looked at the Elliott one. They were asking $119,000 for it, though it was Zillowed at $111,000. We actually really liked it. Pros: Great hardwood floors, master bedroom on opposite side of the house from other two bedrooms, large partially fenced backyard, great Florida room, big living room.
Cons: Kitchen was redone but wasn't as nice as the Elliott one (though Elliott's kitchen wasn't worth its price), every room would need to be repainted except maybe the master, was next door to an apartment complex and down the street from the Murfreesboro Motel (skanky motel).
The price is definitely great on this one, but since we're not dying to move (or try to sell our house) right now, we're not going to jump on this. Now, if it's for sale still in the spring...
This house had lots of great examples of what renovations you could do yourself. The current owner did all the work and updated just about everything in the house, including electrical, which is huge.
Ultimately, the renovations weren't enough to overcome the problem garage and crappy backyard. Also, most rooms lacked closet space and the owner had run ductwork through one of the bedroom closets, rendering it virtually useless.
In answer to the notes: Yeah I'd really like that tree removed, in face I'm currently considering a scorched earth policy on all the plants in front. Xeriscaped, edibles and natives. Maybe cascading rosemary down the front retaining wall. Olive, manzanita, coyote bush, lavender. Two doors up they've painted/stained their retaining wall. I don't like the color they've chosen but it's a nice look otherwise.
House-hunting
This house was nice, but the price was too high for its size. Also, it was one of only a few single-story, single-car garage houses in a very large neighborhood of two-story, two-car garage homes.