Wednesday, June 18, 2008

House of the Week

Yesterday I went blithely down East Lake Road thinking I'd have time to see a few homes. I saw only two - but I spent a lot of time talking about the market both with the agent holding open my House of the Week and with another from the east side. We all agree - it's a different year.

The house I saw was out past Borodino on Nunnery Road. I fell in love with the pictures - but I was also wary when I saw the word "project" and the price.

I knew the house - I'd passed it many many times and always thought it needed a bit of attention. I suppose now that I've been inside, I realize that was an understatement. It needs so much more.

The six open boxes of baking soda in one of the bedrooms was a clue. So was the straw in the room beyond the kitchen. I looked into the basement and the agent kindly suggested "You don't need to go down there." I agreed.

But so much potential! Almost 3000 square feet, possible 5 bedrooms, 2 full baths one up and one down, huge kitchen with a fireplace, hardwoods on most floors, and windows with lovely wooden trim and carvings. What it must have been in 1889 when it was built!

Outside was overgrown, but there was a pond in the front yard, views of the lake, over 3 acres and beautiful mature trees everywhere. I could picture a swing on the front porch, gardens and water pumped from the well to water them, fireflies in the meadows and jack-o-lanterns on the porch in the fall. Anne of Green Gables came to mind.

The owners, according to the agent, hope someone will fall in love with it - and have enough money to make it beautiful again. I hope so, too! Offered at $229,000.


Post script: I've had a request to include pictures of these homes. I've thought it over and at this time I won't. I blog because I enjoy it - adding pictures adds a whole other level of difficulty that would diminish my enjoyment; what is easy for some, alas, is not easy for me.
But there's another reason, too. When I worked at a Waldorf School in Saratoga, Spring Hill School, the teachers read books without illustrations or didn't share them. The belief was that imagination is stimulated by description, each child therefore allowed to create his/her own vision.
If you want to see pictures of these homes they are available on REMAX.com. But take a moment first, and imagine what they look like.