Saturday, January 3, 2009

416 31st Ave. N. (The Real Estate Reality Train Has Not Yet Left The Station)

MLS Photo, Used Under Fair Comment
And Criticism


The sad-but-solid house at 416 31st Ave. N., in the heart of the Eco-Village cluster project, has been the subject of a number of blog posts as it goes through various stages, such as having the aluminum window frames stolen or its yard being overgrown with poison ivy or, most recently, witnessing some kind of...

...sad, snowy evacuation.

Now comes word of 416 31st Ave. N. being listed for sale on the MLS for $150,000.

Please, pause a moment and have a good laugh. I try to make this blog light-hearted. ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND?!!! You mean in AMERICAN money?

This house was purchased some years back for a mere $34,000, according to city records. It has been the location of one problem after another--including crack possession--and now ranks so high on our neighborhood radar that, hopefully, any slumlord with half a brain in his/her head would know better than to buy this place, even at a fire sale price.

Here's another funny thing about the listing: the photo, shown above, is THE WRONG HOUSE. The house pictured for the MLS listing at 416 31st Ave. N. is simply the wrong structure, and that's apparent enough from the fact some kind of 4-digit address is visible on the door. But, to those of us familiar with the property, we also know it's the wrong color, wrong steps, wrong tree...wrong everything.

However, at least this property being listed represents some kind of hopeful progress in what has been a long, hard struggle. (Assuming the address isn't screwed up, too, and it isn't this property at all)

Maybe the day will come when the Polish lady and her spectacular gardening efforts won't be next door to impoverished and chaotic "gangster" living situations, which the owner of that property has foisted on our neighborhood again and again. Maybe.

We're afraid to get our hopes up. But things have really been turning around in the Eco Village, and the half-baked listing of this property might represent yet more progress.

4 comments:

Jeanie Hoholik-TwinCityRealEstateChat.com said...

My client and I are going to be out looking at homes today over there and I think we'll go over here and take a peek.

Anonymous said...

I tried to make the appointment but the listing agent said that it was unavailable for show today. He said to try for tomorrow. Since we were out anyway, we drove past it and, as you suspected, it's the wrong house in the picture. I seriously can't imagine what will be different about the house tomorrow than today because it is vacant and there was no activity there, such as a plumber or somebody like that. I will be calling him tomorrow, though! I want to ask him a few questions. Like...$150,000?

Jeff Skrenes said...

Jeanie, if you or any other realtor reading this blog actually gets an appointment to see the house, can I be the client "interested" in purchasing the place for $150,000? There are so many reasons why this would be such fun.

Anonymous said...

Jeff, I talked with him and told him he had the wrong picture up. He said that he didn't realize that and chuckled about it. I verified the price and he said, yes, that is correct. I have made a tentative appointment for Tuesday a.m., but he has to verify my agent info and call me back with a confirmation. I'll email you with the time, etc.