This is a very sad remodel! My husband and I are friends with the original owner of this house now living in a retirement home. Her husband was a UT art professor in the early years of the art school. He had painted a wonderful modernist mural on the wall in the foyer. The mid-century cabinets that are no longer there were also painted with a simple modernist design. We spent many hours in this house enjoying the original beauty of the home furnished with danish modern furniture. I cannot believe the interior of this home has been almost stripped of everything that made it unique and beautiful! I can hardly look at the photos! 🙁
wow, I went inside this house during the remodel pre-drywall and it seemed okay spatially; it’s a shame about the finish-out
(I’m sure these comments seem brutal to anyone unfamiliar with mid-century/mod folks – just purists mostly, we have to be able to justify design choices and these…well……….)
A purist, to my mind, is someone who would would only finish a place out with original materials, notwithstanding hazard or expense. What this bunch did is beyond non-purist — it’s like balls-to-the-wall anti-purist. I don’t understand why you’d seek out and buy such a unique, thoughtfully designed home, only to go about undoing it and outfitting it in prime suburban blandness. It’s like someone buying a classic Gibson guitar and having it customized to look like a brand new Ibanez. The asking price says this is someone who just bought a place — any place — HELOC’d the upgrades and are now upside down in their bubble-era investment.
RENT: I don’t know how you could rent this out and make a profit in lieu of selling at or near their crazy asking price. You’d be looking at about 4k in monthly rent.
I’m probably a contrarian here, but its a decent remodel on the inside – not particularly my style, but shows nice from the picture. As for the price, I really dont think its out of line with the neighborhood since its one of the largest lots in that desirable area. You’re paying quite a bit for the .66 acres in 78704. The lot alone would set you back north of 500k in most of the better parts of 04.
Finally, I’m uncertain how someone defines a remodel from 03 (according to the listing) as a “bubble-era investment.”
I have to disagree with D: This listing is right at the top of $/sf for area 7 for both active and sold properties (over the past 12 months). The only comp is the MJ Neal/Stenger remodel on Rundell for roughly the same price (and presumably the benchmark for this listing).
I drove by the listing yesterday and was underwhelmed by the house and lot (granted, I didn’t go inside).
I think there are a few MCM fans out there who can still afford to pay a premium for a well done period house but this doesn’t appear to be one of those properties.
The house on Taylor Gaines would be a much better starting point and over the longer term, a better investment in percentage gain (but there’s the issue of schools).
D: The nationwide credit bubble/housing bubble started to really ramp-up starting in ’99. Austin did lag the curve, but even by ’03, housing was already tracking significantly higher than inflation. There were literally caravans of speculators being flown in and shuttled around Austin to look at properties. Granted, the bubble may not have had the same momentous impact here as in the sand states, but by ’03, the house-as-genius-investment mindset had already well gripped Austin home buyers.
I maintain this place is overpriced by easily 350K, and that’s being quite conservative. Forget the 78704 propaganda for a second — do you know what 700K would have bought you in Austin ten years ago? Do you have any idea how far that kind of bread went in just about ANY city in any state?? Have incomes tracked this housing inflation? The BLS #s tells us quite the opposite. We’re still in a forestalled housing correction, including here in Austin. I may revile this seller’s taste, but they are at least wise in trying to bail before they find themselves any more upside down than they already are.
Oh man, ANOTHER horrific Stenger remodel…AND 727K???
100 percent agree on that…it hurts!
UGH, and look at the AC unit in the front. A total joke at 727k.
Why oh why did they have to ruin it? And what a ridiculous price for a home depot special remuddle!
This is a very sad remodel! My husband and I are friends with the original owner of this house now living in a retirement home. Her husband was a UT art professor in the early years of the art school. He had painted a wonderful modernist mural on the wall in the foyer. The mid-century cabinets that are no longer there were also painted with a simple modernist design. We spent many hours in this house enjoying the original beauty of the home furnished with danish modern furniture. I cannot believe the interior of this home has been almost stripped of everything that made it unique and beautiful! I can hardly look at the photos! 🙁
is this place available for rental? if so please email me.
wow, I went inside this house during the remodel pre-drywall and it seemed okay spatially; it’s a shame about the finish-out
(I’m sure these comments seem brutal to anyone unfamiliar with mid-century/mod folks – just purists mostly, we have to be able to justify design choices and these…well……….)
A purist, to my mind, is someone who would would only finish a place out with original materials, notwithstanding hazard or expense. What this bunch did is beyond non-purist — it’s like balls-to-the-wall anti-purist. I don’t understand why you’d seek out and buy such a unique, thoughtfully designed home, only to go about undoing it and outfitting it in prime suburban blandness. It’s like someone buying a classic Gibson guitar and having it customized to look like a brand new Ibanez. The asking price says this is someone who just bought a place — any place — HELOC’d the upgrades and are now upside down in their bubble-era investment.
RENT: I don’t know how you could rent this out and make a profit in lieu of selling at or near their crazy asking price. You’d be looking at about 4k in monthly rent.
I’m probably a contrarian here, but its a decent remodel on the inside – not particularly my style, but shows nice from the picture. As for the price, I really dont think its out of line with the neighborhood since its one of the largest lots in that desirable area. You’re paying quite a bit for the .66 acres in 78704. The lot alone would set you back north of 500k in most of the better parts of 04.
Finally, I’m uncertain how someone defines a remodel from 03 (according to the listing) as a “bubble-era investment.”
I have to disagree with D: This listing is right at the top of $/sf for area 7 for both active and sold properties (over the past 12 months). The only comp is the MJ Neal/Stenger remodel on Rundell for roughly the same price (and presumably the benchmark for this listing).
I drove by the listing yesterday and was underwhelmed by the house and lot (granted, I didn’t go inside).
I think there are a few MCM fans out there who can still afford to pay a premium for a well done period house but this doesn’t appear to be one of those properties.
The house on Taylor Gaines would be a much better starting point and over the longer term, a better investment in percentage gain (but there’s the issue of schools).
Sorry, but D, if you think this is “a decent remodel on the inside,” you’re on the wrong website, dear.
D: The nationwide credit bubble/housing bubble started to really ramp-up starting in ’99. Austin did lag the curve, but even by ’03, housing was already tracking significantly higher than inflation. There were literally caravans of speculators being flown in and shuttled around Austin to look at properties. Granted, the bubble may not have had the same momentous impact here as in the sand states, but by ’03, the house-as-genius-investment mindset had already well gripped Austin home buyers.
I maintain this place is overpriced by easily 350K, and that’s being quite conservative. Forget the 78704 propaganda for a second — do you know what 700K would have bought you in Austin ten years ago? Do you have any idea how far that kind of bread went in just about ANY city in any state?? Have incomes tracked this housing inflation? The BLS #s tells us quite the opposite. We’re still in a forestalled housing correction, including here in Austin. I may revile this seller’s taste, but they are at least wise in trying to bail before they find themselves any more upside down than they already are.
One more point to support the other comments: This house sold for $250k in late 2002 (went under contract same day it was listed).
10 years ago I was living in l.a. and for 700k you could buy a 3/2 Schindler overlooking Elysian Park/downtown
you can still get some mcm digs in l.a. in that range; this is in Beachwood canyon for cryin’: http://takesunset.idxco.com/idx/5184/photoGallery.php?idxID=240&listingID=10469487