I’ve been watching the house on the corner of 41st and Meridian for a long time. It was odd because the lawn was always well-cared for (or at least well mown), but you could see from the decaying shades that nobody had lived there for a long, long time.
And then there were the 1950’s-era cars parked under the raised deck, slowly being devoured by vines. I snapped a picture a while back and deemed it art, but can’t seem to dig it up now.
This past fall, I chatted with a workman next door, who related how the owners were an elderly couple who lived elsewhere, and apparently didn’t realize that squatters had moved in. It wasn’t until concerned neighbors contacted the couple’s grown children and tipped them off that the squatters were selling the antique furniture that had been left in the house that someone interceded and cut off the power to the house and evicted the squatters.
Or so I was told.
And then last week, Jane Pryjmak wrote in with the tip that it’s finally for sale!
I’m sure everyone around will welcome whoever the new owners turn out to be. I’ll miss the car-eating vines, though.
This is an interesting little blog that is full of good information. Usually. In this case, however, you have just spread gossip. Please, please, from now on, just stick to accurate information that you have confirmed as true. To do otherwise is harmful to all concerned.
I know it feels very different than traditional, official media, but my vision for this blog is more of “neighbors leaning over the fence talking” then “the spokesman was unavailable for comment”-type news. I think these stories help people get a more textured understanding of the people and events around them. And I hope that it will encourage people to fill in the gaps with their knowledge.
Its your blog, you should say whatever you want!
I took a look and the building should be torn down. The asking price is rediculous and there is not enough room to bang my metal objects inside.
Will be interesting to see what an unihabitable house will sell for in this crazy market. Would anyone spend over $500k for a small city lot?
Curious whether AJ has any better information on the story behind this house.
It went on the market July 15th and as of July 24th is already pending. I’m eager to see what it went for, I’m going to guess $589K. If it went for over asking I’ll be feeling ever so assured about our little home in the hood.
This reminds me of the giant collection of dilapidated houses on N42nd between Sunnyside and Eastern. I’m not going to get into another argument with the “defense force” for that situation, but they’re an eyesore and a health hazard.
Yes I’m a NIMBY POS and worse than ten hitlers, but I would really prefer if the owner actually took care of them, or sold them.
Last time we had this discussion either friends or tenants of the owner claimed he was nice and had a plan. Whcih is great! But his plan isn’t working. Andhe hasn’t made any improvements or progress. Why not just sell them? They’re actually damaging the property values of the houses adjacent. Not to mention the rats.
He probably IS an awesome guy, but it’s not fair to his neighbors and there’s really no justification for keeping vacant, dilapidated buildings in a neighborhood starved of housing, period.
I’d be happy to help any way I can, but could we have a civilized conversation and at least admit they;’re a problem?
I am scaling the problem to the neighborhood and no, of course it’s not hunger in the 3rd world or poverty in America.
I live nearby, and have a few things to add:
The owner actually lives next door to the dilapidated house. I’m not sure how you could watch a once lovely house detoriate in that way. She’s elderly, so I’m not sure if that had an impact.
Word is that they received multiple cash offers, as the house is obviously uninhabitable and therefore not available for conventional loans.
Hopefully the new owners will build something that keeps the charm of the area.
I am sure they will keep the same look. The price they are paying shows they are putting value in the bones of the house.
I appreciate that this blog isn’t strictly a news outlet, but I agree with AJ that this post felt a little different. Even though it wasn’t mean-spirited, which I appreciate, this feels less like neighbors talking over the fence and more like it’s encouraging commenters to anonymously criticize their neighbors.
Sad to see yet another old time lot go in the hood. Really wish it seemed different.
Sheepishly, this kinda seems like a redfish;-) comment thread, but anyone know if those 9 days were devoted to clearing DPD?
And importantly, what’s going to happen with the car!?
The house is listed and has a pending offer http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4030-Meridian-Ave-N-Seattle-WA-98103/49116288_zpid/
Only in Seattle would such an article become controversial amongst some readers. It just becomes nauseating and that was decades ago. Now I just facepalm. Watch everything you say or the N@zi thought police will bring you up on charges. Seattle is becoming so tiresome and largely from folks who aren’t even from here.
Two people said politely that they thought the article was gossipy. I hardly think that qualifies as “n@zi though police bringing you up on charges”. If that level of “controversy” leaves you nauseated, I’m afraid that you may have some stomach disquiet wherever you go.
This took off on Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/3exiz7/what_600k_buys_you_in_wallingford/
Ah, that explains it, thanks (although surprise at Seattle real estate prices == Nazi thought police bringing you up on charges still leaves me puzzled…but that perhaps that level of discourse is more endemic on Reddit).
It will be interesting to see if it just gets sold for the lot. A one bedroom house just sold down the street from me on Latona for $520. It was misrepresentively sold as a 2 bedroom, but you have to walk through the sunroom (which it really is) to go outside…. and the newbies are cleaning it up to live in it. Wallingford draws them in!
Wow, it just closed for $675k to the people that own a house across the street. I didn’t anticipate that high of a price.