Part 2: The house

Living room.

House from driveway - Garage/ADU visible in back.

The house I fell in love with is recent construction, built in 2006, but in a C1910 "Portland Craftsman" vernacular style.  It's a great blend of early 20th century style with high ceilings and over-sized windows, and early 21st Century functionality with an open, great room floor plan and a central distribution panel for internet connectivity.  It also has a studio over the detached garage that was built in a way that it could be converted into a legal accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for additional income.

The house is located in the Maplewood neighborhood, just West of Multnomah and Hillsdale and 15 minutes to downtown Portland.  It's a great neighborhood, with houses ranging from the 1910's to 2015, full of trees and great gardens and people out walking their dogs.  The neighbors have been warm and welcoming.  Gabriel Park and the SouthWest Community Center are 6 blocks away, the Maplewood Coffee Shop is 3 blocks - straight uphill.

Wall of windows in the Great room let in Northern light.

Kitchen

The house was bank-owned and sat empty from 2010-2016.  It wasn't in bad shape, exactly, but with no power, water or heat, cabinet doors off the hinges, a missing bathroom sink, light fixtures hanging at odd angles, filthy carpeting, a neglected lot and a peeling exterior paint job - it didn't show well.  That was fine with me, because most of it was clearly cosmetic.  If it narrowed the field of interested buyers, that was a good thing.  It was also being sold through an auction site with a questionable reputation - that wasn't so fine with me, but it wound up going pretty smoothly, all things considered.  Michele negotiated the contract brilliantly and after 6.5 weeks (bank-owned property sales are always slow), the deal was done.

The original architectural designer and builder did a lot right - 9 foot ceilings, generous moldings around the huge windows and doors, solid wood floors, and a very practical floor plan - but it felt weighed down by slate tile, Tiffany style stained glass light fixtures and muddy wall colors.

My vision for this property is a happy house;  a house that's light, warm and welcoming and has a bit of a sense of humor.  A house that's tapping it's toe and humming a happy little tune to itself, no matter what the inhabitants are doing.

Stay tuned for more... Part 3:  The Team