Aaah, the seventies… a magical era filled with free love, fantastic American films and fearless fashion. But there’s another product of the magical era that doesn’t get the attention or praise it deserves – THE CONDOS. No, not the condoms, they didn’t use those back then. I’m talking about the ubiquitous
condo buildings, built as such, (not as apartment buildings that have been converted) throughout the city. It was an era of construction! While some of these units may be relics with faux marble mirrors and shag carpeting, there are some fantastic and overlooked features that they have to offer. The first is space. Yes, plain and simple, space. They just built bigger units back then, with higher ceilings, larger balconies, taller doorways and more, bigger, better closets. There is elegance and grace inherent with that kind of space. Clearly land value and construction costs were so much less then that developers were able to build with less density and still satisfy their margins. Westwood has a wealth of these types of buildings and we have seen several phenomenal opportunities in the past few months for buyers to grab large, spacious, elegant units at excellent prices. Many of them need to be updated, but their potential is enormous. Many of these types of units that are selling now are being sold by the original owners or their heirs. I suppose I have a soft spot for these units too because sometimes I walk into a unit that’s as clean as a hospital, with Wedgewood tchatkies on display and ornately framed Marc Chagall prints on the walls and I feel like I’m in my grandmother’s apartment. I can almost smell the matzo ball soup. But I digress. If you are a buyer out there looking for a condo, don’t pre-judge the seventies. If you are willing to do some cosmetic updating you could end up with a gem, much bigger than any new construction out there and I’ll bet you the building will even have a pool, a spa and a sauna (talk about retro!).
(The image above is 1551 Greenfield #302, over 2k sq. ft. sold in 12/09 for 710k)
beautiful. The least expensive unit is $859,000. It is a 2 bedroom + 2.5 bath in about 1500 square feet. It faces Chenault – not Barrington, which means it’s not noisy. The quality of the building and the finishes are fantastic! The fact that something brand new, with this level of fine detail can be purchased in proper Brentwood in the $800,000 range tells you that condo prices have come down dramatically. The other units top out at $1,399,000 for the penthouse unit that sits above single family homes and has some expansive view. That unit has two balconies, one off the master and one off another bedroom. We felt it was a shame that there was no balcony off of the living room. The ground floor units, though not as bright at the top floor, have huge patios which would serve almost as a small yard.
School District. We received one offer, but it’s still available and it’s the right moment for a buyer to get a great deal on the place!
$1,595,000. The yard is to-die over, and it’s the focal point of the house. It’s private, lush, flat and has literally a fairy tale feeling. There is a beautiful pool that sets into the environment so naturally, it looks almost like a natural body of water. The house has a great floor plan with 4 bedrooms and a big family room off of the open kitchen. The house is in very good condition but needs updating. There is carpeting in much of the home and dated surfaces. However, not one wall needs to be moved and the work is really surface work. It’s in the Kenter Canyon Elementary district. If you are interested call us now! Even in this market, this house will sell and sell fast. It’s an AMAZING opportunity!
