This li’l Victorian on Kane St. dates to 1890 — that’s according to the plaque by the door. (You can’t miss it.) In the Old Sixth Ward south of Washington and east of Sawyer St., this lot at 2211 Kane actually has 2 houses — the historic one you see here front and slightly off-center and another at the back of the 5,000-sq.-ft. property. Each has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath, accented throughout by stained glass and staged for the listing with wine glasses. The price for the two of ’em? $319,000.
***
The living room, 20 ft. by 13 ft., opens up to the 2 bedrooms — not pictured in the listing — and kitchen.
Some of the choices in décor suggest the previous residents weren’t quite sure how to behave in such an historic structure and needed reminders here and there:
The historic bathroom:
A second porch, facing west:
The brick path leads around to the other house . . .
. . . as does this backyard boardwalk:
This is where they meet:
The second kitchen:
And second bathroom:
The bedrooms:
- 2211 Kane St. [HAR]
I saw this house, and there really is only one major problem: Foundation. It is so warped that it is impossible to overlook. It has some great character, but could use some modernizing.
The second home in the back is a great place if you want to rent it out. If you dont want a rental on your property, this backhouse is a detraction.
I hope someone with a cool vision buys this and breathes some fresh air into it.
I now live in Old 6th and it is truly a great place to be.
I saw this house as well. It’s got lots of great potential. Houses in the Old Sixth Ward seem to be selling almost immediately – if priced right. This home has not sold, which i’m surprised, but i have a guess that it’s the foundation that’s scaring people away. It seems to be its main issue, which isn’t all that big of a deal with a pier & beam foundation like this. If I was selling this home, I would have fixed the foundation before putting it on the market. That puppy would have sold by now.
I recently bought an older pier & beam home with floors that are 1″ off level in places. It was a concern at first, but I was surprised to find that the inspection report from the prior sale (late 1990s) showed the exact same 1″ off level. I’ll look into fixing it if I ever try to sell, but hopefully the right buyer can look past it in these homes…..
The GATHER and EAT signs are my favorite. They must be on that paleo diet because there is no sign that says COOK—just EAT. And what directions are given in rooms without one clear function? MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM: YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN. Hopefully they don’t need signs in their bedroom or bathrooms….
W – the foundation issues in this home are maybe a 7 inch differential from the middle of the front room, to the sides. It is like an air bubble growing that will eventually burst.
Fixing the foundation would be very very very expensive since it is the old wood beams that are warped. There is brick, so you couldnt just prop this one up without it destroying the brick part.
Those gather and eat signs were in a previous featured listing. I love these old houses and the historic feel of the 6th Ward; alas, a young guy like me can hardly afford to buy a house inside the loop these days.
You can afford it east of 288, Rodrigo.
Rodrigo: With interst rates this low you *can* afford it. Your payment with everything (taxes/insurance) would be less than $2k/month. Given this has a back house you could get ~$1k for the back property and ~$500 for the extra room in “your” house from a roomate.
.
Boom. Homeowner in the loop for ~$500/month. And that’s just this house. Search for inner loop properties under $200k. Hell, under $150k. There are several. Around the southmore/med center area there are stunning deals.
Spoonman, can’t believe I’ve fallen into that trap. I’ve actually considered buying out in Eastwood but that puts me very far away from where I work (Spring Branch).
Cody, I can do those financials. I would look at Third Ward but can’t shake the unsafe feeling in that area. Then again, some people think I’m crazy for walking along Fairview after dark.
All that said, I’ll put my credit where my mouth is…
Mmmm..K. But if one NEEDS to pay $500 a month to live in the loop, shouldn’t BUYING a house be the least of their priorities, and qualifying for the loan would technically be impossible? Also, if someone can qualify for the loan and make the mortgage payments, what sane adult would want a roommate? Roommates are for college kids and halfway houses.
commonsense: When I bought my townhome in Montrose (2006?) I had a roommate. It worked out fine. Then again, this was just before 2008 so loans were actually possible to get.
.
I still have the place. Kept it as a rental after I bought a home down the street (post 2008, so even though I make much more I couldn’t get a loan on the new home [“OMG! SELF EMPLOYED! NO LOAN FOR YOU!] so my wife had to). Anyway, as far as the townhome, I rent it out to — ironically — two roomates :)