Don't Judge the Book...

Three vintage homes with sweetness oozing from curb appeal cooed to me this week. All of them surprised me once inside, one jarringly so. As often as I caution new clients that most homes - particularly older ones designed for a different era lifestyle and also survivors of generational changes in aesthetic and taste - are rarely just what you expect from the photos you saw online. Sometimes they're much nicer, much brighter, or laid out much better. Sometimes they're darker, rougher, even puzzling. Stinky. Drafty. Worse, maybe, is when the story they tell is nothing like the title implies. And so we come to this week's stroll.

1. Queer Queen Anne 2036 SE Umatilla St. 3BR/2BA $279,900 - Sweet as sugar from the sidewalk (would there be tea and biscuits served?) and clearly well-maintained. This was the one theme that held true throughout. And, to be fair, for a smaller home it had fairly good spaces, friendly updated kitchen, warm finished basement. But whoever installed the laminate flooring (on both levels) was um, overzealous - it was everywhere - and it was made impossible to ignore because it wasn't floated properly. Either that, or there was Captain Crunch cereal underneath.

2. Craftsman Shell 3605 NE 8th Ave 3BR/1.5BA $320,000 - This one derailed from the soul train. Intact on the outside, once in, I thought I'd walked into a new townhome in Hillsboro. That sensation held solidly through both floors and I found it eerily appropriate that the house also lacked a basement. Otherwise, it had a sensible layout - main floor swing 3rd bedroom & half bath, and two solid bedrooms and bath up. Nice street, good nabe. But wow. Ugh.

3. Westmoreland Winterland 1415 E Yukon St 4BR/2BA $469,000 - Beautifully remodeled and kept, and much larger than it appears from the street. Great spaces, soaring ceilings, a layout that could work with many scenarios, and an enviable stroll from tony shops & eats. But not all Victorian-era homes are created equally. Or heated equally. This one was downright frosty upstairs, lovingly decorated master suite notwithstanding, and those white-washed bare floors weren't exactly minimizing the effect. The very finished, seeemingly-endless basement was also chilly. Bummer. It's a nice home, though only new on the market at this price - they started a year ago nearly $100K higher. A shopworn bargain now, it still needs a bale of insulation and a talented heating contractor.