Does Having an Elevator Matter? A Top Floor 3-Bedroom at 612 W. Surf in Lakeview
This top floor 3-bedroom at 612 W. Surf in Lakeview has been on the market since March 2012.
It recently reduced $14,000.
It appears to have all the features buyers look for including central air, a side-by-side washer/dryer and parking (not a garage, but it does have a space.)
The unit has 10 foot ceilings and hardwood floors in the living/dining room.
It has a rare kitchen that is at the front of the unit (instead of the middle) and a decorative fireplace.
The unit also has a 27×8 back deck that is accessed through a separate hall and NOT apparently through one of the bedrooms.
Many buyers also want to be on the top floor, as this unit is.
But it appears that there is no elevator in the 8-unit building.
Unit #4A, the sister unit across the hall, is also on the market. It doesn’t list an elevator in the listing either.
Unit #4B is listed $30,000 under the 2006 price at $435,000.
Is not having an elevator impacting the sale of this unit? Does having an elevator matter?
Nancy Finley at Keller Williams Preferred has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #4B: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed, 1 parking space
- Sold in July 1993 for $177,500
- Sold in May 1998 for $217,500
- Sold in August 2003 for $389,000
- Sold in June 2006 for $465,000
- Originally listed in March 2012 for $449,000
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $435,000
- Assessments of $297 a month (includes gas, heat)
- Taxes of $5793
- Central Air
- Washer/Dryer in the unit
- Second parking space available for $75 a month
- Bedroom #1: 17×13
- Bedroom #2: 14×12
- Bedroom #3: 13×12
45-50 steps is probably the limit that people will subconsciously accept. A younger is needed to not immediately focus on the stairs issue. This location will attract that buyer, so the top floor locale trumps the steps issue.
I really like that place. The stairs are going to be an issue for parents of children in strollers who would otherwise love a place like this.
Yes, an elevator hugely matters. Unless you have carriage storage on the first floor anyone who is or plans to become a parent will rule this out. Also, retirees will rule this out.
Nice place. Love the bay windows and open layout. I’d think the no elevator would be an issue for sure. I assume a large percentage of interested buyers are going to be families with younger children and lugging strollers up and down 4 flights would be a major PITA.
I am kinda overweight, so I can’t imagine ever walking up this many flights of stairs on a regular basis.
The pricing of 4A is substantially less with no meaningful differences in finishes (certainly, nothing that could ever justify the pricing) and 4B also cannot be happy about how things will shake out given what 4A paid for their unit. Also, why are both top floor units turning over so quickly? It makes one wonder. Moreover, this is a small assn, with all that entails and it seems highly likely that it is self-managed. Would definitely want to see a reserve study, a couple years of meeting minutes, and detailed financials, and even then…. It is a risk for all the reasons that come up when discussing small buildings. The fours flights of stairs are a tradeoff item IMO, while some families will pass, others will choose to haul up and down the stairs and in return, get more space.
“I am kinda overweight, so I can’t imagine ever walking up this many flights of stairs on a regular basis.”
This says a lot about you, and probably America.
This doesn’t say “kid friendly condo”. I doubt that many families with children even have 4th floor walk-up condo units on their radar. When considering the needs of a family with children, $400k goes a long, long way in this market towards a bonafide SFH in the city with a yard (albeit not in the GZ), or in any number of close in suburbs. The current owners don’t have children living there either.
I lived for many years on a 3rd floor walk-up and as I got older, living on the 3rd floor gets old. Walking up and down in and of itself it not difficult, but it gets really annoying trying to carry things. like lanundry detergent, cat litter, groceries, cases of beer, luggage, furniture, heavier items. Or if you forget something and have to run up three flights of stairs, the same three flights you just came down. The stroller just stays in the vestibule, but carrying baby up and down the stairs 2x or 3x a day is mighty inconvenient. I don’t think I would do it again.
I think the four story walk up is a trade-off that someone will accept to live in a vintage place this big in this nieghborhood. I live in a 3-story walk up and am fine with it to be on the top floor (although an extra floor would suck…). I wouldn’t be surprised though if the stairs have helped contribute to the fast turnover of top floor units here. The owner in 4A does have a baby and is probably tired of it already.
4A does make this place a very tough buy. Some of the finishes in this unit seem cheap to me, and I prefer the hardwood throughout in unit 4A as well. I have a feeling it needs to return back to around the 2003 price to move. Unit 4A is already close to that price and hasn’t sold in two months….
I’ve got no problems with walk-ups, especially if I lived in Lakeview; but with children? no way.
I like the space, but as somebody beginning to look for something of this size and price point my wife and I could never consider it because of stairs! One would assume that a 3/2 would be attractive to people who have kids or intend to due to size. But who wants to lug a baby and stroller up all those stairs? Or a baby & groceries, etc.? We sure wouldn’t…
This seems best suited as a rental. 3 B1G grads should easily be able to afford this place and handle the stairs. Unfortunately it is not priced this way and will likely be a tough sell.
“but it gets really annoying trying to carry things. like lanundry detergent, cat litter, groceries, cases of beer, luggage, furniture, heavier items”
What in heaven’s name are you carrying up 3 flights of stairs that weighs more than furniture?
WOW
you can tell who works in the loop and who doesnt by the crib chatting participation today.
“But who wants to lug a baby and stroller up all those stairs? Or a baby & groceries, etc.? We sure wouldn’t…”
“I am kinda overweight, so I can’t imagine ever walking up this many flights of stairs on a regular basis.”
Don’t move to San Francisco then, the hills are more than a few flights of stairs.
I’m with matthewlesko, hopefully you can buzz in the pizza hut delivery man.
the loop has been laid back and mellow since fri. it’s super nice. makes me wish the natos and hippies would visit more often. guess my tune might change if i were further south
Agree with CH – I am wearing my hoodie in solidarity. Plus it’s fun to watch the helicoptors.
I don’t know why the anarchists don’t think that the CPD officers don’t have civil rights too. They’re US citizens, they are trying to do their job and then they get attacked by prejudicial leftist people who don’t respect them or even view them as individual human beings with families, kids, constitutional rights, etc.
Couldn’t some cop abused by a hateful anarchist file a civil lawsuit? I sure would try.
“Couldn’t some cop abused by a hateful anarchist file a civil lawsuit? I sure would try.”
THat’s a waste of time. There’s not an insurance policy in the world that would cover an anarchist’s protesting.
Back to the property…. My concern with these small buildings, especially DIY self managed operations, is the likely position of units who know they’re screwed due to present pricing. How likely are they going to be to vote to proactively deal with things or pony up for big projects, especially the expensive stuff that needs to be done but lacks the flashiness of, say, a new bathroom, and will not have a return upon sale (e.g., “ooh, look Jane, are those new parapet walls?!?”). Depending on which units are friendly with each other and everyone’s financial situation, it is all too easy for things to go south, leaving the building to suffer and pitting factions of owners against each other. Ah, the joys of a small building, which is why everyone’s different, we decided that was a compromise we just could not make. Did not notice before seeing the comments, but if 4A has hardwood throughout, that is a big difference that also will not help 4B.
We lived in an elevator building when our oldest was a baby, and it sure made things easy. As others here said, if you lived in a walkup, you’d leave the stroller downstairs. But carrying an increasingly heavy baby up 4 flights (or after that cajoling a toddler up all those stairs), would get very old.
Still, we know people who did it. I grew up on the second floor of a courtyard, and our upstairs neighbors had two small children and they lived there for many years, seemingly without difficulty.
We hauled our two kids up the stairs to see unit 4A a few weeks ago and it was like climbing a mountain (and we live in a 3 story walk up right now). other than that, decent enough place…
The family in 4A has 2 kids, which is probably why their bailing…
On the 2nd floor, an elevator wouldn’t matter all that much. But on the 4th floor, the lack thereof is a deal-killer, especially at my age. While it’s good for me to climb a few stairs, four floors of steps is forbidding, and I’ve reached the point where anything heavier than my briefcase has to be delivered.
It’s bad for parents, too. I see way too many baby strollers and kiddie wagons parked in the vestibules of walkup buildings, and while I hate seeing stuff like this in public areas, I never say anything out of sympathy for the mother, who has her hands full enough with a toddler and/or infant in arms.
H’s points about the pitfalls of small condo associations are well taken. I prefer a larger association where the costs of major repairs, like roofs and parapets and tuckpointing, are spread over a larger number of people.
2B just got placed on the market.
“or after that cajoling a toddler up all those stairs”
turn it into a positive, teach the kiddies to count in different languages, count backwards, say the alphabet….
I actually enjoy stair climbing. I’ve done the Hustle Up the Hancock three times, and my best time is just over 15 minutes for 94 floors. (How the winner does it in 9 minutes is incomprehensible).
The only time I hustle at the Hancock is when I’m rushing thru lunch at Cheesecake Factory!
“I actually enjoy stair climbing. I’ve done the Hustle Up the Hancock three times, and my best time is just over 15 minutes for 94 floors. (How the winner does it in 9 minutes is incomprehensible).”
i have always wanted to do that, sadly no way my knees can handle it.
and no way my knees would handle a 4th floor walk up every damn day.