The first home to be completed in the controversial Briarcliff development is now on the market. The 3,391 square foot home located at 4005 West Dravus Street is listed for $1,349,000. The plan is to build 39 new homes at the former site of Briarcliff School at 39th Ave West and Dravus.
The Briarcliff School was closed for a number of years before it was sold by the Seattle School District to Lexington Fine Homes in 2003. Construction was delayed as neighborhood groups opposed the project saying it amounted to sticking a dense subdivision in the middle of an older neighborhood of single-family homes. As we reported back in the summer of 2008, critics were concerned about traffic problems and congestion. Construction finally began in early 2009. Now one home is on the market and one home is close to completion.
The home has four bedrooms and four bathrooms. ?We believe the homes taken individually, and as a group, fit nicely into the tradition of Magnolia,? said John C. Cochenour, Managing Member, Lexington Fine Homes.
If you want to check it out, the home is open for viewing for the first time on Saturday (3/12) from 12 to 5pm and Sunday (3/13) from 12 to 4p.m.
Not that it matters what I think, but I just don’t find those to be aesthetically pleasing.
Doesn’t look like it fit in Magnoila but I’m sure it’s nice
From the street (not the corner) it’s just going to look like a row of townhouses up against the street with a tiny gap between them.
No yard at all. Is it a large free-standing condo?
I’m sure this will sell right away… for top dollar!
I’m sure this will sell right away… for top dollar!
The lack of a yard is notable.
A buyer has a lot of other home purchase options available to them for $1.3M.
These homes have no yard and offer no privacy. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to buy one of these large townhouse style houses.
On the plus side, you can talk to your neighbor through an open window without leaving your house. The houses are so close that the window probably doesn’t have to be open for the neighbor to hear everything you’re doing.
My guess is that these homes don’t sell anywhere near these bubble level prices and the builder will start cutting the prices chasing the market lower as home prices in Seattle continue to decline.
As for lots of other purchase options—you are SO right. Last weekend a friend and I walked through a lovely older home with a unblockable water view in Carleton Park and it’s at least $100,000 less than this house. And it had beautiful finishes, with none of the outgassing we noticed when in the Briarcliff model.
I like the new house. Great addition to the neighborhood. It took about 55 years for a mid century home to be groovy. But others liked them before that. Lets post up some of your addresses, so we can poke fun at them. Chickens.
LOL. Good one Mr. Developer.
Good luck at that price!!! As noted by others there are lots of negatives about this “squeeze in as many as you can” subdivision. Honestly, I wouldn’t buy a house built today. With the unrelenting squeezing of every dollar you wonder about the quality at every phase of construction. Not to mention, living in a “construction zone” for many more years…. Better to buy a traditional Magnolia home and fix it up to your taste.
Um, what century are we living in again? Faux historical contractor kitsch at its worst. Designing new homes to look old is just plain sad.
hmmmmm …
At the exact same list price do I take one of those squished in, yardless, tasteless ultratownhomes, or a 5k sf custom home on a 9k sf Perkins Lane waterfront lot? Tough choice:
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/2333-Perkins-Ln-W-98199/home/125276
OR if I wanted save 300k maybe this similar brand new house on a decent sized lot with a huge view of Mount Rainier?
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/3701-W-Barrett-St-98199/home/12318768
“Briarcliff” at 1.35 mil…. good luck with that …
Really good point. That house on Perkins Lane looks too good to be true for the price. It’s either way underpriced, or is falling into the water. Or maybe I’m just out of the loop on real estate prices. Are things really that bad?
Well, that house on Perkins Lane looks like it needs a lot of work. If the kitchen is that much out of date, I imagine the rest of the house is also.
neighbor dav likes the houses. So far there are 11 comments so possibly 1/11 people will like these homes.
I think people in this price range are probably smarter than to spend so much money on homes crammed together on small lots.
My prediction is that they sell this year for about $699K and next year for $599K. Not a wise investment in my opinion.
Yup. We all saw the heavily-publicized lofts across from Bartell’s go vacant despite huge price drops – and those allowed for work/home shared space, and were right in the village.
The Briarcliff homes are similarly expensive but too far from the village for urban condo types, and without a yard for surburbanites. So basically they won’t please anybody. Whih is what EVERYONE in Magnolia predicted when the building plans, packing so many homes into that space, were first disclosed.
I’m wondering if they have any view? Are they all going to face away from the view for that price? Why would anyone pay so much when you can buy something nicer for less and with a bigger lot? I’m not a buyer in that price range but I am a neighbor so if they sell, all the better.
Someone needs to tell this developer that this is not Bellevue, and it’s not 2007.
Kind of reminds one of the Magnolia Village townhouses built two or three years ago. You would think people would have it figured out after that fiasco.
I believe that just one of those have sold.
Since Magnolia is really a suburb wouldn’t a bunch of ’50’s “Ranch Houses” have been more appropriate than something that has a bit of decent design work in it? $1.3 million does seem a little steep though, considering the lack of yard, although maybe this is a reaction to the evident Magnolia ethic of compulsive/obsessive yard work (grass no longer than 1 5/8 inches and like that).
yeah Phinney Ridge is so radically different than Magnolia, in that we realize that we are an in-city suburb and you don’t.
Last time I checked houses up your way are pricey too, and seems like its a law that everyone needs to tend obsessively tend their greener-than-thou container garden. Daisy-in-an-old-hiking-boot, you folks made that a cliche …
what in the world are you talking about?
So true. Magnolia people need to understand that there are other people and ideas in this community. The few complainers act like its there private Idaho. Hmm , wonder why people outside the area always make fun of it.
So true. Magnolia people need to understand that there are other people and ideas in this community. The few complainers act like its there private Idaho. Hmm , wonder why people outside the area always make fun of it.
I saw the house today…holy cow, but I think it’s overpriced by several hundred thousand dollars. No on-street parking; no utility space in the house unless you don’t plan to park in your own garage; no yard; no privacy; the deck overlooks a narrow alley; it’s situated in a development that will spend the next ten years in mid-construction; and, at that price, I figured that the attempt would have been to offset these considerations with a super-high-end level of fit and finish inside, which it doesn’t really have. It does have an elevator, which someone will like but is more of a liability/space-waster than an amenity for most people.
A quick browse through Magnolia’s $1M – plus listings shows that there are some lovely homes available for less, most of which have none of these things wrong with them. I think this seller has misjudged the market almost as spectacularly as the developer of the behind-the-village townhomes.
I also toured this home on Sunday. The lack of yard makes it feel like a giant townhouse. It has a distant view of the water that I imagine will be a peak view when the other homes in the development are built.
This house is severely overpriced!
Fits in great with those Goddy crapper houses one block south on Barrett. What were those people thinking or smoking.
Totally disgusted with the look and lack of character of this home~ if we wanted the “generic” Issaquah Highlands look, we’d move to the Issaquah Highlands. Magnolia is not the neighborhood for this type of cookie cutter house. Such a bummer for the rest of us residents who take pride in the character & curb appeal of our Magnolia homes. Barf. Take it back to the Eastside builders!!!!!
I bet the “for rent” signs go up quicker than they did on those horrible village condos. Yes, the builder must be living in 2007. Here’s a tip, at least try to price yourself within the market. There are SO many other homes in that price range with better views & so much more to offer.
This development would be so much nicer with fewer homes. I bet if there were fewer homes with larger lots, they’d sell for close to this asking price.
Additionally, it doesn’t make sense to sell a 4 or 5 bedroom house with no yard. 4 – 5 bedroom houses are obviously for families, and kids like to play in their yards.
Want to grow a garden with your children? Ok, but you have to do it on the balcony.
This development would be so much nicer with fewer homes. I bet if there were fewer homes with larger lots, they’d sell for close to this asking price.
Additionally, it doesn’t make sense to sell a 4 or 5 bedroom house with no yard. 4 – 5 bedroom houses are obviously for families, and kids like to play in their yards.
Want to grow a garden with your children? Ok, but you have to do it on the balcony.
We went up there to look around with an eye on buying four lots for something a little more like this for an extended family community:
http://www.cottagecompany.com/Communities/Greenwood-Avenue-Cottages.aspx
but clearly, we dont want to be in that grouping.
It’s like that South Park episode where the New Jersey people are taking over the country. Except in this scenario, we’re being invaded by their architectural aesthetic.
This home is rapidly becoming stale inventory. After a couple weeks now on the market and no sale, traditional real estate advice says this home was priced too high. The builder needs to reduce the list price.
Advice to builder, stop building these oversized homes without any yard. This type of home does not fit into the Magnolia neighborhood.
This house was listed as a “new” real estate listing yesterday. There was no change in the price or anything.
My understanding is that the MLS has strict rules about stale listings being re-listed as new without any substantial changes and the realtor can be fined for this. I’d like to see the realtor reported to the MLS for this unscrupulous behavior.
?Cost of operation. If you plan to use the property for serious ranching/farming, or even if you simply aspire to become a gentleman rancher, you should become very familiar with the cost of operating and maintaining the ranch. If it’s a topic where you don’t have much experience, consulting a professional in this area is not only smart, it’s essential.