Hoppin' Belmont

Wow. I recently listed a condominium on upper Belmont; SE 42nd and Belmont, and have had the opportunity to spend some time there.  I must not have been paying attenion, because all of a sudden, in addition to the Red Star Cafe and Movie Madness, all those businesses at SE 43rd and Belmont have popped up. Slappycakes and Mt. Tabor Vet and the yummy sushi place and what looks to be a happenng yoga place.

When did that all happen?  I'm not even talking about the continued popularity of lower Belmont (below SE Cesar Chavez).

Make note, the Belmont Street Fair is tomorrow, September 8.  This is one of the last neighborhood fairs of the season and promises to be a good one.  There will be bands, and food and vendors, and free trolley rides from SE 21st to SE 48th.

The new listing, pictured below, is in the Andria condominiums.  It is a spacious, 1100 square foot condominium, all on one level, on the top floor in the northwest corner. This is the builder's unit and has a variety of upgrades including wood and marble floors, premium fixtures, and lots of custom built-ins.

When holding open houses at condos, it is easiest to have two people; one downstairs to let folks through the security door and one up in the unit to show people around. I have really enjoyed my "street" time as I get to talk with the building residents and other neighborhood folk.  I have been struck by how many dogs the folks at The Andria have!  I swear, just about every one who comes out the door is walking a dog.  This building has a generous dog policy; allowing dogs of up to 50 pounds.  Some buildings don't allow dogs at all, or restrict them to under 20 pounds or some such.

Other good things about  The Andria include the low number of rentals in the building.  No, I'm not anti-rental.  But condominium financing is often restricted to buildings with no more than 50%, or sometimes 30% rental units.  So if the number of rental units pushes above that threshold, there is no conventional financing available.  Yes, there are a number of folks buying with cash these days. But cash as the ONLY way to buy can be a bit challenging.

I also LOVE the storage units at this place.  Not only are they large, but they have these cool roll-up doors, making it much easier to get in and out.  Each unit has its own furnace and hot water heater and pays its own power bills.  Water, sewer and garbage are included in the low monthly HOA fees or just under $300.

And of course, the great space and views aren't bad either.

We'll be holding this open Saturday, September 8, from 1:00 - 3:00 pm, during the Belmont Street Fair.  Come on by, 910 SE 42nd Avenue (at Belmont), #400.