West Portal is one of the best neighborhoods in the city because of its retail district and Muni access. But it’s a geographically small area and doesn’t get much housing turnover. (Only 21 homes sold in the neighborhood in 2009 at an average of $1,102,990, which is about what you should expect to pay for a home in a location that offers the aforementioned amenities.) However, two homes just came on the market this week that are well worth considering if West Portal is on your list of preferred neighborhoods:
250 Claremont is a good-lookin’ 2BR/2BA Craftsman home with renovated kitchen and spacious rooms. List price is $899,000. It’s around the block from the West Portal strip and the Muni hub. Here’s a shot of the kitchen, which I like a lot:
The lower level has a bathroom, family room, and a smaller elevated area that fits a bed and has a closet. I was startled to see this lion in the closet area:
This is a very cute house with a detached garage on the property’s south side. Though the yard is nice, it’s important to note that the West Portal Playground backs up to the property line.
The property was last on the market in 2005 at $1,295,000 as a 3BR/2BA (they’d counted the unwarranted lower level as a bedroom). But the home didn’t move at that price. Offers are due on Thursday, and my guess is that there will be multiple buyers making bids with an ultimate selling price of around $1M.
On the other end of the neighborhood is 317 Wawona:
The country-style, 1771-square foot home has an older kitchen and bathrooms, 1BR and a half bath located on the main living level, and 2BR/1BA upstairs. There’s also a walk-out garden off the main level, which is nice. However, the lot is a bit irregular, so you have a small, pie-shaped yard that’s not terribly private. But this house would be great for buyers who appreciate the farmhouse feel; you’ll either love or hate a bedroom like this B&B situation:
Wawona is listed at $1,095,000, which seems high given the lack of remodeling and the pie yard. I’m going to say that the property is worth around the high $900,000s. It scores points for proximity to West Portal, as well as the fact that it’s not on as busy a street as Claremont.
There are four other single-family homes on the market in West Portal, but they range in price from $1,495,000-$1,875,000. And three of the four are in the Arden Estates development. So for homes at the more average $1M level, Claremont and Wawona are where it’s at for qualified buyers house hunting in West Portal.