WHAT SOLD IN THE CITY IN 2019
As we look back on the year in Pittsburgh real estate, it’s clear that the market is hot and shows no signs of abating. Zillow reports that the average home sale price in the city was $217,900, up 3.8% over 2018.
Housing prices in several Pittsburgh neighborhoods cooled a bit in 2019 but remained strong overall. Lawrenceville had an average listing price of $329,000 while prices in other East End neighborhoods held steady or grew by 2-3%.
The houses featured in Buying Here are hardly average, but most did follow this maxim: A house usually sells quickly if it’s priced close to what other nearby properties have sold for over the past several years. Here’s a look at a few of the interesting properties featured in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2019.
While pricey new homes go up in the Penn Avenue corridor of East Liberty, older single-family houses continue to draw interest. An attached row house at 732 N.
Beatty St. in the historic Alpha Terrace District was listed in January for $274,000. Built in the late 1880s, it has lots of stained glass, working pocket doors, high ceilings and an updated kitchen. The house sold for $262,000 in March.
Next door in Garfield, rehabbers tackled 5444 Kincaid St. after a house fire. Though it still looks like a century-old house on the outside, the inside looks like a brand-new, four-bedroom, two-bath house with an open floor plan. Listed for $250,000 in July, the property sold in August for $225,773.
Mid-priced homes generally sell faster than multimillion-dollar ones. The Kelly mansion at 1145
Beechwood Blvd. in Point Breeze boasts nine bedrooms, nine bathrooms, two dining rooms, intricately patterned plaster ceilings, judge’s paneling and fireplaces in nearly every room.
When it was featured in October, it had $4.9 million price tag. The 1.4-acre property is still on the market at that price (MLS No.1416039) with Nettie Mercer of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services (www.howardhanna.com or 412-417-3132).
Another pretty old house that went on the market in the city in
2019 was 1410 Pennsylvania Ave. in the Manchester neighborhood of the North Side. The Gothic Revivalstyle house has been restored and updated twice and features Bradbury & Bradbury reproduction wallpaper, wall murals and a spectacular new kitchen with hand-sawn white oak cabinetry.
The four-bedroom, 3½bath beauty was listed for $659,000 in August. It’s still available at that price (MLS No.1418918) with Jay Robinson of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services (412-478-0134 or www.howardhanna.com).
Across Pennsylvania Avenue and still in the Manchester Historic District is a side-by-side brick duplex rehabbed by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. Each side of the red-brick building at 1403 and 1405 Pennsylvania
Ave. was priced at $250,000 in November and is still available at that price. Each has 1,800 square feet of open living space and dedicated parking. Purchasers must meet income requirements; contact David Farkas at 412478-5805, ext. 516, or david@phlf.org.
In the South Hills of Pittsburgh, Beechview continued to draw home buyers and foodies with its groceries, bakeries, restaurants and sturdy older homes. The charmer at 1658 Longmore
Ave. looks to most passersby like a modest 1½-story cottage. But photos and the story in September revealed a spacious lower level and lots of updates with modern farmhouse. Originally listed for $140,000, the house sold within a few weeks for more than its asking price, $145,000.
Our story about a modern rehab at 88 Roberts St. in the Hill District caused quite a stir with its dramatic interior and price tag of $1.695 million. The sellers, who liked its original arched window openings and detailed brickwork, liked it even better after architect John Francona and contractor Frank Quinn added a catwalk, custom iron railings, white oak floors and knockout white kitchens. Already under agreement when it was featured in September, the reimagined warehouse with two rental units sold in November for $1.25 million.
Finally, we return to one of the most talked-about properties of 2017. Alba and Thomas Tull, part owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, put their Downtown penthouse condo atop Three PNC Plaza on the market for $13.9 million in the spring of 2017. At the time, its 12,790 square feet of living space was spread over the top three floors of The Residences at 550 Market St.
The couple sold a two-bedroom condominium on the 21st floor for an unknown price and have put the remaining space on the 22nd and 23rd floors on the market for the comparative bargain price of $7.25 million (MLS No.1422854) with Lucas Piatt of Piatt Sotheby’s International Real Estate (www.piattsothebysrealty.com or 412-471-4900).
The property has a private elevator entrance, a winding staircase, five bedrooms and eight bathrooms. It also has the most glamorous spaces of the original listing, including a paneled library, gourmet kitchen, his and her marble bathrooms and views on all sides of Downtown, Mount Washington, Heinz Field and PNC Park.