Condo Review - Trace North and Trace Lofts in Captiol Hill

Trace North and Trace Lofts in Capitol Hill
1414 12^th Ave and 1408 12^th Ave

Trace North and Trace Lofts are located on 12^th Avenue in Capitol Hill, which is the heart of the Pike Pine corridor. Trace North was built new in 2007 and Trace Lofts was converted from an old sewing machine warehouse into loft style condos. Some of the old warehouse equipment, doors, and plaques are used at art throughout the condo building and bring back some of the charm of yesteryear. The two buildings have very different vibes with North being more modern and the Lofts having an old world vibe with exposed timbers and brick and tall ceilings.

The stats:

142 units – 100 in Trace North and 42 in Trace Lofts
There are studio, open 1 bedroom, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom units
Built in 2007
Both buildings are 6 stories
All have 1 parking space but only some have storage
7 one bedroom units have sold in the last 6 months ranging in price from $320,000 to $373,000; at the time of this post 1 one bedroom unit is pending at a list price of $319,950 and 1 studio is active at a list price of $249,975
HOA dues include: garbage, common area maintenance, master insurance policy, earthquake insurance
Amenities: Community roof deck with BBQs and seating areas

The pros:

Many of the west facing units have views of the Space Needle and the city
The roof deck has great views of city, Needle, and mountains and it’s is a very usable amenity
The Lofts side has a really cool vibe and interesting layouts making it unique compared to other condo buildings built recently
Location is in close proximity to restaurants, coffee shops, services, and more in the Pike Pine so the walkability is high
Dues are very reasonable
The first floor retails has some great restaurants and bars – currently there is Barrio, Old Sage, Tavern Law and High 5 Pie
The condo building will be in close proximity to the new Capitol Hill Light Rail Station making commuting to downtown, and the airport easy – eventually even up to UW area will be a short train ride away

The cons:

Because these buildings are on 12^th Ave in the heart of the action some of the units can hear the road and activity noise from 12^th Avenue and Madison
Not everyone loves the cork flooring and cabinetry in Trace North
Not all units have patio/deck spaces and those that do, many of them are pretty small “Juliette style” balconies
No parking for guests, and parking is a challenge in the area in general
Some of the east facing units have obstructed outlooks due to an apartment building built very close to the property line – some units face a wall