Now that the election is over and we have a new President(!), there will be fewer political programs for me to watch and more time for blogging. Here are some thoughts on the recently completed Leona project.
Last weekend, Leona had their open house and I popped by to check out their homes. 4 out of the 18 homes are sold. The historic apartment conversion has 2 penthouses added to the existing structure and 3 brand new multi-level condos constructed on the north side of the building on Ward St.
There are quite a few different floor plans in the building, definitely not your traditional cookie cutter condos. The interior finishes will probably meet most buyers' expectations. Hardwood floors, slab countertops and Viking appliances come standard. The majority of the bedrooms come with a sizable walk-in closet.
The large windows add light and height to the homes; however, they are using single pane windows. According to the sales center, the windows are hand blow glass. The developer wants to retain its original design and they claim it actually costs 3 times more to restore the windows than putting in new ones. As for the 3 multi-level condos, they are using double pane windows. They feel more like a house than a condo. I think in some ways, that will probably be a good fit for someone who is looking for more square footage but doesn't want to deal with maintenance or a yard but also wants something more unique than the typical row of town homes.
Only one penthouse was available for viewing that day. It has a huge deck and an incredible view of the city.
Overall, a nice project with a lot of promise. The big selling points are that it's a pretty unique building, has a nice location midway between Queen Anne and Seattle Center, and has a variety of attractive floor plans. The biggest concerns that occurred to me specific to this building are the wood frame construction and perhaps price tag (though I'm sure there's room for negotiation in light of the current market conditions).
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The carpet in all rooms of EVERY home is absolutely one of the worst carpeting jobs I’ve ever seen. The cabinets appear nice from a distance, but are basically veneer with milamine interiors that are overlayed press-board. The single-pane windows are a joke, and the road noise heard through these windows is awful. Also, the lobby is very basic, and most finish/detail work is marginal. Also, what gives with the nasty/ugly in-ceiling air conditioners on the top floors of the town homes? VERY POOR TASTE in that respect. The price tag on each of these is easily 30% over what they will fetch on the market right now.
Does MD ever have anything nice to say?
🙂 Absolutely I have PLENTY of nice things to say, and anyone who knows me can attest to that. I just don’t have a lot of positive feelings about the Seattle condo market in general. Here’s how it works… when the condo market realtors want to “get real” and begin offering people condos that warrant the prices they are asking, then I will be happy with that. Or, the condo market realtors can lower the prices that reflect the dumps they’re trying to sell, and I will be happy with that. Until that time happens, and I stop seeing consumers being had, then I feel it is necessary for me to inform consumers. After all, we do know that MOST local realtor aren’t going to be objective and keep all things relative to one another (Wendy excluded, of course).
After looking at the photos posted here (not touring the condo) I think I like the Leona a lot better than the layout of Gallery. It seems bigger, more open, and with better finishes. Does anyone agree?
No, I don’t agree
yes i do agree. I like the outside look and the small scale of the building as well as the finishes and layout. I would buy here if i wanted a condo.