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Before and after on 35th Street

Guest post by Tommy Waterworth

It should come as no surprise to anyone that now is a very exciting time to be a Church Hill resident. With nationally renowned restaurants, bakeries and boutique shops opening on every corner of our beloved neighborhood and our coveted access to pristine parks with breathtaking vistas of the James River and city skyline, Church Hill has been the topic of national news and is considered one of the hottest up-and-coming real estate markets in all of the United States.

Those who purchased homes immediately following “the great recession of 2008” are now the recipients of substantial home equity growth. In 2011 we saw homebuyers purchase homes south of Broad St. for as low as $85 per square foot for un-renovated homes. Many of those homes (now renovated) could sell for as much as $165 and perhaps $170 per square foot, and some comparable properties are now reaching far into the $200 range.

That’s great news for those who purchased homes before the entire country started paying attention to our wonderful neighborhood but not so great news for those who want to get in.

In 2014 we saw similar price per square foot increases extend as far North as the 700 block of many of our numbered streets, and as a result investors and homebuyers alike are literally racing to find vacant lots and undervalued homes to purchase, develop and/or restore before they are all gone. Limited active inventory in the local real estate market has also contributed greatly to the feverish pace in which buyers flock to each and every open house.

As homes in the St. John’s and Chimborazo districts become more of a hot commodity, first time homebuyers who previously would have bought in these areas but can no longer afford Church Hill proper are beginning to venture further north into historic Oakwood.

Oakwood’s latest period of significant development occurred between 1920 and the beginning of The Great Depression. It was during this time that the California-inspired and “Craftsman and Bungalow styles” were introduced to the area. This style is arguably the most appealing style being used by home builders in the Richmond new construction market, and we’re fortunate enough to have a few of the original examples right here in our back yard.

A local real estate team, The Brad Ruckart Real Estate Group, along with real estate investment collaborative, Dorsey Holdings Inc., and Cobblestone Development Group, recognized this trend in early 2014 and began searching for a deal that would enable them to restore and modernize a home in Oakwood.

The team found and acquired 1100 North 35th Street, one of two eclectic cottages in the Oakwood district, in late June and restoration began.

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The team followed the strict instructions outlined by the Virginia Department of Historical Resources in order to restore the home to its original charm but also upgraded the home with modern amenities.

The home is truly unique. The National Parks Service’s Register of Historic Places describes it as a “two-story, stuccoed-frame dwelling with cross-gambrel roofs and projecting gables. The front gambrel has a decorative truss and two, six-over-one windows. The four-bay main block of the house is recessed below the gambrel. The single-leaf, wood door has a transom. There are two, one-over- one windows to one side of the door and a single window on the other. The gambrel projects to form the roof of the porch. The porch has Doric columns, a turned balustrade and a box cornice. The porch has a circular projection at one end.”

The neighborhood is absolutely charming, and many of the neighbors have expressed great appreciation for the renewed interest in their area and are excited to meet their new neighbors.

The home is now on the market and that anyone interested in seeing the house may visit the open house Sunday, March 1 from 2-5 PM.

Guest post by Tommy Waterworth

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58 comments

Joshua Romano 02/27/2015 at 7:56 AM

Could not be more impressed with this well crafted article, great job Tommy

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Jim 02/27/2015 at 8:18 AM

Which is the before and which is the after? The both look pretty good except the neon green (especially the green porch posts).

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Alex 02/27/2015 at 8:59 AM

The inside is gorgeous too…

http://m.trulia.com/property/3190320058-1100-N-35th-St-Richmond-VA-23223

It’s a little too far north for some I suspect but someone’s going to get a deal on this.

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mary anne 02/27/2015 at 9:18 AM

I have always adored this house & wish I was in the market for a house now.

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Allie 02/27/2015 at 10:56 AM

Great work! So impressed!

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Martin Bartholmy 02/28/2015 at 3:37 AM

This certainly is a nice home & I was happy to discover just recently that the work’s been completed. Thanks for the posting, although, it’s a wee bit too much promotional copy for my taste.

Here’s another look of the house from 2013, pre-reno:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bartholmy/9122951790/in/photostream/lightbox/

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Kathleen Sanders 02/28/2015 at 8:26 PM

LOVE this house – inside and outside! It’s perfect!

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Church hillian 02/28/2015 at 8:28 PM

@Martin Bartholmy

I think that’s the point for this right up to be “promotional”. I think it’s good people are taking the time to put money and effort into our bad ass community. Especially those who are expanding further out into areas where people would not normally like Oakwood.

Renovations look great!

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Lee 03/01/2015 at 1:07 AM

I’ve always admired the little section of the porch that juts out on its own whenever I have passed by this place. Anyone know what that architectural feature is called/if it has a name. (on the left side – almost like a ground level balcony???)

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Mark Bernstein 03/03/2015 at 7:47 AM

Well written article lots of useful facts gets to the point and points out many useful facts for neighborhood residents and new prospects. I am interested in green aspects and not the color, Low energy stuff?

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Dave 03/03/2015 at 8:09 AM

at the open house it was said that they already had 5 offers on this place… it was very nice, but smaller than the pictures lead on, IMO.

Reply

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