Selling the Apartment

Sometimes this retired life gets really complicated.

For instance, I was going to post a new blog entry and I wanted to include some pics.  


So I thought ........well, I went to the dermatologist the other day and had a bunch of (benign pre cancer something keta-somethings) stuff burned off.  Actually frozen off, but it sure as hell felt like burning.  Resulting in blisters and pretty scabs ...... kind of like burning but without the lovely smell. 

Anyway, I thought that I could post some pics of my pretty forehead.  Brennie says that is disgusting.  So, she told me to put up some info on our apartment that we have decided to sell.  And she says that I can put up pics of the apartment too.

So ..... back to the apartment:

We recently put in a new kitchen and bath and tore a wall out of the downtown apartment.  It’s great.  Now I really love the energy of living in El Centro and I love the apartment.  Brennie prefers the house and especially having a little yard for Bugger and Wanker.  I agree that the house is lovely and the yard is nice.  So, I can either enjoy downtown and the newly remodeled apartment as a single man, or live with Brennie and the beasties.

When we started the remodel, we were planning on keeping the apartment for a long time.  David Morril at Cuenca Real Estate says that real estate is appreciating at about 10% a year. So it makes good sense to keep the apartment and rent it out.  BUT, I have been a landlord before and I DO NOT ENJOY IT.

SO. NOW WE HAVE A DOWNTOWN (EL CENTRO) APARTMENT FOR SALE:

Location:  1 1/2 blocks from Parque Calderon, Carolina Store, Kookaburras Restaurant, and the Tomebamba River.   Midway between Parque Calderon and the Tomebamba River. Corner of Luis Cordero and Honorato Vasquez. Basically right in the center of everything.

Unique apartment:  There may be other apartments in El Centro that offer what this one does.  But if there are, I don’t know of them.

1) 6th story apartment in a 2 or 3 story neighborhood.

2) Huge balcony. Combined with #1 ..... makes for a great view.  The pic at the top of the blog is of Brennie standing on the balcony.

3) Elevator to the door.  No steps.

4) Within a couple blocks of ..... you name it.  Just about everything.

Price:  We would like one million dollars, but will settle for 1/8th of that.  (That works out to $125,000.)  Slightly more if purchased through a realtor..

Rooms:  2 big bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, large vestibule/foyer/entryway, kitchen, dining room and living room.

Size::  Very spacious.  I think the title says that it is about 1600 sq feet.  I have never measured to figure it out and I don’t know if this includes the balcony (45‘ x 6’) or the laundry/maid’s room (with shower and stool) which is on the covered roof.    But the rooms are big.  For instance (this is from memory) ...... The foyer is something like 8’ x 13’, dining room is 13’ x21’ (holy sh*t!), the bedrooms are approx 15’ x 15’)

View:  The building was built in the early 70’s.  It is a six story building in El Centro.  Most of the buildings in El Centro are OLD and only 2 or 3 stories, So the view is fabulous.  The apartment is on the top floor, the entire front half of the building.  The balcony runs across the entire front of the building (45’).  I love it.  I guess that you could call it a penthouse.

Elevator:  Yep.  Right to the front door.

New Kitchen and Bath:  Never been used.  We re-did the other bath several months ago.  I had always wanted a urinal and finally got one.  Now, it will be someone else’s. Granite countertops in the kitchen.  Marble top in the bath we did a few months ago.

This is actually the Dining Room.
Don't be fooled by the couch, etc.

Floors and Windows:  The floors are all wood (actual wood) except in the kitchen and bathrooms.  Those are porcelain.  Windows in the living, dining and front bedroom are custom wood 2” blinds.  The other bedroom has a (custom) other kind of thing which I can’t explain.  The wood floors have been refinished.

Utilities, Taxes and Condo Fees:  The water, gas and electric total about $35/month.  Taxes are $28/year.  Condo Fees .. $72/month.

That green thing at the top
is the awning on the balcony.

Professional Building:  Almost the entire building are offices.  Mostly lawyers.  They made us feel very welcome and we miss them.  There are 2 other apartments in the building.  Our apartment is top floor front.  The other two apartments are on the top two floors in the back of the building.

CLICK HERE

to see more pics

Life is sweet,

Clarke