Maison Condos Greenwood
The Maison is located in the Greenwood neighborhood in North Seattle. Like neighboring condos on Greenwood Avenue, one imagines 1970s-80s walk-ups, shag carpeting, linoleum floors, stale interiors and so forth. The developer of Maison did this conversion right.
One thing that immediately stands out about Maison is that the main level is elevated above ground level with parking underneath, so you do need to walk up a long flight of steps to get to the main entrance. Through the gates is a peaceful courtyard isolated from the noise of Greenwood Avenue. The courtyard is surrounded by a labyrinth of stairs; all units open to the courtyard.
The studio, one- and two- bedroom units are tastefully appointed with new carpeting, laminate countertops, tile surround fireplaces, balconies and new appliances. However, it looks like the cabinets are original but they installed new cabinet doors and hardware. Also, the appliances are metallic looking – the exterior is plastic made to resemble stainless.
For units on the West side, residents will enjoy views of sunsets and on the upper level, views of the Olympic mountains. They will also receive the brunt of traffic noise from the four-lane Greenwood Avenue below.
On the plus side, it’s within a short walk to Greenwood’s business district that includes a new Safeway, Fred Meyers, Walgreens, Gorditos, Phad Thai, Romios and great antique shops. With prices under $240,000 and low homeowner dues, it’s an affordable option to homeownership.
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We went through a condo conversion boom in 2004 and 2005. For a while, they were thinking about putting a moratorium on conversions because so many people were being evicted and were having a hard time finding a new place to rent. Have you had the same problems there with conversions?
No we haven’t. But there has been some concern from the City Council and the Legislature about tenant rights. San Fransico 10 or 15 years ago had a lottery system in place. At somepoint I am certain there will be a crack down on the number of conversions. They have made some recent revisions as how soon a developer can start construction after giving notice to the tenants. But overall the conversion market is gone for the time being.
A friend of mine lives in these condos (at least I think) – she loves her home.
Condo conversions fell off a cliff in Arizona shortly after the downturn. Hopefully they pick back up sometime. I always love to see an older building get remodeled. It really helps turn older neighborhoods around.