2,500-Sq. Ft. Irish Channel Home Asks Just Under Half-a-Million

The simple exterior of this four-bedroom, three-bath Irish Channel home may not be anything to look twice at, but inside, well, that's a different story. The 2,500-square foot converted double, built in 1913, has an open floor plan downstairs with 13-foot ceilings and exposed beams, and two master suites upstairs. Perhaps taking a cue from the gorgeously renovated pad down the street that listed for $520,000 last month (there's a sale pending on that one, p.s.), this one started out with a $519,000 ask, but was recently dropped down to $499,000. Some minds are still boggled that these asking prices are really happening in the Channel, and here's another shocker: This place sold for $50,000 in 2010. Of course, the sleek renovations may not have been in place three years ago and it did bounce around in a bank sale, eventually going to the current owners for $130,000 last year. Perks include skylights, off-street parking, a brick patio and a grassy, private fenced-in yard. The listing does mention that there's a (pretty janky) park across the street but for buyers more interested in the nightlife, this place is stumbling distance from a slew of bars and restaurants on Magazine Street.
· Listing: 3228 Laurel St. [Keller Williams]