HGTV and DIY Network fanatics take note — New Orleans' own version of a home conversion and improvement is happening online and in the Garden District. 1527 Harmony St is a Spanish Baroque home like no other because its previous incarnations weren't even remotely residential. Opened in 1925 as the First Unity Westminster Presbyterian Church, the congregation itself dates back almost 75 years before the Freemasons of Louisiana laid its cornerstones. The 13,292 square foot building eventually transformed into Ballet Hysell in the 1980s and was purchased by husband-wife duo James and Sandie McNamara in 1999. This sweeping estate has been featured on Curbed NOLA once before but some key things have changed, including its price.
There's no more auspicious sales pitch than that of a start-up, which 1527 Harmony St lovingly sets to recreate. Swap angel investors and venture capital (whatever that crap is) for a homeowner and you've got the McNamara's desired audience. Their business plan and sweet PowerPoint is instead a Wordpress blog featuring the travails of its homeowners.
The building's history is, of course, incredibly fascinating and it is what primarily takes center stage. Want to know how many fleur de lis adorn its exterior? A full posting on the building's cast concrete work will tell you (spoiler alert: it's 21) all that and more. For those just seeking the facts, there's a Salient Facts section with info on those previous rentals we'd mentioned.
The apartments' cumulative rent is far higher than before and can total up to $5,100 a month in additional income, knocking off nearly half of your projected mortgage. The alleged Louisiana Tax Credits for housing, music, and film production don't hurt either. That may explain why the overall property's price has risen from $2.5M to $2.6M.
· 1527 Harmony St [Zillow]
· 1527harmony website
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