adventures in real estate, pt. 1

st. louis has a rich and varied architectural history. frankly, this is part of its allure for us. every urban neighborhood, regardless of location or demographics, teems with gorgeous, original, and built-to-last brick houses - whether they are gingerbread abodes, arts and crafts bungalows, or victorian dwellings.

homes in st. louis can be had for a fraction of the cost of a place in boston or in any east coast city for that matter. comforted by the fact that any house we'd come across would be less than a one-bedroom condo in our current neighborhood, we trudged forward in search of THE house. THE house would have preferably three bedrooms, with space for a workroom/studio, and an actual garage. a garage! yes, you heard that right, fellow bostonians and manhattanites - available, plentiful parking.

we looked and looked...



we saw so many bedrooms...



so many bathrooms...





breathtaking craftsmanship...


original fireplaces


doors with original working transoms


gorgeous staircases


colorful stained glass


butler pantries


i just love this: a woodworker's ode to "mom" over a hallway

for two days or so, we convinced ourselves that this bargain of a house located a bit off the beaten path (make that, waaaay off the beaten path) could be perfect. the house was a former church rectory.



complete with...


six pristine fireplaces (2 not pictured)


working intercoms still labeled "father pippitone", "father barnes," etc.


mail slot


and even a cubby for the religious icon of your choice

the only problem with the rectory was that it also came with a kooky church run by a pastor who revealed he was not so crazy about "people of [our] persuasion" - a serious case of love the sinner, hate the sin. ugh. strike one.

as we continued our research, we discovered that the state of missouri provides large tax incentives in certain districts for those willing to rehab homes and follow historic guidelines. further research revealed that as a small business running out of such homes, we'd be eligible for even more money toward construction. BINGO! no longer where we looking for a turnkey home, we needed to find a shell.

armed with this knowledge, we looked for places like old warehouses and storefronts. many can be had for less than most regular houses and make great live/work spaces. sure, it may not have the original fireplaces and details of a traditional house, but it would be a surprising place within an old shell. who doesn't love a good surprise?

we thought this place would be IT.


cool old storefront, double lot, even an faded advertisement on the side.

unfortunately, this property was not within an eligible historic district. we learned this fact moments before we submitted an offer on the place. dodged that bullet. strike two.

curious about what we ended up with? find out on monday...