Hot House: 3701 Roland Avenue, Baltimore 21211
Brick Victorian era detached house, circa 1880, with wrap-around porch. 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,560 sq. ft, with inlaid wood floors, updated eat-in kitchen, first floor family room, sunroom, unfinished basement. Fully fenced yard, detached garage/shed: $285,000
What: A nice, solid and well-maintained house in a good Hampden location. Home values in Hampden will increase by 5.1% this year, according to real estate website Zillow, compared to 4.2% for Baltimore as a whole and 3% for the national average. Although this house is priced well above the average $190,000 home price for Hampden (Zillow again), it has a lot going for it. It’s four rooms deep, which gives it more space than usual, and the yard is attractively fenced, which together with the awnings, makes it both distinctive and upscale. Windows have been replaced and there’s a newish roof. The porch faces south and west, so it will get some nice sun — an awesome spot for socializing. The living room has french doors out to the sunroom. The dining room takes you through to the good-sized kitchen with breakfast bar/island. Upstairs the master bedroom is large and bright, and a small bedroom has been turned into a big walk-in closet. The bathroom is not ensuite, and you’ll have to access it from the hall. There’s a second bedroom up here too. Back on the first floor, there is a guest suite with full bath and separate entrance, which could possibly work as a rental.
Where: Roland Avenue at 37th Street, on the corner of a very nice block of row houses. Across the street on Roland is St. Thomas Aquinas elementary school. Across 37th Street is a pretty stone church. Although Roland Avenue can get busy here, traffic isn’t fast moving, and long parts of the day are pretty quiet. It’s an easy walk to all the action on the Avenue, and you can have fun furnishing the house with great finds at the Turnover Shop on Roland, the Antique Exchange on Chestnut, and some cool mid-century places on the Avenue. Good access to the city and points south via the Jones Falls and I83. The new Rotunda redevelopment will be a plus, too. Nearest big green space is Wyman Park, about .4 miles away, and from there, over to Johns Hopkins University.
Would Suit: Sociable porch sitters.
Why: Hampden is clearly on the rise, and this is a cute but sensible house on a block with lots of curb appeal, near the Avenue.
Why Not: No central air.
NB: There is really no back yard, but there is a one car garage.
