An East Coast beachfront escape
Plus a family home in Kansas City and the perfect Prague apartment
I forgot to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving in my last email! So — Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! I hope everyone had a safe and healthy holiday with loved ones, even if those loved ones joined your holiday dinner over Zoom.
While I very much missed seeing my extended family, I loved our small three-person gathering this year. It was peaceful and warm, and everything I could possibly want in a holiday meal at home.
Amidst a pandemic, “home” means something very different for everyone. We’re living in a time when, for many, home is now an office, a school house, and a place to lay one’s head all rolled into one. I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all sort of developed a new view on how we see our homes. And even though I’m not looking to buy a house at this moment in time, when I find myself browsing the internet for properties to feature on this newsletter, I am often asking myself the question: Could I spend the vast majority of my time within these four walls?
For these three homes, the answer is resounding yes.
A cozy Kansas City bungalow
I’ve never been to Kansas City, but its centrality is fascinating to me. It’s about a thousand miles from Delaware and about 1,500 miles from San Francisco. It’s nearly equidistant from the Canadian border as it is from Houston. Until I ran a Google search, I wasn’t really sure if it’s considered to be part of the Midwest or the Southern United States. And in case you’re interested, Missouri has an average property tax rate of 0.99 percent — slightly lower than the national average.
Inside a comfortable (and manageable) 2,025 square feet, this three-bedroom, two-bath Kansas City bungalow from 1923 offers hardwood floors, an updated kitchen with new appliances, a fireplace in the living room, and a master bathroom with Carrara marble countertops. I especially love the curb appeal: The curved awning out front and the blue accents make the residence feel so welcoming. The home is located on the Missouri side of the city, but Kansas is just a block west. The asking price is a reasonable $420,000. [Reece Nichols]
A retreat in the Cape Cod dunes
I love the idea of living among the ocean dunes. It feels so mystical. And even though I like to imagine my parallel, oceanfront life taking place on an island off the coast of Scotland, everything about this century-old Massachusetts beach house is just so appealing. It’s got wide open spaces, large windows, stylish interiors, and of course, beach access. What more could a person want?
If you can even believe it, this contemporary house on Ballston Beach was built in 1899. In more recent years, it was completely renovated inside and moved further back on the property to make it safer for homeowners. Spanning nearly 3,000 square feet, this incredible beachfront home includes four bedrooms, three and a half baths, a wide open floorplan, wood paneled walls, and large hurricane-rated windows that bring the ocean breeze and views inside. Owning this waterview home will cost you $2,649,000. [Raveis]
A stylish apartment in Prague
Prague is pretty high on my to-go list. I’m enchanted by really old cities — the buildings dating back hundreds of years, the rich history, the fantastic urban legends. Eastern Europe has so much of that, and Prague is a beloved city by many travelers. I am, of course, itching to get back on a plane and book an Airbnb in another country, but for now I’m not going to be planning any international trips. A lot of experts actually think that a vaccines are going to be nearly as important as the regular travel documents to pass through international borders. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.
It’s taken a lot of willpower to not write, “Czech this place out!” Of course, I am only capable of resisting to a certain extent. So instead, I will say: Podívejte se na tento byt. Thank you, Google Translate! But seriously — I’m in love with this furnished one-bedroom, one-bath Prague apartment. The 52-square-meter (or 560-square-foot) renovated unit is located in a building that dates back to 1934 and has herringbone wood floors, a bright living room, and a private balcony perfect for enjoying an afternoon espresso while people watching over the street below. Residents will also have access to a communal rooftop deck. The monthly cost is 30,000 Kč CZK (or $1,347 USD). [Sotheby’s International Realty]