Tavis & Christian’s Craftsman Duplex
When Christian and Tavis came to us looking for their first home, they were open to what that could look like. It quickly became clear that a duplex was in the cards for them, as both a long-term investment and shorter-term starter home. The benefits of owner-occupying a duplex are ones we extol to any willing to lend an ear, and these two not only listened but ran with it.
The mindset when buying a duplex intended to be owner-occupied shifts a bit from that of a single-family. It’s no longer entirely about checking every box, but checking the boxes that make sense for your long-term investment outlook. We navigate the market, finding properties that check the right boxes, analyzing: condition & any deferred maintenance, location & rental income potential, asking price & current market conditions which may or may not support the price tag.
In the mix is also the pieces that matter to any owner-occupant - the space, the history, originality & potential. It’s a puzzle, where every piece comes together to create a slightly different image. To us, it’s all the fun stuff ⚡️
Christian & Tavis landed a craftsman duplex, a true up-down building built as solid as they come with lots of original details in tact: birch shaker kitchen cabinets featuring a medicine cabinet about the farmhouse sink (!!), pinecone wallpaper lining the upper unit’s stairwell, old-growth red oak & maple floors throughout, 12-ft dining room built-in buffets in each unit, and space to settle in for the foreseeable future.
They were able to secure this one with an FHA loan - a special thing when it happens on a regal duplex - and have been spending their first month of ownership, scraping popcorn ceilings, stripping layers of painted-over wallpaper & getting the lower unit tenant-ready. We’ll be checking in with them in the months to come and can’t wait to see what they have in store.
Before closing day: gorgeous woodwork & walls needing some TLC
Layers of wallpaper discovered beneath paint.
Post-closing: wallpaper stripped & popcorn ceilings scraped.
Quarter-sawn oak built-in with beveled glass mirrors span the length of the dining rooms.
Congrats to Kingfield’s newest landlords!
As always, we’re here for all of your buying & selling needs - don’t hesitate to reach out to learn more about duplex ownership.