i need a method to pare down my, oh, 22 house listings i have in front of me into a reasonable number to look at over the weekend!

so, i've divided them into little piles based on map location, then picked my favorite out of each pile...

so, here they are...in no particular order.

1. 6615 N Gratz Street

2. 5356 Pulaski Avenue

3. 567 W Abbottsford Ave


4. 5143 Knox Street

5. 58 E Pleasant Street

6. 6700 Hollis Street

8. 6437 Belfield Avenue

9. 83 E. Duval Street

10. 7217 Briar Road

11. 7323 Pittville Avenue

Good grief! that's still 11. I may need to take a week off work to find a house!

Okay, my opinion...for what it's worth.

I'd probably scratch the Duval St house off your list just because that little section directly off G'town Ave appears kinda rough still. (I say appears because I can't verify that with any facts.) I live a couple blocks away from there however (and ADORE my block by the way), but always avoid that block of Duval just because it's a two way street yet people are parked such that it is difficult to navigate if another car is coming. Plus there seem to be a few derelict-looking houses in the nearby vicinity. However...that being said some of the others on your list are further away. Perhaps you ask your real estate agent just to do a drive-by. You'll know if you'll feel okay with the street once you see it. I definitely think the area is heading in the right direction...even if it's not there yet. And it's very close to G'town Ave.

I'd also scratch the Gratz & Briar Rd locations because they're up above Stenton and are going to feel very isolated. Definitely not part of either Germantown or Mt. Airy.

The E. Pleasant and Knox St houses appear to be in good locations. The others not as sure about. Perhaps you'll be able to tell once you see them. I hope this helps some.

that's exactly the type of info i'm looking for. i'll drive by some of the houses and stop to see others. i have no idea how many i can reasonably see in a day and how many houses a reasonable person looks at when trying to find one to buy.

I'd avoid 5100 Knox and 5300 Pulaski. Pulaski is across the street from the projects, and there is a criminal element and open air drug selling going on there. Knox is in a rough section, as it is right by Hansberry and there are a lot of corner boys hanging out until all hours of the night.

Well, personally I knew as soon as I walked into a place (or sometimes even drove by a house) if I was going to be happy there. I think you'll be able to knock a number of them off just by driving by. Especially now that spring is upon us and neighborhoods start to show their true colors. (ie. are people taking care of their lawns, fixing up their houses, etc.)

I'd guess you could feasibly see 7-8 assuming that your real estate agent is prepared for a serious outing. (And hopefully they will be since you're coming into town just to do some major searching.)

Good luck!! It's very exciting! I know I LOVE my neighbors & block. I can't prosthelytize enough about how great Mt Airy is. (Even East Mt Airy which many people on here seem to think isn't nearly as good as West Mt Airy.)

there wasn't a single house in west mt. airy in my price range!

i may have to give up location location location for yard yard yard because i LOVE my dogs but hate the "oh my god it is freezing/raining/really hot would you just pee already" dance.

That block of Pulaski is one of two I would avoid (the other being 5200). The 500 block anywhere (on the west side, that is) is a good bet, a very good bet, so Abbotsford is a home run, plus the park is right across the street. I own 5137 Knox, and I like the block, but it is a far cry from the 5200 block of Knox. They should be checked out back to back to see how much Germantown is a game of inches. I agree that Hansberry from Knox to Greene is scary (i.e. the low 100 block), but I have one there also and my tenant assures me that the drug dealers there are upstanding citizens. Her mother lives there also (down the street) so she knows of what she speaks. After she told me that I remembered that my guys felt extremely threatened by the drug dealers, but they were never anything other than polite - the worst thing they ever did to us was ignore us or get antsy when we were cleaning up near their stash. Once I realized that they had never done anything remotely threatening to us, I pondered how racism can affect people's thinking. My guys at the time called it a two gun job, where they made sure that they had two guns on the job at all times; I laugh now when I think of the 'hoods' helping to carry in the groceries, which is supposedly their habit. Anyway, I think that the houses on 5100 Knox are to die for, and I think that it is a decent block, while 5200 Knox is picture postcard.

i'll be working in willow grove, so that abbotsford house is the furthest from work of all of them on my list (yes, all 22, oy vey).

i don't think there is anything for sale on the 5200 of Knox, at least not in my price bracket. um, 5100 to die for? as long as you don't mean literally, i'll keep that one on my list!

you just have to love polite drug dealers. i've lived in my house for 4 years and we've had several significant snowfalls and i've never had to clean off my car. a roaming pack of young men come around after a snow and clean off all the cars on the street. the pessimist in me thinks its so they can see if there is anythign worth stealing...BUT, i have enjoyed their kindness.

I meant the houses, not the block; they have great woodwork and details, and they have great layouts, with very comfortable room dimensions; they were clearly built for people near the top of the food chain.