D.O.P.-T.

[weofodthignen]

For many years, two unassuming-looking single-story houses stood side by side in our neighborhood. Both looked jerry-built and had ratty lawns in front. One appeared to have a second unit in the rear; the similar-sized building next door is two-family. The other, whose next-door is a florid McMansion with a determined privacy hedge, was usually occupied by a young family--I occasionally waved to a kid looking out through the picture window--and for some years its lawn had a line of (full) quart water bottles lined up at the front like posts for a chain fence. I always meant to ask what form of symbolism was intended there. This last year the lawn was definitively succeeded by a weed patch, in which the same water bottles stood. This year also, the other house got jacked up, and a new ground floor created under it; then the original floor was gut renovated, and now they are putting a gable on the front, so I suppose it is to be another McMansion.

All of a sudden, the still one-story one has cedar chips covering what was the front lawn--I hope they at least watered something with the contents of the bottles--has been spiffed up, and is for sale for $1,198,000. Here is what it looked like in May (and an earlier stage of the jacking-up-and-rebuilding next door). Here is the listing. And for completeness, here's what the now two-storey one looked like on the 12th (a quick shot after the guy drinking beer in the front window on his break turned his back):




Update: Sold by September 20; then flipped? According to Zillow, sold for $1,268,000 on October 23.