The housing market in Allegheny County and surrounding counties last year was pretty much the same story as Pittsburgh’s market — rolling through most of 2022 at full speed only to see a slowdown with the increase in interest rates.
Mansions and small first-time buyer homes sold well for much of the year and houses of any size priced right went quickly, sometimes for more than the asking price. Here’s a look at nine properties featured in Buying Here last year and how they fared:
Shark’s tank
If walls could talk, then those in 1223 Bower Hill Road in Mt. Lebanon would have much to say. It was the childhood home of Mark Cuban, who would grow up to be the billionaire owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and one of the investors on the ABC TV show “Shark Tank.”
The four-bedroom home that held so many memories for Cuban and his two brothers was priced at $369,000 when it was featured in July and sold for $325,000 in August.
Ski paradise
There were two homes for sale on East Kooser Street in Jefferson, Somerset County, both authentic log houses in amazing surroundings. Located next to Kooser State Park and just minutes from Seven Springs and Hidden Valley resorts, 119 and 127 E. Kooser St. offer a whole world of outdoor recreation on their doorsteps.
Built in 1932, the three-bedroom, 1½-bath house at 119 E. Kooser St. sold in January for $300,000 and the similarly sized 127 E. Kooser St. is currently off the market.
Coraopolis flip
Owner and businessman Chad Brooks listed 415 Barn St. in Coraopolis for sale after giving the place quite the facelift.
Brooks and his family took a small drab house and gave it a new coat of cheery red paint, upgrades throughout and a smashing kitchen equipped with new quartz countertops, stainless-steel appliances and a kitchen island with seating for four. The happy little house sold for $150,000 in April.
Putting on Braeface
Braeface is a six-bedroom, 4½-bath mansion with its own ballroom at 415 Woodland Road in Edgeworth.
The home features beamed ceilings, leaded-glass windows and other beautiful details of the craftsmanship of days gone by. One of the fireplaces in the ballroom is topped by a plaster relief of a marble Cantoria created by sculptor Luca della Robbia in 1431 for Florence Cathedral in Italy.
On the market for $1.3 million, the home sold for $1.2 million in May.
Belle of Bellevue
For most people, the large multi-family house at 323 Lincoln Ave. in Bellevue posed a very big and somewhat intimidating challenge. For owner John Robinson, it was all about the possibilities that he envisioned in the brick home with a mansard roof and four towering chimneys that served six fireplaces.
It had been divided into three units, two with two bedrooms each and a third-floor, one-bedroom apartment with an open floorplan. The home was priced at $189,000 and sold in August for $160,000.
Manor modern
The blueprints for the mid-century modern house at 116 Indian Hills Road in Manor, Armstrong County, were offered to readers of Better Homes & Gardens magazine in 1953. The owner used them to built a sprawling, one-story house with lots of natural light and wrapped around a central courtyard.
After being listed on Cheap Old Homes’ Instagram account, the house garnered thousands of likes and drew interest from lookers across the country. Offered in August for $155,000, the house in need of updates sold in September for $140,000.
Heinz house
Everyone who has ever dumped ketchup on fries or a burger has heard of Heinz. But even people who grew up in Western Pennsylvania may not know that many family members lived here.
The house at 807 Delafield Road in Fox Chapel was built for Rebecca Lytle, the daughter of H.J.’s cousin, Charles Heinz. Looking like an English country house in a British mystery, the home shared a driveway with another house built for her brother.
Filled with lovely architectural details that drew the owner with its age, character and quality, the home was listed for $850,000 and is currently off the market.
Rock-solid stunner
The unique house at 119 Forest Road in Bradford Woods features a modern design and an interesting site: a stone quarry.
As a young girl, Paula Holzapfel had visited Fallingwater and visions of that home stayed with her. So when the opportunity came, Holzapfel and her husband, Jeff, worked with architect Ken Wilkins to make her dream a reality.
Their light-filled home with four bedrooms, 3½ baths and 3,550 square feet of living space went on the market for $775,000 and sold in June for $815,000.
Lizabeth Gray: lgray@post-gazette.com
First Published: January 6, 2023, 11:00 a.m.
