The New York Times: $850,000 Homes in Maine, North Carolina and Oregon

By Julie Lasky | Source: The New York Times

new_york_times_homes_maine_nc_oregon_virtuance_05 — Photo by Virtuance

Portland, Ore.

WHAT An enlarged 1958 hillside home with four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms

HOW MUCH $849,000

SIZE 2,568 square feet

PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT $331

SETTING The house is in South West Hills, an upscale neighborhood with vintage houses, winding roads and excellent schools. It has views of the Oregon Coast Range and is less than 10 minutes by car to the Hillsdale business district and 15 minutes to Marquam Nature Park.

INDOORS Bought from its original owners in 2009, the house was transformed by the current owners. A wall of the upper level was opened with new glass doors and windows onto a 1,000-square-foot deck. The lower level was renovated, with three small bedrooms, a den with a fireplace and a full bathroom.

The upper level has an open layout, with a living and dining area on one side of a double-faced brick fireplace and a family room and kitchen on the other. The kitchen has a mosaic-tile wall and a large island with a built-in range. The master suite is entered through a 16th-century carved Chinese monastery door. Sliding antique carved doors from Thailand create a screen between the bedroom and the master bathroom, which has a stone-paved shower and a jetted self-cleaning soaking tub.

OUTDOOR SPACE The hill-facing side of the property has a stone terrace with a long pergola and sculptural benches. Because space from the attached two-car garage was taken up by the renovation, the structure is now used for storage; vehicles park in the carport next to it. The third-of-an-acre property is planted with fig, plum and apple trees, and blueberry and raspberry bushes. There is also a tree house, a gas firepit and a chicken coop.

TAXES $9,416

CONTACT Pedro Cruz, RE/MAX Equity Group, 503-703-0028; equitygroup.com