Going up: Ranch houses are usually defined by low lines and modest profiles, but two 1950s ranches that sold this month rise above the average—literally. At 1410 Kearney, which sold for $1.52 million, a remodel pushed the ceiling in the living room to just over fifteen feet at its peak (the walls are eleven feet, four inches), and the four bedrooms have raised ceilings as well. At 2344 S. Circle, which sold for a more modest $415,000, vaulted ceilings and clerestory windows tucked under the eaves help lift the eye and bring in light.
Ahead of its time: The Colonial at 4959 Miller, which sold for $930,000, is set on three acres overlooking Wing Farm, with space for six cars in the garage and the additional outbuilding. Also notable are the bathrooms attached to each of the four bedrooms, although there’s no evidence that the house was ever used for anything other than single-family living. En suite baths date back to the 1960s and were commonplace in new construction by the 1980s—but typically, they’re only attached to the primary bedroom. An en suite for every bedroom is practically unheard-of today, let alone when the house was built in 1971.
Built for belonging: 424 Little Lake unit 39 is one of forty homes at Sunward Cohousing, the largest of Ann Arbor’s three cohousing communities. Residents park their cars around the perimeter of the site, keeping the center for pedestrians and shared central spaces. Living here means more than buying property: prospective residents participate in a process that includes meeting neighbors, joining communal meals, and learning about shared maintenance and governance responsibilities. This means that the three-bedroom condo, which sold for $442,500, comes with a built-in community.
Related: Zen and the Art of Cohousing (Aug. 2024)
Dig These Digs: A house with a ballroom and a turret suggests a range of social options. The ballroom points to entertaining on a grand scale rarely imagined today. The turret on the third floor—complete with built-in bookshelves—is a place to withdraw when the crowd thins, or perhaps just a place to look out over the treetops of Ann Arbor. Built in 1897, 805 Oxford also has five fireplaces, five full baths (and three halfs), a heated front porch and a heated front walkway, as well as an acre of landscaped yard. A selling price of $2.385 million and a home energy score of one indicate the trade-offs that come with all that historic character.