3244 NW 64th St — Deep-Dive Dossier

3244 NW 64th St front exterior — Apr 2026 listing photo

$1,395,000

$515 / sqft (2,710 GLA basis) · MLS 2508567 · listed Apr 17, 2026

4 bd · 1.75 ba · 2,430 sqft AGLA + 280 basement · 8,100 sqft lot · built 1904

This is the deep-dive companion to the standard Scenario card. It pulls in King County Assessor parcel data, full SDCI / SPU permit history, historic-register checks, aerial imagery, full sale-and-tax history, and a renovation-buyer red-flag inventory. The original Scenario card (a tight one-pager) lives at 3244-NW-64th-St.html.

What's in this dossier

Property Fundamentals — assessor + listing specs side by side
Listing & Market Data — list price, sale history, tax-roll history
Visual Record — front photo, MLS photos, aerials, floor plan
Permit History (the deep story) — DADU, sewers, furnace, RRIO
Land Use, Historic, Neighborhood Context — NR3, Prospect Beach plat, no landmark
The Lot — What the Aerial Reveals
Red Flags & Upside Indicators
Buyer Action Items
Sources

1 · Property Fundamentals

Field	Value	Source
Year built	1904	KC Assessor
Year renovated	None on record	Assessor (year_renovated = 0)
Stories	2	Assessor
AGLA above grade	2,430 sqft (1,380 main / 1,050 second)	Assessor
Total basement	280 sqft (unfinished)	Assessor
Bedrooms	4 (all upper)	Assessor + MLS
Bathrooms	1.75 = 1 full + 1 three-quarter (Redfin labels as "2")	Assessor
Heat / furnace	Gas forced air · Lennox EL296, 96% AFUE, 86,400 BTU (installed Feb 2014)	Assessor + SDCI 6405688-FR
Fireplaces	2 multi-story	Assessor
Deck	100 sqft	Assessor
Lot size	8,100 sqft / 0.186 ac	Assessor
Zoning	NR3 (formerly SF 5000; up to 2 ADUs allowed)	Assessor + Seattle OPCD
Sewer / water	Public sewer · water district (SPU)	Assessor
Detached garage	360 sqft, "Average" condition, effective year 1950	Assessor accessories
Off-street parking	6 vehicles via alley (per listing)	MLS
Views (assessor)	None	Assessor
Views (listing)	"Puget Sound, Olympic mountains, Magnolia hills" — partial / upper-floor	MLS
Climate risk	1/10 Flood, 1/10 Fire (next 30 yr)	First Street / Redfin
2026 assessed value	$1,194,000 ($956K land + $238K improvements)	Assessor 2025-valued
Estimated 2026 property tax	~$11,830/yr (levy code 0010, $9.90845/$1k)	Calculated

Owner / occupancy

Current titled owner: SMITH, LUCY M since 2005 (quit-claim from co-owner Jacob K. Smith — property settlement, $0).
Prior arms-length sale: May 8, 1996 — $280,000 from BROWN, LOLITA M to SMITH JACOB K + LUCY M (Statutory Warranty Deed, recording 199605160414).
2016 RRIO violation (later withdrawn) suggests a rental period; 2023 DADU permit application stated "no tenants currently living in the property" — so back to owner-occupied or vacant by 2023.

2 · Listing & Market Data

Sale history

Date	Event	Price	$/sqft	Source
Apr 17, 2026	Listed (Active) — NWMLS #2508567	$1,395,000	$515	Redfin
May 16, 1996	Sold	$280,000	$103	KC Recorder

30-year hold by the same family. Appreciation ~5× since 1996 ($280K → $1.395M list = ~5.4% CAGR — modest given Seattle's overall trajectory; reflects the unrenovated condition). 2026 assessed total $1.194M, so list is ~17% over assessed (normal Seattle owner-occupied lag). Estimated mortgage at list: $8,294/mo. Redfin classifies the listing in the top 10% of views.

Listing tone (verbatim flavor)

The listing copy is an explicit fixer pitch, not concealment: "ready to be restored to its original era," "give this one your TLC and add today's modern conveniences," "grand old dame… be the Belle of the ball." Translation: agent is pricing in renovation upfront. Listed by Maggie Mallett, Windermere RE Magnolia.

Tax-roll history

Tax year	Land	Improvements	Total assessed
2026	$956,000	$238,000	$1,194,000
2024	$900,000	$166,000	$1,066,000
2022	$784,000	$219,000	$1,003,000
2020	$654,000	$209,000	$863,000
2018	$497,000	$286,000	$783,000
2016	$370,000	$220,000	$590,000
2010	$263,000	$114,000	$377,000
1996 (taxable)	$88,400	$145,900	$234,300

The land-value spike (+136% land between 2016 and 2026) far outpaces improvements (-1.6%). The Assessor is treating this as near-tear-down land value with negligible building contribution — consistent with the "fixer" framing. Buy on land comps, not building comps.

3 · Visual Record — Captured Imagery

Front exterior — King County Assessor's current photo

KC Assessor current building photo — Front elevation pulled from KC Assessor's eReal current photo. Two-story blue Craftsman, white trim, brick chimney, concrete retaining wall in front.

KC Assessor floor-plan sketch. Footprint orientation only; for original 1904 plans, request microfiche from SDCI Public Resource Center.

MLS listing photos (Apr 2026)

Listing photo 1 — Hero shot — front exterior, spring blooms.

Listing photo 2 — Front from a different angle.

Listing photo 3 — Front leaded-glass door (period millwork).

Listing photo 7 — Back yard / mature trees.

Aerial / overhead

Aerial close-up of 3244 NW 64th St — Esri zoom 19 — Esri World Imagery zoom 19 (lot detail). House centered front-to-back, large rear yard with mature conifers, detached garage at the alley. Center red dot = exact house location.

Aerial neighborhood context — Esri zoom 18 — Esri zoom 18 (neighborhood context). NW 64th between 32nd and 34th Aves NW. 33rd & 64th traffic circle one block west. Adams Elementary two blocks south. Sunset Hill bluff drops to Salmon Bay ~4 blocks west.

What we couldn't capture: Google Static Street View (requires API key), Bing Bird's-Eye oblique imagery (gated behind Bing Maps key), and Mapillary panoramas at this exact bbox returned 0 results with public web tokens. The MLS photos already cover the front exterior; the real gap is the alley/east-side curb angle, which you can see manually via the Redfin "Street View" button on the listing.

4 · Permit History — The Deep Story

Source: Seattle Services Portal (SDCI / SPU public permit search) plus KC Assessor permit table for pre-2005 records. Raw data: permits.json in the dossier folder.

Chronology

1904 — original construction Built three years before Ballard was annexed to Seattle (1907). City of Ballard pre-annexation building practices apply.
1950 — detached garage (effective year) 360 sqft, "Average" grade per KC Assessor accessories.
1996-05-08 — Sale: Brown → Smith for $280,000 Statutory Warranty Deed, recording 199605160414. Last arms-length transfer.
1997-10-31 — Permit 695419 · Remodel · Issued $8,000 minor remodel under Home Improvement Exemption (assessor-side only; not in SDCI online portal).
2005-01-14 — Quit-claim deed (property settlement, $0) Smith Jacob K → Smith Lucy M.
2014-02-25 — Permit 6405688-FR · Furnace · Expired Replace gas furnace. Lennox EL296, 96% AFUE, 86,400 BTU, 2-stage Elite series. Contractor: Brennan Heating & Air Conditioning. "Expired" means the permit window closed without final inspection sign-off — common for furnace work, but means the install is technically uninspected.
2016-06-07 — Record 003-0007537 · RRIO Late Registration Violation · Violation Withdrawn Seattle Rental Registration & Inspection Ordinance flagged the property as a delinquent rental; later withdrawn. Suggests it was being rented around 2016.
2023-06-16 — Permit 003134-23PA · DADU Pre-Application · Completed "Smith DADU" — demolish garage, build DADU. Pre-app cleared zoning/intake screening.
2023-06-22 — Permit 6971713-SS · Side Sewer · Completed First side-sewer repair. Trenchless reuse-existing repair (likely CIPP relining). Contractor: Pacific Trenchless. 5-day field permit, no ROW work.
2023-06-24 — Permit 6972158-CN · Construction (DADU) · Additional Info Requested · Fees Due The big stalled permit. Demolish garage; build DADU. $200K project value, pile foundation, "Add/Alt" action type, 2018 SBC code, Single Family/Duplex use, NOT in ECA. Builder: MyKabin (Issaquah). Workflow stuck at "Reviews" stage with fees outstanding for ~22 months. The DADU is paper-only — the existing 1950 detached garage is still standing.
2025-12-17 — Permit SPUE-SS-25-01021 · Side Sewer · Completed Second sewer repair, 30 months after the first. "Spot repair / cleanout install — Cleanout install at compromised section of pipe" near foundation of SFR. Contractor: Bob Oates Sewer Rooter (well-known Seattle drain co). Issued 12/19, inspected 12/23.

Interpretation

Two side-sewer repairs in 2.5 years is the loudest red flag in the file. The 2023 job was a full reline (reuse-existing) by a trenchless specialist — typically priced $8–18K and meant to extend a deteriorating clay/concrete line by ~50 years. Then 30 months later another contractor came in to spot-repair a "compromised section of pipe" near the foundation and install a cleanout. That second event suggests either (a) the 2023 reline didn't catch everything, or (b) a separate failure occurred near the building's foundation, possibly from root intrusion or subgrade movement. Either way, the side sewer is a live issue worth a sewer-scope inspection contingency from an independent contractor — not the listing's broker-friend.

The DADU permit (6972158-CN) is the operational story. The owner filed a $200K Smith DADU project mid-2023 — demolish the garage, build a DADU on piles. SDCI requested corrections and the owner never resolved them; permit fees are still outstanding. As of Apr 2026 the DADU is paper-only.

Upside: The pre-application + intake + zoning screening cleared. NR3 zoning permits up to 2 ADUs per lot, and the 8,100 sqft lot is well-suited to a DADU. A new owner could potentially revive that permit (or refile cleanly with a fresh architect).

Downside: SDCI rejected the as-submitted plan. Without the SDCI correction letter (request via DCI public-records request to permitcheck@seattle.gov), it's unknown whether the issue was setback, height, FAR, or something specific to the pile foundation in Sunset Hill's glacial-till soils.

Furnace status note. The 2014 permit "Expired" means Brennan Heating completed the install but the city never received final inspection sign-off. The Lennox EL296 is a quality 96% 2-stage gas furnace. As of Apr 2026, the unit is ~12 years old (typical 15–25 year life), so it's mid-life. Factor a replacement into a 5–10 year hold.

What's NOT on file (also a story)

No roof permit since 2005. Roof is either 21+ years old or was done unpermitted.
No electrical service-upgrade permit. For a 1904 home this is the single biggest unknown — verify panel rating, ground bonding, and knob-and-tube presence during inspection.
No plumbing repipe. Galvanized supply lines are typical for the era.
No foundation / seismic retrofit. Likely unreinforced concrete or rubble-stone perimeter footings.

These gaps aren't anomalies — they're the typical permit silence for an unrenovated 1904 home. Translate them directly to inspection priorities (see §7).

5 · Land Use, Historic, and Neighborhood Context

Zoning: NR3

NR3 = Neighborhood Residential 3 (formerly SF 5000). Up to two ADUs allowed per lot (any mix of attached / detached / stacked); 5-ft side & rear setbacks; no minimum off-street parking; no minimum lot size. Under the 2024 One Seattle Plan, NR zones are also being re-thought to allow more density (3-plex, 4-plex), but the NR3 baseline applies as of this dossier.

The 8,100 sqft lot is generous for the area (typical Ballard lot is 4,000–5,000 sqft). DADU + main-house renovation is a real upside path; even without DADU, the back yard supports a future addition.

Historic / landmark status

NOT a Seattle landmark. Direct query of the Seattle DON Historical Sites database returned no record for 3244 NW 64th St. (Same database confirms it's working — e.g., it returns the Sunset Hill Community Hall at 3003 NW 66th St, two blocks north, which was landmarked Mar 2025.)
NOT in a Seattle historic district. The eight Seattle historic districts (Ballard Avenue, Pioneer Square, etc.) do not include any Sunset Hill / Loyal Heights residential blocks.
Likely not on the National Register or Washington Heritage Register. Searches returned no specific listings for this address. WISAARD is the authoritative state-level database — worth a 5-minute search at dahp.wa.gov if you go under contract.

Operational implication: No Certificate of Approval needed for exterior changes, no Landmarks Preservation Board to clear, no demolition restrictions specific to this property. Full design freedom for renovation.

Neighborhood lineage

Plat: Prospect Beach Addition, Block 3, Lot 18. One of the older West Ballard plats, predating Harry W. Treat's 1906 Loyal Heights development to the north. Plat name references Salmon Bay's "prospect" — the bluff view down to Shilshole.
The home was built in 1904, three years before Ballard was annexed to Seattle (1907). Originally a City of Ballard structure governed by Ballard's pre-annexation building practices.
Per HistoryLink #3430 (Loyal Heights / Sunset Hill / Shilshole), this strip — south of NW 65th St, between 30th and 34th Avenues NW — is among the oldest residential platting in West Ballard: "modest, turn-of-the-century pioneer 'box' homes still ring Salmon Bay Park." Architectural styles in the area are described as "Victorian (primarily Queen Anne), vernacular, Craftsman, American Foursquare, Colonial Revival."
The listing calls it a "Craftsman." Built in 1904, it's actually pre-Craftsman by most academic timelines (Craftsman peaked 1905–1925); more accurately a vernacular two-story builder's house with some Craftsman-adjacent or transitional details (the leaded-glass front door is suggestive of period millwork).

6 · The Lot — What the Aerial Reveals

The Esri zoom-19 capture shows:

House footprint roughly centered front-to-back on the long axis of the lot, oriented across NW 64th St (front faces south).
A clear rear yard with mature conifers (Douglas firs evident), backing onto an alley running east-west between NW 64th and NW 65th — this alley is what enables the "6 off-street parking" claim and is also the access path for any DADU.
The detached garage sits at the back of the lot, accessed via the alley — visible as a darker footprint at the rear.
Roof appears to have moss / older asphalt shingle texture; can't tell age from above but consistent with the no-recent-roof-permit signal.
No visible setback issues, easements, or steep grade changes from above. The lot looks rectangular, ~50' wide × 162' deep at 8,100 sqft, which is the standard Sunset Hill platting from this era.

The wider zoom-18 view shows:

33rd Ave NW & 64th St traffic circle one block west (calmed traffic — small win).
32nd Ave NW commercial strip (Salmonberry Green Grocer, Molly's Bottle Shop, etc.) less than 0.2 mi east.
Adams Elementary School two blocks south.
Sunset Hill bluff drops down to Shilshole / Salmon Bay roughly 4 blocks west — explains why the listing claims partial Olympic / Sound views.

7 · Red Flags & Upside Indicators

Filtered for a buyer evaluating a 100+ year-old fixer. Inspection priorities follow.

🚩 Red flags

Side sewer history (highest priority). Two repairs in 2.5 years; most recent was a "compromised section of pipe" near the foundation. Sewer scope by an independent contractor is non-negotiable. Budget $8K–25K for possible full line replacement, more if it extends into the public ROW.
Foundation unknown. 1904 Ballard home almost certainly sits on unreinforced concrete or rubble-stone perimeter footings. No seismic-retrofit permit on file. The 2025 sewer repair specifically noted "near foundation" — ask the contractor what they saw.
Knob-and-tube electrical risk. No service-upgrade permit since the SDCI portal went online (2005). Most insurers won't write a homeowner's policy with active K&T circuits. Verify panel size (probably needs upgrade to 200A) and have an electrician map the wiring.
No roof permit on record (21+ years). Budget $15K–25K for a re-roof if needed.
Galvanized / lead supply lines likely. No plumbing repipe on file. Get a water-main scope and check for lead service lateral.
DADU permit was rejected once. SDCI sent corrections that the owner never addressed. Pull the correction letter via public-records request before relying on the DADU as part of your acquisition pro forma. The previous design used piles — that's an expensive foundation choice.
Furnace mid-life. Lennox EL296 from 2014, ~12 yrs old, ~3–13 yrs of remaining life.
Hidden code-update costs of any major reno. Seattle's Energy Code triggers cascade once you pull a building permit: insulation, window U-values, ventilation. Adds 15–25% to "cosmetic" remodel cost on a 1904 envelope.
Original construction predates Seattle annexation (1907). Pre-annexation Ballard inspection was less stringent. Document gaps from this era are normal — inspector budget should be generous.

✅ Upside indicators

Lot is the win. 8,100 sqft on a single-family alley-load lot in 98107 is exceptional. NR3 = up to 2 ADUs. Land alone is $956K assessed; building is essentially a $238K throw-in by tax-roll math.
Block context is strong. "One of Ballard's best blocks filled with other stunning Craftsman homes" is consistent with the Prospect Beach Addition vintage. Comp by lot, not by SqFt.
Generous bones. 4 BR / 1.75 BA / 2,430 AGLA + 280 unfinished basement. Basement could be finished, lifting GLA toward ~2,700 sqft. Two fireplaces + gas FA.
Detached garage at the alley + 6 off-street spaces is unusual and high-value for Ballard. Rentable / workshop-able even without DADU conversion.
Public sewer + utility water. No private system risk.
Climate risk is low — 1/10 flood, 1/10 fire. No FEMA flood plain, not in WUI.
Walk to Salmonberry Green Grocer (4 min), Bike Score 82, Adams Elementary 2 blocks south. Webster Park ~2 blocks NE.
Not landmarked / no historic district. Full design freedom for renovation.
30-year hold by one family. Often these come with deferred maintenance but no flipper history hiding bigger issues.
$439K above-land basis at $1.395M list. If reno works out, you've effectively paid land + ~$440K for a 2,430-sqft Craftsman shell with character — meaningfully cheaper than turnkey Ballard 4-bed at $1.8–2.0M.

8 · Buyer Action Items

Pre-offer (free)

Request the SDCI correction letter for permit 6972158-CN via permitcheck@seattle.gov to understand why the DADU stalled.
Search WISAARD (dahp.wa.gov/find-a-historic-place) by address to triple-check no state-level inventory record exists.
Search the Seattle Municipal Archives by parcel number for an existing house file.

Inspection contingency must include:

Sewer scope (independent contractor, not listing-recommended).
Electrical inspection with K&T map and panel-size confirmation.
Foundation walk by a licensed structural engineer (not just a generalist home inspector).
Roof age / remaining-life estimate.
Plumbing supply-line type (galv vs PEX vs copper) and water-main scope.
Mold/moisture in basement (280 sqft unfinished basement is the most likely water-issue zone).
Lead paint and asbestos screening (1904 home = both highly likely).

Renovation cost-of-money modeling

Scope	Budget
Cosmetic refresh (paint, refinish floors, kitchen update, bath update)	$80–150K
Renovation that triggers code (insulation, windows, electrical, plumbing)	$400–700K
DADU build (per existing $200K permit value + 25% cost creep)	$250–325K
Foundation / seismic retrofit if needed	$30–80K

Comp this against turnkey Sunset Hill 4-beds at $1.7M+ before committing to a $1.4M list + $400K reno path. The math only works if you actually want the renovation experience or value the lot/location enough to absorb budget overrun risk.

9 · Sources & Quick Links

Redfin Listing (MLS 2508567) Zillow (ZPID 49012798) Google Maps KC Assessor (parcel 690820-0235) SDCI Permit Portal ← Original Scenario card

Direct sources

King County Department of Assessments — eReal Property · parcel 690820-0235
Seattle Services Portal (SDCI / SPU permit search) · permits 6972158-CN (DADU), 003134-23PA, 6405688-FR (furnace), 003-0007537 (RRIO), SPUE-SS-25-01021 (Dec 2025 sewer), 6971713-SS (Jun 2023 sewer)
Seattle DON Historical Sites Database · search — no record for this address
Redfin listing · 3244 NW 64th St, MLS 2508567
HistoryLink Essay #3430 — Loyal Heights, Sunset Hill, Shilshole Thumbnail History · historylink.org/File/3430
Esri World Imagery (aerials) · server.arcgisonline.com — World_Imagery
Seattle NR3 zoning / ADU rules · NR3 explainer · Seattle ADU code hub
Original Scenario report · 3244-NW-64th-St.html (Apr 17, 2026)

What was blocked / not captured

Google Static Street View pixel-grabs (require API key as of 2018+).
Bing Bird's-eye oblique imagery (gated behind Bing Maps API key).
Mapillary panoramas at this exact bbox returned 0 results with public web tokens we tried.
Pre-2005 SDCI permits (microfiche-only — orderable via SDCI Public Resource Center; recommended if going under contract).
SDCI internal correction letter for the stalled DADU permit (requires public-records request; recommended pre-offer).