‘Blank slate’ modern ranch in Lafayette Park hits the market for $270K

Chateaufort Place is one of two modernist cooperative living communities in Lafayette Park—the other was designed by renowned architect Mies van der Rohe. And though there’s 60 units at Chateaufort, they don’t come on the market too often.

That’s because owners tend to hold on to these well-designed townhomes, whose one-story structure allows residents to age in place. In addition to a private yard, the gorgeous Lafayette Park is a kind of second backyard.

Each unit at Chateaufort is three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a galley kitchen, and basement spread across 1,400 square feet. This particular one is described by the realtor as a “blank slate for updates.” And based on the photos, it will probably require some—the kitchen appliances, for example, are pretty old.

Because Chateaufort Place is a cooperative, some may balk at the homeowner association fees, which come to around $750 per month and are slightly higher than those at a condominium.

That’s because the resident is technically a shareholder in the cooperative instead of the owner of the unit—though the co-op’s bylaws allow the resident to sell their unit on the open market—so property taxes and maintenance fees are rolled into a single monthly payment. It also goes a long way to explain why these homes, built in the 1960s, are still in great shape.

1539 Chateaufort Place Street is selling through Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/The Loft Warehouse for $270,000.