The Brady Bunch may wish to consult with middle sister Jan as she has been quite successful concerning real estate investing

A few months back all over the popular news was the story of the North Hollywood home at 11222 Dilling Street used as the model for The Brady Bunch being placed on the market. The home subsequently sold to Discovery Inc.‘s HGTV network and is now bring renovated by the Brady siblings with additional guidance from The Property Brothers.

While the Brady kids have varied careers including Christopher Knight AKA Peter Brady who now produces a furniture line the siblings may wish to look to Eve Plumb AKA Jan Brady the misunderstood middle child; as real estate investor she as been quite savvy on the East and West coasts and definitely not misunderstood.

At present Ms. Plumb and her husband’s Ken Pace just listing a property on the  Upper West Side of Manhattan at 2025 Broadway for $735,000. The unit 22-J is on the 22nd-floor, 716-square-foot co-op is in a full-service building by Lincoln Center and Central Park. For those who may not know Manhattan, a desirable area. Of note Ms. Plumb purchased the unit for $589,000 in January of 2013, not a bad profit at all.

Back in 2016 Ms. Plumb purchased a penthouse at 330 East 49^thStreet just east of the heart of Midtown Manhattan for $1,557,000. The unit, a 2 bedroom is approximately 1,100 SF yet has three (3) setback terraces which are most desirable in an open-space starved city. In addition, the penthouse features a windowed galley kitchen, two marble bathrooms, hardwood floors and lots of closet space, according to the listing.

The two buildings in Manhattan are known as post-war construction which usually trails the market versus pre-war apartments and of course the new in-demand curtain wall designs yet savvy investors know such apartments in these buildings usually have locations that cannot be replicated and can be purchased for 20-35% below comparable new and pre-WWII constructed apartments. For more about NYC apartment styles the following is an excellent primer: Postwar, Prewar and Everything Before

Yet most impressive is probably Ms. Plumb’s first foray into real estate. In 1969 at the age of 11 she purchased with the assistance of her parents a beach cabin (850 SF – pictured above) in Malibu for $55,300 or $377,225 in today’s inflation adjusted dollars. The bungalow style home, which is located on Escondido Beach Road and thus on one of Malibu’s most picturesque beaches, includes three bedrooms and 1.75 bathrooms and NO heat or air-conditioning. Of note the quite modest home sold in 2016 for $3,900,000 off an asking of $4,150,000. “Way to go Jan“.  Below the smaller home on the foreground.

 

 

 

How did The Brady Bunch do in The Real Estate Market

Remember The Brady Bunch the iconic television series of the late 1960’s. Well the famous house (the façade shown in the opening and closing credits) is up for sale; the first time since 1973.

Now I always questioned why Mike, an architect would design the children’s bedrooms to be triple occupancy and share a Jack-and-Jill or a Greg-and-Marcia bathroom. Mike and Carol’s bedroom had an en-suite and Alice had her room (see floor-plan link below). Yet the children ensconced in their shared bedroom until Greg had the brilliant idea to convert Mike’s study and later the attic to his own pad including beads and mood lighting. And those kids having to play in the yard with fake grass. I assume Mr. Phillip’s; Mike’s boss was paying him well.

Floorplan of the fictional Brady Residence

The Listing as presented on Zillow: 11222 Dilling Street, North Hollywood, CA 91602

Do to the popularity a low fence had been installed: Brady House Then and Now

Back to the real estate. While the home’s façade was famous the actual filming of the series was on a lot and not in the house. Now the house has not changed much since 1973 as the interior shots show via Zillow.

I was curious on how the fictional Brady’s would have done if they actually owned the house. Now realistically the kids would have moved on by now, or so I hope. Or Jan stayed at home with the parents to take care of them. Greg and Carol would probably be challenged to install a stair-lift on the contemporary staircase. And Alice’s room would probably now be the room of their live-in aid or Jan’s abode.

• In 1973 the house was purchased for $61,000
• Adjusted for inflation, that $61,000 would be $346,200 today.
• The asking price is $1,885,000.

Thus not a bad windfall. The sad news is most likely the next owner may consider razing the home due to its 12,500 SF lot in Studio City, which is a geographically most attractive area of West Los Angeles. If one were to renovate to today’s code and tastes, most likely $400K or higher. Of note being the most photographed house in the United States only 2^ndto The White House (the house is surrounded by mature shrubs which has not dissuaded visitors) you are guaranteed all day voyeurs.

Thus The Brady’s at asking will net over $1.5M in 2018 dollars before commissions.

If you may be interested my firm affiliation  Engel and Volkers does have shops in the Los Angeles area.