Real NEastate: What are my options if I can’t find an in-law suite?

Q: I am searching for a single-family home for $120,000 somewhere near Bustleton Avenue so I can be near the bus to work. It can be a row home but I need it to have two kitchens – something like an in-law suite. I am having a hard time finding something to fill my needs. Do you have any suggestions?

A: No doubt you are having a hard time finding something. Either two kitchens or an in-law suite, especially in a row home in Northeast Philadelphia, are a rare find. I am not sure if a single-family* row home could even satisfy your needs.

If you’re not opposed to doing some work on a home, you could always buy a home under $120,000 and use a 203K loan to finance the mortgage and construction to convert your single-family home to something more suitable for you.

Then again, maybe a duplex would be more appropriate. Check out Castor Gardens and Lawndale for some duplexes in your price range and just a few blocks from Bustleton Avenue.

*For clarification, single-family homes are not always single homes and it does not mean a family has to live there. Home classified as single-family differ from duplexes, triplexes and such which are classified as multi-family.

Stacey McCarthy is a real estate agent with the McCarthy Group of Keller Williams. Her Real NEastate column appears every Wednesday on NEastPhilly.com. See others here. Read other NEast Philly columns here.