Make Mine a Condo: Dowsett Point

Life is all about trade-offs. Big house in the ‘burbs with a backyard? You’ll be commuting 45 minutes in hair-pulling traffic, not to mention all the upkeep your big digs require. A pared-down condo in the city, close to work? Say adios to green spaces and garage storage.

If you’re tending towards the latter, consider this Nuuanu/Punchbowl condo unit at 217 Prospect Street, #C6. It’s got nice city views, including the state capitol smack dab in the middle, and plenty of amenities like a pool, whirlpool, same-level parking and tennis courts.

The front entrance has a big garden, kept up by the association, so you’ve got green with no actual work. Awesome. But the lanai on the other side is just big enough for one table. Not so awesome.

The lore is this place doesn’t come available very often, and right now there are only two units up for grabs. This one is definitely the better of the two, not only because it’s bigger at a 3 bedroom, but also because the current owners did a hard-core, $100,000 remodel that opened up the galley kitchen and combined the half and master bath into one giant master bathroom complex.

It is a great bathroom upgrade, but it means that guests have to go into the private bathrooms that are off two bedrooms. I’d worry people were peeping at my medicine cabinet. But since no one’s throwing a state dinner at a condo, it’s workable. And be aware that the third bedroom is listed as a den, since the renovation included the addition of built-in cabinetry and a desk to make it a little office with a city view.

Maybe that five-minute commute could turn into a five-second, roll out of bed and work from home…

Money Talk: $725,000, fee simple.

Contact: Yumi Laney, Kahala Associates, 371-9906, yumi@YumiLaney.com.