Midcentury Modern House in Flint is Only $180,000

The 1950s were boom years for Flint, Michigan. As a center of the automobile industry, Flint citizens could be assured of well-paying jobs, and as money poured into the city, a new downtown cultural center was planned. Today, the Flint Cultural Center is considered an outstanding example of midcentury modern planning and design. The buildings feature strong geometric shapes, large expanses of glass and opaque panels, and modern, sleek materials.

One of the architects chosen to contribute to the center was S.A. Nurmi, who had immigrated from Finland when he was young. Nurmi also designed the much-loved Flint Public Library, along with various museums, art galleries, theaters, and a planetarium.

Today, a residential neighborhood bordering the Cultural Center as well as the local community college is called the College Cultural Neighborhood. There's a diverse range of architecture on show, including a newly listed midcentury modern ranch designed by S.A. Nurmi in 1957 and recently put on the market for just $180,000. Nope, that's not a typo. The nicely maintained house costs less than a down payment for an average one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan or a fixer-upper in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley!

In common with many mid-mods, the home is fairly small, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,782 square feet. What's delightful about it is that many of the charming original features have been retained, while the bathrooms and kitchen have been sensitively updated, making the house just cute as a button.

The entry includes built-in masonry planters that were popular during the 1950s and ’60s, though sadly, the owners have just put the plants in pots rather than planting them and topping the soil with that bright-white gravel ’50s housewives liked so much. The living room, with its slanted roof, includes the original beams and paneling, plus a huge fireplace with skinny stacked brick, updated to use gas. Décor is in keeping with the home's vintage: Noguchi-style paper light shades, Eames chairs, fun abstract art, and what looks like an original 1950s sectional sofa covered with grey tweed. The flooring is mid-mod-correct cork, and the original sound system still works.

A kitchen and dining area feature the original wooden room divider, with angled slatting and narrow shelves covered with pottery. The updated kitchen is sleek and modern but blends well with the rest of the house. One bathroom has been completely redone with white tiles and trendy black hardware, while the other's original peach-colored tub, sink, and floor tiles are complemented with newer blue tiles on the counter and around the tub. There's also a handy mudroom/laundry room.

The nearly quarter-acre parcel is attractively landscaped, with a cute sunken firepit and mature trees offering privacy in the heart of the city. Mechanical updates include a whole-house water filtration system, a Nest thermostat, and keyless entry. The garage, perfect for anyone wanting a hobby space, is also upgraded and offers a 220-amp, hard-wired heater, LED work lights, and additional surface-mounted electrical outlets.

The property is available via Jessica Cech at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services-Michigan.

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