East Side cottage in booming neighborhood asks $399K

The listing for this charming home hedges its bets between the opportunities it offers as a fixer-upper (with room in back for an accessory unit or expanding the main home out and/or up) and a teardown (see: 4,752-square-foot-lot). While either would be a good move, investment-wise, we tend to favor the former option, as it has loads of period features intact and fits its in well in the fairly compact original neighborhood.

Either way, it’s optimally located for the city-dweller: in the downtown-adjacent East Cesar Chavez neighborhood, blocks from already established shops and services, as well as the Saltillo Plaza development rising nearby.

The 648-square-foot, one-story frame house has two bedrooms and one bathroom and is either occupied or was staged by lovers (makers?) of art and new-bohemian affect. It has wood flooring and what look like original window frames, as well as crown molding in some rooms. Both bedrooms have large windows, and the kitchen has ample storage and counter space. The backyard is fenced but otherwise a blank, green slate with multiple possibilities.

• 1312 Willow Street [Jovio]