Bear with me while I sketch out this scenario: these three apartments are undeniably ugly inside, the absolute cheapest renovation with the dumpiest off-the-rack fixtures. However, as everything is new, you won’t have to worry that it will crumble in the near future, and it seems all the wiring and plumbing are brand new. In addition, each apartment controls — and pays for — its own heat and hot water, which is efficient and keeps costs down. It gets better: the third floor three-bedroom is month-to-month, so by the time you close you can have a vacant apartment to live in. No rent stabilization, no (okay, fewer) worries. The facade, while “updated,” has many original elements that lend it some soul. With time, all this property’s aesthetic problems can be dealt with, and you won’t have to be replacing roofs and boilers and such. Lovely and historic Bushwick Avenue’s mansions and churches are a half-block away.

1168 Putnam Avenue | $530,000
2364sqft | 17.5ft-wide | 3-family, 3 bath | frame
Gates JZ