EXECUTIVE HOME FOR SALE BY OWNER
1139 Hodges Street (between Iris & Clarence), Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601
Available March 29, 2007 Asking: $149,950 Call for Appt.

Posted for reference purposes only.
This house taken off market July, 2007


This two-story home was originally designed in 1946 following a "post-modern, cubist" design, popular at the time. It was extensively upgraded from 1997 to 2003 by the current owners -- but so as not to disrupt the original architecture -- and has many, rare extras that reflect the lifestyle and taste of its occupants.
For a private showing, please submit request and the owners will return your call with 24 hours.

Taken from across the street, facing east



Balcony



Major Highlights:
5 Bed. / 2.5 Bath / 2 Story
[ 6 bedrooms if you convert the 'music room' ]

Conveniently located in
'Garden District' ~ 1 mile
from downtown LC.
9-10 Ft. Ceilings Thru-Out
3,725 Sq. Ft. Living
Cable TV in Living
& All Bd's
3-Line Phone Sys Thru-Out
[ 2-Line business phone system has full units in 7 rooms: all four bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, and main library / study. ]
Multi-Pier Ethernet
[ Cable modem connections run thru-out upstairs, allowing broadband access for library / study, master room and 'children's bedroom' ]

Two (2) Jacuzzis
[ One Cielo in the Upstairs Bath and One 350 Gallon "Blue Mountain" Jacuzzi in the 600 Sq. Ft. Jacuzzi / Play Room" ]

Laundry Room
Tool Shed
Huge Walk-In Closet
Children's 'Music Room'
Easy Overhead Access to
Third Level and Roof
Second Story Veranda
From Master Bedroom
Pet Exit on Back Door
Lot Size: 50' x 150'
PROTECTED INSET
"SLOPE ROOF"

[ The roof structure is flat asphalt with a 1%+ pitch and parapet walls around the entire perimeter, except to the east side, which is the water's bleed edge. Unlike other homes in the area, this one sustained only cosmetic roof damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita (9/05).]
350 Sq. Ft. Library / Study
[ There is enough shelving in the main upstairs library / study and three of the bedrooms to accommodate over 3,000 average-sized books ]

'Black Iron' Fenced-In
Front Yard
Extensive Security System
[ 2 Keypads up-and-downstairs; sonar and infrareds throughout; system is thorough and monitored by Sonitrol (Interface), includes Fire Alarm protection. ]

Modern, Electric,
'Use-Activated'
Hot Water Heater
Utilities: Water / Gas / Elec
Private Gun Closet
Underground Security Safe
Light-activated floodlights
in rear/parking area
Water Well to 220 Feet
With 220 v. Electric Pump
(Accesses Chico Aquifer)
Side Driveway to
Rear Entrance
[ Driveway is 'shared' easement with neighbor: the law offices of John Green, Jr. ]
HF / VHF / CB Antennas
[ The house comes with three separate antenna systems for radio or ham enthusiasts ]
Central AC/Heat Upstairs
Window Units Downstairs
Zoning: MU
[ Mixed Use zoning allows the owner to use all or part of the house for personal residence and/or light business. ]

Open Gate
Downstairs & Baths
The Kitchen - (12' x 13.5')


Click any image to enlarge
The house is normally accessed from the rear of the property, where there is private parking. Entering the home from the back door, the kitchen is the first room you see.
The kitchen contains a built-in microwave and dishwasher. Owners' own electric stove and refrigerator and shown. Built-in pantry and kitchen cabinetry provide the necessary space for sundries. Since the back door serves as the usual point of egress, one of the home's two alarm system keypads is positioned next to the back door, which its own pet door for small animals.
Besides 'natural,' sources of lighting come from oven venting, overhead incandescent, and a small florescent lamp on the ceiling, over the sink basin.
The home's hot water heater is electric and "use-activated." It is located within the storage area beneath the built-in microwave (lower right).
Debbie (our cat - lower left) . . . not included.


Two and a Half Bathrooms

Left two shots, downstairs full bath (11.25' x 8'); right two,
upstairs bath (11.25' x 7.5'). Half bath in Center Room
Click any image to enlarge
The full bathrooms were completely redone in 2002, with Italian ceramic gracing the floors and shower walls, wallpaper finish on the entrance walls and ceiling, and all new bathroom furnishings and fixtures.
The upstairs bathroom is shared by the master bedroom and the upstairs side bedroom. In place of a standard tub, there is a Cielo Whirlpool Jacuzzi.
The full bathrooms have an expensive look and feel. They will please even the most picky occupant. The "half bath" is situated in the center bedroom, and was built-in to accommodate therapeutic colon hydrotherapy equipment.


Dining Room (12.25' x 12.75')

Click image to enlarge
 The dining room adjoins the kitchen and living room. It has ample cabinet space built into the wall on its northern face; its own original hardwood flooring, which was installed when the house was built; its own 3-line phone; and its own heating and air conditioning.
The dining room furniture shown sits six, and as you can see it is leaves plenty of space on all sides.



The Living Room (13.75' x 18.50')

Click image to enlarge
 The living room, as you can see in the picture, adjoins the dining room. It has ample space for an entertainment center, two sofas, a lazyboy chair, etc.
Because so much family activity is centered upstairs, this is probably the most underutilized space in the home -- used primarily for transit to other areas of the house. You can see from this photo that it shares the same original hardwood flooring with the dining room.
Guest Bedroom (12' x 15.5')

Click image to enlarge
 The downstairs bedroom adjoins the kitchen and the downstairs bathroom. The current owners have used it for years as a place for out-of-town guests. It has its own king-sized bed, shelving throughout, and an ample closet.


Center Bedroom (11.50' x 11.75')

Click image to enlarge
 The bedroom sits between the Northwest Bedroom and the Guest Bedroom. If it doesn't look like a bedroom to you, it's because it hasn't been used as a bedroom in years. In the 1960's, the owner of the home ran a hair salon, which was reportedly popular with local residents.
The equipment to the right is medical-grade, colon-hydrotherapy equipment, which was installed when the current owners ran their own alternative health clinic in this residence in the mid-1990's. This area of the room constitutes a half bath -- with sink and cabinet (hot/cold water) and toilet base, which can be capped, or fitted with commode. Due to current FDA restrictions, the current owners use the various health-related equipment in their home for their own use only.

The Northwest Bedroom (13.75' x 15.25')

Click image to enlarge
 This downstairs bedroom faces the front of the house, sits directly below the upstairs Master Bedroom, and adjoins the "Power Room." The current occupants have used it for a bedroom, a study (before the current Main Library was built), and a meditation room. As you can see it is currently being remodelled.
This room has its own 3-line phone and windows facing out north and west.

The Power Room (6' x 11')

Click image to enlarge

The Power Room contains a "strong box"
embedded into the concrete for storing personals.
 There is an extensive network of solar panels on the roof -- so well secured that not even Hurricane Rita disturbed them. They generate enough electricity so that if the "grid" goes down, the house can generate and store (using Trojan deep cycle batteries) enough power to run most basic power needs within the household (except air conditioning and the electric oven).
Although the panels do not come with the house (few others see the need or benefit), the "power room" is readily available to be converted into other uses as the new owner may see fit -- anything from general storage to a secondary tool shed.



Upstairs
The Main Library / Study (14' x 25')

Click to enlarge any image
Four of the rooms in the house saw separate appointments with carpenters to have book-shelving installed. The largest is the upstairs "main library-study." The term "main" is used, because a smaller study, which can serve as a bedroom, is downstairs. (See "Northwest Downstairs Bedroom.") This room contains a LinkSys Cable/DSL Router, providing broadband internet access to all rooms upstairs. Included in the purchase will be all furnishings shown which house the occupants computer, internet, and radio equipment.


The Master Bedroom (15.5' x 19.5')

Click to enlarge any image
The master bedroom is something to behold. Its very expansive character and high ceilings were among the reasons that originally sold the current occupants on the house. The French doors to the right of the entertainment system lead out to the veranda overlooking the front lawn.
Very few homes in Lake Charles -- even the nicer ones, have master bedrooms where you can pack a king-sized bed and other furnishings and still have room left over.
This house has three.

Child's Bedroom (12' x 15.5')

Click to enlarge any image
Down the fall from the master bedroom is what we call the "Child's Bedroom" (these are the only two bedrooms upstairs -- the other three are downstairs). If the occupants had more than one child, this is where they would place their youngest.
This room has its own internet connection, cable TV, 3-Line phone, and is directly connected to the walk-in closet and music room.


Walkin Closet & Music Room (16.5' x 12.75' -- 13' x 13.5')

Click to enlarge any image
When the 'music room' was first built in 1998, it was initially used to store the family's various musical instruments. It is still used for musical purposes now, except that it has taken on more the role of a sitting room and holder of stuffed animals. It could be used for any number of purposes by a new owner -- even another bedroom. It adjoins the walkin closet and the library, from which it is separated by a set of French doors.
The walk-in closet, for its part, is separated into a "his" and "hers" side. It has five racks -- three up on side; two on the other -- which extend out the length of the room (16.5 feet on one side; about 13.5 feet on the other). Like the music room and library, it is 10 feet high -- floor to ceiling; and like both of those rooms, it has decorative crown molding throughout.

Separate from the Main House
Jacuzzi / Play Room Laundry Room (20' x 30' / 12' x 15.5')

Click image to enlarge
 When the current owners purchase this property, it came with a three-car garage -- without garage doors. The arrangement seemed impractical, so the entire building was remodelled and turned into a play room. Later, a 350 Gallon Blue Mountain Jacuzzi was installed, along with workout equipment. Attached to this building is a small 6' x 10' laundry room, with washer, dryer, and built-in sorting table. The room has electric and gas.
The Tool Shed (8' x 16')

Click image to enlarge
 Positioned between the Laundry Room and the back of the house is the Tool Room or Tool Shed. The shed has its own pier foundation and was building and installed by Benoit Portable Buildings of Jennings.
For any guy who has wondered what to do with his tools have he's taken his garage and converted it into something less manly, this area requires no explanation. The interior of this building was excluded from the "square foot - living area" calculation.


The Neighborhood

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During the 16 years which the current owners have lived in this home, they have witnessed little to no crime. The neighborhood, located in the 'Garden District' just a mile from downtown Lake Charles, is also close to the Civic Center, the local courthouse and District Attorney's house. Within the block that it is located, the house is directly across the street from Evergreen Presbyterian Ministries; is right next door to the law offices of John Green, Jr.; and can be viewed from the FedEx sign on Hodges.
The houses on the same block are generally well-kept and in good order . . . and everyone is pretty friendly.
House in May, 1997 The nearest school is ICCS (Catholic) on Ryan and South Ryan. The owners have sent their son to Hamilton Christian Academy for the last three years, which is approximately two miles away.
The neighborhood has, in fact, changed far less than the house itself. [The picture at left (expandable) was taken in May, 1997, well before the second story was completed or other major improvements made, at which time Gulf Coast Bank appraised the property for $110,000].


If you would like a personal viewing . . .

Call Greg or Cathryn Caton at (337) 496-0000 if you wish to arrange an appointment . . . or complete the enclosed form. We will get back to you within 24 hours . . . Thank you!