"Old-time charm" is a good way to describe this three-bedroom, two-bath house at 407 Emerson Ave. in Aspinwall (MLS No. 762175), currently listed for $225,000 with Beth Danchek of Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services (www.coldwellbanker.com; 412-389-4609 or 412-487-0500, ext. 239). An open house will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. today.

Built in 1935, this red-brick, Colonial-style house has a front porch with beaded ceilings that spans the entire front of the house. Its early 20th-century character continues inside with high ceilings and original hardwood floors in most of its rooms.

The 24-by-13-foot living room features a built-in brick fireplace with gas insert, decorative mantel and bookcases.

The 14-by-14-foot dining room also has hardwood floors and a built-in hutch. Other highlights are a chandelier from the home's early years and a built-in window seat that opens up for storage. Three large windows span the back wall of the room, letting in lots of afternoon sunlight.

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Aspinwall
At a glance

• Web site: www.aspinwallpa.com
• Size: 0.5 square miles
• Population: 2,060 (2000 Census)
• School district: Fox Chapel; www.fcasd.educq
• Average SAT scores: Verbal, 561; Math, 581; Writing, 560 (Fox Chapel Area High School)
• District enrollment: 4,479
• Taxes for a house assessed at $100,000: $3,072
  
  Municipality: $525 (5.25 mills)
  School: $2,078 (20.78 mills)
  County: $469 (4.69 mills)
• Wage tax: 1 percent, split between the borough and the school district.
• Fun facts: Aspinwall was founded in 1892 and named after Annie Aspinwall, who sold 155 acres to some businessmen who turned it into 601 lots.

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The kitchen measures 11 by 10 feet and has black-and-white checkered tile installed by owner Ken Scholtz as part of a 2007 update. He also installed a new garbage disposal and replaced the countertops.

The carpeted upstairs features a renovated bathroom and three bedrooms, including a 14-by-11-foot master bedroom. A walk-in closet is accessible from the upstairs hallway for additional storage.

Other storage space is in the two-car detached garage, the unfinished attic and the carpeted basement, which is divided into a 19-by-12-foot family room, 13-by-11-foot den and laundry area. The larger rooms have built-in bookshelves and could be used as a home office or game room. The basement also includes a Culligan water softener and another bathroom that Mr. Scholtz updated with a new vanity, shower stall and floor and wall tiles.

Although the house is nearly 75 years old, it features many updates. Within the past five years, Mr. Scholtz has installed a new furnace, windows and electric garage doors. He also painted the first and second floors and last summer, sanded and stained a rear deck that offers views of the many plants and flowers that bloom each spring. The previous owners replaced the roof in the 1990s, he said.

A trip Downtown takes about 20 minutes, depending on traffic. The house is in a friendly neighborhood within walking distance of many spas, restaurants, markets and banks.

"It's definitely the kind of place [where] you'd know everybody on your block within a month or two of living there," Mr. Scholtz said.

He purchased the home for $200,000 in 2004 (www2.county.allegheny.pa.us). Since 2006, 11 properties have sold on Emerson Avenue for prices ranging from $90,000 in November 2006 to $370,000 in June 2007 (www.realstats.net).

Doug Oster writes a blog, "Growing With Doug," exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.