Photo: Two-families are just as quintessential Belmont as the Colonial.

A weekly recap of residential properties sold in the past seven days in the “Town of Homes.”

• 28-30 Gilbert Rd., Multi-family (1923). Sold: $825,000. Listed at $899,900. Living area: 2,050 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 79 days.

I keep calling the Colonial-style residential structure the “quintessential house in the Town of Homes.” But really, shouldn’t it be the humble two-family? It makes up nearly 40 percent of all housing in Belmont, are located in most neighborhoods and provide some of the limited numbers of affordable and rental housing in town. 

Gilbert Road, which is chock full of “twos,” is where the first house sale in 2018 took place. From the outside, there’s not much to 28-30 Gilbert with its boring white vinyl siding and inconspicuous front entry. But inside are a pair of “starter” homes, especially for Belmont – about 1,000 square feet, five rooms, two beds and a bath. The interior has retained much of the original molding, hardwood floors and period features such as built-in cabinet/hutch. There are no photos of the bedrooms so you can suspect they’re a bit tight space-wise but all in all, a good investment if they are turned into condos.