A House and a Flat Screen TV To Put In It

house
We didn't know it had come to this. Ettelson RE, who often has some real Crown Heights gems on its listings roster, isn't sitting back and letting this market softening get it down. Anyone willing to put up $999,000 for this victorian mansion on Park Place will also be the proud new owner of a 42-inch plasma screen television. Oh yeah, and they'll throw in $1,000 cash money.
All Buyers Receive 42" Plasma [Craigslist]
Park Place Victorian [Ettelson RE]

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From the Craig's List Ad:

"The buyer does not need to purchase one of our exclusive listings but can choose from thousands of listings in which Ettelson Real Estate LLC will bring (you) the buyer to a closing, in what is known as a co-broke. e.g. You saw a listing on Corcoran, Douglas Elliman, Brown Harris Stevens or dozens of other broker websites in which you wanted to purchase all you have to do is use us as the selling broker and you would be entitled to the above gifts".

I'm sure this will make it easy for Ettleson to work with other brokers :-)

Am I the only one who thinks this is kind of sleezy?

Posted by: Bob Marvin at May 12, 2006 9:51 AM

I have already seen some listings with offers like that in areas not in Brooklyn - lots of sellers contributing to closing costs, plasma tvs included, etc. I have even seen one offer a BMW and one seller offered a trip to anywhere in the world.

But the co-broke aspect of this is a tad sleazy.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 12, 2006 10:01 AM

Its about time we started getting something back from brokers and sellers. well truth many developers offer gifts to buyers, now its just comin from the broker too.

Posted by: parksloper at May 12, 2006 10:01 AM

Hooray!! Two thimbs up to ettelson. I think more brokers should be givin out gifts to teh buyers, i def like the 42".

Posted by: gottogotowork at May 12, 2006 10:10 AM

This is common in SoCal, but mostly for new construction / condo conversions - never seen it for a resale house.

Posted by: Sassy at May 12, 2006 10:14 AM

That house has been on and off their listings for the past two years or so.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 12, 2006 10:45 AM

this is considered a kickback to buyer. Gifts to buyers are not supposed to exceed $50.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 12, 2006 10:53 AM

I guess the days of having an open house, taking mulitple bids and sealing the deal with floral arrangements and thank you cards are over.

We're in the new era of stagings and buyer incentives.. Whats next?

Posted by: ItsAWrap at May 12, 2006 10:57 AM

so you're saying if i shell out a million dollars for a house, you'll give me a $3000 TV? that has all the allure of "slashing" the price from $999,000 to $996,000...where do i sign?

Posted by: Anonymous at May 12, 2006 11:04 AM

Part of the reason this house is a hard sell is that it needs a lot of work. It is a great house - even mentioned in the AIA Guide to NY as a great example of the Shingle Style. It sits on a large lot on a nice block. The previous owner ran his business from the house, and to my knowledge did not live in it. He created some unfortunate closets and ruined the lines of some rooms too. It is a solid one family, although one could probably ruin the lines of it by creating a private hallway to lead upstairs, but you would be ruining a gorgeous Victorian Turkish smoking corner with built in seats, mucho woodwork, etc. I hope no one does that. The rooms on all floors are amazingly small for a house that size, and would need a sensitive removal of a couple of walls to open it up, as it is now a warren of small rooms leading one to another.

Here's the biggie - it doesn't have a kitchen. The original kitchen is on the ground floor, down in the basement really, along with the mechanicals. What's there now is a 70's mishmash of cheap cabinets and appliances, looking really bad. There is a great fireplace on one side of the kitchen that would be way cool restored, and the entire house has some very nice details. Some enterprizing entrepenurs removed a couple of mantlepieces too.

I also had a problem with the worst woodwork stripping job I have ever seen in my life. I'm sure they decided that people like stripped woodwork, so they went to it at the last minute, and did a crap job. You can actually see gloppy remnants of the stripper in the corners and crevices, which they covered with high gloss polyurathane.

All that to say it's a great house if you are willing to sink a lot more money into it. It would make a wonderful family home for someone with 3 or 4 kids and a pile of money, as there is a yard to play in, and room enough for everyone to have their own room. You would just need to make it work for you.

I saw the house over a year ago.

Posted by: Brower Park at May 12, 2006 11:07 AM

Well, I think they are in the bargaining stage now...Perhaps they will be in an acceptance mode soon next year.

Posted by: djr at May 12, 2006 11:08 AM

"enterprising entrepeneurs" - can't spell this morning.

Posted by: Brower Park at May 12, 2006 11:10 AM

Check their website for more Ettelson sleazyness - they are marketing this decent looking Victorian as a tear down for developers:

http://www.ettelsonre.com/viewproperty.asp?propertyid=117#

Posted by: Anonymous at May 13, 2006 11:07 AM

Yeah, that's too bad -- but no pics of the interior; must be in really bad shape. I was in Kensignton on E. 2nd St. and Ditmas Friday; there is a lot of tearing down going on around there. Really a shame.

Posted by: babs at May 13, 2006 6:13 PM

« How Yassky Lost His Sheen (A Personal View) Brooklyn Heights House Tour Saturday »

May 12, 2006

A House and a Flat Screen TV To Put In It

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