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August 22, 2006

House of the Day: 137 Berkeley Place

house
We're curious to hear from anyone who went to the open house at 137 Berkeley Place. The house is on a lovely block and has some nice woodwork left but the kitchens and bathrooms are pretty shlubby. It also looks like there have been some questionable decisions in the fireplace department over the years. Do you think $1.975 million is realistic?
137 Berkeley Place [Hieghts Berkeley] GMAP P*Shark




Posted by Brownstoner at 11:35 AM | Comments (15)
Categories: Properties

Comments

Doesn't look so great inside from the photos, huh? Wonderful, quiet block but not in 321. For a comp, BHS has a house on Union that's going for 1.990. Depending on the width of the house, it probably goes for anywhere between 1.85 and 2 I should think. That agency is doing anybody any favors though with their photos and lack of info.

Posted by: west at August 22, 2006 11:52 AM

The price is certainly more realistic than Brown Harris, which had it in April at $2.2M and dropped mid-June to $2.095M.

My husband and I went to the open house and think they're marketing this all wrong. It's a HUGE fixer-upper for someone with deep pockets. The cellar is damp enough to sprout stalagmites and stalactites. The garden floor tenant's unit is dark with dire ancient vinyl flooring, a horrible bathroom and awkward kitchen. What's being billed as "owner's triplex" lacks a working kitchen - there are two SRO-type kitchens on the 3rd and 4th floors with sinks, cupboards and fridges but NO STOVE (and I suspect the gas line is not extended to those floors to accommodate one). In fact, we asked if the building had been an SRO - there was also at least one bedroom door that had a shoulder-height Medeco-type lock on it - and the broker played dumb. There is evidence of water damage on the ceiling in one of the rear bedrooms, and there were two workmen PLUS some relative of the owner's there on a Sunday afternoon, doing what the broker said was "cosmetic work" to the ceiling of a front BR. We suspect it was more serious water damage. The third-floor bath off the hallway is hard to access, as the hall door crashes into the tub when it's opened. There have been no mechanical updates aside from a new hot water heater; the broker claimed there was a new roof but almost panicked when my husband tried to go up the interior roof ladder to confirm it.

The Heights Berkeley brokers at the open house were awful and are not doing the owner any favors. The one who showed us around was outright deceptive about some things and clueless about others - she claimed not to KNOW basic stuff like the last known updates on the mechanicals, gave a totally unrealistic projection on the rental for the garden-floor studio ($2300) and even complained about walking up and down the stairs in her 3" heels.

Posted by: ZeeBee at August 22, 2006 12:10 PM


Lots of brokers believe that there's a better chance people will visit a property if there are only a few photos in the advertisement.

The theory is that just a few photos will tempt a potential buyer to come to an open house while many photos, even of a property in great condition, may discourage a buyer from visiting because he or she is no longer curious.

Brokers aren't as dumb as you think. They know how to use digital cameras. You Brownstoners might want to see more photos, but it's very understandable why brokers only show a few.

Posted by: Socrates at August 22, 2006 12:12 PM

it could work the other way around - lack of photos means they are hiding something.

who wants to waste their time (and millions) on a wild goose chase for a home that isn't proudly showing itself as a proud peacock.

Posted by: anonymous at August 22, 2006 12:36 PM

If you see an exterior photo of an ordinary townhouse for what appears to be a reasonable price, you'll more likely check out the house in person if you haven't seen any interior photos.

Unless the interior photos are spectacular, most agents do not show them. They'd rather you IMAGINGE something spectacular, so they get warm bodies to the open house, and then have the chance to do the full sales pitch.

Posted by: Ceasar at August 22, 2006 1:08 PM

In theory, sure, but when I see a photo of an exterior only, I don't even bother calling because I know they're hiding something.

As for the photos of this place...if you've ever dealt with this agency, then you'll know that this is a case of incompetence and negligence, not sales smarts.

Posted by: west at August 22, 2006 1:48 PM

In response to Socrates: yes..fewer photos might tempt people to come look at a property in person, however, lots of poor photos turn people off. If you look at the photos onthe NYTimes site the photos are not complimentary...rather they look quickly taken by a lazy broker. It sounds like you are trying to stick up for the broker (probably one yourself); but, no excuse for a broker not doing their homework in knowing when mechanical were last updated etc. Its a shame more brokers dont realized what potential buyers want most is information (when the roof/furnace/water heater was last replaced, how long the sellers lived there, etc). .. and its the one thing most brokers don't bother finding out...

Posted by: Anon at August 22, 2006 2:34 PM

I saw it when it was listed at $2.2 million. Too narrow, IMHO (it's only 16' wide). I felt clausterphobic in there.

Posted by: fortgreener at August 22, 2006 4:12 PM

Likewise, I am suspicious when photos show only parlors, bedrooms, nice plaster molding etc. and omit kitchens, bathrooms and such. You can fill in the blanks yourself.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 22, 2006 4:59 PM

Why would someone give a listing to this firm? They are a small uninformed agency. I heard they will take listings at 2% commission. They are that desparate

Posted by: christine at August 22, 2006 6:20 PM

Sales people suck in general, but real estate salespeople suck the chrome off a trailer hitch.

If you're dealing with them as a buyer you better be prepared to do a LOT of legwork yourself regarding the vitals of the property. Brokers can lie thru their teeth about extensive liens, buildings on leased lots, true sq. footage etc etc etc. They make huge commisions in exchange for almost no real work.

They're lazy, I even read about one in a posting above that complained she had to go up some stairs with a customer because she had 3" heels on.

I woulda bitch-slapped her right there.

Posted by: Dan at August 22, 2006 8:10 PM

Dan, I loved your "suck the chrome off a trailer hitch" comment so much I just blogged a riff on it--so evocative of our own house-hunting follies! Ahem, pardon: I meant to say, "Now, Dan, let's reward Brownstoner for removing that cumbersome sign-in system by maintaining a tone of civility and respect, especially for our hard-working real-estate professionals!"

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at August 23, 2006 12:25 AM

...i would love to have my friends and family over, and say welcome to my 2 million dollar dump.

Posted by: anonny at August 23, 2006 8:07 PM

Wow, My property 4 sale was actually mentioned during this rant. Not the one advertised; but thanks for the interest you obviously have taken in my home for whatever reason. Do you want to buy it? Pics or not, It's got nothing to hide, take a look. You know the deal, and you are probably in the business. Are you even looking for a home in this price range?

Posted by: bklynbach at August 26, 2006 2:10 AM

After reading some of your posts, I can't help but feel saddened, as that was my grandmother’s home until the age of 99.

A fixture in the Park Slope community for 60+ years, I am sure many of you probably crossed my grandmother’s path. Warm and outgoing, she was akin to the "mayor" of Berkeley Place as you could find her on her stoop, on many an afternoon regaling passersby’s with accounts of her travels, tales of her days dancing at Roseland, or her all time favorite story the way in which she became the owner of 137 Berkeley Place…

Upon marriage to my grandfather, my grandmother moved in with her new husband’s family. Desperately unhappy in her new living situation, she begged my grandfather to move out, into a home of their own where they could raise a family. Every time she’d approach my grandfather, his response was always the same… “It’s impossible, we don’t have the money.” A woman of very clever means, my grandmother believed she could make the impossible, possible. Every week unbeknownst to my grandfather, she made sacrifices and cutbacks that enabled her to siphon a little money from his paycheck. Slowly, pennies turned into dollars until one day, my grandfather went off to work, and my grandmother went off to purchase 137 Berkeley Place.

Now, back to the present day…

I can't deny the fact that yes the home does need polish to bring it up to our elite New York City standards. However, my grandmother was only the second person to own that home and in essence what you're buying is a piece of Park Slope history. If you would have seen the home in its glory days, or the oasis of the garden in full bloom, I know your posts would be entirely different. I speak from experience when I say 137 Berkeley Place is truly a unique property that is most certainly a diamond waiting for the right person to make it sparkle.

Posted by: Grandaughter22 at January 11, 2007 12:42 PM

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