House of the Day: Kensington FSBO(B)

Can someone tell me what is the beneficial value of "tin ceilings"?

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 12:03 PM

He writes that there is room for negotiation. So if he gets 850ish I dont think it's that such an unreasonable gain. You would have made more if you put the 665 in an S&P index fund.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 12:08 PM

guess he/she doesn't believe in staging

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 12:11 PM

it looks tiny

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 12:14 PM

Doesn't Kensington end at Church Avenue? I hate when people mislabel their location!

House looks cute on the outside but interior photos are aweful. He should hire a real photographer if he hopes to draw in buyers.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 12:25 PM

General comment: Is there any way to deliver an electric shock to anyone that contemplates putting brick on their wood frame porch. Just a mild shock. And a heavier shock if they contemplate brick or stucco covering the whole house.

Staging your photos: Come on take a few minutes to box up the knick knacks and what not and at least empty the waste basket before you snap the photos. And consider removing the TV, metal folding chair, etc. from the area your are taking photos.
All that clutter draws the eye away from the details that people should be looking at.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 12:40 PM

Why Capitalize Every Word?

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 12:47 PM

Can someone tell me what a new sewer is?

***NEW GAS BOILER***NEW SEWER***

Where exactly is this house? What neighborhood is this?

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 1:01 PM

KENSINGTON

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 1:02 PM

You're assuming the $665 was in all cash. If it wasn't, then he'd basically be investing in the S&P on Margin. And that's a bit more expensive then just financing real estate

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 1:16 PM

I saw this house when it was listed two years ago with Fillmore. It would make a great family house. It is actually quite large. The third floor has 2 bedrooms and a small den/family area. There is a very strange bedroom addition off the first floor. I can't remember much more other than one of the top floor bedrooms had a sink in it and someone had painted a brick chimney to mimic brick. At the time the house and been in the same family for years.
The hook ups for a second kitchen were on the second floor.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 1:30 PM

This is kensington. Kensington ends at Ditmas..

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 2:35 PM

Kensington is a neighborhood in the center of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bordered by Coney Island Avenue to the east, Caton Avenue to the north, 36th Avenue to the west, and Ditmas Avenue to the south. The neighborhoods that border it are Ditmas Park and Prospect Park South to the east, Windsor Terrace to the north, Borough Park to the west, and Parkville to the south.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 3:40 PM

Re: what neighborhood is this? Some neighborhoods don't have a real strong "neighborhoody" feel, and this is one of them. I think broker's "Kensington/Ditmas" tag is fine.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 4:01 PM

has this broker been evaluated on Broker Rate yet?

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 4:55 PM

PPSer - I am tired too butI will attempt some clarity. It means someone painted the bricks with brick colored paint and painted the mortar white. It is just one of the things that I remember about this house.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 4:58 PM

..someone painted the bricks with brick colored paint and painted the mortar white. ooooh that sounds bee-u-ti-ful!

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 5:17 PM

Kensington's going to look mighty attractive after the Atlantic Yard train wreck ruins the quality of life in more northern nabes.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 24, 2007 9:17 AM

Some blocks of Kensington are super cute and charming. We just saw some friends' new house there. It's an overlooked neighborhood worth considering for houses under a million. Just look how most people here don't know where it is. That's a good sign. As for this house, the fact that sewer and other mechanicals are done appeals to me as someone who bought a "flipper" house that looks fabulous but has had none of the mechanicals updated. Which is a total headache. Anyway, don't write off Kensington because from what we saw at our friends' place it's a must-see if you're shopping for a home. But I think you can find a better deal there than this house. Our friends didn't pay anywhere near what this seller is asking, for their house.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 24, 2007 12:32 PM

I live in KENSINGTON and love it..yes, many people don't know where it's located. I love living on Ocean Parkway..especially lovely after a snowfall or when trees are in full bloom. Quiet, basically safe..Overall because certain amenities are located farther away, rents are still pretty good.I got a nice size 1 br with 10'ft ceiling for under 1k in 2005..just a little over 1k now..the living is pretty easy in Kensington..

Posted by: Anonymous at January 24, 2007 12:55 PM

I agree with the above poster. I, too, saw this house- it's in decent but not fabulous shape. The workmanship in the new kitchens/bath definitely looked a little off and I wasn't looking too carefully. The layout is definitely a little awkard and the rear extension was definitely done on the cheap some time ago- low ceilings, cheap molding, etc. Doesn't look like it belongs to the rest of the house.

Also, not really fond of the removal of most of the front yard with the curb cut/parking. It did have charm but I have a very similar house in the neighborhood and this price is a real stretch. MAYBE in super pristine condition but not as is.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 24, 2007 1:19 PM

I've heard Ocean Ave has great deals for apartments to rent. If you're looking there, remember what's key about being in Kensington, Ditmas or PLG is being near the Q. If you're quick walking distance to the Q you're actually much better with your commute to Manhattan, than in many prime Brooklyn nabes closer to Manhattan. That's one quick train.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 24, 2007 1:20 PM