House of the Day: 1211 Ditmas Avenue

I thought this one was in contract or at least had an accepted offer a while back?

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 12:40 PM

Is there a house tour in Ditmas??!!

Is there a house tour anywhere else?

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 12:59 PM

Bob999-
There is a Victorian Flatbush tour in June. I think that encompasses PPS and Ditmas. http://fdconline.org/calendar.html

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 1:06 PM

There is a Victorian Flatbush House Tour in June.

http://fdconline.org/calendar.html

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 1:10 PM

THE HOUSE IS IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE, EVERYTHING NEEDES UPGRADING, NOBODY LIVED THERE FOR QUITE A WHILE, $999 IS WAY TOO MUCH FOR THIS HOUSE

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 2:42 PM

A great house (potentially), but as is it looks like the addams family lived there for 30 years on a very tight budget.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 2:47 PM

Maybe people are afraid of the Cheshire Cat in the bathroom?

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 2:57 PM

this house has a lot of potential, but should be priced at about $850K. We looked at it, and loved the detail. Needs total upgrading but the period details are there for the real junkie. It should be said that the house is a little on the small size. Feels kind or pokey. The exterior was the real turn-off for us. pretty short on curb appeal despite great bones.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 4:37 PM

It's 2 blocks in from Coney Island Ave & it's a major cross-over from Flatbush Ave ... crazeeee amount of traffic, not the nicer part of Ditmas.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 7:50 PM

I have to tell you that despite trying to be very open minded about this area, I still find it kind of depressing. There truly isn't that much around to walk to despite the talk about the improvement of Cortelyou. Walking around the area one can hardly find a place to sit for moment over a cup of coffee or sandwich. It seems like 90% of the properties are not well maintained either.

I can already see the backlash this email might generate, but I'm truly at a loss. I love the old victorians and their detail; I've restored several in the past and keep venturing to Ditmas Park with great plans only to leave every time thinking that I wouldn't be happy there. Maybe just not for me, but I actually felt more comfortable in my last place in Lefferts Manor.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 7:57 PM

Anonymous at 7:57 - to each his (or her)own. We love it here. Although there are houses in need of TLC, 90% is a vast over statement. Truth is, everywhere you look people are restoring (more so than renovating). I live near Cortelyou Rd and just today my son and I enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate and a organic brownie and Vox Pop, then dropped a significant amount of money at the new children's store, Belle and Maxie. Then we picked up some organic apple juice at the Flatbush co-op. I don't believe any of this is yet possible in Lefferts Manor, despite the stunning architecure. However - I do hope these sort of amenities come to PLG soon - the neighborhood certainly deserves them.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 8:50 PM

was the hot chocolate organic as well? if not, the neighborhood sucks.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 8:57 PM

This house is smaller than some - but hey, that means cheaper fuel bills and less cash on upkeep than the grand dames you can also find along Ditmas (originally one of the premier thoroughfares, especially as you get closer to Ocean Avenue). I wouldn't call it a starter home, but for a family with just one or two children, it would be a great family home. Still, price is too high given amount of work needed. Should be in the 800K range.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 8:58 PM

i believe the people who have actually been inside the house, but nothing from the pictures says "gut renovation" to me. is that just a reflex among this crowd, any house that needs some work needs to be "gutted"?

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 9:31 PM

Yes, there is coffee in this neighborhood. But once again folks, if you're looking for fully "gentrified" (i.e. 7th avenue in park slope shopping strip), this isn't the place. People want different things...if you want a scene, don't move to ditmas park. No reason to be "t a loss" and no reason for you to get flamed anon 7:57, this 'hood might just not be for you.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 10:17 PM

anyone know anything about this house, currently offered by Warren Lewis?

http://www.warrenlewis.com/cgi-bin/re/re_show.pl?re_command=show&ID=5766

Looks sweet....

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 10:40 PM

The Warren Lewis house looks like a good reno... However the ask (over a million) is very high for South Midwood, which is the part of Victorian Flatbush across Ocean Avenue, near Brooklyn College. The owners probably picked this place up for a song a few years ago. There are great schools in South Midwood, to be fair - decent elementary, Hudde Jr High, Midwood HS, and the amenities of Brooklyn College are wonderful. The new Target to be built at nearby Flatbush Junction will also be a boon to the nabe. But South Midwood does feel a bit isolated from the rest of Victorian Flatbush due to being the only part across busy Ocean Avenue. Architecturally, there are some gems, but also many spotty renovations, I used to say this was where the last great bargains were hiding... maybe not anymore.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 22, 2007 7:51 AM

I have been in the house (and live in the neighborhood as well) and agree it needs a gut, with details preserved. Family should not live in the house during this - the scope of the work that needs to be done is just too great.

The pictures are very misleading. The walls are in terrible shape.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 22, 2007 10:08 AM

The reasons it didn't sell are already listed in
http://brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2006/11/open_house_pick_99.php

Those photos are so misleading as to the true condition of the house.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 22, 2007 3:54 PM

I went through an open house here a few weeks ago - it definitely needs to a gut reno. Some of the walls on the third floor were bared down to the wood that held the plaster (sorry I don't know the technical terms for this stuff!). The rooms look nice online because of the bright colors, but really this place needs work from top to bottom. $999 is waaay too much. This house is 2 long (avenue) blocks from the gentrifying Cortelyou.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 23, 2007 12:12 PM

Its had a price chop to $850k now. So thats $150k you can throw into must-do emergency maintenance (it certainly is in need of $150k, just for starters).

The ditmas ave traffic is annoying. How can you enjoy a front porch on your $1.3m (after renovation) house with whoosh whoosh whoosh from cars.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 1, 2007 3:00 PM