Open House Picks

LoL, Jones!

Call up the realtor and say, "Has the dog been renovated, bathed and clipped? What's his square footage?"

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 1:00 PM

maria 1 million dollars is below the median price of a condo *apartment* in manhattan.

this site pertains to brownstones in brooklyn. The going rate for these homes is well above the median price of a home outside of new york city.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 1:11 PM

does anyone else think that the sunset park house is overpriced? 1 million seems like a lot for that area

also, the house in midwood is listed as having a monthly tax of over 1,000--- that's insane, that has to be a mistake!

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 1:11 PM

What is it about the Midwood and Ditmas houses always being SO cluttered with grandma stuff? Total lack of cohesive design. Mish mash. Makes it impossible to see the house. Seriously, you can't even see the details of the house under all that clutter. That bench and table thing is completely inappropriate in that kitchen. Take it out. Eat at the dining table while the house is for sale. And the brown on the ceiling in that one room is so oppressive. If the walls were dark too, it would look better. But pale walls with a dark ceiling makes the ceiling feel like it's pressing in on you.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 1:32 PM

There are a lot of kinds of silly posts on Brownstoner, but the daffiest are the ones that complain about the price of the listings featured. As if Brownstoner could somehow make homes more affordable to average New Yorkers, if only he would choose to use his power.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 1:36 PM

Hilarious, 1:36.

The Westchester RE blog is interesting to look at, to compare. Simply because before one buys a Brooklyn house, one probably always has a moment thinking, "should we go to the suburbs?" I did, but my husband refused. Anyway, LOVE this house. It's so sad that it's obviously a significant architect's design (house dates back to 1936 but very modern) but the sellers don't seem to know who the architect was because he's not noted. Also their furniture and decor is utterly inappropriate for the house, so all it does is obscure the modernist details of the house.

http://www.rivertownsrealty.com/real-estate-property_72614_24.html#pictures

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 1:50 PM

650 is not the market value for the house in sunset park. Trulia is not the most reliable indicator of houses in brooklyn especially in rapidly gentrifying areas like sunset park.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 1:50 PM

Well I'm just thinking maybe Grandma would like to get more than one offer on the house, 1:52. It's not "smug" to help the seller do that, right? The difference between only one or two offers, and 3 or 4 offers can make the seller a lot of money. Or the seller can then say "as is" and refuse to negotiate lower if anything is found during inspection. But if a house sits on the market forever only getting one offer, then it's much harder to get the best terms as the seller. There's like, a ton of shows on TV dedicated to this concept. There are people who all they do is hire themselves out as "stagers" making houses look better, for sale. You know that right? Since when is intelligence seen as "smug"? Oh right, by Republicans and Midwesterners.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 1:57 PM

I agree with Maria. These all seem to be million dollar houses, and to add insult to injury some are in pretty crappy neighborhoods where I wouldn't live for free.
I guess this blog does not deal with the less trendy, middle class neighborhoods in Brooklyn.
Maria, you and I need to look for another blog.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 2:06 PM

The problem with the trulia and zillow types in regard to pricing - is they use published data for all sales...which includes sales of property that were 'private'.
Sale of prop from 1 relative to another under market. Or transaction in divorce where 1 party 'buys' the other out. So my wife pays me $400k and she keeps the $1m property, etc.
Sale recorded as $400k and used in their average pricing.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 2:13 PM

As a potential buyer, I'd find grandma's clutter much more appealing than many of the modern looking homes on the market that are so sparse and sterile looking that I'm unsure whether I'm seeing a person's home or the backroom of a nuclear laboratory.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 2:23 PM

Trulia and zillow show condos and coops and bring down pricing making it meaningless to evaluate the price for a multifamily house, useless web sites in my opinion

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 2:25 PM

2:24 550 is below market. There is nothing in that price range in sunset park. I guess you just proved the point.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 2:56 PM

your "friends" are a little misinformed

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 3:14 PM

To 1:50 PM - I can see the furniture in the pix are not the greatest, but what kind of furniture would you decorate that house with - I'm just trying to learn.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 4:02 PM

John Ife: problem is also with 'officia' sq ftage. data. You say 4 story - but maybe in recs as 3 story (some say difference is how much below grade garden level is). So if calculated per sq ft price and added another story - your estimate of $400 is probably right (or even conservative). Zillow est. for my house is like that... recs show my sq ft as about 2400 when it is more like 3200 with garden floor.

I am not a broker...but observe houses that go on market around me --- and those move-in condition seem to go quickly. Also 2 friends just listed their 1 bedroom coops in ParkSLope at what I thought was very aggressive prices and got that Plus a bit more in just a few weeks.

Only way I see AY is bringing down prices is if turns into low-income project. Other than that makes no difference. Seem to be lot of skittish people thinking a new apt building replacing empty lots or rundown landscape is a negative. But that isn't reality. (I don't have problem with scope of AY or the arena -- only question is how kuch public money is going into this/subsidies)

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 4:14 PM

to 1:32

the listing indicates First time on Market. So, yes, Grandma probably does live there.

I had the opposite experience. I bought a 100 year old victorian style house in the area two years ago. renters were in the building previously who faux (faux pas) painted everything yellow/red/orange and or navy blue including the picture rails and moldings. they had a mexican/hippie protest circus theme going on(they were not mexican, not a racist comment, just comment on style. but they were protest artists.)

I took great pains to restore the walls to a more period correct color and fix the moldings and trim. I furnished it with, yes, victorian style furniture much were from family or antique finds.

I looked past what the house had in it before I bought and saw how I wanted it - Victorian Style. I'm surprised the lack of imagination people can have. BTW there are alot of television shows that show you how to envision a wreck of a house to the way you can make it also.

So ignore how it looks, paint everything white, put in your Eames furniture and track light it to death, when you move in if that's what you want. If you don't like Victorian architecture and the way people decorate Victorian Style houses, move on...More for us who do.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 4:29 PM

i've lived my entire life in ditmas park--- many people have lived in these houses forever- and thus many do not yet have "modern" amenitites like central air... that having been said, it's the broker's fault for not advising the client to declutter signficantly. that's part of what a broker is paid to do- make the client's property as desirable to others as possible- so while a grandma might be living here, it's also likely that this house has been in a single family for a while, and that they dont live with a minimalist aesthetic. also, many people dont know how to decorate a victorian house, and fall into the trap that just because they live in one, the need to decorate the house as it "might have been"-- personally, i like a mix of old and new (that doesnt necessarily mean eames, or fru-fru grandma)... just to mix things in a pleasing, unexpected way...

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 4:42 PM

I guess the earlier poster wanted it to look like some cold, industrial space...like a manufacturing plant or crime lab or something. That's the way of modern design these days, which is why you see so many pieces of sh*t on the market.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 5:03 PM

To answer 4:02's question, the furniture would not necessarily have to be super modern, but I wouldn't put rocking chairs, big sectionals and lazboy recliners in a house like that. Any chairs and sofas that have legs that show, instead of heavy bulky furniture with upholstery reaching all the way to the floor, will allow the "bones" of a house to show, the hardwood floors to show, and elevates all the furniture off the floor visually, giving it a less heavy appearance. Also modern houses like that one, with lots of windows and with white walls, shouldn't have solid dark colored upholstery. Try bright colors or pale colors.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 5:13 PM

Just because people don't like some of these Victorian interiors, doesn't mean they want a Mexican fiesta house or an all-white loft house. Don't overreact. There's certainly such thing as ugly, badly done Victorian decor, which we see more often than we see it done well, let's face it. "Antique" doesn't have to mean clutter. Good taste is good taste, using pretty much the same principals, no matter what era your furniture is coming from.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 5:23 PM

I was addressing 4:29pm, in my post at 5:23pm. Forgot to say that.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 5:24 PM

If people don't know anyone who has good taste AND a comfortable home, that's sad. Get out more!

As for "it's not an interior design contest" this whole thread is all about commenting on real estate for sale. We're being asked for our opinions. We have a right to our opinions. Some of us here are buyers. These homes' sellers are trying to sell to us. One would think they'd like to hear the feedback. Why does this have to be explained?

Have to say, Midwood and Ditmas neighborhood boosters have officially become the most defensive of all the neighborhoods. I've seen this happen anytime anyone critiques a Victorian in Ditmas/Midwood for any reason. The boosters jump all over them.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 5:33 PM

AY will produce instant gentrification east of Flatbush Avenue, drive up property prices, displace minority renters, result in the introduction of new amenities, goods and services to the community, reduce crime, improve schools and, most importantly, gives Brooklyn the professional sport franchise and arena residents so desperately grave and desire. I'm very excited about AY, downtown and brownstone Brooklyn overall.

I fully expect my $2M brownstone to be worth $4M by 2020 when AY is finally completed. In the meantime, I'll just continue to enjoy my home and great neighborhood until I'm ready to retire, sell and move to the Caribbean.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 5:47 PM

I read through the posts with the intention to comment on the Bed Sty house and I too was surprised no one else commented. The house appears to have good bones in both units. It can use upgrades but appears as though a family can move right in. With the rental income helping to pay the mortgage, this one might be doable for an upper middle class family.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 7:51 PM

"Midwood and Ditmas neighborhood boosters have officially become the most defensive of all the neighborhoods"

Really? They've never struck me as defensive... at all (and no, I don't live in or even close to either Midwood or Ditmas).

Posted by: Anonymous at July 20, 2007 8:18 PM

The Halsey house is nice but it's not located in prime brownstone Bed-Stuy, e.g., Bedford Heights or Stuyvesant Heights. Typically the blocks get worse past Patchen. This block is okay though and the house seems to be reasonably priced at $690K. It has very good bones and a lot of potential. If in Stuyvesant or Bedford Heights (the swath of brownstone blocks that run from Nostrand to Malcom X and Madison to Fulton), it would be priced over $900k. Greene east of Classon is also an excellent stretch but it's more of an oasis and not contiguous to prime brownstone Bed-Stuy to the south (separated by the less than steller, Lexington, Quincy, Gates and Monroe).

I think I might swing by the Halsey open house for curiosity's sake. I'm in Clinton Hill and I have a lot of friends in Bed-Stuy but rarely venture east of Malcolm X. I plan to be in Stuy Heights on Saturday so I'll take a look at the house and the surrounding area and report back on Monday. My friends who live in Bed-Stuy have a some general rules when purchasing in the nabe: (1) only look on predominantly brownstone blocks (must be architecturally uniformed); (2) blocks should be tree lined and very green (the best blocks are); (3) no rent stabilized or section 8 apartment buildings nearby; (4) street must be "one way"; (5) no bus traffic; and (6) the closer to Fulton and mass transit the better.

Like most of prime brownstone Bed-Stuy, if you walk onto a block and your initial reaction is "Wow! This should be landmarked", then you're probably headed in the right direction. You'll know that your in the right area if the blocks are all tree lined, architecturally uniformed, the streets are clean, homes are immaculately kept (window boxes and planters everywhere), very little foot traffic, no loitering and it appears quiet and peaceful. Typically you will only find this in Stuy and Bedford Heights but there are some real jewels sprinkled elsewhere throughout the nabe. The house should be on a good block and in a good section of Bed-Stuy to even warrant serious consideration.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 21, 2007 6:26 AM

I dont' think people were being defensive of the Midwood/Ditmas area - I think they were defending an old lady having old lady furniture. No one seemed to be commenting on the price and whether it was too high or low for the area. They were just pointing out that everyone has different taste and that it is ridiculous to discount a house based on the furniture the current owners have in it. They will take it with them. You can pretty cheaply slap on some paint and bring in your own furniture. I tooked at a ton of classic 6s on the upper west side with old lady furniture in them when I was considering that neighborhood. I only wish it changed the value of the property or the number of bidders. I was still completely priced out by numerous people who, like me, figured out they can paint a wall and put in their own furniture. Sigh.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 21, 2007 9:12 AM

I love the fact that people are now trying to use the "shadow" of AY and blocking south facing light as a way to differentiate their neighborhoods; this is actually getting funny

Does anyone remember all the demonstrations on the upper west side when Trump building was going up and then the AOL center? All those people holding up umbrellas in the park - a) made no difference b) the dreaded "shadow" really stalled UWS property prices!!

Posted by: Anonymous at July 21, 2007 11:15 AM

I can't believe the amount of posts debating the "old lady furniture". Who cares? If you buy the house, the old lady people take their furniture with them. Look at the actual house, for Pete's sake. Look at the structural elements, the rooms themselves, the yard and the neighborhood. Someone else's decor is just that - someone elses.

This reminds me of those homebuying shows where the young couple walk into the house and the first thing one of them says is "Ewww, I hate the wall color." Haven't they ever heard of paint?

Posted by: Anonymous at July 21, 2007 11:54 AM

Nobody is saying don't buy a place because it has clutter or bad decor. If someone points that out here, it's because this is supposed to be a discussion that includes comments on how effective the realtor is in marketing a place to get the most offers and top dollar. And since most people seem to know that here, it's why it sounds oddly and inappropriately defensive when people jump all over posters who are simply pointing out more effective ways to market a home that's for sale.

Anyway! As for the doom and gloom about the Brooklyn house market, has anyone seen this piece in the NY Times this weekend? This is exactly why the Brooklyn house market is hot and will stay hot, unless there is a huge change in the trend that's been long forming, for families to stay in NYC instead of going to the suburbs. There's a dearth of larger condos and co-ops available even for those who want to spend a lot.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/realestate/22cov.html?ex=1342756800&en=3085d99efdbb3682&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

So if you're wishing and hoping for the Brookly house market to get cold and drop, then you'll have to convince all the young families of NYC that the suburbs are a better place to live. Good luck!

Posted by: Anonymous at July 21, 2007 11:58 AM

It's true for us, 12:20, politics has become exactly why we dismiss anywhere other than NYC, or the West Coast. You're right. I used to want to live in the South, because I love it there for many reasons, but hello? Creationism in schools? And the obsessive love of guns? Forget it. In the South, Colorado, the Midwest, Texas and Arizona you're surrounded by religious fanatics on all sides who actually believe they are waging a war. Creepy. And you can see this reflected in the real estate market, certainly. If you look where the real estate market is doing okay, it's places where well-off, educated Liberals are drawn to.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 21, 2007 1:22 PM

L.A. is doing okay too, if you are looking at the more hip, fashionable neighborhoods right in L.A. (not suburban sprawl in the Valley or Orange County). My friends there say they have not noticed that much of a slowdown. A condo in their building sold recently, in only a month, and without a price cut. Might have taken a couple weeks longer than usual, but that's not a big deal. Nothing like say, Florida where people can't sell houses or condos at about any price or over any length of time right now.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 21, 2007 3:43 PM

I remember once on a visit to my parents in Florida in the mid-90's, I got off the plane and the first thing I saw was a woman with a mullet haircut all dressed head to toe in stonewashed denim, including stonewashed denim pumps. That's all I have to say.

I'm sure everyone has seen this recent report, here. It was on Colbert Report and the news channels. It confirms what we've been talking about, how the bohemian, arts and gay culture inreases property values:

http://creativeclass.com/rfcgdb/articles/There_Goes_the_Neighborhood.pdf

Posted by: Anonymous at July 21, 2007 4:16 PM

I'm married, 6:48pm! But thanks!

Posted by: Anonymous at July 22, 2007 1:54 PM

People sleeping in vans have at least some social programs to take care of them. Those who might own a home but are one paycheck away from losing it, or who might have health insurance but it wouldn't cover catastrophic illness (which would thus bring on bankruptcy) are the ones really in trouble. Unfortunately, if they live in Middle America or the South they keep on voting for the very people who are keeping them down. Go figure. You can't even reason with them - Democratic candidates eloquently pointed out the economic considerations these voters should be voting on, but they vote on two issues only, gay marriage and abortion. At some point frankly I almost lose sympathy for the schmucks. Look at who these people voted into the White House. Twice. Whoa, this is getting way OT! Everybody enjoy the open houses today.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 22, 2007 2:03 PM

I guess the lack of comments means Brownstoner fans are not as hip to Bed-Stuy as they should be. I stopped by the open house, it's in great shape with a reasonable price (even here people have started asking over a million for places that are dumps). I'm not looking seriously but I think someone who is OK with the idea of living in Bed-Stuy will snap this up. The trolls that the 4:05 AM night owl referred to can just stay crammed in their one-bedrooms elsewhere and forget about owning a brownstone -- we don't want them here anyway.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 23, 2007 1:26 PM