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July 24, 2008
House of the Day: 210 Prospect Place
Talk about a make-over! If you click through and check out the "before" photo of 210 Prospect Place in Prospect Heights, you'll barely recognize the "after" photo above. From what we can tell from the interior photos, the renovation succeeded in maintaining the historical architectural elements in the house while infusing it with a clean, modern feel. (For some reason, we don't mind the recessed lighting in the kitchen either!) The one-family house is also on one of the nicest block in Prospect Heights. As nice as it is, do you think that you can get $2,495,000 for a 3,600-square-foot house on this side of Flatbush?
210 Prospect Place [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
Photo by Gregg Snodgrass for Property Shark
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Comments
Honestly, one of the most beautiful homes I've ever seen highlighted here before.
Posted by: 11217 at July 24, 2008 1:39 PM
The fact that it is so close to the 7th Ave subway stop kind of makes the "this side of Flatbush" point moot. This location is as nice and convenient as any in the Slope. That being said, paying 2.5 for a three story one family house in any neighborhood is a big ask in this market.
Posted by: wasder at July 24, 2008 1:40 PM
Wonderful makeover, indeed. I think it's quite nicely staged (although I would put away the animal skin rug, fake or not, they turn me off). I've also dealt directly with this broker and she's a very sweet and pleasant person.
Wasder, I agree the location is convenient, but there are still three story homes in good locations in Brooklyn that are worth $2.5MM and above.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2008 1:47 PM
Nicely downe. They can easily get that price if they hire the company that jacked-up and moved the Alexander Hamilton house.
Posted by: dittoburg at July 24, 2008 1:51 PM
I'm not sure a house like this would fetch 2.5 million on the Park Slope side of Flatbush even, so while I think it's a little aggressive, one can be when you have, what looks to be a perfectly restored one family like this. Someone will fall in love and really want the place.
Just my guess.
Posted by: 11217 at July 24, 2008 1:51 PM
FWIW, it's a four story house.
Posted by: SnarkSlope at July 24, 2008 1:52 PM
The renovstors should get a round of applause too. the before and after pics are quite astounding.
Posted by: dittoburg at July 24, 2008 1:55 PM
Its a lovely home and very well staged. Something right out the pages of Elle Decor.
Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at July 24, 2008 1:59 PM
Wow. You'd have to be a real crank to quibble with this one. Love the top story row of windows. if I could afford this house it wouldn't matter which side of Flatbush I was on.
Wonder why they're selling? There must be some sort of problem if you're putting it on the market in the slowest time of year. Think I'd wait until either after Labor Day, or, frankly, after the election...
Posted by: Bolder at July 24, 2008 2:00 PM
Lovely in every regard. I watched this place evolve into the gorgeous townhouse it is over the last several months; it has come a long way, baby. That's a fantastic staging as well. I think that this side of Prospect has approx. 115'-deep lots as well.
Posted by: Fjorder at July 24, 2008 2:01 PM
if anyone finds out who renovated this house, please post it sounds like a lot of people would love to know (and love to hire them)!
Posted by: geekspice at July 24, 2008 2:03 PM
you guys are feeling the vapors a bit today. It's nice. not $2-1/2M nice
Posted by: ontheparkway at July 24, 2008 2:10 PM
This building is a gut renovation, and from what I've little seen in person, they've done a great job. This is one of the nicest blocks of Prospect Heights IMHO, and I agree it's not $2.5M nice- probably like $3M nice, given what other properties on the block are selling for.... (as if I had that much money for a one-family....)...
Posted by: harriet at July 24, 2008 2:15 PM
Speaking of swooning, the Dow is feeling the vapors today too.
Posted by: SnarkSlope at July 24, 2008 2:17 PM
This is a beautifully staged house, and seems very lovely.
I will heartily disagree with Biff though, since I have dealt with this broker and found her to be someone I would not recommend.
The house itself is rather expensive for the market we are dealing with.
Posted by: bkheightscoop at July 24, 2008 2:18 PM
Really nicely done place and the location cannot be better so yep this would sell @ ask or very close to it.
The renovation is really inspiring and we would love to know who did it...
Posted by: pierre de taille at July 24, 2008 2:19 PM
Harriet - your comment about this place being 3 million nice is part of the reason why we had such an obscene housing bubble. Irrational exuberance.
I'm sorry...I love the look of this house, but you've been layin on the bong a little too much if you think this place should get 3 mil.
Posted by: 11217 at July 24, 2008 2:21 PM
Corcoran is showing another of their listings on this same block ,slightly smaller hose, as In Contract with asking price just slightly less. For what it's worth.
Posted by: Petebklyn at July 24, 2008 2:22 PM
It'll get ask, probably over ask. That house via B,Q is less than 30 minutes to midtown.
Posted by: Fjorder at July 24, 2008 2:23 PM
Biff--I agree that there are one families that are "worth" this but I would guess that the pool of potential buyers for such a house is radically smaller now than a few years ago. I don't think this is a case of pie in the sky pricing because it is a truly spectacular renovation but it may not fetch the price just because of market conditions.
Snark--yes its a four story. My mistake. But the top and garden floors are quite a bit lower in ceiling height than the floors on more traditionally laid out four floor houses. But that is a minor point. Its a great looking house.
Posted by: wasder at July 24, 2008 2:28 PM
Dude, where's da bong?
Ya know, I'm not being completely serious. Maybe I love Prospect Heights too much? Is that possible? In any case, I really hope nobody uses my post as a negotiating tool.
There are apartments on Prospect Place going for about $800,000, and if you multiply that by four, this might hypothetically seem vaguely reasonable.
But I guess my serious point is that it might get the asking price. Not everyone is hurting in this economy, and there are a lot of really strong positives to the house, not just the quality of the reno, but it's location is pretty fantastic. A lot of people love the way that Vanderbilt Avenue is heading, and it's really close to Prospect Park the B/Q and the 2/3. The block is getting landmarked, and this sort of project may be the last of its kind on Prospect Place.
Posted by: harriet at July 24, 2008 2:30 PM
Fair enough, Harriet.
I agree that Vanderbilt is pretty awesome these days also...
Posted by: 11217 at July 24, 2008 2:34 PM
it's lovely, if not that inspired. not that everything needs to be inspired or inspiring - i prefer to add my personal touches through decor rather than architecture and i bet a lot of buyers do, too. i would prefer the kitchen and dining on the parlor level, but reasonable minds can differ on that. i think they'll have no problem getting their price and then some. it seems fairly priced, in line with the comps and taking into consideration reno costs.
what does it mean to have the OH on a weekday afternoon? trying to minimize the nosy neighbor factor?
Posted by: i disagree at July 24, 2008 2:36 PM
bkheightscoop, what was your experience with the broker? I should add that: 1) she was helping me as a buyer and 2) I ended up finding a place on my own eventually. So, I didn't mean to imply I would recommend or endorse her necessarily on the sell-side or that she's an exceptional broker, just that she was a lot nicer to deal with than others. As it happens, the broker I used when I sold my last place was the opposite; quite aggressive and abrasive, but extremely competent!
wasder, fair point.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2008 2:38 PM
I won't say too much, except that she was the broker for the seller.
Luckily I had my own wonderful broker, and found a much better apartment! But I hate that she wasted my time.
Posted by: bkheightscoop at July 24, 2008 2:40 PM
They should get an award for the renovation of that exterior.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 24, 2008 2:44 PM
Thanks bkheightscoop. I'm glad you found a nicer place that you're happy with. It's understandable we could have different impressions of the same broker having had experiences with her on the opposite sides of the transaction.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2008 2:47 PM
Did anyone else notice that they managed to get rid of the street sweeping signage in front? Pretty nice!
Posted by: i disagree at July 24, 2008 2:51 PM
I think they've done this right in pretty much every way. The only quibble I would make is that if you are going to have a parlor floor dedicated to just parlors, it's smart to have a wet bar for entertaining. HA - that really is a quibble, and a thought rather than a criticism. can't speak to the price, but I think PH has a great feeling and in terms of location is much more attractive than the neighbs located on the far sides of the park.
Posted by: gkw at July 24, 2008 2:53 PM
11217 - thanks! as my prize, i would like this house.
Posted by: i disagree at July 24, 2008 2:57 PM
Photoshop perhaps?
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2008 3:00 PM
Biff....you're always such a pessimist.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 24, 2008 3:10 PM
gkw, i've wondered about the phrase "wet bar" before. What is the difference between a wet bar and a bar?
Posted by: dittoburg at July 24, 2008 3:12 PM
Dave, I'm actually very much an optimist. A cynic and a skeptic for sure; but not a pessimist.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2008 3:14 PM
dittoburg, basically a wet bar includes a sink with running water. A plain old bar does not.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2008 3:16 PM
No doubt this is a great renovation and it's perfectly staged but I think we're getting caught-up with the cool "stuff" (furniture, art, etc.) in the house and with the miraculous transformation.
Look past that and I don't think it's worth $2.5MM. Plus, no pictures of yard, top floor or any baths are suspect. Kitchen is also not high-end for the price-point. That said, a 75' deep yard would be sweeeet.
If I had that kind of cash, I would buy another place like the "before" picture for $1.2MM or so and spend ~$800k for my own version of this for sub-$2MM.
Posted by: Mr Joist at July 24, 2008 3:17 PM
wet bar has a water supply (basin/faucet).
Posted by: BH76 at July 24, 2008 3:20 PM
Yes Biff, perhaps "cynical" would have been a better word to describe that comment.
I think having any kind of a visible bar setup in a really nice high end parlour setting is so 60s or 70s...I'm sure they have them on that new TV show "Swingtown"
A bit off topic but along the same line of thinking, are there any bars left in Brooklyn that have wet T shirt contests?
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 24, 2008 3:23 PM
Mr Joist makes a really good point on any of these high end renovations. You could easily find places; in a neighborhood that more suits your needs, which are in need of renovation and then spend the $500-800,000 yourself ang get EVERYTHING that you want. The worst thing is paying up for a place where they've spent lots of money on a high end kitchen or bath and you still feel you want to rip it out and do it to your tastes.
BTW Mr Joist, can we call you Floor?
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 24, 2008 3:28 PM
dittoburg...a dry town is even worse. I went to grad school in Evanston, IL...home of the Women's Christian Temperance League....arrggghhh
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 24, 2008 3:30 PM
Dave, you scoundrel, you. Did they have dry t-shirt contests in Evanston?
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2008 3:38 PM
Mr Joist the problem is you would NOT find that kind of place (the before) anymore in Prospect height for that sort of price range. Believe me I've been looking for a while and the closest thing was the place next door 211 Prospect place and that sold for $1.5M plus it needed much more work by far. And even though prices are trending down in RE renovation costs are going up with gas prices. So yes $2.5m is a ton of dough but that is what this place will sell for @ the minimum. Heck with the cool staging it would not surprise me one bit if it goes for higher... belle masion mon chere
Posted by: pierre de taille at July 24, 2008 3:44 PM
Not specifically related, but I found this article pretty interesting...
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080724/FREE/829303783/1050/toc
Posted by: 11217 at July 24, 2008 3:48 PM
This is an really active board. Maybe someone should try posting something on the Inside Third & Bond: Week 46 board. I feel bad for that dude, he writes these incredibly long posts about his project and gets something like 2 or 3 comments in response. Today there were 3 comments the last time I checked and one of those was the dude attacking Biff for saying his project is going too slow.
Posted by: Brooklynnative at July 24, 2008 3:53 PM
With all the crappy houses you see for around 2.2 this place is priced well. It will go for over asking.
Posted by: billyboomer at July 24, 2008 3:56 PM
Brooklynnative, that's funny. I know, I tried to spice things up there a bit with a joke and johnife got his knickers in a knot. If it wasn't for our brief exchange, there would still be a total of one lonely post.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2008 3:58 PM
Brooklynnative, the last time you and I got into a tiff it was over something much lesser. I got to put my foot down here and put an end to these "cross thread" comments. Biff and I have had "words" in the past over this and here you lure him into it again. He of all people should know better.
45 weeks!!!! Wow That's like, maybe almost a year?
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 24, 2008 4:03 PM
Dave...Evanston, the greatest town in America! AND my hometown is dry no more! Tons of great bars and restaurants now. However, I am pretty sure that they don't allow Northwestern alums into any of them! HA!
Brooklyn is the greatest borough.
Posted by: bedstuyhoya at July 24, 2008 4:06 PM
budstuyhoya...we know where you went to school. Did you know The Spot? Right on Foster(?) by the El tracks. We could drink there all night long as long as we ordered a pizza. Otherwise it was just the Holiday Inn losers bar!!!
Does Georgetown even have a B-school??
Glad to see the reno pics back up. Did you finish the kitchen? I really want to see pics of that
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 24, 2008 4:11 PM
sorry bedstuyhoya...i guess thats bedstuyreno (Peter) and I got you two mixed up
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 24, 2008 4:14 PM
daveinbedstuy: Floor is my first name.
pierre de taille: You say no places for ~$1.2MM in Prospect Heights. Maybe so, I don't know that sub-market. I do know Park Slope though. Go to StreetEasy and see:
566 10th Street
664 Degraw Street
1212 8th Avenue
1216 8th Avenue
... and remember the StreetEasy prices are the Ask price, not the Sale price.
There are still deals out there if you are willing to live through reno-hell.
Posted by: Mr Joist at July 24, 2008 4:15 PM
Is this the same owners who renovated 209 Dean and got 3.25? The staged furniture looks familiar....
Posted by: kuroko at July 24, 2008 4:38 PM
Dave, you're joking right? - over "putting your foot down" about the "cross thread comments."
Posted by: Brooklynnative at July 24, 2008 4:44 PM
kuroko, good catch. i had the same thought when i saw the staging. then i saw it's the same broker. then i recall that broker said the 209 dean owner had decided she was so good at renovating, that she's become a full-time style flipper and was already working on the next project while selling 209.
for what it's worth, the 209 renovation was just a veneer. ceilings dropped instead of replastered. sheetrock laid over walls that needed skimcoating. wall2wall carpet over subflooring. woodworked covered in paint without stripping. the new work was already peeling away from what was underneath in some cases. basically, expect that renov to have a half life of 18 mos.
Posted by: new2 at July 24, 2008 5:07 PM
yes, of course i am
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 24, 2008 5:47 PM
Was at the open house. Saw the house before it sold, too. It had been a total dump. The renovation is nice, but very generic. Take away the staging props and it looks like every post-war apartment you've ever seen. They ripped apart the building in record time and did away with alot of what I thought was the charm. To be sure the developer added some nice touches, like raising the roof a little, adding good windows at top level out front, putting back the stoop. And it looks absolutely fabulous from the street. But there had been charm to the house under all the original owner-family's crapola, and that too has all been demolished. Now you have ordinary sheetrock ceilings with some of those plastic faux-plaster centerpiece thingys tacked up (and you can still see the nails on at least one). They look really out of place in an otherwise modern and very simple interior. I think the dark-stained floors and bathroom fixtures -- all very trendy -- are going to look hopelessly dated in about a minute. The kitchen cabinets are basic moderne, off-white, and look fine. They left a weird concrete sort of race-track in most of the back yard and put little landscaping rocks over part of it, leaving very little usable room. Somebody will probably buy it at or above ask, but that's because most people don't know any better. Also the central a/c wasn't working on the first two floors -- not a good sign.
Posted by: bricktop at July 24, 2008 7:06 PM
$2.5 million for a short, ugly, generic house on the wrong side of Flatbush? No frickin' way. You people are all high today. Seems that the fancy staging and interior design is really working...
Posted by: abcdz at July 24, 2008 8:09 PM
I like the house, but agree wih 8:09. Hard to see past the interior decorator. Did anyone notice that 2 of the photos have a colorful flower sweeping in from the upper left hand? Tricky.
Posted by: G Samsa at July 24, 2008 9:38 PM
This place gives me real estate wood.
Posted by: turdferguson at July 24, 2008 11:48 PM
You can have the house. I'll take the furniture.
Posted by: SnarkSlope at July 25, 2008 10:03 AM
I don't get this whole "wrong side of Flatbush" thing. It's very 5-8 years ago to dismiss Prospect Heights in that way. The B/Q 7th Ave stop is the best one to be near. I prefer the restaurants on Flatbush in PH like Flatbush Farm and Franny's, over the ones in North and Central Slope on 7th Ave in Park Slope. You have to walk several blocks South on 7th to get to any of the more interesting new arrivals like Little D Eatery. Also the Prospect Heights historic blocks are very charming with a nice vibe. I'm a PH fan. I also like this house. And that's DESPITE the over-the-top staging not because of it.
Posted by: traditionalmod at July 25, 2008 10:37 AM
traditionalmod, what, in your opinion, is "over-the-top staging". I'm just wondering.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 25, 2008 10:47 AM
I wasn't loving all the accessories, Biff. The stager should have performed that old rule of accessorizing while dressing -- take a quick look and whatever your eye goes to first, remove it. In houses for sale I dislike too many accessories that are in a too-specific arena of taste. Like the fur rug people mentioned. It's not going to keep someone from buying the place. I just didn't dig it. I would not have bothered to point that out except people were saying the only reason the house looks nice is because of the staging, and I disagreed with that. I liked the house regardless.
Posted by: traditionalmod at July 25, 2008 11:01 AM
Thanks traditionalmod. That's very interesting. I absolutely agree with you regarding specific tastes. I think I was the first one to point out the bear skin rug, which I can't stand. I also think one should remove all religious artifacts and personal photos too - just my own opinion and not that I saw any in the home above.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 25, 2008 11:06 AM
The photos on Corc's website make the rooms look much bigger than they feel when you're standing in them....anyone else here actually see the house?
Posted by: bricktop at July 25, 2008 12:02 PM
Wow, y'all are so impressed by a few pretty pictures. This is a high end flip. But it's still a flip. Generic materials, no character. And, as an earlier poster pointed out, the work was done VERY rapidly. I live around the corner and I'm half wondering if the lack of upstairs photos is because they are still waiting for the floors to dry. Look closely at the 3rd fl floor plan and you can tell it's 100% new construction. Obviously nothing left to save. I wonder what the ceiling height is on the top floor. It's a quasi-cheater with those small eyebrow windows. All that said, this is a fantastic location, the exterior is gorgeous and it's turn-key. As for the price, they are 5-6 months late to the party, no? If this had gone on the market early in the Spring, it might have sold for very close to the ask. But now it's hard to say. There are still buyers out there. The developers better cross their fingers someone cash rich comes along.
Posted by: NeoGrec at July 25, 2008 1:18 PM
top floor ceiling heights are low -- maybe 7 feet -- and they put a pendant lamp in one of those top-floor bedrooms, so anyone over 5'5" would bang their head on it.
It's not all new construction on the 3rd floor -- they left in the existing layout and (weird) closets up there......
Posted by: bricktop at July 25, 2008 1:46 PM
Clearly it will get ask or over ask considering the renovation. The neighborhood is clearly not the most wanted - not Brooklyn Heights or Cobble Hill - but fully renovated brownstones get double this price in these neighborhoods. I think considering the hood and the renovation and the square footage it will get at least asking price.
Posted by: brownie77 at July 25, 2008 7:51 PM
I'm surprised some people are saying this house will get over ask - this seems like a very rare phenomenon these days unless something is *really* underpriced/cheap, which does not seem to the case with this house. It looks like it's well staged, but that can be a hindrance sometimes if a buyer thinks it won't look as good without that exact same furniture there. This house is definitely a candidate for a revisit a few months from now, since there are such divergent opinions here about the price it will get.
Posted by: Miss Muffett at July 25, 2008 9:55 PM
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