Open House Picks

The Rugby Road house on BSW is a nice house. Unfortunately, the house was rented out for a year, and the tenants (not students, but a couple with grown children and several dogs)did not lift a finger to help show the house. Quite the opposite from what I understand.

I've been in the house several times, and it's a really lovely house - great space, relatively recently renovated by a family who thought they would grow old there. Not a flipper job by any means. Current owners even took off the asphalt shingle, reshingled with cedar shakes. Basement has a pretty nice apartment/nanny suite as well. It's a lot of living space.

Some people don't want to live opposite a school, and I can respect that. However, it should be noted that the house is opposite an entrance to 139 and not the school yard. The school yards face Cortelyou and Argyle (which does get quite a bit of noise). This is actually a great location if you're sending kids to 139, even more so if you intend to be active in the school community. There's some traffic at drop off and pick up, but not relentless playground noise that people fear. The location is also convenient to Cortelyou Rd (and this should not be underestimated), while still walkable to Prospect Park.

If you saw it before, while the renters were there, you really should take another look. I guarantee you'll have a very different impression. And if you haven't seen the house yet, go take a look if you're interested in the neighborhood and don't want a fixer-upper. I'm not a realtor, just a neighbor calling it as I see it.

Posted by: Architerrorist at September 5, 2008 3:08 PM

The Tudor is an unusually lovely design, but it also MUCH smaller than this house. This has a lot more square footage. One of the largest homes in BSW.

I don't know what they got but both the Tudor and the really lovely house on Glenwood (also much bigger) that listed at the same time are in contract. Ask were $1250000 and 1450000. So this falls in the middle.

This house isn't across from the playgrounds, which is why noise is not an issue. Just the drop off, pick up from school scene. If you're at work, you wouldn't even notice.

Posted by: Architerrorist at September 5, 2008 3:42 PM

Just curious, monofelt... when do you think you'll ever buy a house... anywhere in Brooklyn? Seems like you've been looking forever and complain about every property on this site... Everywhere from Downtown Brooklyn to Ditmas Park. I hear you (via your posts) it's all about location, location, location for you... but I'm getting the impression Paradise just isn't in your budget.

Posted by: Architerrorist at September 5, 2008 3:59 PM

Don't be ridiculous, Xander. Makes for tedious reading.

Posted by: Architerrorist at September 5, 2008 6:50 PM

Please. I am not trying to make a sale. I am not a real estate agent?

$875 for the Rugby Road house? Get real. MKG has two houses in contract in the last month, for $1250000 (smaller house in same neighborhood) and $1450000 on Glenwood Road.

Bitch all you want, Xander Crews. This house isn't going for less than a million. No matter how much you wish you could afford it.

Posted by: Architerrorist at September 5, 2008 9:29 PM

And yeah, you asked for comps. So go looking and show my $875000 in BSW. Good luck, you ignoramous.

Posted by: Architerrorist at September 5, 2008 9:30 PM

Sorry, Xander, but you're a blowhard who doesn't know what he's talking about. Clearly you get all your info from real estate listings, rather than living in the neighborhood, having been inside these homes, etc...

Since you asked for facts:

107 Marlborough is in Caton Park - a totally different neighborhood and the last place to get a good deal in Victorian Flatbush. Serious quality of life issues. Noise, pollution, traffic. Despite the interior renovations the house clearly needs a new roof and the front columns are crumbling. It needs tons of exterior work. Have you ever actually looked at it? They'll be lucky to get $999.

271 Stratford is a nice house on a nice street, priced to sell for personal reasons. It has very little period charm, is not as large as Rugby Road by any stretch of the imagination. There is a massive, beautiful updated basement in the Rugby Road house. Stratford has some recent upgrades - however it is not renovated to the level of the house on Rugby Road, where very little expense was spared.

The only under $900k house in contract is down on Wellington or De Koven or one of those side streets down by the tracks. It is painted green inside and out, has no updates, is close to the train tracks, and doesn't even have a powder room on the ground floor. A great fixer upper for someone who likes a project and a good investment. The Rugby Road house has already had the money poured into it, hence the asking price.

Enough facts for you, or shall I go on?

I know these properties. Well. And I am not a broker or in anyway affiliated with a broker. I'm in no way poised to make a buck over the sale of any of these houses. I'm just sick of people dissing the area and the houses when they don't know what they're talking about. It is almost impossible to have real comps for the neighborhood because every house is so different, in terms of preservation, location, renovation, etc... There are huge margins of difference from house to house. Perfect houses, like the one in Ditmas Park that sold for 1.9 a few years ago (and would be more like 1.7 nowdays, I'm sure)are few and far between, and are generally snapped very by people coming, yes, from Manhattan or more affluent areas of Brooklyn.

And as for Manofelt, I will be very interested to see what you settle for. Hope you find that great deal. Because that's clearly what you're holding out for. More power to you if you find it. Seriously, you should look at Stratford Road. Your price range is obvious from your comments on this site, and it will be almost impossible for you to find the perfection you seek. Unless prices collapse further, but maybe that's what you're holding out for. Stratford is a nice house, with some good updates and has a very reasonable asking price.

Posted by: Architerrorist at September 6, 2008 11:06 AM

Block is nice looking, but as close as you can get to Flatbush Avenue, which is no selling point, IMO.

The house has had a very cheap reno - lots of low level Home Depotesque kitchen and bath remodelling.

The entire house has been whitewashed - inside and out - a quickie cosmetic fix that looks better in the pix than in reality.

That said, I am still very suprised that no one has purchased this house for this price. Except that it seems everyone in this market thinks they can get the nice, tastefully reno'd places for a song and are holding out. If you look at the in contracts and solds on MKG website, this isn't happening. Things are selling within reach of ask, or sellers aren't caving in.

Yes, two houses in PPS sold for less than you'd imagine in recent memory. One had a ghastly view of Coney Island Avenue, and although a very nice house, nothing mind blowing in the architectural sense, which many people expect with a PPS address. House sat with Corcoran with price in freefall for months. MKG sold it almost immediately, once the seller listed with her. The other house in PPS that sold for under 1.2 needs TONS of work. Exterior and interior.

Posted by: Architerrorist at September 7, 2008 3:33 PM