« Sign Up for the Brooklyn Flea Mailing List What's Up with 718 6th Avenue? »

February 20, 2009

What $2.7 Million Gets You in Kingston

Following up on yesterday's post about a beautiful but slightly rundown turn of the century house in Kingston, NY, we thought we'd take a look at what's on the market in the former state capital. The most eye-popping property on the market right now, as far as we can tell, is the Cordts Mansion, a 30-room, Second Empire house on 13 acres overlooking the Hudson River. You've gotta click thru and check out the photos in the listing. It's insane! And the price? $2,700,000, slightly less than what the Carroll Gardens Atrocity is listed for. Drool.
John H. Cordts Mansion Listing [OldHouses.com]

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/8509

Comments

Nice but you would need to dress in black all the time and hire a butler named "lurch".

Posted by: sam at February 20, 2009 11:12 AM

I didn't like that mish mash house yesterday, but this is a beaut.

Posted by: dittoburg at February 20, 2009 11:13 AM

I've no need of a house that large, but I do admit it makes it that much harder to justify paying 2mm for a tiny rowhouse in Brooklyn when it'll buy you something this hug and pretty elsewhere.

I can't imagine maintaining that property though. Seems like cleaning, groundskeeping, and general upkeep would be a full-time job for multiple people (which it likely was, when this was built).

Posted by: cwbuecheler at February 20, 2009 11:15 AM

holy crap i nearly climaxed at this beauty. now if i could get that jaguar driven in Harold and Maude to park in front, I'd be set.

Posted by: goldie at February 20, 2009 11:15 AM

*and by 'hug' I mean 'huge'

Posted by: cwbuecheler at February 20, 2009 11:15 AM

Fit for a king, or queen.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 11:15 AM

I would also require horses, a stable and groomsman, and of course dogs to patrol the grounds. It's magnificent.

Posted by: East New York at February 20, 2009 11:17 AM

Beautiful home. What's the job market like in Kingston?

Posted by: Chosen at February 20, 2009 11:17 AM

Ah yes, stable hands!!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 11:18 AM

Beautiful exterior. Does it come with your own personal 'Jeeves?'

Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at February 20, 2009 11:19 AM

Please post some recent comps so I can bid half off.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 11:19 AM

Rats, it only has 7 fireplaces. I was looking for a place with at least 8. The search continues...

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 20, 2009 11:20 AM

I wouldn't touch the faded paint on the brick - its great.

Posted by: dittoburg at February 20, 2009 11:23 AM

Gorgeous, the kind of place to pool your money with friends to purchase for your blue hair/no hair days.

Posted by: DeLepp at February 20, 2009 11:25 AM

I just read up on the artist owner, Hunt Slonem. Man, is he a character! His studio in New York has 89 rooms and there are 70 birds flying around there.

Posted by: johnife at February 20, 2009 11:27 AM

Is that a widow's walk to look for captains at danger of being lost in a roiling Hudson?

Posted by: dittoburg at February 20, 2009 11:27 AM

This seems perfect for a Brooklyn-based Hedge fund manager who could hire all kinds of attractive groundskeeping and pool-attending staffers.

Posted by: sam at February 20, 2009 11:28 AM

Read my mind, sam.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 11:31 AM

I'd hate to have to close all those shutters during an Indian raid. But then I might be inclined not to. Ba dum dum.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 11:34 AM

Views, but no frontage. Meh.

Posted by: denton at February 20, 2009 11:38 AM

Is it legal to drink on that stoop?

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 20, 2009 11:40 AM

No Toto toilets?

No deal.

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at February 20, 2009 11:41 AM

Here comes all the nitpicking.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 11:42 AM

This home would go for $15,000 in Detroit.

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 20, 2009 11:50 AM

How long a ride is it on the R train from here to midtown?

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 20, 2009 11:51 AM

where is the poster who always suggests that houses can be cut up into teeny condos?
One could fit, what? 120 Brooklyn-sized apartments in this baby.

Posted by: sam at February 20, 2009 11:53 AM

Is this area still considered Park Slope North?

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 20, 2009 11:55 AM

Is there a food coop within walking distance? And, what are their politics?

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 11:57 AM

OH
MY
GOD
!
!
!

Stunning. I love all the paint colors and that it looks slightly worn as well. Man oh man the upkeep would be insanity. If I had the funds I'd do it in a second.

Anyone wanna go in with me?

We could make it the Brownstoner timeshare???

Posted by: TownhouseLady at February 20, 2009 12:01 PM

Biff, I think it is part of "Park Slope Farms".
Very exclusive.

Posted by: sam at February 20, 2009 12:03 PM

there may be no frontage Benton - but I bet there is frotage.
So - what are the taxes and how much to heat?

I think place operates as B&B somewhat now if just want to stay the weekend.

Posted by: Petebklyn at February 20, 2009 12:04 PM

Tough to find comps :)

But I hear it's near the PJ's

Posted by: Adam Dahill at February 20, 2009 12:05 PM

Or any of these near me in Carversville, PA....

http://www.lisajamesotto.com/blhistor.htm

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 12:06 PM

Park Slope North! Very funny, Biff.

Now we're talking, here! Love it. I'd use the whole thing as a B&B, and renovate the carriage house to live in. Rent it out to wedding parties, photo shoots, conferences, etc. I'd have fun furnishing and decorating it, too. Would need staff, too. That's a lot of upkeep.

Make money and live on the grounds in comfortable smallness. That's having your cake and eating it too.

Megamillions is what? like 120 mill? You get around half? That would do it. Please keep in touch and email me at gotbux dot com.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at February 20, 2009 12:07 PM

I'm in love. The carriage house is so beautiful I'm about to cry.

Posted by: Maly at February 20, 2009 12:18 PM

No mention in the listing of Central A/C.
Fedders under the windows.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at February 20, 2009 12:27 PM

I think I count three ranges in that kitchen. denton????

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 12:33 PM

not enough recessed lighting

Posted by: jingle mail at February 20, 2009 12:39 PM

Heating bill costs a small 2 family in Bushwick

Posted by: werner at February 20, 2009 12:44 PM

Husband and I will hire ourselves out as a butler and ladies' maid couple if we may be allowed to live in that CARRIAGE HOUSE!!! (drool drool drool)
Yes, m'Lord? Very good, m'lady. (practicing in front of mirror)

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at February 20, 2009 12:50 PM

This house is owned by the artist Hunt Slonem and is profiled in the gorgeous book Pleasure Palaces. This is not in a very nice neighborhood of Kingston, NY. It needs a ton of work.
Not a bargain in these recession times.Must cost a fortune to maintain.

Posted by: yowza at February 20, 2009 12:53 PM

yowza...it's got 13 acres. It IS its own neighborhood.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 12:55 PM

Apparently one can see Russia from the top of the 3 story tower.

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 20, 2009 12:55 PM

and he only paid 775k for it. read about his other properties...i clearly need to become an artist.

Posted by: goldie at February 20, 2009 1:12 PM

yowza that is MissMuffets role on this board. To remind us that no one will ever get asking.

Posted by: boroughbred at February 20, 2009 1:15 PM

beautiful

Posted by: Amzi Hill at February 20, 2009 1:16 PM

I deserve to live in this house. Please send money.

Posted by: Johnny at February 20, 2009 1:16 PM

Yowza, since it's an old house, it probably does need some work, but where do you get or see that it needs "a ton of work?"

Posted by: Montrose Morris at February 20, 2009 1:18 PM

goldie....I know you understand this but let me restate the obvious. The vast majority of housing in the US still has sizable gains from where/when it was purchased. Yes, the gains are deteriorating but they are still sizable. And many of those residences are mortgage free.

The current problem is outsized because all of the recent purchases, a small fraction of total housing stocj, were done at inflated prices AND many HELOCS were taken out for whatever reason.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 1:20 PM

Compare these two:

http://www.oldhouses.com/cf/displaylisting.cfm?q_listingid=4377

http://www.marykayg.com/html/0499.html

Are they really so different?

Posted by: the chicken at February 20, 2009 1:27 PM

That Queen Anne on the Susquehanna is nice but your closest neighbors with any education will be from The Office in Scranton about 50 miles away!!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 1:32 PM

At full asking price its $245 psf. re: Replacement costs, you couldn't build this house today for the 2.7M (plus the land cost)

Posted by: local at February 20, 2009 1:33 PM

That PPS house has been on the market since I bought mine in early 2007. i remember showing it to colleages. its nice but there must be some reason it hasn't sold, other than overpriced for PPS.

Its kind of interesting though when you think about these three locations. The Kingston house is probably the most attractive to the largest number of potential buyers even though its 8X more expensive than the one on the Susquehanna River!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 1:35 PM

local - you certainly couldn't. Hand mixed mortar, hand- baked bricks from hand-dug clay, every piece of wood planed from a tree chopped down by hand, every material brought their by a team horses. Etc.

Posted by: dittoburg at February 20, 2009 1:39 PM

ditto....but I'm sure there's a large local contingent of Mexicans who are skilled plasterers and bricklayers!!!!

But this place would cost way more than current psf construction costs to duplicate.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 1:41 PM

They're creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They're all together ooky,
The Addams Family.

Their house is a museum
Where people come to see 'em
They really are a scream
The Addams Family.

(Neat)
(Sweet)
(Petite)

So get a witches shawl on
A broomstick you can crawl on
We're gonna pay a call on
The Addams Family.

Posted by: sam at February 20, 2009 1:42 PM

No particular reason for picking the PPS house other than it looks a similar style, size and condition to the PA one.

Sure, the PA one would not be commutable but on the other hand, $1.8m difference means you can make an awful lot less and be just as comfortable.

Alternatively, if you had $2.2m to plunk down on PPS, you could buy PA and with the difference live off the interest (okay, maybe not right now) for the rest of your days.

Posted by: the chicken at February 20, 2009 1:55 PM

...you rang?

uh huh..I know where my stimulus check is going.
with 5% fixed/ 30 yr, this little property should work out just fine...

Posted by: Legion at February 20, 2009 2:01 PM

No comments on the fact that "Caretaker's House complete with an exceptional caretaker"???

Posted by: genya at February 20, 2009 2:02 PM

I heard the caretaker will be Hunt Slonem.

Posted by: dittoburg at February 20, 2009 2:05 PM

You're right, that PA house would make an incredible retirement home...hell, it actually looks like one. LOL

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 2:06 PM

Well, here's what you can get for US$1,600,000 in Kingston... wait for it... Jamaica.

http://www.sangstersrealty.com/properties/prop7742.htm

Of course you could pay JMD$4,300,000 for this one:

http://www.sangstersrealty.com/properties/prop7008.htm

It's still a million dollar house in Kingston!

Posted by: DarkStar at February 20, 2009 2:11 PM

I rather have this in Mexico....USD$268k...

http://www.mayanliving.com/Listings/001727.html?listing_page=Merida&lang=eng

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 2:16 PM

I've got you beat DIBS. You could hide more money in your mattress if you bought this:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/142-Becker_Newalla_OK_74857_1106766830

You might even be able to "Live off the fatta the lan'"

Posted by: DarkStar at February 20, 2009 2:35 PM

Dave, what a sweet little casita.
Really typical of the older city houses found all over Latin America, with that long side yard opening up to the back. And of course the tile floors keep the rooms nice and cool. Sigh. Are there direct flight to Merida? It's pretty far from Mexico City, although it is very close to Havana.

Posted by: sam at February 20, 2009 2:40 PM

DarkStar....I bet you're just interested in Shelly, the agent!!!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 2:43 PM

no sam...you have to change in Mexico City. It takes a whole day.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 2:44 PM

Thats a man, baby

Posted by: dittoburg at February 20, 2009 2:49 PM

ditto...I was waiting for that response!!! LOL

Shelly Parker, formerly Sheldon Parker, has opend a real estate business.....

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 20, 2009 2:52 PM

by the look of that shack she's starting at the

bottom

Posted by: dittoburg at February 20, 2009 3:02 PM

"What $2.7 Million Gets You in Kingston"

Puts Brooklyn brownstone bailout [ahem!], I mean, asking prices in perspective. It's Kingston but look what you get. The Brooklyn brownstone housing bubble will end very "badly".

***Bid half off peak comps***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at February 20, 2009 3:28 PM

wow, thanks brownstoner for that link to oldhouses.com! I just wasted two hours of work time browsing through their listings....fantasizing about buying an old estate in my home state of WI with THREE BUILDINGS and GARDENS! for under 450K! my husband and I want to start a compound.
TGIF

Posted by: honeycut at February 20, 2009 3:34 PM

Say, Brownstoner, you getting itchy feet?

Posted by: Brooklyn Chicken at February 20, 2009 3:37 PM

The town of Hudson has some amazing houses too, many are federal period, and a great old Opera House. Unfortunately its a three hour drive.

Posted by: dittoburg at February 20, 2009 3:46 PM

If this is the place I think it is they used to rent this out for weddings...and a friend got married there. It was glorious, and the immediate wedding party got to stay in the house. The carriage house is pretty big.

Posted by: cobblehiller at February 20, 2009 3:55 PM

Has anyone actually been to Kingston? It's a complete armpit of strip malls and big box stores. Just horrible. And Hudson is NOT 3 hours away - it's 2 1/2. 2 on the train.

Posted by: gkw at February 20, 2009 5:55 PM

qkw, what are you talking talking about? Kington has a lovely historic downtown with amazing old houses and commercial buildings. There are a good number of cool restaurants and stores. There's also the historic roundout area along the kingston river which is wonderful. It is much nicer than Hudson. Did you drive through the outskirts of town once and think you had seen it all? And then decide that that experience made you the expert?

Posted by: shillstoner at February 20, 2009 6:05 PM

I'll take it! Zero percent down and zero percent financing and 4% for 30 years plus the president's bailout money. God it is easy to be a homeowner an get suckers to pay for it.

Posted by: hannible at February 21, 2009 3:07 PM

That PPS house with MKG has been on the market longer than 2007. I remember seeing it listed back in 2006. They originally listed it for $2.7 million and stubbornly held at that price for the longest time. They could have sold in a better market back then if they'd been realistic.

I like the (town of) Hudson architecture too, Dittoburg, especially the eclecticism. The Italianates are my fave. But yeah, too far. My husband hates the idea of ever leaving Brooklyn but if we ever did we'd have to be less than one hour from NYC.

Posted by: traditionalmod at February 22, 2009 11:51 AM

Kingston is--

Full of artists, eco-hippie post-urbanites, and assorted other leftists. Kingston's Ulster County is heavily democratic and feels more like parts of Northern California than anything else. Bard College is 15 minutes away, and the Amtrak goes to Rhinebeck (ten minutes from Bard in the other direction). This area is full of the ACTUAL farms that the NYC people use to tout their "locavore" diets--you can pick your own in season, and get whatever's growing the rest of the year. Kingston has an actual ORGANIC butcher--which doesn't even exist in NYC. Because of the Culinary Institute close by, restaurants can be better than NYC at half the price.

I live close by, in Red Hook--downtown Kingston is funky and gorgeous--it reminds me more of Utrecht, The Netherlands, than it does of much of anything else. This is a very, very interesting area, architecturally, and culturally.

Nearby towns:
Red Hook is a sort of Park Slope with a splotch of Vermont. Rhinebeck is like Sausalito, California, kind of. Omega, the huge New Age center, is in Rhinebeck, which means more yoga and pilates and meditation than you can shake a stick at. Eco-housing cooperative.

Jobs: here's where you get creative: colleges and universities: Bard, SUNY, etc.--lots of lawyers and shrinks driving down to the city a couple of times a week. Lots of people on the DIY. You can really live cheap up here. Instead of the food coop, just have your own goats and chickens.

Diversity: virtually none. Please, people of color, move up here. It's great, cheap, and feels like some sort of strange retreat that is also very connected. Doesn't feel racist, actually less so than Park Slope does.

Having lived for several years in the Bay Area, several years in Europe, NYC, Boston, and Chicago, this is one of my favorite places. It's not the French countryside, but it ain't New Jersey.

BTW: anyplace an hour from NYC absolutely sucks. If you're talking lower Westchester and/or anyplace in New Jersey, there is zero nice architecture, no lefty/hippie culture, and robotic android suburbanites with zombified taste and feral, glum, horrible children.
Take a little ride sometimes on the train and you'll see what I mean. I almost feel like I should do tours up here for Brooklynites who don't get it--this ought to be what Mendocino is to San Francisco.

Posted by: folledontjesuis at February 22, 2009 1:40 PM