« Open House Picks: Six Months Later Streetlevel: Pedigree Sneaker Gallery Coming July 4th »
June 26, 2009
Open House Picks
Park Slope
352 6th Street
Harvey Heit Realty
Sunday 12-1:30
$1,650,000
GMAP P*Shark
Fort Greene
396 Vanderbilt Avenue
Brooklyn Properties and Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday 12-1:30
$1,395,000 was $1,995,000
GMAP P*Shark
Windsor Terrace
580 Prospect Avenue
Warren Lewis
Sunday 2:30-4:30
$1,345,000
GMAP P*Shark
Kensington
67 Chester Avenue
Corcoran
Sunday 12:30-2
$749,000
GMAP P*Shark
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/10356
Comments
I'm liking the period front-door on the Park Slope place.
Posted by: dittoburg at June 26, 2009 1:32 PM
WT house is sweet. Lotta money tho.
Posted by: denton at June 26, 2009 1:39 PM
ok that Park Slope place is ridicuosly overpriced
Denton - i like that WT house too - but I think Corcoran had it for a few months at that price and couldn't sell it- it's overpriced for WT and for the market now.
Posted by: gemini10 at June 26, 2009 1:45 PM
The FG house is configured as a double duplex. If you could buy with friends and make it a co-op, you would get a lovely duplex apartment for less than $700K. Hmmm.....
Posted by: Lesloaf at June 26, 2009 1:57 PM
that WT house is great, but i can't imagine they'll get anywhere near to that ask.
the kensington house is cute too, but i don't know that area. are there good restaurants or grocery stores nearby?
Posted by: funkymonkey at June 26, 2009 1:59 PM
6th st seems pricey given square footage although location is a plus. 2 years too late i'd say....
Posted by: 10thStreetReno at June 26, 2009 2:16 PM
396 Vanerbilt is one of the most glaring examples of market excess and greed going, EVEN at it's current price.
Owners asked for 2Mil a year ago, and rightfully got no takers.
My wife and I went last weekend because I figured it HAD to be a deep value at $1.3M. BOY was I wrong!!!
This place is a total dump. I'm not one to harsh on places this much, but for this one, I'm making an exception. The sellers/brokers should both be ashamed of themselves.
1st: Broker had to hand me the key through the mail slot because the front door is broken.
EVERY floor needs a complete renovation. I mean every one. Don;t let the photos fool you, the house is a complete wreck. And the block sucks right off Atlantic.
As I left the building, a woman coming up to the 3rd floor said "That was quick". I said "It needs a lot of work" her response: "You're very kind."
(Quick note, if your children, or you, are afraid of dogs, don't bother to go....they don't lock up a pretty large dog that roams around freely in a house with no furniture. It's creepy. And it took a dump on the deck which I was greeted by.)
I have to say, I've been to about 30 houses in the last 6 months or so, and this one was top 3 worst we've seen. I almost felt bad for the broker, it was embarrassing.
Chop the price in half for someone willing to put the 500K in renovations needed to repair this place and maybe you've got something.
These sellers deserve everything they get. Just greedy, and now they are paying for it.
Posted by: MoneyForNothing at June 26, 2009 2:17 PM
Are we kidding with that place in Park Slope? 1.65M for that? On that stretch of 6th street?
Let's say this together so we can all hear it out loud:
ONE MILLION SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS...
Looks like it hasn't been renovated since 1952, that's for sure. Neds a complete redo, including mechanicals I am sure.
Have we all lost our minds?
Though, if the shower curtain comes with the place, I might consider it. That thing is MINT!
Posted by: MoneyForNothing at June 26, 2009 2:22 PM
Actually, 396 Vanderbilt is between Greene and Gates Aves., not right off Atlantic. It's actually a nice, tree-lined block, and is in the Fort Greene Historic Dictrict on this side.
Otherwise I pretty much agree with Money on this one.
Posted by: babs at June 26, 2009 2:37 PM
I saw the WT house 6 mths ago.
Passed in 5 mins.
Needs large price chop.
Posted by: jasetheace at June 26, 2009 2:38 PM
mfn, totally agree, that place is horrible and gloomy. if that's a 'gorgeously renovated' top floor, my house is worth 3mil. And what's with the garden praise? It's quite pedestrian.
Posted by: cmu at June 26, 2009 2:38 PM
Also, isn't the Vanderbilt house across the street from a residential, medium to long term, rehab and recovery facility? Or is that the next block over?
The veterinary hospital is down that side of the block too.
Posted by: Boerumresident at June 26, 2009 2:39 PM
thanks for the info on the vanderbilt house, mfn. i was planning on going to see it this weekend but will definitely cross it off my list.
Posted by: badgersmack at June 26, 2009 2:44 PM
Yes, the vet's office, pharmacy, drug rehab and famous actor's houses across the street have really driven the property values down...
Some sarcasm there.
The people at Teen Challenge are so nice it hurts my teeth. Recommend you check out their thrift store on the weekends and see for yourself.
Posted by: Heather at June 26, 2009 2:44 PM
Also, the bathroom on the top floor is hysterical.
In the middle of all this dirt and grimness, there's this tacky bathroom with a shower stall that feels like a de-sanitization unit.
Posted by: MoneyForNothing at June 26, 2009 2:46 PM
Kensintgon House is a couple blocks to the Albermarle Road entrance to the Church Avenue F train stop, which will be a lot better if they ever reinstate express service. There's a decent-size Foodtown on McDonald Avenue and Albermarle, and a serviceable neighborhood retail area centered on Church and McDonald.
Posted by: Sparafucile at June 26, 2009 2:49 PM
Oh, 6th Street. Where to begin?
I live nearby, and this block of 6th is actually pretty nice. BUT this particular house is right next to the Chip Shop's takeout annex. I would be concerned that we're seeing the "3rd floor kitchen" but no other. Garden itself is fine but chainlink fence is not exactly photogenic. And while some of the datedness comes from the furnishings, I'd want to know what mechanical updating it needs. And is that wall-to-wall carpeting I see?
Definitely nostalgia pricing, especially at less than 2000 sf. Bonus touch: realtor page asks you to follow a Twitter account that doesn't exist.
Posted by: basementalist at June 26, 2009 2:56 PM
slim pickins
Posted by: sam at June 26, 2009 2:58 PM
slim pickins indeed, this is the best Mr B could come up with for open houses in Brooklyn?
Has there been some run on inventory I haven't heard about or something?
Posted by: MoneyForNothing at June 26, 2009 3:04 PM
I think a million for 6th Street would be about right since it needs a gut reno, which would run at least 400+K. Comp would be that beautiful house on 10th St which sold for just over 1.5m+ recently, but was renovated to perfection and was better location (closer to 7th Ave, not next to the Chip shop, ugh).
Posted by: Miss Muffett at June 26, 2009 3:08 PM
Actually, given the square footage of 6th St, I think a million bucks is generous. When all is said & done, you'll have spent closer to 1.5 to have a nicely renovated, but very small, house next door to the Chip Shop. Still a very pretty penny.
Posted by: Miss Muffett at June 26, 2009 3:18 PM
MM...are you up for a gut reno??? If so, that place on the corner of Adelphi & Lafayette would probably go for $700k.
http://www.brownharrisstevens.com/detail.aspx?id=1016904
I just looked at it and posted on the Forum about it on Tuesday.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at June 26, 2009 3:20 PM
MoneyforNothing,
I was creating a fantasy in my head about Fort Greene. Thanks for bringing me back to earth. Also, I got a great laugh out of the dump greeting you at the door. I needed that!
Posted by: LincolnSlope at June 26, 2009 3:21 PM
FYI: yesterday's House of the Day in Park Slope (460 2nd Street) has already cut its price by $100K. Now asking $2,280,000.
Posted by: bk14 at June 26, 2009 3:23 PM
DIBS - we are not opposed to a gut, at the right price (that is, leaving us enough $$ for serious work). It's not my first choice (which would be a house in great shape that might just need more cosmetic updates). But we're keeping our minds open. Alas, Ft. Greene, much as I love the hood, is too far from our kids' school. I think that 2nd street house needs to cut a lot more to get any serious action - below the $2mil mark for sure.
Posted by: Miss Muffett at June 26, 2009 3:27 PM
JPMorgan, Citigroup Expand in ‘Jumbo’ Home Mortgages
June 26 (Bloomberg) -- JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. are expanding in “jumbo” mortgages used to buy the most expensive homes, helping revive a market that shriveled amid a three-year jump in homeowner defaults.
JPMorgan resumed buying new jumbo loans made by other
lenders this month, after halting purchases in March, spokesman Tom Kelly said. Borrowers must have checking accounts with the bank, he said. Citigroup is again offering the loans through
independent mortgage brokers, spokesman Mark Rodgers said.
The two New York-based banks are signaling new interest in a market hobbled since 2007, when record-breaking defaults on home loans caused investors to flee securities backed by mortgages
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at June 26, 2009 3:34 PM
DIBS, is there any securitization market for jumbos right now? I can't remember if they're supported by one of the Fed programs. I can't imagine Citi or JPM has any appetite for keeping jumbos on their books.
Posted by: FatLenny at June 26, 2009 3:44 PM
MM, i'm happy to be in agreement with you. 6th st will not get 1 mill. Max $500 psf.
Posted by: FatLenny at June 26, 2009 3:48 PM
The Chester home is a great steal for anyone aspiring to live-in more so than rent.
The neighborhood is one of the last remnant's of old Brooklyn.
Growing up in Borough Park, Park Slope, Prospect and the neighboring pueblos-
I'd say the sentiment is unyielding.
Posted by: Brooklynchimp at June 26, 2009 3:56 PM
I like Kensington a lot and that house looks sweet, but I'm not prepared to call $750k for a two-story row house a steal, except in comparison to the asking prices of the other houses listed here.
Posted by: Sparafucile at June 26, 2009 4:03 PM
Perhaps steal in verbatim is somewhat murky. But once you interpolate expense in converting, addressing and amending existing problems- you are clearly within another ballpark. The home is on a quiet residential block, one block from the subway, two from other local amenities. It's structurally sound, the interior is subjective, admittedly better than worse and the asking price is just that- not final.
If it's intended use is one family- Great investment [minor steal?]
If the purpose is to convert into two family/basement, than perhaps not so much.
Posted by: Brooklynchimp at June 26, 2009 4:47 PM
Truth is, couldn't tell
Is Vanderbilt so bad off
Big deck, will travel
Posted by: BrooklynGreene at June 26, 2009 5:59 PM
so you guys consider being able to go get a fried snickers in your pajamas a MINUS? really?
Posted by: slick at June 26, 2009 6:22 PM
Did you guys notice the cute Kensington house has a bidet in the 1st floor bathroom for no apparent reason?
This has me perplexed and skeeved out at the same time.
Love the front of the house though, super cute.
Posted by: ennuiater at June 26, 2009 6:48 PM
Well, not to get all Europhile on you, but I've heard more than a couple non-Americans perplexed and skeeved out at the fact that we don't generally have bidets here.
I'm curious about the painting in living room of that house. I wish I could see it better.
Posted by: Nomi at June 26, 2009 11:17 PM
It would be be wrong to make fun of that very nice video slideshow presentation of the Park Slope house, right?
Posted by: mopar at June 26, 2009 11:23 PM
yes
Posted by: Nomi at June 26, 2009 11:39 PM
MFN: Thanks for the heads up. You saved me a wasted trip on Sunday (not really looking to move, but always interested in what's out there). I was on the verge of not checking out the open house anyway after I walked Vanderbilt the other evening from Lafayette to Fulton, and found it deserted. The house itself looked fine on the outside, but the teen rehab place down the block across the street gave me the willies. I really don't want my son growing up in a place where he could be a target for junkie thugs. Ft. Greene is a nice neighborhood, and Clinton Hill has its good spots, but Vanderbilt is just a dead zone.
Posted by: ProfRobert at June 27, 2009 2:54 PM
ProfRobert, that block of Vanderbilt is absolutely fine, and has some very pretty houses scattered around it. The only thing I would worry about is the traffic, which does indeed feed onto Fulton and then Atlantic, and has the B69 bus going by. (But since the B69 isn't exactly frequent that probably isn't much of a problem.) It's a block that I have walked many times of day and night and never had a moment's worry. Used to get my cat treated at the vet and the pharmacy on Van & Greene is great, very nice people. I was barely aware of the rehab center, totally not a factor.
All that said, I too went to see the place and Moneyfornothing is right on the money. The nicest thing I can say is that the broker is friendly and polite. Those site pictures are masterpieces, let me tell you, because the place is a mess--like they stripped the woodwork to signal "renovation in progress" and then called it a day. It also smells of dog from top to bottom. And I also agree that the most bizarre touch is the upper-floor bathroom, the only somewhat renovated room in the place, with a set of dials and knobs on the bathtub that resemble the cockpit of an airliner. The bedroom on the other side has a huge hole in the closet because, the broker told me, "they wanted access to the plumbing" for the bathroom.
It has some detail left and certainly some of the more enterprising, imaginative people here could probably make something beautiful of it, but it will take time and moneymoneymoney. If I were handy (which I am not) I might consider it for under a million, but right now all I can think is that the sellers live in an alternate universe.
Posted by: gidgetgoesbrooklyn at June 27, 2009 5:33 PM
My question is what is 396 Vanderbilt going to do about that big illegal deck.
Posted by: momo284 at June 28, 2009 7:07 AM
Latest Restaurant Additions
-
Chickadee Chick
added November 6, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Vutera
added November 5, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Park Cafe
added November 4, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Bahia
added November 3, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Aqualis Grill
added November 2, 2009 12:00 PM in Fort Greene -
Wombat
added October 30, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Organic Heights
added October 29, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Giardini Pizza
added October 28, 2009 12:00 PM in Carroll Gardens -
Rye
added October 27, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Bati
added October 26, 2009 12:00 PM in Fort Greene
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.