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October 28, 2009

House of the Day: 136 Hawthorne Street

136-Hawthorne-Street-1009.jpg
The folks who just put 136 Hawthorne Street on the market bought the house in rundown condition back in 2004 for $280,000 and then did a two-year painstaking renovation that maintained the historic details while modernizing the systems as well as the kitchen and bathrooms. Now they've put it on the market for $995,000. If this were in the Lefferts Manor historic district, we'd say they might have a shot, but since it's not and it's only 2,300 square feet, we'd be surprised if they get their asking price.
136 Hawthorne Street [Brown Harris Stevens] GMAP P*Shark





Posted by Brownstoner at 1:15 PM | Comments (34)
Categories: HOTD, Prospect Lefferts Gardens

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Comments

It wouldn't be a surprise if they got their asking price. It would be a miracle.

Posted by: Tara in the Slope at October 28, 2009 1:27 PM

Lovely home.

Posted by: A CrownHeightsLady at October 28, 2009 1:28 PM

Really nice place but what is that going on on the living room ceiling??? That pergola/seating area in the yard is mighty nice and was probably pretty expensive.

I see a nice shower so you don't have to use curtains around that claw foot tub.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 28, 2009 1:31 PM

Ghastly bathroom vanity. Kitchen sucks big-time.

Posted by: Yllebdael at October 28, 2009 1:35 PM

Doubtful they will get anything close to that price~more like $875k
Another overpriced Brown Harris property!

Posted by: tjj at October 28, 2009 1:36 PM

mostly lovely with some weird tacky elements - i.e., the paint in living room, the too shiny floor and the big white shiny wall in kitchen. but love how they did the extension off the kitchen and LOVE the design of the garden. no idea about price - PLG to me is the wild west, but I'm sure there are many fans.

Posted by: gkw at October 28, 2009 1:38 PM

What is up with that small ass kitchen? I would not have made all the same choices but the place looks good...

Posted by: HOBOKENROCKS at October 28, 2009 1:40 PM

I'm not getting why people think the price is SO high. If it is 2300 sq ft, then the price per foot is $435. Is that so crazy? I don't love every choice they made, but it's carefully and thoughtfully renovated.

Posted by: Nomi at October 28, 2009 1:41 PM

280K plus reno = 500K max (No, anitdope, I did not put this figure in the widget!). Come on guys. 995K or even 831K (average widget at comment press time) is a "new investor" price.

***Bill Thompson for Mayor (TUESDAY!!!)***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at October 28, 2009 1:41 PM

I love this house. Particularly because it's a single family and you don't have to deal with having the annoyance of tenants.

True, some of the finishes are not particularly my taste but overall it's just wonderful.

I'd take it in a heartbeat.

Posted by: TownhouseLady at October 28, 2009 1:51 PM

I really like this house actually. Don't know enough about the nabe to speculate on pricepoint but there aren't too many single family houses this nicely renovated at this price that I have seen.

Posted by: wasder at October 28, 2009 1:58 PM

I like this house a lot!
some of it is done really well - I love the facade and the backyard the most - I happen to like those shiny floors actually...
I'd say $850K does the deal

Posted by: gemini10 at October 28, 2009 2:23 PM

I like this house very much. The renovation is smart and sensible...even the powder room on the first floor. In the Historic District it would probably get over a million.

Posted by: LuvingModern at October 28, 2009 2:23 PM

I have to agree the kitchen is oddly configured BUT I do like the eating area off the kitchen that lead to the back yard. One families in BK are very hard to find...if I was looking I would buy this one and fix the kitchen.

Posted by: A CrownHeightsLady at October 28, 2009 2:25 PM

Oh man! I like this one. Very charming and beautifully renovated (with one exception being that dark topped vanity, but hey, can't please us all with every choice).

Know nothing about that neighborhood, but it seems that $899k would be a good price point. They're too close to a million right now and it may scare away the buyers they're looking to attract. 899k is close, but gives at least the illusion of wiggle room and potential to get a great bargain with this gorgeous house.

Posted by: Nokilissa at October 28, 2009 2:29 PM

280K plus reno = 500K max

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at October 28, 2009 1:41 PM

BHO, not saying that it's worth 995K but because it took 2 years to reno, even if reno was another 200K (probably more in this case), price definitely deserves to take the premium for remodeling into it. After experiencing a gut reno on a studio co-op (and that's as small scale as you can go), I am willing to take out a bit larger mortgage to get a new place that's already redone, even if I don't like some of the choices previous owners made.

Posted by: Kensingtonian at October 28, 2009 2:29 PM

Only problem I have is that you are paying a million dollars and getting a small ass kitchen... For that you rent a 5k a month apt and get something much better in return... Don't get me wrong I like the place but more money should have been spent on the cocina...

Posted by: HOBOKENROCKS at October 28, 2009 2:41 PM

Forget the asking price, that is a sweet reno.

Posted by: the chicken at October 28, 2009 2:43 PM

This house is adjacent to a very large apartment complex. It is also across the street from a very large apartment complex. This significantly decreases its value.

It IS lovely, though (except for that bathroom sink).

Posted by: Pigeon at October 28, 2009 2:58 PM

The location is the hard sell here.

Posted by: Minard Lafever at October 28, 2009 2:59 PM

I like the kitchen.
It's cute and cozy.

Posted by: Pigeon at October 28, 2009 3:02 PM

I like the house a lot. Of course, someone else's furnishings and finishes won't be to my taste, but I could certainly live with them long enough to change eventually, for me, they are all cosmetic. The curb appeal is great, back yard is really, really nice. I can also see in the $899 range, which isn't cheap, ya know. I think when this week reaches the 6 months past HOTD column, it will be sold.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at October 28, 2009 3:27 PM

$750k.

Posted by: DitmasSnark at October 28, 2009 3:34 PM

Looks like the LR has those old timey cieling fans (replica/refurb in this case) that uses 1 drive belt and motor to turn them all. Speaking of fans, I am not one for the silver tin. Looks like krylon.

Posted by: bowl of dicks at October 28, 2009 3:41 PM

"willing to take out a bit larger mortgage to get a new place that's already redone"

80 percent of quantity 995 minus 280 equals 572 is more than just a bit, Kensingtonian. For this 'hood and location, renovation value has a ceiling of no more than $100K per non-cellar floor. I only see two.

$500k.

***Bill Thompson for Mayor (TUESDAY!!!)***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at October 28, 2009 3:52 PM

"we'd say they might have a shot," is not a phrase I'd use about Hawthorne Street! Two VERY recent gunfire incidents (on the 2 block stretch of Hawthorne near this house) have the neighbors nervous. Forget the square footage and the size of the kitchen; there are bigger problems here right now.

Posted by: brikenny at October 28, 2009 4:04 PM

renovation value has a ceiling of no more than $100K per non-cellar floor. I only see two.

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at October 28, 2009 3:52 PM

Good point.

I am not crazy about the locale but house and reno is very nice in my opinion.

Posted by: Kensingtonian at October 28, 2009 4:09 PM

House is lovely. Have no idea about block. Kitchen is fine. Unless you're opening a pizzeria or a bakery one does not need too much space to make meals. Just more area to clean.

Posted by: DeLepp at October 28, 2009 4:12 PM

"Two VERY recent gunfire incidents"

First you hear the first shot (bang!)
Then you hear the second shot (bang!)
All I want to do is bid half-off-peak-comps...half-off-peak-comps...

***Bill Thompson for Mayor (TUESDAY!!!)***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at October 28, 2009 4:24 PM

I think this house is adorable. But is there no sink in the first floor bathroom? Or am I missing something in the floorplan?

Posted by: DistractedMom at October 28, 2009 4:27 PM

I can't believe this house hasn't been on the house tour. I actually like the paint colors in the livinhg and dining rooms. I've been looking for inspiration in that area. For info about the street, go to the hawthorne street blog. They seem to like it plenty!

Posted by: dt at October 28, 2009 5:45 PM

This house rocks! I love the backyard. I could see someone falling in love here and paying $899,000 for a turnkey place. Stranger things have happened.

Posted by: homey at October 28, 2009 5:57 PM

It's an amazing reno. I went to the OH to get reno ideas, and they went high end in a very eclectic and interesting way. The kitchen has a new extension off of it that makes a sort of atrium leading to the garden, and they've opened the back parlor up to full width. Also radiant heat and a pool table in the basement. If it was a block away in lefferts manor it'd get its price, but I'm guessing low 800s. Someone is definitely going to fall in love.

As for the block, it's mixed housing stock, with a few larger buildings going coop. There was an NYT article about another cool house on the block a while back: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/realestate/13habi.html?_r=1

The location is hardly inconvenient, two blocks from the Q and Prospect Park. There are smaller frame houses in South Slope that are selling for more than this, and with way worse park/train access.

As for the violence, it's an issue the community is trying to address. I've never felt threatened in the two years I've lived nearby. Schools are not good, but there's a local drive for a charter school on now.

Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 28, 2009 7:58 PM

"We'd be surprised if they get their asking price."
$995K is only $430/sqft. I'm sorry, but how much would this house cost in Park Slope? In Fort Greene?

I'm really unclear on the mission of this blog. If Brownstoner is a true advocate for Brownstone Brooklyn, then why do you encourage price deflation of privately owned homes while you profit from developer ads for high-priced, high-rise condos? What's the message here? Only the big guys can profit when selling homes?

This site advertises high rise condos that cost $700+/sqft and have huge monthly carrying costs! But this house is a piece of history that is RENOVATED and includes ownership of a REAL YARD with REAL EARTH. How can you call it overpriced when it costs $300/sqft less a glass box in the sky?

Craziness!

Posted by: FrancineJackson at November 11, 2009 4:25 PM

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