All-or-Nothing Brownstone Rental in Slope
This has to be the sickest rental in Brooklyn right now. The owner of this detail-heavy brownstone on Lincoln Place in Park Slope is looking for someone to take the entire four-story, eight-bedroom house for a long-term rental. (Don’t bother asking to buy — he ain’t interested in selling.) The house is stunning, except for…
This has to be the sickest rental in Brooklyn right now. The owner of this detail-heavy brownstone on Lincoln Place in Park Slope is looking for someone to take the entire four-story, eight-bedroom house for a long-term rental. (Don’t bother asking to buy — he ain’t interested in selling.) The house is stunning, except for a very regrettable kitchen. Why someone who probably has a couple million of equity in this place would cut corners is beyond us. Anyway, even if you’re not in the market for a rental, the listing’s worth checking out for the photos alone. Droolworthy, for sure. Any guesses about what the monthly rent would be on this place. $10,000?
Park Slope Landmark Brownstone for Rent [Craigslist] GMAP
I live in one of the houses behind this one, and had always heard it was some kind of commune but didn’t know any details. I hadn’t seen anyone around in awhile so I was wondering what was up. Good luck, ameraleed. Sounds like purchasing a house in Crown Heights was exactly the right thing to do.
good for you ameraleed. yours is the most coherent part of the thread!
I lived in this house for 13 years. Rent was $3k from 92-97, went up to $4.5k in 98 and stayed there for 7+ years. We lived there quite comfortably with a group of 6 people total. There was only one kitchen (now there are two which you might find confusing in the photos). We shared general household expenses and responsibilities, and in general led a fairly idyllic communal life in a great house. We had some turnover amoung the housemates, but 2 of us lived there for the whole 13 years, and many people liver there for 5 or so. Our agreement with the landlord was a kind of “don’t call us, we won’t call you.” We took care of many aspects of repair (including once replacing the Hot water heater, although even I admit that was an extreme example.) Usually we informed him of anything we felt we couldn’t take care of. He seemed willing to take on some things, like a plumbing problem with a pipe that was buried in the wall and leaking. Other items, like the carpenter bees eating the wood windows and regular wear and tear items he seemed to shrug off. All in all we were very happy there and our rent was reasonable enough below market that it made sense to rent. We did not trash the place, but we did actually live in the whole house (6 of us) for 13 years. When we left most of what it needed was a coat of paint and a coat of poly on the floors.
In early 2005 our rent was raised to $6.5k a month. We decided it wasn’t worth it anymore. The group was getting harder to hold together, and it felt like time to build equity. The core of 3 that had been there the longest moved to Crown Heights, where we now own a comperable sized brownstone and live happily ever after, with tenants on the ground floor and a bigger back yard. He listed it on the market at $8k and later a $10k after the kitchen was renovated and the whole house painted and poly’ed
In my estimate the owner is both crazy and emminantly sane. He rented the house to us for years at just below to way below market rate (depending on where in the 7 year rent interval you measure.) Mostly this was because he didn’t want to be bothered by the property. We gave him that. He owns plenty of commercial real estate. He is not hurting for cash and doesn’t have a mortgage on this property. He just has fun using his hired handyman staff to renovate a handfull of residential properties when they have down time. (I have seen the reno albums he keeps in his desk drawer.) In 1990, if you believe his tale, he acquired the property for $250k and spent that again on the renovation (adding the kitchen, renovating 3 bathrooms, striping every bit of paint from all the woodwork, including 2 floors of wainscotting, new wood windows, putting in all new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and digging the entire basement down 18 inches and putting in a new slab.) He is doing just fine. He does not negotiate on very much, his usual position is “take it or leave it.”
If the .5m house would then rent for $3k, why shouldn’t the 1.8m+ house rent for $10K now?
The fact that this house has sat empty since May of 2005 might speak more to the insanity of the market then to the insanity of the landlord.
We had many happy times in the house and it will always hold a special place in my heart. Try to view it around May 9th when the wisteria is in full bloom.
Wow- this must be the sickest thread on the web. So the guy wants to rent out the house- if you don’t want to rent it, you’re entitled but jeesh. You people carry on like he personally attacked you and destroyed your homes. And you jumped on the bandwagon too Mr.B. Why is this the sickest rental in Brooklyn? why can’t he keep his property and choose to rent it out? I thought it was still a free country. There’s always been this anti-rental thing going on on Brownstoner, but get a grip people.
“But look, say you need a house for your family for a couple of years in New York before you move back to San Francisco or Singapore or wherever”
Wherever like in Ga Ga land?
Anon 1:54, your plan hasnt worked for a year. It’s time for new plan or diffrent approach.
whoever said that kitchen is no better than poggenpohl is out of their mind. that kitchen is horrendous.
i am amazed. if this property was for sale at $2.5MM everyone would think it was a bargain. $8K to rent a building worth $2.5MM is indeed a bargain!!!
Fair to who?
I know the owner. He owns TONS of properties. He fixed this up because he had been renting out to about 8 kids and they trashed the place. He only wants families now, no shares. He won’t sell it and really believes he can get 10K for this. I know houses in BH that are nicer and they don’t get this kind of $. He’s a dreamer…and not a very nice person.