House of the Day: Extended in Carroll Gardens
We’re not as up on the Carroll Gardens market as we should be, so we’ll be interested to see what readers think of this new listing from Cobble Heights Realty. (Unfortunately, we’re not sure which house it is in the picture.) We do know this: The 4-story, 4-family brick has a 2-story extenstion and a…
We’re not as up on the Carroll Gardens market as we should be, so we’ll be interested to see what readers think of this new listing from Cobble Heights Realty. (Unfortunately, we’re not sure which house it is in the picture.) We do know this: The 4-story, 4-family brick has a 2-story extenstion and a big front yard. The few houses we’ve seen in the area with big front yards have generally had generous proportions on the inside as well. This one seems to be in decent shape, with what we’d call a moderate level of detail and amenities. The current occupant clearly has a modern aesthetic going which appears to work nicely in the space. Does $1.7 million seem to be about market for this place? We’ll look forward to hearing what people think.
Listing #5212193 [Cobble Heights]
Townhouse with Extension [NY Times]
My wife and I and three other friends went through this place a few months ago (we wanted to all buy the building and each couple have a level). We even made an offer for 1.6 that wasn’t accepted. The building is actually in pretty decent shape. None of us noticed the train being loud enough to hinder the purchase. Our feeling was that the exterior was much worse than the interior. Of course there will always be some upgrades, but the bones seemed fine. One big problem is the current tenant on the parlor floor. She is determined to cause problems in the sale.
It is important to point out the existing conditions of a neighborhood or building however it is equally important to be able to rationally assess the impact of these condition. The rat problem, for example, which is a serious issue, is also one that is being dealt with and will not persist. Rat problems often arise when there is an overhaul of infrastructure but they only persist when they are not dealt with. And there is surely enough money, concerned parents, and concern for property value in Carroll Gardens to deal with this issue.
To anonymous who posted at 9:29 am…No, I don’t think we’re knocking the houses that are on the market. We’re merely pointing out important issues — and there are many — that prospective buyers (who are usually coming from outside the neighborhood, if not outside the city) should know before plunking down a million plus for something they think is outstanding but could turn into a very big mistake. Newcomers should be aware of what they’re getting themselves into, and no brownstone anywhere in NYC is going to be a bargain especially in this market. Brownstones have upkeep & maintenance issues that other homes don’t have. They cost more to rehabilitate than other homes. Renovating a brownstone facade can now cost upwards of $60,000 depending on the size and masonry detail of the building. Ever have an electrician try to add new electrical outlets on party walls in a brownstone? Party walls are just a brick or two thick. Will you have noisy neighbors? You won’t know until you move in. These homes are just very complicated to own, and the negatives are very important if a buyer is to make an educated decision about owning one of them…including being just over the wall from the elevated subway tracks, or being too close to an undesirable area, or being next door to a noisy restaurant with loud music late at night. I can tell you from life-long experience that Carroll Gardens never had a rat problem in decades past, but now it does, and it’s a serious issue. These and other considerations are all very important factors in buying a home that’s going to put you in hock for the rest of your life, and newcomers who may not be well-schooled in brownstone living need to educate themselves to all the advantages and disadvantages of owning a brownstone. And I think this forum is a good place to find that advice.
Sometimes I have to laugh at the negative comments about any house on this blog. No wonder anyone would buy a house at all in any area of Brooklyn – if its not too close to ‘projects’ than its too close to expressway or on busy street or now too close to subway. Or not wide enough or has those exposed brick walls or not good orig. detail, etc.Then there are those that are too far from from subway or too far from Manhattan or services. Which leaves us without about 15 houses that are worth anything and the rest pretty worthless.
I have to agree witht the rodent problem on those blocks… many mice and rats infested our building. The horn from the subway blowing whenever there is construction is a real treat as well.
Sorry, I misspoke before: this is on 3rd Place, which is the street that dead-ends against the F. My description is accurate, but I just misremembered the street.
This location is pretty close: http://tinyurl.com/apgrw
And corcoran has yet another 4 story, 4 family on president bewteen Henry and Hicks for 2 million.
If this house is, indeed, on 4th Place, “cul-de-sac” is putting it mildy. In reality it’s your old-fashioned “dead end” block, the dead-end being the brick wall encasing the emerging elevated subway tracks. Even if the interior were in great condition, I think the asking price is way over the top considering the rumbling F & G trains every few minutes, 24/7.
1.7 million seems like the going rate. Corcoran also has a listing of a similar 4 story, 4 family around Union and Henry for 1.7 million.