House of the Day: 735 Decatur Street
Don’t let the vinyl siding fool you: This three-story, two-family house at 735 Decatur Street in Bedford Stuyvesant has lots of original detail that’s in surprisingly good shape. We can probably debate all day long about whether or not the asking price of $630,000 (according to the NYT listing) should be $20,000 or $30,000 less….
Don’t let the vinyl siding fool you: This three-story, two-family house at 735 Decatur Street in Bedford Stuyvesant has lots of original detail that’s in surprisingly good shape. We can probably debate all day long about whether or not the asking price of $630,000 (according to the NYT listing) should be $20,000 or $30,000 less. The bottom line is that this is by far the most charming house for the money on the market right now. Granted, it’s pretty far east—a block further and you’d be in Bushwick—but, whatever, we like it.
735 Decatur Street [Brooklyn Properties] GMAP P*Shark
735 Decatur Street [NY Times]
What’s the problem? Buy the house, contact a brickwork or masonry company, remove the ugly siding and faux stone. Replace with red brick or brownstone stucco. Problem solved for 10-20K. Jesus, there are whiners on this website.
I disagree with the haters.
I think this could be a good bet for someone in a certain situation — say, someone who owns a small apartment that has appreciated over the past 3-5 years and is ready to transition into more space. So let’s say you have 150,000 – 200,000 in equity to turn into a downpayment on this house, but you don’t make a huge six-figure salary. You offer $599,000, put down about 200,000 (35%), and your mortgage is $2500 a month. Get a tenant in there for $1000 a month and your monthly carrying costs for a huge 2-story home + backyard is less than $2000. Sounds like a bargain for a young couple who want room to start a family.
There have been plenty of houses posted here in worse shape, needing much more than this one seems to. They just happen to be in more acceptable neighborhoods.
If we can spend hours debating the conversion of an SRO or 4 family, why not entertain bringing this one back? Of course it’s not easy, but at least on the face of it, this one is a lot easier than most of those. This houses’ worst sin is in its address.
But for the right person, it will be a gem.
On an aside, Kathryn lilly was the owner of Tommy’s Blue Corner during the hottest part of the r.e. market then sells it to Rice and goes to work for Douglas Eliman during the slump. Is she some kind of dope…maybe she was smoking her hemp granola from her restaurant days. She obviously has no timing accumen in business. Oh, I forgot, when she was the broker of record at realty on the greene she closed “during” the height of the market to open up Tommys Blue Corner. Again, a very, very intelligent human being here. 🙂
ITS NOT IN BED-STUY ITS BUSHWICK.
You just haven’t been around Brownstoner long enough.“Montrose†is always good for a monotonous, perfunctory bit of sermonizing. It’s never very interesting, but it occasionally yields a laugh or two.
Yes, Mon Rose, Hon’,
This place is going to cost money to update and it is not going for a low enough cost all things considered.
Sure it is an okay house but for the locations, the house should be much cheaper or much more exciting and done-up inside for that asking price.
FG/TheGrammarLady
PS If you looked in that area, where did you ended settling?
No matter what Montrose says, it’s a dump. And I got a headache just reading the laundry list of renovations he ran off. I love the tone too: ‘It’s easy, all you need to do is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…..22…’
Good luck to winner of this POS.
I don’t understand the crap dumped on this poor house. It will need the usual electrical and plumbing overhaul – something needed by most old houses in every neighborhood and every price range. It may need a new bathroom or two. I’d keep the period sink, maybe the 30’s stove, definitely the built ins and do some cosmetic work, and you have a great vintage kitchen.
Take down the wallpaper, polish up the beautiful woodwork, a paint job, and take up the linoleum, a couple of new light fixtures, your furnishings and accessories, and you have a lovely home. I bet the floors are in great condition under the lino, which protected it over the years.
As several people noted, it’s not that big a deal to have the siding and brickface removed, and the facade repaired. If you don’t have a lot of money, wait on that – it’s not attractive, but it’s sound.
The location is out there, but reasonably priced choices are getting fewer and farther between. I’ve been out there, but don’t know the block at all. I doubt if it’s as bad as most say, especially since most people who comment on neighborhoods do so from heresay and knee jerk reactions to the name of the neighborhood.
When I was looking for a house, I saw several in the far reaches of Bed Stuy and over in this direction. In general, the brownstones out here were built for a genteel middle class, and are tidy, attractive homes with great features. This looks like a great house, and I like it a lot. One could do a lot with it, and have much to be proud of.