House of the Day: 240 Dean Street
Unlike many under-the-radar brokers, Precious Properties has done a very nice job with the photos in this listing for 240 Dean Street in Boerum Hill. Nonetheless, we continue to be amazed that sellers opt for the inferior marketing reach of outfits like this. After all, it’s our job to keep an eye out for listings…
Unlike many under-the-radar brokers, Precious Properties has done a very nice job with the photos in this listing for 240 Dean Street in Boerum Hill. Nonetheless, we continue to be amazed that sellers opt for the inferior marketing reach of outfits like this. After all, it’s our job to keep an eye out for listings like this and it us over a month to come across this one. The two-family Victorian hit the market in mid-April with a price tag of $1,595,000 and was reduced last week to $1,499,000. While a little on the narrow side, we were positively impressed with the condition and aesthetics of the interiors. We’d think this would be attracting interest at this level. Is it a matter of low visibility or are we being overly optimistic about the price?
240 Dean Street [Precious Properties] GMAP P*Shark
Soco or anyone: where are the projects located?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Fair enough, bk14. We think they did a nice job with this listing, as we said, but you’re definitely starting at a disadvantage using a relatively unknown broker. You better have a pretty good reason for doing it–otherwise, why not just go FSBO. After all, anyone can put a listing in The Times. If you’re paying a broker fee, presumably you want maximum marketing power…
Posted by: brownstoner at June 3, 2009 1:36 PM
Fair enough!? You never stop rooting for those who pay your bills, which is to say large brokers in the area. When does Brownstoner finally realize that those times have long passed? The market has changed. Corcoran is going under, and many other conglomerate brokerage firms are not doing well. Having endless sales listed doesn’t mean a large broker will in fact SELL any of them. Marketing power? Marketing power rests with those who work hard, don’t complain, and help their customers (be it sellers or landlords) ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS, a sale, a rental.
Haven’t you been one of many to continually report on large firm’s failures to SELL innumerable condos? Haven’t you reported on many a developer’s project GOING BANKRUPT because your beloved large firms couldn’t perform?
Interesting that you would keep on rooting for the big guys – let’s face it. Their time has passed.
I agree with RinTinTin and Miss Muffett, the bathroom situation is just weird. I get trying to maximize living space, and its on the narrow side (but not like that S. Oxford street house, its really night and day), but I think no WC on the parlor level in the owners duplex, plus the garden rental having its bathroom in the basement are real drawbacks to this property. Despite a beautiful renovation, I would have work crews inside putting a half bath somewhere on the parlor floor, though for the life of me I can’t figure out a place for it yet.
Aside from this glaring problem, I can see people paying the price listed for this house, it is beautiful outside and in. I wish I could see pictures of the garden and the back deck, as both can increase the value, the back deck is a luxury addition for many in Park Slope, and the fact that its built over the garden rental bedroom is nice, so that the deck doesn’t block light from entering the bedroom down there. I’m stymied how the website suggests that the garden rental is getting $1,900 in rent, but I digress, its in a decent area near trains, thats a lot for many renters and even homeowners. Plus Atlantic is getting better all the time, and there are some nifty shops that dot that neighborhood east of Smith Street.
The photos are lovely but the floor plan is odd to say the least – one bathroom for the owner’s unit? And no bathrooms on main living floors? And do owner and tenant share the entrance? Regardless of pretty style, I think the layout problems call for a price reduction (as, needless to say, does the current climate).
This is a nice house. The bathroom situation isn’t ideal, though. Those renters have to go down into the basement to take a leak? But the house is smallish and narrow, so I guess they’ve done what they could to preserve space.
Their website could be clearer. I couldn’t find the floorplan for a few minutes. Although after I saw it, I was less enthusiastic.
I went to an open house here two months back. It’s lovely and charming and unique, but I can tell from walking through with an architect- there are A LOT of structural issues. It’s an old wood-frame and the stairs and many of the floors are tilted/unlevel. The ceilings on the top floor are not level either, which probably means there are issues around the roof. My architect through you’d have to correct a lot of things, which is going to be costly… My take is the current owners knew this but redid the kitchen and bath to try to gloss over the issues. It’s way too expensive for the area (proximity to projects) and the amount of work to be done. And yes, there is an empty lot next door and it does belong to the ‘twin’ house. Apparently it will never be developed because the twin house uses it as their year, but an empty lot is still and empty lot to me….
Nice example of what professional photos do. No doubt the house, bases on the exposures layout and windows, has great light — however, the these pictures were augmented by professional lighting. Not that that’s cheating. In fact, I think it probably gives a more accurate feel for what it’s really like. Just saying — it pays to have photos done right.
Looks lovely. Though the three people who’ve seen it so far are all saying the same thing about the division.
I suspect any serious brownstone bklyn buyer is going to go thru the NYT site first, then to the listing sites. So I don’t see this as an exposure issue.
The real problem is the Precious Properties Web listing. They give way too much information! I’m serious. I think you want to whet buyers’ appetite to learn more about a place, not give them reasons to reject it. To me, 5 well-chosen photos are all you need, plus an accurate floorplan and tax data, and you’re good to go. Anything else is TMI.
it may have taken a month but it’s in a pretty good shop window now!