Last Week's Biggest Sales
1. FORT GREENE $2,800,000 180 Washington Park GMAP A House of the Day back in August, the 22-foot brownstone was owned by Spike Lee in the ’90s and hit the market with a price tag of $2,750,000. The new owner is British painter Chris Ofili, whom you might remember as the guy who offended Rudy…
1. FORT GREENE $2,800,000
180 Washington Park GMAP
A House of the Day back in August, the 22-foot brownstone was owned by Spike Lee in the ’90s and hit the market with a price tag of $2,750,000. The new owner is British painter Chris Ofili, whom you might remember as the guy who offended Rudy Giuliani in 1999 when his Holy Virgin Mary” exhibited in the Brooklyn Museum. The NYT In Transit blog describes the controversial painting as “a black Madonna that included a clump of elephant dung and a background of pornographic images from magazines.” Entered into contract on 11/10/09; closed on 1/14/10; deed recorded on 2/17/10.
2. PARK SLOPE $1,800,000
540 4th Street GMAP
When this limestone row house—filled with original details and located on a park block—was House of the Day back in November, it was listed for $2,000,000. Entered into contract on 1/23/10; closed on 2/8/10; deed recorded on 2/16/10.
3. GRAVESEND $1,800,000
2022 West Street GMAP
According to Prop Shark, this is a 5,670 square-foot 1-family house. Entered into contract on 8/6/09; closed on 2/12/10; deed recorded on 2/19/10.
4. WILLIAMSBURG $1,562,500
156 Bedford Avenue GMAP
This 3-unit building with retail space on the first floor was once home to the Print Shop, which closed in March ’09. It was listed for $1,850,000 on February 4, according to StreetEasy. But according to the deed, it entered into contract on 2/1/09; closed on 2/1/10; deed recorded on 2/19/10.
5. BOERUM HILL $1,400,000
295 Pacific Street GMAP
This four-story, 2,744 square-foot home was House of the Day when it hit the market in January ’09 with a price tag of $1,899,000 — and was named HOTD again in October ’09 when it returned to the market priced at $1,595,000. Entered into contract on 12/15/09; closed on 2/9/10; deed recorded on 2/16/10.
Photo from Property Shark.
Could we please stop with this foolishness of comparing the average widget appraisal to the actual selling price of a property? It is an apples to oranges comparison. It is only valid if a seller’s method of selecting a buyer is to take all of the bids and then award the sale to the person who bid closest to the average price. Sellers don’t sell on this basis – they take the highest bid. With regards to the Fort Greene and Park Slope houses, I count at least three appraisals that were at, if not above, the actual sale price. The widget correctly guessed the actual selling price and in some cases predicted a final sale price above where the house actually sold. I would not be shocked if the average bid these sellers received was 10% below the highest bidder. Would that shock anyone else?
Actually the widget is getting closer to actual sales prices.
Despite the lack of inventory, which is astonishing, prices are still declining.
Perhaps the plan is to bring foreclosures to the courthouse in a measured way in order to create an orderly sell off as opposed to a rout. That seems to be what the market is telling us.
I will stoop that low, but only because I like the move Airplane so much:
Young Boy with Coffee: Excuse me, I happened to be passing, and I thought you might like some coffee.
Little Girl: Oh, that’s very nice of you, thank you.
[takes coffee]
Little Girl: Oh, won’t you sit down?
Young Boy with Coffee: Cream?
Little Girl: No, thank you, I take it black, like my men.
My first house ever, in Chicago, was a greystone…they are granite out there, not limestone. I was swiftly corrected when I started looking in Brooklyn and was told they’re called “limestone.”
I will not stoop to the “darker exterior” comment so nicely teed up!!!
> Why such limestone hate, DitmasSnark???
It’s not hate, just a preference for a darker exterior.
(It’s teed up, knock it outta the park…)
Why such limestone hate, DitmasSnark???
*rob*, my sense has always been that (some) people are willing to pay a premium for a pre-owned celebrity house.
Posted by: CGar at February 23, 2010 11:26 AM
Mine should go above ask when I sell it.
Inspite of a dead body in bag found pratically on their door step FTGreene house sold above, good for them. The “X” factor strikes again.
Well, the 4th Street house went for a good chunk of change more than I thought it would. I must have been letting my preference for brownstone over limestone color my widgetizing.