Open House Picks: Six Months Later
Not sure how 401 Park Place went for over ask, but here’s the Acris documentation to prove it. Overall, some respectable results, don’t you think? Open House Picks 3/7/08 [Brownstoner]
Not sure how 401 Park Place went for over ask, but here’s the Acris documentation to prove it. Overall, some respectable results, don’t you think?
Open House Picks 3/7/08 [Brownstoner]
Checking in to see if anyone responded to my last post. Just in case either of you are doing the same:
dt: I disagree. Regardless of what the city has it listed as, it is functionally a 2 story with a better than average english basement. And there are many cases of 2 story homes in which propertyshark (which uses city data) includes the basement in the square footage.
Tradionalmod; On that I totally agree. As I said in my earlier post: “yes, residents know the most about their area. But they are totally biased when it comes to determining market value and no one with a brain will listen to an area resident regarding what they think a listing is worth.” Was I not clear enough for you? Residents are a font of wisdom regarding life in their neighborhood. But they should be ignored when it comes to market value.
DT’s posts are perfect examples of exactly why potential buyers SHOULD listen to people who live in a neighborhood. Especially PLG, because everybody knows everybody and have often been inside the houses in question. Or at the least walked past them every day for years. They know all the recent comps in detail. They know all about who the new neighbors are, which tells you what the new wave of residents in a place are like. Which is very telling and important to know when making an investment in a previously undervalued area that’s turning around.
No debate for me on that. I’d personally NEVER move somewhere without checking out the local blogs and residents’ comments or even talking to residents on the sidewalk, of a neighborhood I was interested in.
That research is not specific to PLG or in promotion of PLG or whatever. I did it in California and made an excellent investment, I did it here. That’s all.
218 Midwood Street is a three story house. The city has it listed as 3,342 square feet. The two story houses are 1,800 square feet. The city does not include the square footage of english basements when calculating. They do, however, list the garden level square footage. This house has a side entrance that is one step down from the street, as are all garden level entrances. If you look behind the shrubs in front, you will find full height windows, not the small windows like the two story house next door. Many houses in the nabe with doctor’s offices on the bottom floor have the kitchens and dining rooms on the parlor level.
dt, perhaps I had the street wrong, but that is a 2 story house with an english basement. In this case the english basement has access from the side street and has doctors offices in it. But it is most definitely not a 3 story house. As I am sure you know, the garden floor of a 3 story house is less below grade than this one and has a formal dining room and a large kitchen with direct acces to the garden. This house has an english basement which needed less renovation than most do. Yes, the top floor needed work, but the first floor was completely renovated with a high-end kitchen. It also had garages, as I recall, all of which made the reduced asking price quite reasonable when compared to recent comps in the area.
As for my making “sweeping statements” what I said about this house was that it’s failure to sell “would support the argument of a decline.” That hardly seems like a sweeping statement.
I don’t know how I got sucked into a big PLG argument!
Shillstoner, the house you are referring to is not on Rutland Road. It is on the corner of Midwood. It is a three story house, not a two story. The garden level, which is the doctor’s office, is completely unrenovated. The top floor has also not been renovated. This means the buyer would have to do the upstairs bath, possibly new wiring and plumbing, and the entire garden level. This is why the house was over priced, and this is why the house did not sell. This has nothing to do with the real estate market in PLG, or elsewhere. Please check your facts before making sweeping comments.
“If this revival of Brooklyn wasn’t happening these neighborhoods and houses would be decaying. And you seem you would like to see that happen.”
Where do you get off making a comment like that? I have restored 3 brownstones over the years. How many have you personally restored?
Your comment is exactly what is wrong with this site:
You take the market personally.
You misunderstand statements and don’t take the needed 30 seconds to understand what the person is saying–then you attack based on your total lack of understanding.
You make absurd comments about others’ motives and beliefs based on nothing.
Yes, and none of those quotes bash Brooklyn or buying here at all.
Quote 1 relates to the basic fact that prices are too high for a huge number of people who wish they could afford to buy in Brooklyn but can’t.
Quote 2 relates to the fact that there are lovely suburbs and that the burbs are as diverse as Brooklyn.
Quote 3 relates to the fact that this site is nothing more than a place to shill for Realtors and for home owners to try to puff up prices in their hoods. That isn’t attacking Brooklyn or the market–it is attacking Brownstoner.
So, where exactly do you see anything at all negative about Brooklyn?
As for the fact that you live in PLG making you an expert–yes, residents know the most about their area. But they are totally biased when it comes to determining market value and no one with a brain will listen to an area resident regarding what they think a listing is worth.
Well yeah, Shillstoner. Because those who know the most about a neighborhood are the ones who live in it.
I never puff things up. I am very very honest. Like how there aren’t great amenities in PLG, the public schools aren’t good so you should be someone who is okay with private schools anyway, etc etc. But being a fan of my own neighborhood is NOT a crime and doesn’t mean I am lying. Nor is it a crime to have enthusiasm for beautiful old houses and their preservation which only occurs through new enthusiasm and resources from new homeowners coming in. If this revival of Brooklyn wasn’t happening these neighborhoods and houses would be decaying. And you seem you would like to see that happen.
As for your claim you don’t bash Brooklyn and buying here, here are your own quotes off your profile:
“If prices in Brooklyn drop a lot we may see more people staying, but with prices as they are I think there will continue to be a steady supply of people moving out of the city.”
“Ever been to Bedford, Katonah, and many other such towns? It’s like saying I hate Brooklyn because of the identical brick houses with aluminum awnings.”
“Brownstoner, you have become such an out and out Realtor Shill! It is astonishing that you no longer even bother to pretend that you are anything but a cheerleader for the market.”
Oh, I just checked traditioanalmod’s profile and shockingly she is from PLG too. Why do some people take RE values in their neighborhood so personally? The market is not personal. The value of your home does not reflect anything about you. You really don’t have to attack everyone who questions the health of the market in your area!