Open House Picks
Carroll Gardens 131 Summit Street Citi Habitats Sunday 12-2pm $1,650,000 GMAP Prospect Heights 603 Vanderbilt Ave Aguayo & Huebener Sunday 12-3pm $1,300,000 GMAP Windsor Terrace 169 Seeley Street Rita Knox Sunday 12-2pm $895,000 GMAP Bedford Stuyvesant 753 Macon Street Corcoran Sunday 2:30-4pm $600,000 GMAP
Carroll Gardens
131 Summit Street
Citi Habitats
Sunday 12-2pm
$1,650,000
GMAP
Prospect Heights
603 Vanderbilt Ave
Aguayo & Huebener
Sunday 12-3pm
$1,300,000
GMAP
Windsor Terrace
169 Seeley Street
Rita Knox
Sunday 12-2pm
$895,000
GMAP
Bedford Stuyvesant
753 Macon Street
Corcoran
Sunday 2:30-4pm
$600,000
GMAP
Sorry, Anon 6:58, but this is not true — a good broker can be a very valuable asset in buying a house, because the seller’s broker is NOT acting in your best interests. And as a buyer you aren’t paying that 6%, so why not have someone in your corner? Check out Curbed for a lengthier discussion on this subject — I don’t feel like reiterating what I’ve already said there.
If you don’t want to use a broker you’re not required to, but many others wouldn’t have it any other way.
Real Estate Brokers are a complete SCAM.
Unless you are too busy to do an openhouse search on the NYTimes websites (10 minutes if you narrow your search precisely), THERE IS NO REASON TO USE A BROKER.
THEY PREFORM NO NECESSARY SERVICES UNLESS YOU HAVE NO TIME TO LOOK ON YOUR OWN. THEY ARE ADULT BABYSITTERS — NOTHING MORE.
THEY DO NOT DESERVE SIX PERCENT OR EVEN A SANDWICH.
I guess with prices falling the brokers are all a-twitter.
Columbia Heights is the name of one of the most beautiful streets in Brooklyn Heights (just off the Promenade). If people have appropriated that name for this neighborhood (based I assume its proximity to Columbia Street, ultimately the continuation of Columbia Heights), it just shows how little they know about Brooklyn.
re: Summit St. house fyi
That house is definitely in Carroll Gardens proper, although close to the BQE. It’s between Hicks and Henry Street, right next to the Church/School there. But on the “right” side of the BQE divide. Still overpriced, but not by as much as if it were on other side of BQE.
The problem with a buyer’s broker is there are still many firms that don’t co-broke. It’s a nice idea, but not realistic in Brownstone Brooklyn at the moment. Even though one understand that the seller’s broker works for the seller, I have found most brokers to be very helpful and willing/able to do all the things you mention above (except of course compare their exclusives with other’s firms exclusives, that’s the buyer’s job). The kind of brokers that are selling $1M brownstones in Brooklyn generally have 10+ years experience and know what they’re talking about generally… many people on this blog are very cynical about many different professions (brokers, contractors, architects, lawyers), it gets a little paranoid.
Re: Summit Street…
the photos make it look like every room in the house has a 1960s drop ceiling (which makes sense, given that according to property shark it’s been owned by the same family since 1961). definitely needs work.
seems like it’s overpriced by about $750k. as for the neigborhood name, aren’t people calling that area Columbia Heights? it is almost Red Hook, just a block or so away.
Sorry that came out twice — my computer has server issues (whatever that means).
And yes, you can do without the broker, but you’re lucky you didn’t have any problems — I’ve heard some real horror stories. If you are relatively real-estate savvy and you have time on your hands, you can go it alone, but why would you want to, when it doesn’t cost anything? And as I pointed out, you will have a lawyer (it’s required by law in NYS, but no way will he/she do all the things mentioned above for you).