Open House Picks

also, I saw at the A&H website a one-family on 11th Street between 6th and 7th for $849K. I assume it must be a dollhouse, or inhabited by an axe murderer, or contain a Hellmouth, or something, but have you looked at it?

anon 3:16 —

I love a challenge. Park Slope: no way. Not even fake Park Slope. Windsor Terrace — there were recently a couple small houses on Terrace Place for $750 and $850K, roughly. (I thought they were overpriced, but that’s another matter.) But Kensington? You really can’t find anything in Kensington at that price? What about this at Aguayo and Huebener:

http://ahrlty.com/H294M/H294M.html

$865K, but come on. Is there some catch we’re not seeing?

Questions:

* 1 family or 2?
* How much space you need?
* What’s a quiet house, in Brooklyn?

Finally, I’ve said this before but “move-in condition” is going to be your achilles heel. If you’re shopping in the lower end of the range — like it or not, you are — the one thing that can stretch your money is to profit off other people’s unwillingness to be inconvenienced. ($850K unfortunately is now chicken feed. It costs a lot to feed a chicken around here these days.)

But you have to be willing to be inconvenienced yourself. I went through a renovation while living in the house, floor by floor, with a toddler living in the house. (Yes, his lead test is fine, thanks for asking.) It sucks. But we now have the house we wanted.

Bottom line, at your price point something has got to give. (I’m not trying to sound smug. Yes, it was easier to afford back when I bought, but neither of us can do anything to change that so we have to face facts.) If you sacrifice temporary convenience, the inconvenience will eventually end. But if you sacrifice location or space, your house is not going to move or get bigger. (Well, not cheaply, anyway.)

Good luck.

From the point of view of a buyer, it really *is* a jungle out there. It feels as if prices are rising every week, and even though you’re all shocked at the high asking prices, things are selling at those prices!!

I wonder if you savvy people could help me find listings for nice quiet houses in move-in condition for $850K in the Slope, WT, Kensington or a safe part of PLG. I’m not managing to find anything in those neighborhoods, everything seems to be priced at $930K or above.

There’s gotta be something! $850K is not chicken feed!

Thanks v. much, Amanda– I have to admit I only looked superficially to get a sense of what things were going for–boy, it’s a jungle out there!