Under the Radar Transaction at 189 Hancock

We spent a lot of digital ink on the architectural splendor of Hancock Street a couple of weeks ago so we were interested to get this heads up from a reader. The house in the photo above is 189 Hancock Street which is between Nostrand and Marcy. According to our tipster, this 4-story, 2-family 20-footer changed hands recently in a FSBO transaction that saw the house go for $840,000, a cool $90,000 above the original asking price. The buyer is a contractor who supposedly pulled over on a whim when he spotted the FOR SALE sign as he was driving down the block. He made a no-strings-attached offer on the spot and the turnaround on the sale took only a week. Who says the brownstone market is cooling! All this despite the fact that the interior and façade need major TLC. It must have been the surfeit of historic detail–including seven fireplaces, empire mirror, built-in library, and elaborate woodwork–that sold him. The word is that the contractor is not going to flip the place. Our source opines that, given the $233 per square foot the guy paid for the house, a quick profit would be tough anyway. GMAP P*Shark
Hancock Street: How Sweet It Is [Brownstoner]