House of the Day: 428 East 18th Street
Any house under a million bucks these days is going to come with its set of drawbacks. In the case of 428 East 18th Street, the list appears to include some less-than-attractive siding and a lack of privacy in the backyard. If you can get beyond those two things, though, this place might start to…
Any house under a million bucks these days is going to come with its set of drawbacks. In the case of 428 East 18th Street, the list appears to include some less-than-attractive siding and a lack of privacy in the backyard. If you can get beyond those two things, though, this place might start to look good to you. The house is priced at $899,000 but we hear that the highest offer to come in so far is around $820,000, so it sounds like there’s some room to wheel and deal. We’re digging the nice floors and the two-car garage (with plumbing!). How’s this block in general?
428 East 18th Street [Brooklyn Hearth] GMAP P*Shark
428 East 18th Street [Mary Kay Gallagher]
Please don’t get defensive anon 5:06. Sounds like you bought in the ‘hood and want to defend your purchase and if that’s the case, trust me, I think you made a GREAT INVESTMENT. I love ditmas park, grew up there, and my parents live there.
But many people (like buyers coming from manhattan or ‘hoods like park slope) are used to being walking distance from nightlife, good groceries, etc. Now, we could debate all day and night if this is important or not, and in the end it comes down to personal choice.
I just questioned the phrase “getting into ditmas” which implied there are things IN THAT HOOD that are worth buying a so-so house to be near. Not on Ave u, not in coney island, but right there, car or not. You’re near that stuff anywhere in brooklyn you live if you’ve got transportation…
Now, more space, beautiful blocks…those are 2 reasons to “get into ditmas” i suppose but the rest of it…let’s just be honest and real: The hood has a lot of growing to do, as much as i like it.
Edwardian
I’ve lived in 3 different true Victorian houses in my life in childhood and college, and this is not Victorian. The details are far more Craftsmen than Victorian. In fact, this looks like a Sears Roebuck house from the 1908-1914 catalog. Lots of houses and rowhouses in Brooklyn were from Sears Roebuck.
It really is not a bad house, compared to some of the lulu’s on this site in the past few weeks.
It’s attractive and is 108 years old. It has a nice front porch with doric columns, 2-story bay on the side, Palladian window in the attic. I say it’s worth renovating.
no amenities…..isn’t this house in Brooklyn? park slope is short subway ride, 5 minute car ride. brooklyn avenue u china town is 15 minutes…hmmm let’s see…walk on the boardwalk and get a hotdog in 20 minutes and see the ocean. how about …in 10 minutes you can be in bensonhurst and get some great fresh pasta…or just walk to the picket fence, the farm at adderly or mariachis for a fine meal …groceries..hmmm…food coop, associated, great spanish butcher…i could go on….couldn’t i.
Just discovered that it’s also listed with the heinous Brooklyn Properties.
And at this point “getting into Ditmas”, while its a beautiful neighborhood with a ton going for it, doesn’t mean that much…and this coming from someone who grew up there.
Sure, area is growing, but we’re not talking prime shopping, schools or amenities…yet.
I’ve been inside the house, and weighing the good and the bad, I think this is a rare opportunity to get into ditmas for under a mil. That said it needs tons of work. Floors were done horribly but appear preserved underneath all those layers of poly. Any buyer should know that all the kitchens are in start from scratch condition. The value of this place is in the back staircase to the 3rd floor with a separate entrance. Few houses have the legal 2 family deal going. Plus a garage with a bathroom=rental potential, perfect for a psychologist or massage studio or other business. The siding is hideous and that will run I’ve heard $50,000-$60,000? You’ve got a cute 2 bedroom apt on the third floor and a rentable garage = $2000. a month. That’s an extra $24k a year to make the mortagage payments, something i wish my house had.
This house is “Victorian”, both in the style and the time it was built, 1899.
It’s a 2-family, so rental income is possible. The lot is 40×100, on the small end of the range of lot sizes for the area. Not only are there large apartment buildings behind the house, but also directly across the street. This is one of a handful of remaining free-standing houses on the block.
Both realtors list it as needing work, without specifics. Whoever’s going to look at this house seriously will need an excellent inspector. I haven’t noticed this house before, but from the exterior photo, the shingles look like composite. These typically contain asbestos and will require certified asbestos abatement handling for removal before restoring or replacing any existing siding underneath. Then there’s the roof, mechanicals, and so on.
The band between Cortelyou and Dorchester is all zoned R6, with some commercial overlays on the cross streets. R6 allows townhouse construction, to 5-6 floors or so. The house as-built is more than 4:1 under the maximum FAR of 2.43. This could easily become a teardown, as we are seeing elsewhere in the neighborhood.