Greenwich, Connecticut real estate, politics, and more.
Greenwich, Connecticut real estate, politics, and more
2 Dartmouth Road, off Cat Rock, asking $2.4 million. Started at $2.995 in January, 2017 and will, I'm guessing, close at around $2.2.
Which I could have told them eighteen months ago, but some people enjoy strangers traipsing through their house for a year or two. Others have better things to do.
Selectman Sandy Litvack has sold his house at 39 Day Road for $2.350 million, down considerably from the $3,113,500 ($4.407 in current dollars) his (now) wife paid for it in 2001, and well below the $5.495 they sought in 2008.
11 Dearfield Lane is new to the market today, priced at $3.3 million. A house flipper bought this 1928 house back in February, 2004, did a remarkable job completely renovating it and practically doubling its size, and put in back up for sale five months later for $3.690. Much as I admired the work done, I, and the market, thought that a silly price and so it proved. The current owners paid $2.9 for it a year-plus later, July, 2006, and, in my opinion, didn't overpay.
Further improvements have been made, and this asking price, subject to some negotiation, is not wildly implausible. It's a house with great charm, and for those seeking an in-town property, in this price range, a house well worth viewing.
(Totally unrelated, and more as a suggestion to other sellers, I note that one of the pictures in the listing is a portrait of the owners' son. Nothing wrong at all with leaving that portrait up during showings, but in this age of kooks and weirdos, I'd be wary of putting a child's picture on the Internet. I'm probably paranoid: after all, the houser and address are posted, but ....)
19 Tait Road, which asked $1.795 million when it hit the market at the end of March, closed Friday at $1.850.
Hot market in the under-$2 range.
16 Indian Head Road, asking $3.775 million, 82 days (and one price cut) on market. I've never understood the appeal of this house: to me, it's a cobbled-together, dog's breakfast of additions and expansions, but I'm obviously a minority of one, because it's sold several times over the years, so what do I know?
These owners paid $3.9 for it in 2013, but all in all, they're getting out clean.
Caught some of the ceremony on the internet, and was struck by (a), the Brits know how to stage pomp and circumstance, and (b) how utterly irrelevant the kingdom is to world affairs.
Britain has 80,000 soldiers — the US fields 1.1 million — only 60,000 of whom are deemed fit for combat, has no naval fleet, and basically no air force. The country just built an aircraft carrier, but has admitted that it lacks the funds to procure airplanes to station on it. A preacher at Harry's wedding went on and on about the "power of one", and I suppose that's how the Brits intend to rule the world. Fat chance.
It was interesting to see from that live feed — it was from the "Today" show — how supposedly adult correspondents were reduced to dripping puddles of fawning adulation over "royalty". I haven't witnessed such mindless mewing since Obama left the scene.
35 Hidden Brook, land sale, $2.675 million.
I'm a trifle confused about this lot, because it once offered a third of its 0.7-acre land as a separate lot, but that listing was cancelled in February. So one lot or two? If just one, seems pricey.
(March contract). 5 Dairy Road closed at $5.2 million, down substantially from its year-ago price of $6.350, but above what the sellers paid in 2010, $4.7. Of course, these owners added 2,000 sq.ft. to the house and pretty much re-did everything else.
Different markets. In 2010, the house was priced at $4.695 million, and sold in 19 days via biding war for $4.7. This time around, it took 488 days and $1,150,000 in price cuts before a buyer showed up.
Unlike the other side of Dairy, houses on the east, especially this one, have a pretty spectacular view.
I wrote about 18 Interlaken Road on Tuesday, describing it as a bargain, and predicted that it would sell quickly.
Accepted offer today; unfortunately, the buyers weren't my clients.
You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.
CORRECTION: Jumped the gun. There are offers, but none accepted yet (apologies to listing agent, Joy Metalios). This its really a no-brainer: put, say, $200,000 into it, get a house worth $2.3 million.
15 North Crossway, asking $6.995 million, is reported as pending by its listing agent Joe Barbieri just a little more than a month after hitting the market. (I've given up on Gideon adopting me, so I'll now shift my attention, and affection, to Joe).
The sellers paid $6.5 for it in 2009, put some money into renovations in 2010, and they're coming out just a little out-of-pocket — compare that with, say, $20,000 per month for rent over nine years, and even with property taxes and maintenance, they've done just fine.
It's a lot to pay for a view on the wrong side of Lucas Point: better to see down the Sound to the New York skyline, but what the heck
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