Bad Feng Shui on Perkins Road

39 Perkins Road

36 Perkins Road, on the market since November, 2014, when it was priced at $6.2 million, has been marked down again, and now asks $3.995.

Once owned by a Chinese native, who tried to sell it in 2004 for $7.995 million, fiscal difficulties arose (tax records show a $9,958,195 million mortgage extended to him by a Hong Kong bank in December, 2007, which just illustrates the risk of lending from far away, in a market you know nothing about), and title eventually passed to the lender, who sold it to these owners for $2.1 million in March, 2014.

The new owners returned it to the market November 24, 2014, priced at the aforesaid $6.2 million after what the listing claims was a “complete, down-to-the-studs renovation and redesign”. Maybe, although nine months is pretty quick to accomplish all that; regardless, at least to my eye, the interior renovation work was done more with an eye towards speed, than taste, but that’s just my opinion.

Three-nine, or at least, three-five isn’t an unreasonable price for Perkins Road, so perhaps this latest cut will do the trick, although that depends on the market’s reaction to this particular house and that, so far, has not been favorable.

The cost of those renovations must have been substantial, and even with a low basis of $2.1, four-plus years is a long time to wait to recoup one’s “investment” and move on. In the meanwhile, the house sits vacant.

39 Perkins, circa 2014

At least these have been replaced

The new bathroom: even if that isn’t formica veneer on the cabinets, it’s a bad look

A journalistic first

You mean we’re the onky ones here?

OCA demands that borders be opened to all latinos because this is really their land.

I really couldn’t care less about what this silly, stupid woman says, but this bit of reporting, buried at the end of the article, caught my eye:

'Thank you. I'm mad, y'all,' a smiling Ocasio-Cortez said when applause erupted among a small crowd assembled to provide a video backdrop. 

It’s the oldest trick in the book: gather up a handful of “demonstrators” — in this case, probably congressional staffers, group them together and have them jump up and down waving signs in front of network TV, which is always happy to do a close-in focus to hide the paltry size. In my experience, it’s only been when a conservative group posts a pull-away shot showing the fraud that the insignificance of the crowd is revealed. I’m surprised that a liberal reporter from The Daily Mail chose to out them.

Someone's in no rush to sell

549 North Street is back on the street again, new agent, but still at the same $7.995 price it was asking last November, when its listing was cancelled. The owner’s ben trying to sell this since 2006, when he started at $12.5, and with an occasional year-or two off in the past thirteen years, has had it on the market ever since.

The house was built in 1997, and maintenance notwithstanding, it’s not getting any younger. Maybe the spring market will yield a buyer in the mid-$7 range, but maybe not; check back in June.

Dropped value on Keofferam

39 Keofferam Road, Old Greenwich, is new to the market today and priced at $3.150 million. That’s a bit startling, because this 1909 house sold for $3.250 in 2007 (admittedly, at the height f the market) and totally renovated and expanded by these owners. Improvements also mechanical upgrades, like ripping out the original steam radiators and installing a central air and heating system. In short, a large amount of money was put into this house, and the owners aren’t going to see a penny of it back.

To my eye, the house (inside) is beautiful, and Keofferam has always been a great street, so I wonder about the reason for the decline in value. The listing agent, Amy Rabenhorst, is a very talented, experienced agent and knows Old Greenwich, so I trust her judgement; she hasn’t undervalued the house, but has instead gone with current market conditions.

So what gives? The unpopularity of old homes among our current crop of buyers, is my guess, and that’s too bad; they’re passing up charm in favor of bland, modern construction that will be dated within ten years.

But that’s the market.

Virginia Democrat Party admits not a single member HASN'T dressed in blackface

virginia lady democrat delegation attends sotus

“Well, we do have one”, the party chairman conceded, “but he’s black to begin with, so ….”

New Listing in Lucas Point, Old Greenwich

10 S Crossway, $5.850 million. Right price? I haven’t run comps, so I don’t know, but I’m a sucker for Lucas Point, one of our best, friendliest neighborhoods, and this house, built in 2000, takes full advantage of the water views. I’d certainly like to live here.

Contract on Sheephill;

51 Sheephill, 2018 construction, asking $2.465 million. Not quite my cup of tea on the outside, and the house was built on what passes as a double lot here, so it’s been crammed onto 1/4 acre.

But it’s new, and the interior architecture is clean.

Probably a safe bet

GPD says murder of woman found dead, bound hand and foot and stuffed in a suitcase is likely “an isolated incident”..

Certainly I’m not familiar with any other portmanteau mysteries in town history.

We're living in the crazy years

30-year-old politician refuses to resign after picture of him as a 16-year-0ld in black face surfaces.

State Rep. Anthony Sabatini, a 30-year-old Republican representing House District 32, said the image showing him as a teen with darkened skin while wearing sunglasses, a New York Yankees cap, a do-rag and gold chains has been “decontextualized” since his days at Eustis High School, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

“I’m 16 years old, one of my best friends of the time was black, and we thought at the time – looking back, it was immature – it would be funny to dress as each other,” Sabatini told the newspaper. “He dressed in my clothes – a Ralph Lauren polo shirt, shorts, Converse – and I dressed in his clothing … None of us thought 14 years later any of us would be a public figure and the photo would be decontextualized.”

Virginia’s governor’s predicament is amusing, simply because it’s fun to watch Democrats squirm, but really: are we seriously planning to go back 30-40 years into people’s lives as teenagers and see whether their adolescent behavior disqualifies them from public service, or even private employment? In the case of, say, burning small animals alive, say, bring it on. Otherwise, let it go.

SOTU Summary

Lots of lins to discussion of the speech over at Instapundit. Personally, I didn’t tune in, because there will be n unity, so why listen to a plea for such a thing?