A foreclosure may look cheap, but take (at least) a second look

DEAD FLIPPER

When we last checked on 36 Perkins Road in June, it had dropped its asking price from $6.2 million (2015) to $3.5 and a deal was finally pending. It suffered a final indignity this morning, closing at $3.035. A lot of work for no return.

The would-be flipper here bought a wreck from Cathay Bank for $2.1 million in January 2014 and, at least according to its listing, did the following:

This home was taken down to the studs and redesigned to work with today's lifestyle. Beautiful and long tree-lined drive sets the stage for the private and mature setting on over 2.5 acres. Majestic entry with double staircases. LvRm/DnRm/Fm/Rm/Library and Master all with fireplaces. Gourmet kitchen opening up to breakfast room & family room. State-of-the-art technology throughout. Home theater.

You don’t get paid for an agent’s fulsome* descriptions, but perhaps the flipper thought he would, because he returned it to the market in November 2014, all tarted up and asking that $6.2. Less than half of that five years later is an owie.

*Yes, grammarians, I use the word exactly as God intended it to be employed.

Stamford's real estate is doing no better than Greenwich's

33 Farms Road, a 1737 farm house that still retains much of its original construction and appeal, and 3 acres of its original land, sold for $1.875 million in 2009, and is now under contract again, but this time it was asking $1.495 (it failed to sell at $1.989 in 2015).

Farms Road runs from upper Taconic in Greenwich to Riversville Road, and this house has always been one of its attractions as I drove between the two towns. Assuming it sells for $1,400,000, that’s roughly a 25% drop in value since 2009; that keeps up, and Jill Oberland will be looking to house her new refugee friends in North Stamford, which will come as a relief for those of us hoping to continue to use Greenwich’ sidewalks and parks.

His ilk are coming this way, count on it

On being in the girl’s locker room:
“If I notice a girl that’s nude below and has a tampon string coming out when I’m changing and doing my stuff, is it weird to approach her to ask her for a tampon? or pad? Just to bond with her a bit over period stuff…. I really want to make friends in there, that’s kinda a goal of mine,”

Canadian he/she/it/thing/pervert bankrupting salons for refusing to shave his hairy balls

In British Columbia, small businesses are facing a gender-identity discrimination lawsuit brought by a man named Jessica Yaniv.

Jessica considers himself a lesbian, and he’s brought over a dozen complaints against women in the Vancouver area who perform female Brazilian bikini waxing but refused to wax his furry female sources of semen.

The JCCF’s president, John Carpay, says the victims of Jessica’s filings are mostly poor, ESL immigrants.

He also believes it’s likely multiple ladies’ve had to shut down their businesses as a result of the apparently-hairy-balled litigator.

That’s certainly the case of Brazilian immigrant Maria Da Silva — she testified Wednesday that she’s had to close up shop.

The girls who’ve declined to grab gonads have explained that they aren’t qualified to deal with the complexities of male genitalia.

Even if the women are successful in defending themselves against the allegations of discrimination in violation of section eight of the British Columbia Human Rights Code, the complaint could cost them $10,000, $20,000 or even $30,000 in legal fees, said Carpay. He also believes some women have already paid Yaniv thousands of dollars in settlement money to avoid going to court. The Justice Centre is providing representation to the women free of charge.

Because the goal is to destroy the nation, not celebrate its accomplishments

America was never great

On the eve of the moon landing’s 50th anniversary, the NYT focuses on the USSR and other woke countries’ magnificent accomplishments in diversity and racial equality

Many Americans and the U.S. government are currently celebrating the incredible achievement of reaching the moon 50 years ago. It’s a testament to this country’s greatness, ingenuity, and uniqueness that we were able to accomplish such a feat with the technology of the time.

Now, to most people that’d be completely non-controversial.

The New York Times aren’t most people though.

The New York Times✔@nytimes

America may have put the first man on the moon, but the Soviet Union sent the first woman, the first Asian man, and the first black man into orbit — all years before the U.S. would follow suit https://nyti.ms/32whRUC 

As Obama advisor Ben Rhyodes so accurately put it, ““The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old, and their only reporting experience consists of being around political campaigns. “They literally know nothing.”

The NYT reporters and editors, and the huge percentage of even middle-aged citizens detest the United States and are ashamed of it, and that is the direct result of 40 years of the communist Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States” being used as the standard history textbook in high schools across the country.

Sad.

Hat tip to Hmmm for finding this and Holden for figuring out how to post it (Holden, come over to the dark side and edit this blog)

Lies, damn lies, and statistics

GMLS is out with June data. My only caveat relates to “days on market; like the “ask to sell ratio”, that’s a number that’s easy to manipulate, and often is.

July 18, 2019 (Greenwich, CT) - The Greenwich Association of REALTORS® announces the statistics for home sales in The Town of Greenwich, CT for the month of June 2019.

There were 60 single-family residential closings reported during this period according to figures provided by The Greenwich Multiple Listing Service, Inc., the multiple listing service used by REALTORS® in the Greenwich area.
The number of single-family residential closings decreased, compared to June 2018 when there were 68 closings. The median sale price for a single-family home was a decrease to $1,900,000 from median sales price in June 2018, which was $2,005,000.
The average days on the market (DOM) for residential homes was 241 days; which was an increase from 209 days in June 2018.
There were 17 condo/co-op residential closings reported during this time period; which was a decrease from June 2018 when there were 22 closings.
The median sale price for a condo/co-op decreased to $679,500 from $806,250 the median sales price in June 2018.
The average days on the market (DOM) for condo/co-op residential homes was 143; which was a decrease from 225 days in June 2018.

"June 2019 had sixty closings and a median sale price of $1,900,000. Greenwich was the sector in town with the most closings, ending June with thirty-four sales; A thirteen percent increase from June 2018. Riverside was next in line with the most closings, ending the month with eleven sales. Condo/Co-Op sales had seventeen closings in June 2019 with a median sale price of $679,500. Pending sales as of 4:45pm Tuesday, July 16th for Single Family homes were 58 and 17 for Condo/Co-Op" stated John McAtee, 2019 President of the Greenwich Association of REALTORS®.

Makes that salting project in Carthage seem tame

11 Plow Lane, asking $3.475 million, is reported as pending. The owners paid $4,755,018 for it when it was new in February, 2007. I imagine they now regret paying that extra eighteen dollars.

This must have hurt

43 Sawmill Lane (no interior shots available)

43 Sawmill Lane has sold (December 2018 contract) for $2.6 million. That’s not a bad price for the sellers for this 1969 ho-hum — in fact, I think they were lucky to get so much — but they paid $3,007,500 for it in 2011, when it had been on the market just 13 days. Losing something like $600,000 on a $3 million home would be discouraging, for most owners.

And that $3 million was a 2011 price, not 2007’s market peak.

Cardboard between the ears, and this purchase proves it

Dollar Mausoleum

Australian cardboard billionaire is buying Michael Douglas’ Bedford Corners home

Not only are cardboard billionaires a thing -- they're buying up Westchester County homes owned by A-list celebs. Richard Harbus/NY Post

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas are in talks to sell their Westchester estate to Aussie cardboard billionaire Anthony Pratt, of Pratt Industries.

The power couple bought it for around $11.25 million in 2014 and are in contract to sell it for around $15 million in an off-market deal, Gimme Shelter has learned.

The palatial 15,458-square-foot residence at 44 W. Patent Road in Bedford Corners was built in 1895.

It features eight bedrooms and an incredible 18 bathrooms, all on 13.28 acres.

If I wanted to throw my money away on real estate I’d buy in New Canaan, but apparently Mr. Pratt of Australia is in more of a hurry.

As observed here earlier this morning, there’s no more welcome sight for a seller and his agent than spotting an out-of-town buyer appear at the gate.

Jill Oberlander announces visit to Austin to learn how that city is dealing humanely with its homeless population

Time out for new Austin resident

Just 18 days after Austin, Texas opened its sidewalks to campsites for the homeless, the city is swamped and its liberal citizens are howling. Greenwich’s prospective First Selectman Oberlander is determined to learn from Austin Mayor Steve Adler how he is dealing with his heartless citizens and squelching their protests.

“We are a town of compassion”, Oberland told FWIW, “and under my administration we will provide the most worthless among us with respect, decency and protection from bullying. If the campground we intend to establish for them in Belle Haven proves insufficient, I have no problem adding additional tents and kitchens at the High School and Binney Park. Inclusion will be our watchword”.

Austin skyline, as modified and improved by its City Council