Maybe they’ll accept a handful of magic Arnies

Philadelphia stops paying vendors. It’s run out of cash.

White House wants to set medicare rates

You’ll trust your healthcare to the White House, won’t you? I keep saying it, but this is all about centralizing power.

Did Jim Himes read this part of the health bill?

Himes’ office staff insists to callers that the Congressman read every word of the Carbon Tax bill and the Obama/Himes health care bill before voting for either. They’re lying, of course, but fine: let’s take them at their word.

So why would Himes have approved this secret huge payoff for trial lawyers as discovered by Walter Olson and his Overlawyered.com? It could have been because he got that whopping $2,000 payoff from his democrat bosses, or it could be because he really, really loves trial lawyers and admires the work they do to bring justice to the poor and wealth to themselves. Or it could be for some other reason that he’s not disclosing yet. Bah humbug.

Ah, the irony

Amazon deletes “1984″ from customers’ Kindles. I like my own Kindle very much but this gives me pause about ordering more books for it.

Walter Cronkite dies at 92

This was expected but kind of fitting timing, on the 40th anniversary of the Moon expedition. I grew up with Cronkite as the chronicler of the times and went to the moon with him. I’m sorry to see him pass.

Don’t confuse me with reality, I’m dreaming!

252 Milbank Ave

This well built single family was priced at $7.750 million back in December, 2007, neatly timed to miss the downtown craze and priced to ensure that no one bought it. That strategy worked, and continued to work until today, when its listing expired, unsold, at $5.895. The owner/builder who I believe is also the owner of an unsold spec mansion on Lindsay Lane, has fired his first broker, hired another, and raised his price to $6.150 million. Brilliant: I was just thinking, the only thing wrong with this house is that it’s too cheap!

Sales

21 Cornelia Drive closed at $5.350 million. Original price, 2005, $11.7 million. Assessed value: $4.205

52 Round Hill Rd sold for $2.150 million. Original price $4.4. Bought for $3 million in 2000. Assessed value: $2.641

18 Woodside. Never on market, $2.295. Assessed value, $1.875

Downtown condo prices: watch out below!

45 William Street

These William Street (near the hospital) condos were built by a very optimistic builder in 2004 and this particular unit was priced at $2.7 million. Not even in his dreams – it finally sold in 2006 for $1.575. Three years later, it’s sold again, this time for $1.450. Still an impressive price, but I’m not sure the trend line is very encouraging.

I’m not surprised to learn that Jim Himes is a whore but I’m disappointed he sells himself so cheaply

Jim Himes was among a number of Democrats who sold their vote on the Carbon Tax bill for a measly $2,000 apiece. Chris Shays, the man Himes replaced, left Washington after 34 years with no more money than when he came. I suspect Himes won’t make that same mistake but he’d better raise his prices.

Inventory

I forget who asked, but the answer is, we still have 732 single family houses in inventory. We sell five, add ten. And wait until September.

Follow the Money, II

London Carbon Exchange set to cash in on cap and trade bill. Well of course it is, and Wall Street’s already drooling. The Obama – Himes bill will do absolutely nothing to save polar bears but it will enrich Wall Street bulls. D’oh!

I’ll bet Mrs. Stephen Dent wishes she’d Googled her hubby before marrying him

Bride-to-be calls off wedding after bridesmaid Googles groom and discovers he’s a porn star.

Price reduction

502 Cognewaugh (ML # 72847) reduced to $5.495 million. Original price in 2007 was $6.995. Highest price ever paid on Cognewaugh was $5.250 in March, 2007, at the height of the market. This is a great house and should have sold by now but this is not the market to try to set a price record on a street (I’d mention a certain spec house in Riverside as an example but I think I’ll give that one a rest).

Two sales reported

135 Park Ave (Greenwich)

135 Park Avenue , ML # 73158 (the Greenwich Park Ave, across from Christ Church) sold for $2.450 million yesterday. Listed originally in 2008 at $4.3 million, assessed value $2,755,200.

 

17 Marks Road (ML# 70934) sold for $1.820 million. Sold for $2.250 in ’04, again in ’06 for $2.495 and listed in 2008 for $2.695. Assessed value, $1.663 million.