Monthly Archives: September 2009
Dodd: Call me Rosemary
Dodd Countrywide VIP mortgage tapes are disappeared. Darn, isn’t that a shame? No further word on the Senator’s Irish cottage fraud, either. I guess we’ve “moved on”.
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Madoff boys’ Greenwich property coming up for sale?
Maybe, although each Greenwich home, Andy’s at 57 Tomac, Mark’s at 21 Cherry Valley Road (or vice versa – does it matter?) is attached to the tune of $2.5 million already so probably can’t move readily. In any event, Irving … Continue reading
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Weekend contracts
As a reader has noted, contracts are not sales, and houses that are reported as under contract also fall out of contract before closing – there could be a number of reasons for this, including failed building inspections but more … Continue reading
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Funniest video I’ve ever seen
I really must get more sophisticated and learn how to post videos directly on this blog but until then, go to the Bovina Bloviater and watch this video. It was a favorite of mine years ago but disappeared, but now … Continue reading
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Can we make it a twofer?
Roman Polanski, who has lived in France for the past 31 years after fleeing the U.S. on a child-sex conviction, has been arrested in Switzerland France. citing the man’s “film genius” wants him back. I say we give him to them … Continue reading
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Oh, bummer!
Business Insider links to this British article that takes a look at the near-term economic future and doesn’t like what’s coming: a massive credit crunch. The auther points out that the various stimulus spending plans engaged in by European nations and … Continue reading
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Recycled
Google alerted me to this article from ABC concerning stigmatized houses. and the financial effect bad happenstance can work of a properties value. Nothing wrong with article but I’m quoted several times in it and, if I ever spoke to … Continue reading
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Another thriller plot gone in smoke
A friend gave me a copy of “Tsar”, a Clive Cussler-like novel featuring a cleft-chinned super agent and lots of brilliant, beautiful women with pneumatic chests who want to bed him. Not my cup of tea (and, note to author, … Continue reading
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Appraisals for dummies
As long as we’re cruising the Times today, here’s a second article of interest detailing the woes of home owners and buyers when the bank sends an appraiser out who doesn’t know the location. My previous discussions of this subject have … Continue reading
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Show me the money – or the deed
The New York Time’s Gretchen Morgensonn has an article today on the difficulties cropping up for lenders who want to foreclose when they no longer own or have possession of the underlying mortgage. Turns out, a recent kansas Supreme Court ruling … Continue reading
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How are we doing?
There seems to be some optimism out there among Greenwich real estate agents and, while it’s true that everyone seems busy showing houses, I wouldn’t say boom times are upon us yet. But there is some life. We have, as … Continue reading
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Old Greenwich land sells for improbable price
7 St. Claire Avenue, an 0.42 acre building lot, has sold for $1.750 million. I’m mystified, but someone out there obviously saw (a lot) more value here than I did. Good for him. I’m not sure how the math works … Continue reading
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For this, I could come out of retirement
I no longer hunt wicked financial types but here’s a man who has sued Bank of America for 1,784 billion trillion dollars for bad advice he received over the phone “from some Spanish lady”. I’m guessing here, but it sounds as … Continue reading
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1979 was not a very good year
Two more houses built in 1979 and priced above $3 million came on the market today and I wondered how houses of this age have been selling. Not so well. There are fifteen houses built between 1978-2000 currently for sale, nine … Continue reading
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If wishes were horses, beggars would ride
Interesting article sent by a reader from Seeking Alpha that asks what houses would cost if they were priced in gold. Turns out, the last good year to buy a house was 2001 and it’s been downhill ever since. Yes, gold is … Continue reading
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Hey – it’s your money
This four-year-old house way up at 304 Taconic Road came on today asking $15.950 million for 10,000 sq.ft., 3,000 of which I’m guessing is under ground. That would certainly break the per-square foot record in this neck of our woods … Continue reading
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Foreclosures
The banks are slowly stirring and getting a few houses off one side of the ledger and onto the other. Thirty Crescent, which sold in a bidding war for $1.760 (ask was $1.68) in 2004, went off to the bank … Continue reading
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I blame Bush
Jordanian caught trying to car-bomb Dallas office building. Musselman tries to bomb Illinois federal building. FBI: Pakistani – trained terrorists planned attack on Quantico. Iran admits to second, hidden nuclear plant. Subway bomber plot one of the most serious in … Continue reading
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What the hell does this mean?
From Greenwich Time’s Real Estate Showcase edition come this bit of realtorease: “An eclectic blend of European charm and modern New England sophistication”. Let’s unpack this, shall we? Eclectic: a mishmash of whatever comes to hand. Mulligan stew, for instance. … Continue reading
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