North Street sale

510 North Street

This great old (1904) North Street house needed a complete renovation back in 2002 when it was offered for sale by a prominent local broker for (ahem) $11.5 million. That didn’t work out as well as the owners had probably hoped so they fired that broker and replaced him with another who sold it, finally, in 2005, for $6.55o. The new owners did great things to the place, adding a new kitchen, new mechanicals, baths etc. and wisely wrote off all that cost when they put it back up for sale this spring for $5.995. Result: a contract in just 43 days and it sold today for $5.970. Russ Pruner was the listing agent this time.

One day, my ship will come ….

The owner of 32 Hettiefred Road (or 30 – seems to have changed numbers over the years) has tried something like eleven different price levels to unload it, from a low of $1.195 in 1998 to a high of $2.999 in 2008. Today he’s back, asking $1.998. Whatever. At some price this will sell, and with just a few more years of experimentation I’m sure the seller will stumble upon that magic spot.

Painters

Just in time for pre-holiday freshening up comes this reader’s testimonial to Quezada Painters:

Just thought I’d let everyone know, I hired Quezada Painting (recommended on this blog) to paint the interior of my 2,200sq. home and they did an AMAZING job. They take pride in their work, know what they’re doing and gave me a reasonable price considering the amount of work involved (didn’t realize until I started getting quotes how expensive painting can actually be).

A contract!

1 benjamin Street

This Old Greenwich cape was first listed long ago at $1.895 which was sort of silly (alright, it was friggin’ ridiculous) but time and the market eventually reached the owners and they dropped it to $1.325. Better, but still high, my clients and I thought, for an awkward layout and “improvements” that were more Home Depot than Christopher Peacock. Nothing wrong with Home Depot – my house pretty much comes from there- but all wrong when asking this kind of premium.

But either someone disagreed or they negotiated a better price because it’s reported under contract today. Assessed value, “Bob”, is $1.126.

ObamaKare II

An astute reader already made this point in the comments section, but here it is again, via Instapundit:

He said,

Reducing the waste and inefficiency in Medicare and Medicaid will pay for most of this plan.

And if we don’t pass this plan, does he intend to keep the waste and inefficiency, out of spite?

Now, while it was impolite for that Congressman to shout at Obama last night (though I do wish we had the same fierce debates the House of Commons does – far better viewing), the underlying claim that Obama is lying seems valid. No one doubts that there are billions of dollars lost to fraud and waste in Medicare and Medicaid, but there is no political will to do anything about it. Do you remember when Congress passed a $10 co-pay for Medicare doctors’ office visits? That would have saved billions simply by discouraging the Florida geriatric set from using doctors as a form of entertainment, but the outcry from AARP was so ugly that then Speaker Rostenkowsky had to call the House back from summer break to repeal it. No one has tried anything along those lines since and Obama isn’t planning to now. The goal here is to explode spending and promise savings “down the road’ when the road has been shut down permanently.

Liar liar, pants on fire.

 

Tavern on the Green bankrupt

Filed yesterday. Yes, it was the ultimate touristy spot, but I went to a couple of parties there over the years (publishing? Broadway? Who the hell remembers?) and I had fun. Article says it was once the top-grossing restaurant in New York, but no longer. Ah well, next thing you know, Bloomingdales will move out of Stamford. Sic transit authority, and all that.

Up to his old tricks

"Oh, Monica, I had so hoped Georgie's new boyfriend would keep him from mischief"

When Greenwich’s own, George Lindemann, Jr. got out of prison after serving time for slaughtering horses at his farm for fun and profit, he moved to Miami, came out of the closet and became a patron of the arts. But now there’s been a rash of horse killings down in Miami. Detectives down there profess to be stumped (a harsh term, since the latest victim had his legs cut off) but I suggest they start looking around the art scene.

Havemeyer Lane building lot value

8 Havemeyer Lane

8 Havemeyer Lane, 0.49 acres in the R-Z zone, so two building lots (with house) started off last spring asking $1.2 million and sold yesterday for $750,000. If you consider the lot further up the street that is down to an asking price of $350,000, these two at $375,000 each may mark the highwater mark for Havemeyer land for the immediate future.

Scott Frantz gunning for Himes

So I ran into our State Senator at Arcadia Coffee yesterday and, naturally, asked when he was going to announce for Jim Himes’ Congressional seat. What he actually said was, “oh, the timing’s not right, there’s so much work to do in Hartford”, but those with a keen ear for politicoease, like me, know that what he really meant was, “Are you kidding? I’m going after him with a red-hot set of pliers and when I’m done twisting him in all his sensitive spots, that wealthy son of privilege will be howling to be sent back to his prep school detention hall.”

Or that’s how I heard it; your interpretation may differ.