Suburban Hell?
The New York Times’ real estate section recently profiled a number of people who, having fled Manhattan for the suburbs, came screaming back to their beloved delis, bagel shops and restaurants. According to the article, they made no friends out here, couldn’t get a decent meal and were stuck in a commuter’s nightmare. While the comments of these unhappy ex-suburbanites were a bit over-wrought, I sympathize with them. The suburbs are geared toward school-aged children and married couples. If you aren’t in both those categories then, ironically, the supposedly anonymous city life can be a lot more fulfilling.

Up, Up and Away!
Another local real estate columnist has cited a 28% annual appreciation rate for Greenwich homes. That’s bad news for the rest of us because when we go to give a price opinion we’ll be smacked in the face with that statistic by the unhappy homeowner, who, after telling us we’re idiots, will then list his home with another agent. Before you decide that your house has appreciated by such an amazing figure, get the facts: several houses that were cited to support this astonishing appreciation were, between original purchase and resale, expanded and completely redone with new kitchens, baths, etc. It is true that the prices for waterfront lots have soared, but ordinary houses are just doing well – not losing value, but not exactly reaching stratospheric heights, either. You can still do very well by improving your house but, when you calculate your gain, be sure to deduct the cost of those improvements. Apples to apples, oranges to oranges – mix them together and you end up with fruit salad, not useful statistics.

Beach Permits
I am delighted to read that the town is considering dropping the visitors fee (when accompanied by a resident or when riding a bicycle) to a mere buck. Unfortunately, another proposal will raise the cost of a residential beach card to $40 from $25. If that will help cover the substantial costs of maintaining our beaches, fine; I wonder, though, whether revenue will actually decrease because of infrequent resident-visitors deciding not to bother buying a card. Time will tell
67 Pecksland Road
This is a very impressive new listing from David Ogilvy. Originally built in 1930, the present owners have completely rebuilt it, inside and out and made it new again. While it seems, superficially, to be exactly as originally built, everything has been replaced: windows, plaster walls, wiring, the furnace (a super-efficient European brand), pool, and so forth. So, new construction in a classic envelope. It even includes a heated dog house, which should appeal to husbands on the outs with their wife, especially if they remember Hank William’s tune, “Move it on Over”. $8,750,000, if petty things like price matter to you.
69 Cedar Cliffe
Don’t have $9,000,000? Barbie Jackson (Cleveland, Duble & Arnold) has just listed this Riverside house at $5,399,000. Cedar Cliffe is a great street and this is a neat old house (1935) renovated just a few years ago. Five bedrooms, four fireplaces, balconies to take advantage of the water views, and so forth. On an acre of land, with an abutting conservation lot, plus deeded beach rights.
Okay, So You Can’t Afford That
Sandi Klein has 15 Boulder Brook for sale, asking $2,395,000. Boulder Brook’s a close-to-town dead end off of Dingletown and this house, on an acre-and-a-half, is terrific. A somewhat-dated, five bedroom 1955 house, with a slate roof, it could be expanded, updated or just left as is. A good value, I think; Boulder Brook is changing, quickly, into a high-end neighborhood and whatever money you sunk into this house would be well protected.
The Ice Storm
Last weekend’s storm was quite the blow. I went out around midnight to investigate the high winds and discovered a half-inch of ice on everything – never a good portend in a windstorm. That extra weight was further increased when the snow arrived, and by 3:45 A.M. a blizzard was howling. Amazing amounts of snow and the streets were littered with everything from tree limbs, whole trees and even a huge trampoline, blown off of a Hearthstone Drive resident’s property. Power failed sometime during the night and, as of this writing (Monday), has yet to be restored. I was impressed, however, that, sometime between Sunday night at 8:00 and 7:00 Monday morning, a crew managed to remove the huge tree lying across the wires down the street – the temperature dropped to around 10 degrees that night, but they were out there. I assume that that crew’s diligence will soon be followed up by linemen – if not, you can contact me at the Hyatt.