Greatest Real Estate Finds

[samhexum]

Even Leona Helmsley would've said that's a bit much...

or maybe she'd have sent a fan letter.

NYC man sues mom for being a terrible landlord

William Koeppel, 62, has filed documents with the Surrogate Court of Manhattan accusing his mother, 84-year-old Roberta Koeppel, of being a negligent landlady. He is also suing to have his mother and sister, Alexandra, replaced as trustees of the brood’s real estate profile. 

The litigious lad claims his mother has instructed management company First Service Residential not to make repairs at the family trust’s 10 buildings, which are located in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Long Island. Instead, she has allegedly instructed the company to ignore issues and simply pay the violations fees in the name of saving money. 

In depositions filed with the court, Roberta claimed she visits the properties occasionally and trusts the management company to deal with all repairs and violations.

This isn’t the first time Roberta has made headlines for being a less-than-stellar owner. In 2020, the Public Advocate’s office listed her as the 47th worst landlord in New York City. Between just two of the 10 properties, she was at the time averaging 442 open Department of Housing Preservation and Development violations. Last year, however, she didn’t make it onto the notorious list. 

Despite being estranged from his relatives since his father’s 1996 death, after which Roberta inherited the properties, William is currently set to inherit eight of the buildings after his mother passes away. The other two will go to his sisters. But he claims that, as a result of his mom’s mismanagement, the buildings are losing value. The situation is quite bad, he details in court documents, stating that the properties collectively have more than 1,000 violations.

Even before the mother and son stopped talking 25 years ago, there was already extreme tension between them, Crain’s reported. Roberta’s cousin, Harriet Charles, testified in an affidavit that the mother would lock her son in dog crates and closets when she didn’t want to deal with him as a child. 

“As long as I have known Roberta, her entire world revolved around acquiring more money and wealth, and most often at the expense of others,” Charles said. “In my opinion, my cousin Roberta would throw anyone under the bus to get her way when money is at issue.”

https://nypost.com/2022/06/16/nyc-man-sues-mom-for-being-a-terrible-landlord/

[samhexum]

‘Totally broke’ Armie Hammer reportedly selling timeshares in Cayman Islands

https://nypost.com/2022/07/14/totally-broke-armie-hammer-reportedly-selling-timeshares-in-cayman-islands/

[samhexum]

An floating home in Seattle has hit the market for $2.48 million.

Made up of two bedrooms and two bathrooms, this effortlessly cool houseboat is located in upscale Mallard Cove — just across Lake Union from the actual house in “Sleepless in Seattle.”

Pegged as having “rare amenities,” the waterbound property comes with a 34-foot boat slip, a lower deck ideal for kayak launching and a sun-filled open floorplan with water views from every room, the listing notes.

Melissa Ahlers and Shannon Campbell with Compass hold the listing.

“I’m [currently] on a boating trip with friends from the dock,” Ahlers told The Post.

“That is what makes dock living so special — the people. Buyers will chose to live in Mallard Cove for the spacious floating homes, larger boat slips, parking … and will learn that the community, on the dock and the greater Seattle floating home community, is priceless.”

The houseboat spans 1,817 square feet. John Paul/HD Estates The roof deck.

John Paul/HD Estates

 

The covered patio. John Paul/HD Estates A view of the open floor plan. John Paul/HD Estates The sun room with a skylight. John Paul/HD Estates The kitchen. John Paul/HD Estates

The home also features an updated kitchen with gas, stainless-steel appliances, and granite and marble surfaces, according to the listing. There is a crafted spiral staircase which leads to rooftop deck boasting views of the Queen Anne neighborhood and Gas Works Park — made famous by the paintball scene in the 1999 film “10 Things I Hate About You.” The primary suite comes with a walk-in closet, a gas stove and a balcony.

“In a big city, we look out for each other and get the opportunity to share the day’s events as we walk down our shared docks,” Ahlers said. “Some of those dock crossings turn into life-long friendships.”

The home last sold back in 2001 for $580,000.

The dining room. John Paul/HD Estates The spiral staircase leading to the bedrooms. John Paul/HD Estates The primary bedroom. John Paul/HD Estates The primary bathroom. John Paul/HD Estates The house is located in the upscale Mallord Cove community. John Paul/HD Estates

As for famous film where Tom Hanks swept Meg Ryan off her feet?

Ahlers adds that “tour shops still sell ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ merchandise and tour boats still point out the actual ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ floating home,” which is only a 9-minute drive from this boat house.

https://nypost.com/2022/07/29/a-charming-houseboat-in-seattle-can-be-yours-for-2-48m/

I think it's quite nice.  Great pics... the place looks immaculate and in pristine condition.

[CuriousByNature]

5 hours ago, samhexum said:

An floating home in Seattle has hit the market for $2.48 million.

Made up of two bedrooms and two bathrooms, this effortlessly cool houseboat is located in upscale Mallard Cove — just across Lake Union from the actual house in “Sleepless in Seattle.”

Pegged as having “rare amenities,” the waterbound property comes with a 34-foot boat slip, a lower deck ideal for kayak launching and a sun-filled open floorplan with water views from every room, the listing notes.

Melissa Ahlers and Shannon Campbell with Compass hold the listing.

“I’m [currently] on a boating trip with friends from the dock,” Ahlers told The Post.

“That is what makes dock living so special — the people. Buyers will chose to live in Mallard Cove for the spacious floating homes, larger boat slips, parking … and will learn that the community, on the dock and the greater Seattle floating home community, is priceless.”

The houseboat spans 1,817 square feet. John Paul/HD Estates The roof deck.

John Paul/HD Estates

 

The covered patio. John Paul/HD Estates A view of the open floor plan. John Paul/HD Estates The sun room with a skylight. John Paul/HD Estates The kitchen. John Paul/HD Estates

The home also features an updated kitchen with gas, stainless-steel appliances, and granite and marble surfaces, according to the listing. There is a crafted spiral staircase which leads to rooftop deck boasting views of the Queen Anne neighborhood and Gas Works Park — made famous by the paintball scene in the 1999 film “10 Things I Hate About You.” The primary suite comes with a walk-in closet, a gas stove and a balcony.

“In a big city, we look out for each other and get the opportunity to share the day’s events as we walk down our shared docks,” Ahlers said. “Some of those dock crossings turn into life-long friendships.”

The home last sold back in 2001 for $580,000.

The dining room. John Paul/HD Estates The spiral staircase leading to the bedrooms. John Paul/HD Estates The primary bedroom. John Paul/HD Estates The primary bathroom. John Paul/HD Estates The house is located in the upscale Mallord Cove community. John Paul/HD Estates

As for famous film where Tom Hanks swept Meg Ryan off her feet?

Ahlers adds that “tour shops still sell ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ merchandise and tour boats still point out the actual ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ floating home,” which is only a 9-minute drive from this boat house.

https://nypost.com/2022/07/29/a-charming-houseboat-in-seattle-can-be-yours-for-2-48m/

I think it's quite nice.  Great pics... the place looks immaculate and in pristine condition.

Rare amenities?  Read: barnacles and seagull crap

[samhexum]

Hedge-fund manager Andrew Barroway spent roughly $35 million total constructing this enormous compound, only to recently resell it for $9.26 million.

After paying $12 million in 2006 for a huge plot of land just outside of Philadelphia, in the tony community of Gladwyne, the Arizona Coyotes hockey team minority owner spent years and a large fortune building it into a 13,000-square-foot mansion in a Gothic Revival style. The six-bedroom, nine-bathroom property boasts a seven-car garage, an indoor pool, a tennis court, a movie theater, ATV trails, a wine cellar, five fireplaces and a guest apartment — all set on 32 acres of rolling hills.

Barroway only briefly lived at the property, choosing instead to spend most of his time in Arizona while, following a 2013 divorce, his ex-wife and children stayed at the lavish estate, the outlet noted.

In July 2016, Barroway first attempted to offload the behemoth, listing it for $28 million, which would’ve set a local record if sold for that sum. After not selling, the price went down, and down, and down — until he instead tried to auction the property in 2019, with a $14.9 million reserve price. That didn’t work either, and in 2021 the compound was subsequently listed for rent on Zillow for $40,000 a month. 

Now, the property is at last off Barroway’s hands, albeit at an extreme discount. Property records show that the home was purchased by a trust tied to digital advertising executive Thaddeus Bartkowski, who told the Journal he’d been renting the home for the past 14 months.

The ad exec likes the compound for its seclusion, its similarity to historic area homes and “the quality and style of the construction,” he told the publication. 

Although the sale only fetched $9.26 million, the buying process was extremely involved and the total was, in fact, significantly higher due to multiple other assets not included in the purchase price.

The home is set on 32 acres. Paramount Realty USA A movie theater within the compound. Paramount Realty USA One of nine bathrooms. Paramount Realty USA The home has an indoor pool. Paramount Realty USA In all, the house measures 13,000 square feet. Paramount Realty USA The estate was built in a Gothic Revival style. Paramount Realty USA The new owner had been renting the house for the past 14 months. Paramount Realty USA A grand entryway. Paramount Realty USA  

[Guest]

On 7/14/2022 at 5:06 PM, samhexum said:

‘Totally broke’ Armie Hammer reportedly selling timeshares in Cayman Islands

https://nypost.com/2022/07/14/totally-broke-armie-hammer-reportedly-selling-timeshares-in-cayman-islands/

Maybe I've been told wrong, but my understanding is that timeshares are liabilities, not assets. I didn't know one could actually get money for getting rid of a timeshare. My understanding is that not even charities will accept a timeshare as a "donation," because the recurring fees are simply a liability. Has anyone reading this actually recovered any cash selling a timeshare? 

[+ FrankR]

48 minutes ago, Unicorn said:

Maybe I've been told wrong, but my understanding is that timeshares are liabilities, not assets. I didn't know one could actually get money for getting rid of a timeshare. My understanding is that not even charities will accept a timeshare as a "donation," because the recurring fees are simply a liability. Has anyone reading this actually recovered any cash selling a timeshare? 

I have helped friends unload their timeshares.  They were fed up with the fees and difficulty in coordinating schedules.  None of them got any money out of it.

[BonVivant]

3 hours ago, Unicorn said:

Maybe I've been told wrong, but my understanding is that timeshares are liabilities, not assets. I didn't know one could actually get money for getting rid of a timeshare. My understanding is that not even charities will accept a timeshare as a "donation," because the recurring fees are simply a liability. Has anyone reading this actually recovered any cash selling a timeshare? 

Never buy a timeshare. Worst investment ever. Your better off buying dividend paying assets. Go on a vacation when you want and where you want. 

[Luv2play]

The NYT today has an article about the late Lena Horn's co-op being recently listed for sale at just over $2million. Six rooms and huge living room 30x17 in the Volnay on UES.

The downside is the $5900 monthly maintenance fee, hence the bargain price for over 2100 sq ft in a nice area. In house restaurant an added feature.

[samhexum]

17 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

The NYT today has an article about the late Lena Horn's co-op being recently listed for sale at just over $2million. Six rooms and huge living room 30x17 in the Volnay on UES.

The downside is the $5900 monthly maintenance fee, hence the bargain price for over 2100 sq ft in a nice area. In house restaurant an added feature.

Ms. Horne had faced challenges finding a home in the past, when many Manhattan co-ops weren’t welcoming to African-Americans. In an interview, singer Harry Belafonte said he had previously rented a penthouse apartment to Ms. Horne in the 1960s at a building he purchased at 300 West End Avenue. He had purchased the entire building and turned it into coops because the previous landlord wouldn’t allow African-Americans to live there, he said.

Ms. Horne ultimately bought a fifth-floor apartment at the Volney—and eventually four others. She combined the first unit with an adjacent one to create one apartment with a large living room, dining room and two bedrooms, according to Ms. Horne’s daughter, Gail Lumet Buckley. Ms. Horne later bought another unit to use as an exercise room and then one as a guest suite and extra wardrobe space for her many evening gowns. A fifth unit became a private office, where her secretary worked.

https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/new-york-apartment-owned-by-lena-horne-hits-market-for-825-000-93794

 

[samhexum]

If you're into Canadian Bacon & maple syrup, have I got a home for you!

Price: $8,850,000
Size: Just under 10,000 square feet

---

The place

A nine-bed, six-bath, red-brick country-style estate in Lytton Park.

The history

This sprawling property sits on 1.8 acres of land, tucked away on a quiet residential street. Built by architect A. D. Vidler in 1914, the home has its own ravine with 77 feet of frontage and is surrounded by mature trees and lush gardens. A family of seven have lived here since 1966, preserving its most striking characteristics while adding some modern updates over the years.

The tour

The house has a Tudor-revival façade and a catslide slate roof with faux half-timbering elements. Evergreen and maple trees surround its stone portico entrance.

Walking through the vestibule reveals an open foyer surrounded by oak millwork and flooring. The ceilings on the main floor are almost 10 feet high, illuminated by antique sconces. 

The formal dining room has a wood-burning fireplace and oak wainscoting, plus a walkout to the gardens and a butler’s door to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, the living room features original crown moulding and a wood-burning fireplace flanked by large windows. There are two plaster festoons, one above the doorway to the solarium and the other directly across the room, architectural details often seen in revival homes of this style.

Inside the solarium: terra cotta tile floors, a recessed ceiling and wall-to-wall arched windows.

Throughout the second floor are anse de panier arches with wood pilasters. Oversized windows dominate this hallway and its staircase.

This second-floor room has been traditionally used as a study. It has ample cabinetry, more wall-to-wall windows and a cork floor.

The den has oak panelling and floors as well as a bay window.

The main bedroom is over 300 square feet, with oak hardwood flooring throughout. It also has an ensuite bathroom.

This third-floor bedroom has vaulted ceilings, hardwood flooring and yet another wood-burning fireplace. At 1,100 square feet, it’s bigger than most downtown condos and could easily be converted into a family room.

Down the hall is this more modest bedroom with vintage wallpaper and sconces.

The cloakroom overlooks the front garden, is about 100 square feet and has its own powder room.

The backyard has a stone terrace and a patio shaded by a retractable awning. And, yes, that’s an in-ground pool over to the right.

The garden and ravine are a part of the vast 1.8-acre property. The mature tree canopy gives it that English country-estate vibe. And that flower bed in the middle of the yard has its own pond.

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by samhexum
just for the hell of it

[+ WilliamM]

2 hours ago, samhexum said:

Ms. Horne had faced challenges finding a home in the past, when many Manhattan co-ops weren’t welcoming to African-Americans. In an interview, singer Harry Belafonte said he had previously rented a penthouse apartment to Ms. Horne in the 1960s at a building he purchased at 300 West End Avenue. He had purchased the entire building and turned it into coops because the previous landlord wouldn’t allow African-Americans to live there, he said.

Ms. Horne ultimately bought a fifth-floor apartment at the Volney—and eventually four others. She combined the first unit with an adjacent one to create one apartment with a large living room, dining room and two bedrooms, according to Ms. Horne’s daughter, Gail Lumet Buckley. Ms. Horne later bought another unit to use as an exercise room and then one as a guest suite and extra wardrobe space for her many evening gowns. A fifth unit became a private office, where her secretary worked.

https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/new-york-apartment-owned-by-lena-horne-hits-market-for-825-000-93794

 

And quite recently a Broadway theater was named after Lena Hprne..

[Luv2play]

25 minutes ago, WilliamM said:

And quite recently a Broadway theater was named after Lena Hprne..

Yes. They took away Brooks Akinson's name from the theatre. What did he do to deserve that?.

Edited October 23, 2022 by Luv2play

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

29 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

Yes. They took away Brooks Akinson's name from the theatre. What did he do to deserve that?.

The only thing constant is change.

Atkinson had a good run.  Been that way since 1960.

[samhexum]

1 hour ago, WilliamM said:

And quite recently a Broadway theater was named after Lena Hprne..

 

43 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

Yes. They took away Brooks Akinson's name from the theatre. What did he do to deserve that?.

 

13 minutes ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

The only thing constant is change.

Atkinson had a good run.  Been that way since 1960.

So maybe in 2084 they'll rename it after Jesse Williams.  Or his penis.

[pubic_assistance]

On 10/21/2022 at 10:49 PM, samhexum said:

Hedge-fund manager Andrew Barroway spent roughly $35 million total constructing this enormous compound,

I'm an architect and I do luxury home construction projects all the time.

No way was there $35 M spent on this renovation.

This has to be an all-in price including property costs. I could easily put together this project a client for less than $10M.

Edited October 30, 2022 by pubic_assistance

[samhexum]

 

Estate sale This 7,000-square-foot mansion has hit the auction block for $250K

This Cincinnati spread has intricate woodwork and tons of interior space — but was left in an abandoned state and hit the auction block for a shocking minimum.

[samhexum]

An apartment and a 'schmear'... 

Rachel Zabar — of New York’s famed lox, bagel and babka family — has sold her downtown Manhattan loft for $3.15 million, according to property records.

Although Zabar once told the New York Times that she worked in the bread, coffee and caviar departments as a teenager at the iconic gourmet grocer, she made her name as a high-end vintage couture dealer.

Zabar tells Gimme Shelter she hasn’t lived in the home, located at 19 Bond St. in Noho, since 2006 — when she moved to LA.

“I renovated it, and then rented it out. It was time to sell,” Zabar said.

https://nypost.com/2022/11/14/zabars-scion-sells-chic-nyc-condo-for-3-15m/

 

[samhexum]

FINALLY!  A place with a location worthy of me!

 

Palm Beach penthouse atop a Tiffany’s seeks nearly $10M flip

 

 

No more breakfast at Tiffany’s for developer Todd Michael Glaser.

Glaser bought Tiffany’s crown jewel — a glistening duplex penthouse above Tiffany & Co. on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Florida — for $15.5 million in June. Now, just around five months later, he’s looking to flip it for a cool $24 million. 

The five- to six-bedroom penthouse at 415 Hibiscus Ave. isn’t even finished yet, though it does come with a rooftop terrace, a glass-enclosed room and an infinity-edge pool.

The private roof deck also includes lounge areas, a putting green, an outdoor bar, a dining area and a fire pit. Inside, there’s a lounge, a full bar, a billiard area and a gym. 

The interior also features large windows and doors capitalizing on Worth Avenue views — plus a main bedroom suite, a housekeeper’s room, three fireplaces and an elevator. 

At 13,000 square feet — including 9,876 square feet of interior space alone — it’s the largest condo on Palm Beach, standing at the corner of Worth and Hibiscus avenues. It’s also the only penthouse in the world atop a Tiffany & Co. building, the smart-wired home is currently a blank slate ready to be built out and customized by a buyer. 

       

 

 

[Luv2play]

What a clever use of a flat rooftop of a commercial building. Of course, having the cachet of being a Tiffany rooftop in Palm Beach makes all the difference.

Edited November 18, 2022 by Luv2play

[+ nycman]

31 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

What a clever use of a flat rooftop of a commercial building. Of course, having the cachet of being a Tiffany rooftop in Palm Beach makes all the difference.

Not $8.5 million in 6 months difference…..

[Luv2play]

6 hours ago, nycman said:

Not $8.5 million in 6 months difference…..

Cachet is that "je ne sais quoi." It defies logic.

[mike carey]

24 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

Cachet is that "je ne sais quoi." It defies logic.

I don't know about that.

[+ nycman]

6 hours ago, Luv2play said:

Cachet is that "je ne sais quoi." It defies logic.

More like “je ne sais bullshit”.

grin

[samhexum]

This eye-grabbing property, nicknamed the P.G. — because it’s in Pacific Grove, California — Butterfly House stands out so much, it has its own entry in Atlas Obscura.

And now, it’s listed for sale. The asking price for the two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,334-square-foot house adorned with hundreds of butterflies: $998,000.

It’s a steal considering Zillow’s “Zestimate” is $1.02 million. Or it’s a scam considering the property was purchased for $37,500 in 1977 — about $191,000 today.

Granted, the house was just an ugly little caterpillar at that point. When the original owners, J and Sonja Jackson, purchased it, it was in such poor condition that the floor collapsed one day while J was washing dishes in the kitchen. Fed up with living in an abode that was falling apart, the retired school counselor took a hammer to the house and brought it down to its studs so he could rebuild it himself.

The metamorphosis into the cozy cottage it is today took nearly two decades. J started decorating the house in the 1990s when Sonja, the secretary of the Blind & Visually Impaired Center of Monterey County, began suffering from a degenerative eye disease. Despite the fact she was losing her eyesight, they discovered she could still see bright colors. J immediately went out and bought the brightest paints he could find.

Thanks to Sherwin Williams, and her husband’s labor of love, Sonja wasn’t left completely in the dark.

Of course, it’s hard to miss the butterfly theme. Why butterflies? J wanted to pay homage to Pacific Grove’s unofficial mascot: the Monarch butterfly. What’s more, the property — which is just four blocks from the beach — is only a mile away from the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. Many of the home’s butterflies were handmade by J in his on-site workshop. He spent an average of six hours a day making them.

Most of the flutter is found on the exterior of the home, where there’s a sign above the two-car garage that reads, “P.G. Butterfly House.” But there are also butterflies to be found in the bedrooms, the kitchen, the bathrooms and basically every living space. If you were to walk through the house and take a drink every time you saw a butterfly, you wouldn’t be able to walk in a straight line.

“I love the eclectic artwork,” said listing agent Arleen Hardenstein of Sotheby’s International Realty – Pacific Grove Brokerage. “One whimsical section flows to another — it’s very sparkly, fun and pretty.” According to Hardenstein, J passed away a few years ago, and Sonja is selling the home because her needs have changed.

Needless to say, prospective buyers have to be either colorblind or a fan of bright colors to live here.

“A buyer has to love this house and be willing to live in a bit of a ‘fishbowl,’ ” said Hardenstein, who factored in the décor when pricing the home. “The P.G. Butterfly House is well known in the community and attracts a fairly constant stream of visitors who are curious to see it.”

Naturally, neighbors haven’t always been fans of having a tourist attraction on their street. “I think it looks like a circus,” neighbor Wendy Davies told the Monterey Herald in 2015. “People drive by, some park in front of my house or block my driveway.”

According to J, one such spectator — who came all the way from south of the border — took a photo of the house to hang in his butterfly store in Mexico City.

“It’s amazing how many people drive by, stop, get out of their cars to look at the property and of course take photos [and] selfies,” said Hardenstein, who says they have a lot of eclectic homes on the Monterey Peninsula, but none are as unique and colorful as this one. Fortunately for Hardenstein, it has great bones.

“The home appears to be in good shape, and the interior is very comfortable,” she said.

So far, she’s received an “enormous amount of interest” from all types of prospective buyers who either love the home, love the story behind the home — or both. Haters — or negative Nancies hooked on neutrals — are gonna hate. After all, colorful cocoons aren’t for everyone.