A $13.5 Million Townhouse Fit For The First Lady

By Luis Lucero

Over on the Upper East Side, in the Lenox Hill neighborhood, lies a six story townhouse that has fluctuated in terms of market availability, at 211 East 62nd Street. But even with its on and off appearances on the market, there’s still so much to unpack about this building. Firstly, there’s the overall history of the building.

Built in 1873, the townhouse was once an apartment building before being converted into a single family house. While many residents have lived here over the years, none were quite as notable as Eleanor Roosevelt, who resided here from 1953 to 1958. Aside from publishing her popular column “My Day” from the house, the former First Lady also made it as a sort of base for pursuing the many social and political causes she would take on for the rest of her life. Sixty years later, this Lenox Hill townhouse is still a sight to behold. Recently restored by interior designer Maria Masi, this 5,200 square foot home offers 12 rooms (Five bathrooms, four bedrooms, dining room, drawing room, and an English basement) across six floors, all of which are accessible by elevator. While the bedrooms are on the third and fourth floors, the first and fifth floors are spacious entertainment spaces, lending themselves perfectly for gatherings of family and friends. The basement, complete with its separate bath and laundry area, can easily be repurposed into a gym, media room, etc.

As far as outdoor space goes, there is an additional 1,770 feet of outdoor space included with the townhouse. The drawing room exits into an luxuriously landscaped garden, while the dining room leads out into a spacious terrace. On the roof is a patio, perfect for those few and far between days of perfect NYC weather. There’s even a dog run included in the patio, making the townhouse a perfect fit for those looking for a pet friendly abode. In terms of transit options, the closest subway stop is the Lexington Ave/63rd Street stop on the F and Q trains, but a little bit of walking further downwards will lead to the 4, 5, 6, N, R, and W trains on Lexington/59th Street. Fortunately for anyone that’s active, Central Park is fairly close by to the townhouse, providing all the space one could need to do all the jogging/biking in Manhattan. If a building that combines a rich history with easy accessibility is on your mind, 211 East 62nd Street is definitely worth looking into.

Barbara Evans-Butler & Cian Connor at Stribling & Associates are the Listing Agents.

For more information click here.

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Tips for Finding the Right Property & Where to Stay While You Look

Trying to find the perfect bachelor pad, waterfront home or brownstone in New York, Boston or elsewhere in the U.S. isn’t easy. It’s a time-consuming process that requires considerable hours, patience, a keen eye for what you’re truly looking for and knowing it when you see it. For people who haven’t been on this journey before, it’s a challenge to get through in one piece emotionally and financially. 

Accordingly, here are some useful tips for people thinking about buying real estate.

Stay in the City for a Month or More While Looking

If you’re coming in from out of town or across the country, you need to spend time in the city. It’s not much good to do a flying visit for a weekend and try to get a good feel for the place. While you can read up about the best neighborhoods where you’re shopping for your next permanent home, it takes quite some time staying within them to get a proper feel.

A property purchase is a serious and costly investment, so choosing the right neighborhood is important. Driving around doesn’t really do it. It’s much better if you live nearby and hang out in cafés, restaurants and other places of interest. Take a bit of time with it to get a feel for the place.

In order to do this, it would be a good idea to look into serviced apartment providers such as Blueground. Blueground have these serviced apartments in Boston that have excellent furnishings, great indoor light and plenty of creature comforts. The company prides itself on offering the best apartments it can find and is gaining a strong reputation in real estate circles because of this single-minded focus. Their serviced apartments in the Boston area are a testament to that, but they also have rentals across other parts of the U.S too, including New York and Chicago.

Know Your Budget

You can approach the buying process in two different ways. It’s either knowing what your budget is for a new home and seeing what you can get for that much money, or deciding what type of home you want and then checking the price later. The first way has greater success than the second unless price is not an issue.

When a realtor is looking to find suitable real estate for you to buy, they’re best assisted by knowing how much you have available. It’s no good knowing you can spend (or borrow) up to $2m and they’re looking for places in the $2.5-3.5m range. It’s just wasting everyone’s time and likely will cause some measure of frustration over attractive homes that are out of your price range.

It’s better all round to start with a budget and go from there. You can attend open houses and private viewings based on that figure.

Figure Out the Deal Breakers

Everyone has deal breakers. These are things that you’ll absolutely say no way to when the realtor presents a house or apartment that has them. It’s very useful to think carefully about what your personal deal breakers might be. You might surprise yourself!

For instance, you might want a place on a ground floor only. Alternatively, you might be looking for a penthouse. The availability of highly-rated schools nearby could be a must-have with regards to the location of a property. How long it takes to get to your office might be another one.

Also, think about whether there will be renovations, upgrades or other improvements with the property post-purchase. This might mean the furnace needs replacing within five years or you’ll be interested in knocking through some non-bearing walls to expand the room sizes. What permissions will be required to do so, and how hard will they be to acquire?

Consider the Amenities

When considering buying an apartment in the future, what are the amenities that come with the purchase?

If an apartment is in NYC, for instance, then amenities like an elevator, doorman and security, a pool and a gym are often expected. While it might not bother you so much, if you ever come to sell the apartment later, you could find it more difficult to sell without these types of amenities that other people prefer.

There will also likely be association payments for the upkeep of the grounds, doorman and other aspects of the building’s upkeep. For NYC apartments, often the management board for the building association will need to approve you as the buyer based on your public records, credit report, etc. Association payments are in addition to property taxes to the state too.

Perhaps the most important thing to do when choosing new real estate is to take your time. While you may have to act fast to put in your best and final offer when actively seeking exactly the place you want and trying to secure it, first you must know what you’re looking for. Get that right and then start your property hunt in earnest. Not the other way around.
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Jessica Peters Joins The Eklund|Gomes Team as Brooklyn Lead

Fredrik Eklund, Jessica Peters, and John Gomes

Douglas Elliman Real Estate is pleased to announce that Jessica Peters, one of Brooklyn’s most successful residential real estate brokers, has joined The Eklund|Gomes Team. Co-founded by Fredrik Eklund and John Gomes, the prestigious team is among the highest achieving in the country. Peters will be tapped as their Executive Manager of Brooklyn Sales, leading resales and working with many of the new developments that are rapidly enhancing the borough. The Brooklyn power broker brings a wealth of experience and an impressive six, well-seasoned agents with her to The Eklund|Gomes Team including Allison Dubuisson, Justin McMahon, Daniel Fried, Jennyrose Halupka, Monica Breese and Vanessa Rodriguez, who will be serving as Peter’s operations manager. 

“Our presence in Brooklyn has grown exponentially over the past few years and during this time, Jessica has made a significant and positive impression on both John and myself,” said Fredrik Eklund. “Her deep level of expertise in the Brooklyn market and her commitment to her work and clients, combined with her successful track-record and staggering sales volume, convinced us that she was the best person for the job.”

In her 12 years with Douglas Elliman Brooklyn, Peters has led sales for 71 new development projects and has achieved approximately $850 million in sales volume. When combined, Peters and The Eklund|Gomes Team are collectively responsible for over $1 billion in closed deals in Brooklyn to date.

“The Eklund|Gomes Team is an absolute powerhouse and this is an incredible opportunity for me,” said Jessica Peters. “Fredrik and John recognize the dynamism of Brooklyn and I’m honored that they have entrusted me to grow their team’s footprint here as we work with some of the most exciting real estate in New York City.”

The Eklund|Gomes Team has secured over $10 billion in closed residential sales and the sell out of over 50 new developments during their successful decade together. They are currently leading the exclusive sales for River Park, one of the largest new development projects in Brooklyn history, consisting of 7 buildings that are being strategically rolled out in three phases.

“We are so thrilled to welcome Jessica to our team and to watch our Brooklyn expansion thrive under her leadership,” said John Gomes.  “She is at the top of her game in Brooklyn, with unsurpassed knowledge, experience and instincts. As our business in the borough continues to boom with both resales and new development, we couldn’t think of a stronger person to lead our team.”

With the addition of Peter’s, along with their expansion into Miami and California, The Eklund|Gomes Team brings their total agent count to 35, nearly tripling in size over the course of a year.  As they continue to expand their footprint in locations where they see future growth potential, the team is also growing in number at their brand new 10,000sq.ft. flagship office in the Flatiron District, where they are currently recruiting new agents. 

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Inside John Philip Sousa “Stars and Stripes Forever” Home

American Music lovers can now live in the In national historic landmark Wildbank has hit the market for $9,450,000. American composer John Philip Sousa (“Stars and Stripes Forever”) lived in the house from 1915-1932, located in Sands Point on the Gold Coast of Long Island, located at 12 Hicks Lane.

Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

The home is a 6,000-square-foot, six-bedroom, five-bathroom waterfront Colonial estate on 2.6 acres with a deep-water dock and sandy beach in posh Sands Point, NY (Long Island)

The Dining Room features Zuber's "Scenes from the America's" hand painted wallpaper which is the same wallpaper that Jackie Kennedy hung in the oval reception room of the White House where it remains today.

Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

Features include sprawling loggia & upper balcony to enjoy western sunsets and the NYC skyline. 4-car garage w/ a two-bedrooms guest quarters. Two wine cellars. Two generators. Tennis court. Surrounded by perennial gardens that will take your breath away.

Maggie Keats of Douglas Elliman is the listing agent. For more information click here

This articled has been updated to reflect the current price.

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Have a listing you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.