February 3, 2010 – 10:30 am
I meant Monday. Monday for sure.
February 1, 2010 – 12:42 am
When I first checked for FiOS availability here at the Fairfield, it was a no go. I was a little disappointed, but I figured it was because I was living in an apartment building. But last week I checked for FiOS in my new house and it’s it not available there either. What’s up with that?
Frankly, I’m not sure that I’d switch. The FiOS HDTV signal is supposed to be better because it’s less compressed than Cablevision/Optimum, but getting FiOS means dealing with the Verizon pit of despair for billing, service and technical support.
I did some research and found that Verizon came to a deal for the FiOS service with the Town of Babylon in 2008. Is there a separate agreement they need to reach with our little village?
Anyone know what the real deal is? Come on, fess up!
January 29, 2010 – 8:28 pm
Friday, February 5th at 11:30 AM. Cross your fingers everyone.
January 26, 2010 – 8:11 pm
Like I said in the last post, I’m chopping September’s sold home into three posts. For those of you who are interested, here’s part 1
This middle section of three homes doesn’t interest me much, so my commentary will be brief to nonexistent. As always, feel free to leave your impressions in the comment section.
15 Salt Meadow Rd
- MLS# 2180392 – Zillow Page
- Sold: $985,000 – 9/10/2009
- Prior Sales: none
- 3 bedrooms – 3.5 bath – Condo
- Taxes: $15,906 – Village Taxes: $1,732
Read More »
January 25, 2010 – 9:31 pm
There were some questions about these on some other posts, so I figured I’d share what I know, which isn’t much.
They’re making some nice progress. I see them every day on my way to work. Georgia Westcott is listing them and she’s got a website up with more info.
The site lists the prices as starting as $559K, but there’s no floor plans or model descriptions. I’m not sure if there’s more than one model. The site is a little unclear on the subject.
I assume these are going to be very high-end on the inside, but $559K seems like a lot for an attached townhouse with a scenic view of the Babylon train station.
January 22, 2010 – 11:52 am
From my attorney this morning
I was just informed that the bank has pulled the file for re-review of the appraisal. Apparently the area in which the house is located is deemed a “declining market area” and the bank has asked the appraiser to provide 2 recent comparables to which he must conduct a field review, site inspection and photo inspection, all of which is being conducted today. The appraisal was conducted well over 6 weeks ago. The bank has had the file for too long and is now re-reviewing as a direct result of the numerous delays in getting the fully executed contract…and the scheduling of a closing. We are fortunate that they have not asked for an entire new appraisal and are just requesting updated comparables.
The market has caused banks to be overcautious of their files and this is one of the many results.
The should hopefully be cleared up by Monday and we could still be able to close next week if things fall right.
I’ve already extended my lease into February. Assuming we close soon, that will give us time to get the floors refinished, clean and paint before we move in.
January 21, 2010 – 9:51 pm
Don’t make me beg…because I will.
January 18, 2010 – 7:05 pm
September was another busy month with MLSLI listing 10 houses sold in our little village. Just like last month, I’m going to be splitting September up into three parts so that the houses don’t get lost in the shuffle.
I don’t have a lot to say about most of these. If you have some information, feel free to share it with the group.
32 Howard St
- MLS# 2093191 – Zillow Page
- Sold: $580,000 – 9/1/2009
- Prior Sales:
10/12/2001 – $226,000
- 3 bedrooms – 2 bath – Victorian
- Taxes: $9,601 – Village Taxes: $816
Read More »
January 18, 2010 – 3:46 pm
Well, fear not, real estate posts are coming back to Home In Babylon. Really really!
By the way, I may not be looking for a house any more, but I’m still very interested in reading, writing and talking about housing, real estate and the market in general. If anyone out there is still on the hunt for a house, please leave a comment and let us know what you’re seeing. Things are pretty dead now, but I expect there will be a bit of an upswing right before the $8,000 home buyer credit finally ends in April.
If you’re a newcomer, there are tons of posts about Babylon Village real estate in the archives. Click on that “Older Posts” down that the bottom of the page or try one of the categories or tags on the right-hand side of the page.
As for me, I have a couple posts in the hopper. The first part of sold homes for September will be up later in the day or tonight. And once we close, Debra and I will be documenting renovation and decorating, for those of you who are still mourning the loss of HGTV.
January 17, 2010 – 10:54 am
As Metroproletarian mentioned in the comments yesterday, The New York Times trekked out to our little village to review Barrique, the new restaurant/wine bar on Deer Park Ave.
Full Bottles to Light Pours: A Spot for Wine Lovers
Barrique takes its name from a type of barrel used in winemaking; bottles, barrels and wooden wine crates make up much of the décor. A beamed ceiling and lots of brick give the place a cozy, rustic ambiance. Tables are bare wood; napkins look like French dish towels.
Barrique is owned by the Babylon Restaurant Group, which also runs the Argyle Grill and Tavern, a lively 10-year-old spot across the street. Barrique is just as lively and noisy, but it has something its older sibling lacks: the cooking of Pierre Rougey.
Mr. Rougey, the executive chef, had been the chef and co-owner of Emerson’s, the cafe that occupied these premises before Barrique. His menu is designed for sampling; every table is set with stacks of plates for sharing.
It’s a pretty positive review, although with more typos than you’d expect in the paper of record. I’ve heard good things about the place, but I’m not much of a wine lover and Debra doesn’t drink at all, so one of the main appeals is pretty much lost on us. We actually haven’t been out to dinner since Aurora was born, so there’s not much chance of us showing up there anyway.
By way, I noticed on their web page that Barrique also has a blog. I’m always interested in Babylon Village blogging, so I clicked right over. Sadly, all they seem to have there are reviews of the restaurant.
