I had lunch with my friend and business associate Julian on Tuesday. It was my day home with the baby so we took her along with us and ate in the Village at Horace and Sylvia’s. Julian couldn’t stop raving about how nice all the stores and restaurants along Deer Park Avenue were and what a great little place Babylon Village is. I really love it here, but it’s nice to get a little external validation.
By the way, I had the warm spinach salad with salmon, which was delicious. Julian had the baked clams and we split a slice of marvelous chocolate cake for dessert.
On the housing front, Debra and I saw two open houses this past weekend, 109 Washington and 46 Lee. The full report is in the works, but here are some quick thoughts. 109 Washington is a great house in need of some updating. 46 Lee is a real dump.
Also, Debra and I heard through the grapevine that the sellers of one house currently on the market were talking about “a blogger who is writing about houses in Babylon” and expressing some concern about what might be said about theirs. It seems that we are now the blogging scourge of Babylon real estate.
I hope that people out there know that Deb and I aren’t out to do a hatchet job when we go see houses. We try to give an honest evaluation, which does include our subjective opinions and maybe a little snark from time to time . This blog started mostly as a personal journal, a tool to help us keep of houses we’d seen, home prices, sales, etc and it still functions that way for us, even though hundreds of other people read it too.
By the way, if you’re a seller or Realtor and you disagree with what I wrote about a house, feel free to post a rebuttal in the comments. We try to be fair (although not balanced) here at HIB and welcome dissenting opinions.
Apropo photo. That picture is of south carll ave looking south. I’m going to say the vantage point is across the street from the library. The white house in the right corner of the photo is the house we have been discussing for sale. It is a great village, and it is pricey, but with the Little League Parade this past weekend, and all the other community involvement, it’s still Hometown USA
Exactly why we are going to move there! I can’t wait.
Actually see your tax dollars watering the plants during the summer and all that! Christmas Fair. Summer Craft Fair. Music at the bandstand. I love it all.
Hometown USA is exactly right! For me, Babylon=family.
I’ll grant you all that Babylon is quite lovely, if you will grant me that it is hardly unique. Remember, if you are one-in-a-million, there are over 300 individuals in America exactly like you. I submit that the same applies to small seaside hamlets.
Are you getting a ‘reputation’, Gary? Sometimes the truth hurts, especially to those unaccustomed to hearing it. Two truths in particular to house sellers: the house isn’t as nice as they believe it is, nor worth as much as they believe it is.
Re Lee Ave.: I don’t see any 32 on that street. No. 46 (4/2 listed @ $309k) is bank-owned (would explain poor condition). Last sold Oct ’06 for $525k. The ’06 seller owned it for all of 10 mos., having bought it from the Carol estate in Dec ’05 for $360k (55% annual return – one HELL of an investment!) One co-buyer in ’06 already had several judgments recorded against him, and many more since. That makes the the comp for the neighbohood down over 40% since late ’06 (IF they get full ask.)
“It seems that we are now the blogging scourge of Babylon real estate.”
Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
I’m sorry, I just stopped by and literally fell outta my chair laughing, trying really, really, REALLY hard to think of you and Deb as the “blogging scourge of Babylon real estate.”
Oh, that was good. omg.
We are the blogging scourges of Babylon! Look on our works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Seriously, as Gary said, we just try to give our admittedly subjective opinions of the local real estate offerings. Which can be snarky, but what’s available at the lower end of the Babylon market can be quite discouraging at times. We’re not out to be nasty or cruel, but if a listing describes a house as “mint” or “sparkling” I expect it to at least be in fairly good repair and renovated within the last couple of decades. If it’s not, I’m going to point it out.
At least you can be honest without being mean. Stating the facts is a good thing. Keep up the good work…and get outdoors this weekend…boats are in the marina!!
Boynes Canal, Argyle Boat Basin, Lewis Pond are fillng up.