Schade_house_1_2It’s the stuff of real estate fantasies. Over in Glen Ridge, check out the big ticket sale of this grand Ridgewood Avenue manse that came complete with the ultimate in sweetheart deals. Read it about first, on Real Estate.

Meanwhile, with 97 comments and counting, readers had a lot to say about the possible demolition of 4 Duryea Road. Responses ranged from outrage at the demolition of the picturesque Victorian to pro-demo commenters insisting the house “needs to be knocked down,” telling others to “mind their own business” and describing the historically-designated home as “a beautiful piece of crap.”

Turns out there was at least one other buyer interested in 4 Duryea. A reader writes…

4duryea_2

Dear Barista,

I can guarantee that no one in Montclair is as disturbed by the grisly crime taking place on Duryea as myself and my husband. The first time we entered the home we were overwhelmed by its grandeur.  You simply need to stand on the front porch and look at the “triple-arched front doors” to experience the magic.  It was truly one of the most inspiring homes I had seen in Montclair…and trust me …I have seen quite a few homes in Montclair.  After careful consideration, my husband and I decided not to assume the challenge of the home.  We have renovated a number of homes and have a realistic expectation of the financial and emotional commitment that would be involved in restoring the home.  Instead, we placed an unsuccessful offer on another Montclair home. The following Saturday we toured the home again.  We took the weekend to consider an offer and attempt to locate a builder/architect to help us get a handle on the challenge. My phone rang on Monday morning.  It was my real estate agent.  She wanted to inform me that if I intended to make an offer on Duryea, it had to be submitted by 12 noon on that same business day.  I scrambled.  I contacted my husband at work and we discussed our offer.  I contacted my agent and submitted an offer of an even $1,000,000.  My agent called to tell me we had lost the home to a local contractor.  We were disappointed, but found some solace in the fact that the home would be restored by an individual with the tools and trades necessary to return the home to its’ original splendor.  Keep in mind, we did not know the actual amount of the accepted offer.  Needless-to-say, we assumed that it had been for more than our own offer.  But wait, the plot thickens.

Three weeks ago my real estate agent contacted me.  Once again she was the bearer of bad news.  She wanted to be the one to tell me that the home on Duryea was going to be leveled and two new homes would be placed on the property.  I was heartsick.  It was inconceivable that the original homeowners would have sold their home with the knowledge that it would be demolished.  How could this have happened?  I considered writing a letter to the editor of the Montclair Times.  I considered contacting the contractor and telling him that I would purchase the home at my original offering price.  I decided to wait to speak my mind at the town meeting that would be required to discuss variances etc. 

That is when my agent called to tell me that the selling price of the home on Duryea had been printed on Baristanet.com.  The price was $995,000.  I was shocked.  I am no genius, but I am pretty sure that $1,000,000 is more than $995,000. Some homes have a soul.  A spirit that lives within their walls and welcomes you to enter them and share in their magic.  The home on Duryea has that special kind of soul.  I am hopeful that this story will have a happy ending.  Regardless of my place in this home’s future, it deserves to stand for another 100 plus years to tell its story.

Sincerely,

Eileen Painter

Liz George is the publisher of Montclair Local. liz@montclairlocal.news

105 replies on “Big Doings In Real Estate”

  1. There is lots of criticism being directed at the ‘developer’ who allegedly is going to level this house. From what I’ve been reading, one of the reasons the house didn’t attract more buyers was that it needed significant (someone said structural) work.
    Has anyone stopped to think about the current owners’ culpability in letting their house deteriorate to the point where it needs so much work just to remain livable?
    Had the sellers put the necessary maintenance into their house over the years, perhaps they could have sold to someone who wanted to keep the house as is.
    It’s as though a ‘developer’ were buying a car that hadn’t had its oil changed in 10 years, and then people were angry at the developer for selling the car for scrap.

  2. Those are good points TD. What is always odd to me is that people “get mad” at anyone regarding what they do with their own property. It’s really not anyone’s business unless a variance is required or a law is broken.
    Also as to the letter (995k va 1MM) with only a a half of one percent difference in the offers the “price” is not the main concern in deciding to whom to sell the house. If I were selling and a developer with lots of cash were 5k short and the other offer was a couple for whom the mortgage might be a stretch, I’d go for the 995k in a heartbeat.

  3. That’s because you’re a heartless capitalist running dog lackey lickspittle. You could stand to be a bit more like lasermike and notteham and Jesus.

  4. This developer can do what they like with the private property they’ve purchased, despite all the rantings posted here. But their stock just went down in the eyes of a lot of people in this community. I used to admire the tasteful development work done by the RVN organization, but now I am embarrased for them and disappointed for our town.
    If someone else was truly willing to buy and renovate that grand historic property, shame on Jim Van Note for stepping in to instead tear it down for a profit.

  6. This is an interesting topic that deserves serious discussion, but the creepy trolls have already poisoned the atmosphere with their nastiness and other forms of pathetic acting out. We’ll discuss it on the other local newsgroups (I say this for those interested in trading views on this important topic, not schoolyard insults).

  7. Can you imagine if notte were one of the original disciples?
    The apostles would have been encouraged to start and insurgency and strap “saltpeter” vests on themselves to be detonated in Rome.

  8. Tollhater, sorry I can’t help but joking it up a little. I didn’t mean to detract from the seriousness of the topic. It’s just that this topic isn’t exactly new, and sometimes its nice to inject a bit of levity. And it’s such a nice day and it’s Friday and all…

  9. Trollhater,
    Walleroo’s comment? It was a compliment! Much appreciated too. He is one of my dearest friends. He’s the godfather to all of our pets. He regularly vists and entertains the children by decorating his bald head (and offering musical critique of their playing) . Why, just last weekend he helped me cut down 11 trees on my property.

  10. I’m sure, you adorable little trollhater you, that on the Watercooler and “other local newsgroups” the conversation will be much more mannered. But it won’t be near as probing or as much fun. Real estate seems to arouse such passions on this site up and down the political dividing line. That’s not a good thing?
    I like the “we” you used too, so peremptory. So mock chilling. But I do wonder who you imagine you’re taking with you, and what schoolyard insults you read here. (My 2nd grade fave was probably “purse-faced whinny-ninny,” but I didn’t see that one above.)

  12. I like cathar’s fav line describing liberals:
    “mouth-frothing wet-feathered liberals” Everytime I see that line I think of Mazie bathing Notteham

  15. LOL, Conan.
    As you know, I am most definitely NOT a liberal but I do think pidgies are cute. I know they carry disease and all but sometimes when I am typing at my computer in my office at home, they alight on the widow sill and coo at me and I think it’s the most wonderful thing.
    My boyfriend, however, does not my affections because well, you know what pidgeons do!

  17. Wouldn’t it be nice to actually have a discussion about a topic important to residents?
    Instead, out of 14 responses we have 11 troll posts about …. about what?

  18. I think the discussion of tear-downs and civil rights has been exhausted already. I’m waiting for the story about a property that will be restored to its original glory to help preserve the charm and character of the town it resides in …

  21. anti,
    it seems like most of the posts which are “off topic” we’re in response to the off-topic broadside by hater.
    Of course, now there will most likely be some in response to your off-topic post such as mine. (this one).
    If you feel the subject has gone off-topic then post something back on-topic.
    After all, it seems hypocritical to criticize that which you are helping to further.

  22. Like this anti, watch:
    Here’s an idea. Instead of seeking to block and punish a lack of preservation, why not offer tax funded incentives to encourage historic preservation?
    Perhaps property tax abatement for the property in question for 5 years in exchange for meeting verifiable benchmarks of preservation.
    If a potential homeowner can save $50K and put that towards the purchase price then their offer might look better to the seller than the developers.
    Of course, there will be a bit of a dent in the town’s coffers, but if we want preservation we should be willing to sacrifice something to get it, right?

  23. The problem is that it’s just such a freakin’ nice day, dammit, and I for one am having a hard time caring about anything except how I can get the heck out of the office. Which posting here isn’t going to help. But there you go.

  24. ROC, I agree. I think there actually is a bill pending that would offer private owners some kind of tax incentive for restoring historic homes. I’ll see if I can dig it up on the NJ state website. There is already a law in place for encouraging adaptive reuse of historic buildings for commercial (including rental) buildings.

  26. p.s. what are there 20k houses in Montclair?
    So if we’d all pay $500 or $1000 more in tax per year we could fund 10 or 20 million dollars of restoration per year.

  29. I’m going to walk down 49th Street to Rockefeller Center, grab one of the benches in the sun and watch ass-kickingly gorgeous women strut their stuff!!!

  30. I understand maintaining old homes isn’t easy – but a lot of these houses were really built to last. My family home is about 100 years old now and in 30 years it hasn’t needed any more work and repair then ‘new’ houses owned by friends.
    Wht bothers me is the plan to build two houses on the property. It isn’t that big a lot, its already tucked in a corner or sorts, and that area is a very quiet tucked away neighborhood. I used to ride my bike past that house and in that area as a kid.
    If the buyer was planning to live there I wouldn’t be bothered as much – but this is just dumping cr*p on an area then running away.

  32. “…how I can get the heck out of the office.”
    Stand on your boss’ desk and pee into the inbox. That worked for me the last time I wanted to leave early. (And not come back.)

  34. Exactly, hrhppg. It’s not so much the tear down as the two-for-one. People say it’s not cost effective to fix the house, but I bet:
    1) that two houses on that lot will require variances; and
    2) that tearing down to replace with only one house would not be cost effective.
    So, really, the option being proposed is to change the law to make the developer money. There’s a nice home to be had for someone either willing to fix it up or willing to do a one-for-one replacement. The idea that a two-for-one is somehow a reasonable alternative is faulty. I hope the Duryea neighborhood fights each and every requested variance — there’s no property right endangered. If the developer can tear one and build two WITHOUT variances, so be it (but I doubt it).

  35. “Hooray for open-toed shoes!”
    I wish that were all that showed signs of spring in my office. Instead flip-flops and too tight surfer shorts have hit the scene. If it were a young intern I wouldn’t mind – but old-man-Moses-the-surfer needs a stint on “What Not to Wear”

  37. “So if we’d all pay $500 or $1000 more in tax per year we could fund 10 or 20 million dollars of restoration per year. ”
    Gee you read my mind – first thing I thought was how I could pay more money to help out the rich folks to live even more elegant lives.

  38. you go do that Mauigirl, I am sure you have nothing else to do, what time does the lawn boy come over to take care of business.

  40. he comes over as soon as he’s done at your house!
    I’d like a little cheeze to go with walleroo’s whine. Just make sure it’s not what’s growing between your toes.

  43. I must admit I laughed at your suggestion, Yossarian, despite being a creature of great cultural attainments and refinement of thought.

  46. trollhater, thy true spawn is illustrated by several nonsensical posts above. A hint, too: none are by acknowledged “trolls.”

  47. this entire string has clearly gone below board. this is not the venue for your juvenile sparring children. kindly find yourselves a short peir and take a long walk.

  50. The above is not my post, Barista, I’m not asking for censorship of any kind, but surely posting under someone else’s name should be taboo? You can’t be THAT busy promoting your novel.

  51. PS: It’s regrettable that this thread has become the haunt of one sorry excuse for a coprophiliac. An attention-hungry one, at that, “drunk” on the fumes of boiled sangria.

  58. Back to the issue at hand, Eileen Painter you are wrong again, seemingly simple fact in error, the house sold for more than $995,000

  60. Deez, unless you are suggesting that the MLS is incorrect (or that money was paid under the table), the price paid at closing was $995,000.
    Also — no impersonating, please…

  61. Thanks again, Liz (without my asking this time so I don’t even know what the impostor said).
    jb, if you’re making the margaritas today, you might want to consider a side order of hemlock for some of those gentle folk who have nothing to do until Cuban Pete’s opens. If it opens, of course.

  63. Good to see that everyone is over the Duryea issue and has talked all day about just about nothing….”toe jam, cottage cheese and tuggers”. With Hempstead almost done, Woodman Field taken care of, speed bumps on North Mountain – check, what’s next liberal freaks? I hear someone is planning to put a basketball hoop in their front yard on Highland Avenue, which will undoubtedly ruin the beauty and historical landscape of the entire 1st ward…go get em!

  65. Good to see that everyone is over the Duryea issue and has talked all day about just about nothing….”toe jam, cottage cheese and tuggers”. With Hempstead almost done, Woodman Field taken care of, speed bumps on North Mountain – check, what’s next liberal freaks? I hear someone is planning to put a basketball hoop in their front yard on Highland Avenue, which will undoubtedly ruin the beauty and historical landscape of the entire 1st ward…go get em!

  66. I’m with you, Eileen Painter. And to respond to the first comment and others that have suggested that this house is falling down – – it isn’t. I toured through the house twice this fall and seriously considered making an offer. It may be outdated, decor-wise but whatever needs to be done is easily fixed and the owners did not let if all down around them. I have seen a lot of houses in Montclair and the condition of this one was average for an old house. It would be a huge waste to knock it down for anything. I’d rather see them build a house in their back or side yard to save this one. I’m not against tearing down a house to redevelop the property, but do it to the crap they built in the 50s and 60s, not a gem like this.

  67. Cathar,
    What a horrible thing to say and yet your eloquence almost makes it sound so appealing. In a nutshell people we have seen what makes this issue and the town itself so deplorable. Cathatr is one of those people so angry with herself that she can only pick apart those perceived limitations of others. What Cathar needs to do is whipe away the the cobwebs and get some life back into that hallway. It has lain dorment too log that resoration seems like such a great idea. But Cathar it is not you need to be knocked down and rebuilt. Put up fresh paint and let the sun in. Anyone who writes such criptic dribble can only be an unpublished writer or a horrendous failure at making a man happy.

  68. Aw,
    No offense, but you are one in a long line of shoulda woulda coulda’s. Apparently there was a ton of people that wanted this house but couldn’t commit to the huge task of renovating and maintaining a 10 bedroom house. 99% of the people looking for a house in Montclair considers this either out of their price range or just too big to take care of. You had your chance, don’t rain on somebody elses parade b/c you didn’t pull the trigger. I also agree with a previous statement taht two smaller houses would fit better in that neighborhood than the existing house. Its literally 3 times the size of anything on the street.

  69. Brian aka “Porky”, certainly not defending cathar, but what was all that crap you just spewed, please spare use from such dribble

  74. I am also fairly certain that cathar would be a “horrendous failure at making a man happy.”

  75. Deez, those of us who live in glass houses, might want to rethink such attacks. That is my only warning on the subject.

  76. GR,
    I’m not trying to rain on anyone’s parade and I know that when I decided not to bid on the house, it was out of my control – it is just that I am shocked that the buyer would not want to restore it and I wanted to point out that the owners did not let it go to seed – it was in fine shape, other that updating that needed to be done – kitchens, baths and decor.

  78. Aw, point taken, but it would cost over $500k to restore that house. I think people looked at that house and it was just too much for them both in size and in work. And byteh time you are done teh taxes would be $30k. By splitting the lot, you have two more marketable properties assuming they are tastefully done and I have no doubts about the Van Note’s work. Bottom line, there will be a meeting and judgment should be held until the people that have to live with this project have the facts about what is to be done.

  79. You people act like there are families running around 10 deep. This isnt eight is enough, KNOCK IT DOWN, timmmmmmmmberrrrrrrrrr

  85. ROC said –
    “Also as to the letter (995k va 1MM) with only a a half of one percent difference in the offers the “price” is not the main concern in deciding to whom to sell the house. If I were selling and a developer with lots of cash were 5k short and the other offer was a couple for whom the mortgage might be a stretch, I’d go for the 995k in a heartbeat.”
    This I don’t understand. If you’re the seller, you get paid either way. Or is there a hypothetical concern that the couple would be denied a mortage?
    And why are you assuming that the developer has lots of cash? Considering the price drops at the Midland/Walnut property, & the fact that I know another developer who’s been unable to unload three million-dollar houses he built and is rapidly sinking in debt, I don’t see that as a safe assumption.
    Maybe these two items are just random blips, or maybe they’re signs that the McMansion bubble is on the verge of bursting.

  86. Perhaps I should clarify that the developer is responsible for property taxes while the property remains unsold, & probably financed the purchase with a mortage of his own.

  87. WOW, $4M good for him. I live on the same tax block. the house was sold for 8 times the amount my house is valued at. I can only hope that the tax bill for the new owner will also be 8 x that of mine which would mean a $104K tax bill for him. OUCH!

  88. Just to clarify, GR Jim is not Jim Van Note. Name is Jim, coincidentally my last name starts with a V, but I am not Jim Van Note. Unlike the rest of you cowards, my e-mail address is real and as you can see I am not him.

  89. Crank,
    I take it you have never had someone “back out” of a real estate transaction.
    I am not saying I know anything about this case.
    My only point is that with on $5k difference on a million, that other considerations are equally important.
    I’d be willing to accept a smaller price if I thought there might be something iffy with a higher bid.

  90. The Van Note PR Team (golf foursome) has about 100 posts on this and two related threads:
    GR Jim – glad he moved to Glen Ridge from Montclair to get away from the “40,000 liberal freaks”
    Deez – hates old houses: “KNOCK IT DOWN, timmmmmmmmberrrrrrrrrr”
    Brian – for some reason assumes the writers he disagrees with are female.
    You are all remarkably familiar with previous Van Note-built houses and the details of the this Duryea deal. Why doesn’t Van Note come out and speak for himself?

  91. Good question, Backsore. And someone I know e-mailed him off his website asking about the Duryea deal and never heard back from him.
    By the way, I drove past there yesterday. What a lovely house that is. I hadn’t looked at it in person until then. It looks to be in very good condition.

  92. You guys seem nosy to me. Why would anyone choose to discuss their private matters in public or with strangers?

  98. LOL, you’re right, ROC, I guess we are nosy. Or is it nosey? I’m never sure on that one.
    Anyway, point taken. I suppose we can’t expect Jim Van Note to answer every preservation nut who writes to him. I do wonder whether he is posting under any of those names we’ve been seeing though…

  101. By splitting the lot, you have two more marketable properties assuming they are tastefully done and I have no doubts about the Van Note’s work. Bottom line, there will be a meeting and judgment should be held until the people that have to live with this project have the facts about what is to be done.
    Hmmm, in other words, they WILL require variances. The argument being put forth here is, basically, that the property’s best use is two buildings that will make the developer a profit. Why not let the market determine the value of the property? If Van Note takes a loss because he can’t bend the law to his desires, so be it. It’ll probably be up to the Duryea neighbors to show how much they care (or not) about the proposal.

  105. Let’s clarify, I am not part of any Van Note PR team. I know the family well and know their character. However, I could care less if the house stays or goes. The problem I have is really with people dragging someone’s name through the mud when they have no idea about the facts. Although I know Van Note would love to defend himself, but he has chosen to resolve this issue through the proper legal channels as there are many aspects of this story that are completely untrue. The “liberal freaks” comment I stand by.
    Also, for those of you with all the bravado to make derogatory comments, why don’t you have the bravado to put your name after those words?
    Jim Vigna

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