February 1st is Langston Hughes' birthday and it also provides a great opportunity to check in on the author's East Harlem abode which has been on the market for the past couple of years. The browstone that Mr. Hughes used as his workspace for the last 20 years of his life (on the top floor) was first on the market for $1.2 million back in Spring 2009 and Harlem Bespoke dropped by 20 East 127th Street to get a first impression:
LINK. At 20 foot wide, the townhouse has generous proportions and retains a lot of its original details. Some major issues would be the chopped up nature of the SRO status building (is there a Certificate of Non Harassment?) and the fact that the infrastructure will need a complete overhaul since everything is severely old or below grade.
In 2010, the house switched hands from an obscure broker to one just slightly less so but buyers are either not into the new price tag or just can't find the listing. There hasn't been any contract action since Sotheby's took over the property last summer but the new price of $1 million seems to have attracted some interest. We actually have received a couple request to see the house sent to our inbox since the listing is apparently difficult to locate. So maybe 2011 will be a better year for the landmark home and here's the direct link to the Sotheby's listing for those who are looking:
LINK.
The house looks very promising but if the figures on the Sotheby's website are accurate, that $17,000/year property tax could put some serious downward pressure on sales price.
ReplyDeleteI always like this photo, especially the arch parlor door which complements other arches on the fireplace summer guard and vestibule door. If it where mine I would strip the paint to bare wood on all details and moldings.
ReplyDeleteWe have been trying to visit this house since a month now and have left a couple of emails/voicemail to the broker without any luck. I'm starting to wonder if this is really for sale.
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