Showing posts with label realtor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label realtor. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Marcel Breuer's Masterpiece, Breuer II of 1951 is For Sale for $5,850,000

Yes, this is 628 West Road in New Canaan, known as the Breuer II house and it is for sale. 
Breuer I was built in 1947 and Breuer II was built in 1951.

Breuer II is listed by Sherri Keilland of Houlihan Lawrence in New Canaan. This house can be shown to qualified buyers only by an appointment with the listing agent. You can reach her at 203-966-3507.

I recently had the pleasure of taking some of my clients to see this great house and it did not disappoint. Sherri could be the best agent at showing a house in all of New Canaan. Always on time, always prepared, she took the time to show the house and had it unfold for my clients in a way that really brought the house to life. With an encyclopedic knowledge of the midcentury moderns in general, and this house in particular, she took us through the history of the house, what was original, what had changed, and how Toshiko Mori had followed Breuer's original intent while bringing the house into the 21st century. 

My client was heard to say at the end of our tour, "This house is a bargain at the asking price." Indeed.



Here is a link to view information about Breuer II including  maps of the property, photos and video. 

And, here is a link to the recent story in Realtor.com in which I am quoted talking about Breuer and the importance of this house:

“The Breuer II house is an exceptional work by a master and commands a seven-figure premium over ordinary houses of the same vintage or size,” says John Engel, a New Canaan agent. Engel isn’t the listing agent for the Breuer II, but he has a deep understanding of historic properties in the area.

“It is estimated that over 90 true Mid-Century Moderns were built between 1946 and 1968, and about 50 have survived [in New Canaan]. And there are more modern examples that borrow from the clean lines of the Mid-Century aesthetic,” says Engel. “There is an increasingly strong market for these homes driven in part by the aesthetic, in part by a resurgence in popular culture with shows like ‘Mad Men.’”

“Breuer II is unusual in a couple of key ways,” says Engel. “First, Marcel Breuer is one of the most important members of the Harvard Five, and he did only two houses in New Canaan. And he did this house for himself. Second, this house has been updated and expanded by a world-renowned architect in a tasteful way, consistent with the Breuer aesthetic.”

Breuer’s accomplishments are many. Born in Hungary, he began his career as a furniture designer and developed the “handlebar chair,” later known as the Wassily Chair, which is still being replicated and imitated today.
His accomplishments include designing the Whitney Museum of America in New York City and the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. He was awarded the American Institute of Architects gold medal in 1968.


This is the Pirelli tire building in New Haven, now owned by IKEA. It is a Breuer masterpiece and no, it is not for sale.

(Again, Breuer II is listed by Sherri Keilland of Houlihan Lawrence in New Canaan. This house can be shown to qualified buyers only by an appointment with the listing agent, 203-966-3507)








Saturday, July 4, 2015

Market Report Observations for July 2015


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1. Condo sales are down from last year. That's because there is so little condo inventory. Correction: 14 condos came on the market in June to bring us back up to 38 condos for sale, up from only 24.

2. Sales are up in 2015 because of a strong June and strong 2nd quarter. That's because winter was late and harsh and it backed up the Spring selling season.

3. Median price has been unchanged since last year. That is consistent with Zillow's estimate that New Canaan is growing at a 1.5% rate.

4. New Canaan, Darien, Greenwich and Stamford all experienced an uptick in sales volume this year.
Wilton and Rowayton are showing a decrease in sales versus this time last year.

5. Home prices and interest rates are expected to climb in the next year, decreasing purchasing power.  July and August is the time to buy, with record levels of inventory and 30 year mortgage rates at 4.125% 

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Thursday, January 8, 2015

Team Engel January 2015 Market Report



Dear Friends,
 
Often we get caught up in month to month swings. After a big October (sales and pendings) the pan came off the fire and things cooled down in December. It is time to reflect on 2014.
 
- Double digit increases in median and average price show us that buyers and sellers are finally meeting on homes over $2 million
 
- 242 closings is down from last year, but above average for the last five.
 
- the Condo market was strong and will stay strong with too little inventory to meet demand: 68 sales last year versus 47 previously.
 
- Interest rate fears have begun to impart a sense of urgency.  Buyers who were content to to wait for a deal are running out of time. Sellers will be anxious to sell before rates rise later this year. It should be a brisk Spring.  

Note, on page 7 of the Market Report "February is historically the best month to list, with an average of 66 percent of homes listed then selling within 90 days . . . home sellers were better off listing their homes in the winter than during other seasons." 

How about the rest of the towns around us?  Wilton, Greenwich and Stamford are experiencing a similar 10% decrease in sales volume (but Wilton has not seen the corresponding uptick in prices). Darien's volume is merely flat amid modest pricing gains. Rowayton stands out in the county with double digit gains in both volume and prices.

Below is a link to our New Canaan Market Report recapping December and 2014. If you would like to call and discuss the report, or if you would like a price opinion on your house, feel free to let us know.
 
Best regards,

Susan Engel and John Engel
203-247-5999     203-247-4700

 
 PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE JANUARY MARKET REPORT
          
               
       listing prices                    number of listings                 absorption rate              sold to list ratio
  new median list falling       240 is high for Dec                9 months is high             back down to 94%  
           
                                                                                           

106 Dunning Road
$2.0 million
outstanding house
52 Mariomi Road  GONE 
new listing, just sold


82 Beacon Hill
3 acres new listing

Modern House
sneak peek $2.0 mm
in-house exclusive



Oenoke Lane
sneak peek
call (203) 247-5999

20 Toilsome Avenue
great value $475,000

New Canaan Sales  2003
New Canaan Sales  2003
New Canaan Sales  2014



Wednesday, November 19, 2014

The November Market Report for New Canaan

            
               
       listing prices                    number of listings                 absorption rate              sold to list ratio

         still strong                          relatively high                      should be lower               back to normal?    
            
                                                                                            

$2.088 million
outstanding house
$1.295 million
just sold
was $720,000
just sold

  2 acres Oenoke Ridge        now $1.89 million
 20 Toilsome Avenue
New Canaan Sales at this point in 2003
New Canaan Sales at this point in 2014
Dear Friends,

Well, it's about time! The market is coming back.

The big news is 24 houses sold in October, up from a normal of 11 or 12 each of the last 3 years. You have to go back to the late 90's to see an October like this one. Will it be enough? We are 22 house sales behind where we were at this time last year (235 vs 213) but the condo sales are up by 16 (59 vs 43).  Looking at the crystal ball a moment, we see the gap will be made up by new pending sales which jumped by 7 in October (24 vs. 17)  We predict we will end the year even with last year.

 

How about the rest of the towns around us?  Wilton, Greenwich and Stamford are experiencing a similar 10% decrease in sales volume (but Wilton has not seen the corresponding uptick in prices). Darien's volume is merely flat amid modest pricing gains. Rowayton stands out in the county with double digit gains in both volume and prices.


 

Below is a link to our New Canaan Market Report recapping October and the first 10 months of 2014. If you would like to call and discuss the report, or if you would like a price opinion on your house, feel free to let us know. 

Best regards,


Susan Engel and John Engel
203-247-5999     203-247-4700

                 
      why New Canaan?       high ceilings, high style    1 acre @ Richmond Hill    twitter @jengel199

         Tucker knows!           condo $1.050 million           pool! $2.29 million         or johnengel.com
            
             
      hilltop modern              watch the leaves turn   Federal style Townhouse   1960 Mad Men chic 

         now rented                  condo $1.795 million         new $1.495 million     live in a piece of art

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Mid-Century Marvel in New Canaan Lists for $2M (as seen on Realtor.com)


Mid-Century Marvel in New Canaan Lists for $2M

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Although this lovely Mid-Century home in New Canaan, CT, doesn’t have a name, it has quite a pedigree.
The quaint Connecticut city is home to quite a few contemporary designs, but this “hyperbolic paraboloid” roofline stands out among the other modern masterpieces.
Listed for $2 million, the home offers approximately 3,000 square feet of living space with four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
“People come into New Canaan, and they want to see examples of Mid-Century architecture,” listing agent John Engel said. “Philip Johnson’s Glass House brings people from everywhere into our city, and that home is just a few miles away.”
The upper level of this unique Mid-Century home is wide open and where you’ll find the living room, kitchen, library, and dining area. It’s also outfitted with fantastic floor-to-ceiling windows that serve to bring the outdoors in.
And if the icy Connecticut winters have you worried, the large living area has a double fireplace lending a cozy feel to the top floor.
Bedrooms are on the bottom floor in this home’s inverted floor plan, and the rooms downstairs have views out to the expansive lawn and surrounding acreage.
The home was designed by architect James Evans in 1960, and he recently offered his own perspective on his remarkable design in a video produced by Barbara Cleary’s Realty Guild.
“If you take a cut any place through the house, it’s a straight line,” Evans said. “So this roof is generated by taking a straight line … and you put the planking diagonally across; that’s what creates the curve.”
According to Engel, that unique shape conceived by Evans is driving the interest in this home. The agent told us the property is receiving interest from buyers in New York City as well as potential buyers from overseas.
“We’ve had quite a few international customers contact us,” Engel added. “For someone who buys this house, it’s like buying a piece of art. It appeals to the art market.”
Its lasting appeal and signature slope will make any modern architecture aficionado a happy buyer.
“It was a very contemporary design done at the time,” Evans noted. “It was very well-built at the time; that’s why it’s enduring and has lasted for this amount of time.”
To see Evans discuss his design and to learn a bit more about New Canaan modern, check out the full video: