A former horse barn, a music showpiece, a riverside Victorian and a modernist Tuscan villa capture our imagination.
By Bill Cary
For trophy home lovers, we’ve had some great listings come to market recently. Here are a few that caught, and held, our eye.
Albert Grossman’s Music Lair In Woodstock
If these walls could sing, what a tuneful medley they would hum. Known as The Stone House on Striebel Road, this 72-acre compound was once owned by Albert Grossman, legendary music manager and founder of Bearsville Records and Studios. It was here, in 1965, that the iconic album cover for Bringing It All Back Home was photographed, with Bob Dylan and Sally Grossman shown by the living room fireplace. Other musical guests included Janis Joplin, George Harrison, Johnny Cash, Björk and the Dave Matthews Band. $4.999 million. Michelle Bergkamp, Corcoran Country Living and Kathryn Johnson, William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.
From Hayloft To Primary Bedroom Suite
Longtime Broadway stagehand Bill Colgan and his wife, Lorna, spent three years transforming a historic horse barn in Salisbury, CT, from the late 1800s into a stunning, modern four-level family home. The renovated barn now offers 5,497 square feet of interior space, with five bedrooms, five full bathrooms and three partial bathrooms on a dozen acres in the coveted Twin Lakes neighborhood. My favorite spot is the magnificent great room, featuring 45-foot ceilings and a soaring stone fireplace. $4.321 million. Elyse Harney Morris and Holly Leibrock, Elyse Harney Real Estate.
Lakeside Villa In Connecticut
This stylish modern compound on 18 acres in scenic Litchfield County, CT (pictured above) is set way up on a hillside with wide-angle views of Lake Waramaug. The Tinker Hill Road home in Washington was designed by the architect Steven F. Haas, with landscaping by garden and events designer Renny Reynolds, and built in 2003 for investment magnate Richard Cantor and his wife, Dr. Pamela Cantor. “They were inspired by Tuscany,” says listing agent Peter Klemm. It boasts an equally stylish guesthouse, really sweet gardens and both swimming and reflecting pools. $14 million. Peter Klemm,
Klemm Real Estate.
Gilded Age Glory In Greene County
Perched on a hill with panoramic views of the Hudson River, Rip Van Winkle Bridge and Frederick Church’s Olana, this grand Victorian was built in 1887 for New York State Supreme Court Justice Emory Chase. The nine-bedroom charmer at 25 Prospect Avenue in Catskill, NY has been fully renovated and restored. Bonus points: it’s just a ten-minute drive to Hudson’s Warren Street and a wealth of fine dining. $1.25 million. Martin Salerno, The Kinderhook Group.
The Market: Now, Next
Across the board, the real estate market in our region has a bad case of the summer ho-hums. Things are mostly quiet and not much is moving—for buyers or sellers. At the top of the market, above $2 million, houses are sitting much longer than they used to. Way below that, would-be buyers who need a mortgage are closely watching the market, looking for signs that rates may come down. Cash is still king and, even in the $300,000 to $500,000 market, bidders looking to seal a deal keep getting trumped by all-cash buyers. Unfortunately, the fall and the new year will apparently bring more of the same. Stay tuned.
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