Two Beacon Hill properties to be auctioned March 3
Beacon Hill is a quiet enclave, and the Flat of Beacon Hill is a distinctive residential neighborhood bound by Charles and Beacon streets, Storrow Drive and Cambridge Street.
Built on filled land in the 19th century, the buildings were homes to the craftsmen and trades people who worked for others on the South Slope. Some of the structures actually were stables.
Today, however, these homes are part of the exclusive residential fabric of the city, so it was a surprise to learn this week that two properties that recently had undergone million-dollar renovations were going to auction.
One is a 5,700-square-foot townhouse at 20 Brimmer St.; the other is a three-level, 2,373-square-foot condominium at 25 Lime St., literally around the corner, about a tenth of a mile away.
“Both sellers didn’t want to wait three, six or nine months to sell, and they saw this [auction] as an alternative to market the real estate,” said Jeremy Freid, managing principal of Great Rock Auctions.
The auction will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 3, at the Brimmer Street house. Bruce Sayre will be the auctioneer.
Both Freid and Sayre previously worked at Sheldon Good & Company in Chicago, one of the largest real estate auction providers in the country. Freid and Sayre are part of Great Rock LLC, which was officially incorporated this week.
The roof deck greenhouse, viewed from the stairwell at 20 Brimmer St., provides abundant light.
Boston Homes featured the house on Brimmer Street a year ago, which at the time was listed at $7.95 million.
The minimum bid for this home will start at $4.975 million, said Freid. The five-story red brick home was built in 1869 for the Rev. John Parkman.
Developer Peter Georgantas and his company, PEG Properties and Design of Boston, bought this building and completely gutted it, saving only the front façade.
Green principles and smart technology were incorporated during the construction.
A spacious living room with a wood-burning fireplace and carved mantelpiece is just inside the double-doored vestibule.
A formal dining room, also with a marble fireplace, is at the back of this level and includes a butler’s pantry with a dishwasher.
The open French bistro-style kitchen, which is on the garden level of 20 Brimmer St., features a large center island topped with a black stone counter and high-end appliances
Between these two rooms is a stair hall, which can be isolated by pocket doors.
It includes a coat closet, a powder room and an elevator that travels to all floors.
The French bistro-style kitchen is on the garden level and extends the full length of the building. It boasts top-of-the-line appliances that would delight any chef – 36-inch Sub-Zero refrigerator and a separate 36-inch freezer, a Wolf double-range cooktop, two large ovens plus a convection oven and microwave.
Toward the back, which could serve as both a breakfast room and a family room, are windows with views of the rear garden and a doorway to access the space. A gate opens onto a brick courtyard, which can be used for parking.
Next to the elevator are stairs to a French barn-style basement that boasts a cedar closet, a climatized wine cellar and extra storage.
The third floor features a guest bedroom with a decorative fireplace and an oriel that looks out to the street and an equally large library, paneled with quarter-sawn oak. A fireplace and bookcases provide a nice retreat.
Off the library is a large wet bar equipped with a refrigerator and dishwasher.
The master bedroom suite occupies the entire fourth floor. From the elevator is a vestibule that separates the master bedroom from a walk-through closet to the sumptuous master bath. On either side of the walk-through are custom-made cabinets.
The master bath is nothing less than lavish, with twin marble-topped vanities on either side of a fireplace and a deep soaking tub. A bench is in the oversized shower, which is next to a huge walk-in closet. The walls are Calcutta gold marble, cut to form a continuous pattern.
The top floor features three more bedrooms, two full baths and a spacious laundry with a sink and two washers and dryers.
But that’s not all. A roof deck features a glass conservatory/greenhouse and a built-in grill. At either end of the deck is a living green roof. Other amenities include a whole-house water purifier system, 15 zones of radiant in-floor heat and five zones of cooling. Twelve sets of speakers and wireless antennas have been installed throughout.
The triplex at 25 Lime St. is more modest, but the attention to detail was not spared. Greg Cohen and Codaflats LLC of Wellesley purchased the three-family home for $2 million in 2006 and engaged Guy Grassi of the Grassi Design Group to create two elegant condominiums.
Last April, Unit 2 was sold for about $3.84 million.
The triplex on the garden, first and second floors of 25 Lime St. has two bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths.
This brick home was completely gutted as well. The entry to this home and Unit 1 boasts a lovely fanlight. The living room is spacious, enhanced by a wide fireplace with a wood mantelpiece, crown molding and gleaming hardwood floors. An open staircase to the upper floor provides a nice architectural detail. .
The chef’s kitchen includes state-of-the-art appliances, custom cabinetry and a stone counter. A powder room is nearby. There is also a breakfast room, and French doors lead out to a private garden.
The garden level includes a study and two bedrooms, each with a bath. The master bedroom suite has a bay window, drawing light from three directions, and an elegant master bath with both a glass-enclosed shower and a deep soaking tub. The dressing room/closet is quite roomy.
Another amenity is the home gym. Rental parking is available nearby.
When this home first went on the market in late 2008, it was listed at $2.449 million. The minimum bid at the auction is $1.195 million.
Auction day will create some excitement, said Fried.
“The owners saw this as an alternative to market their real estate,” he said, which he described as “beautiful, new construction properties.”
A sunny gourmet kitchen at 25 Lime St. has top-of-the-line appliances, custom-made cabinetry and black granite counters.
“Buyers are craving for transparencies in this economy, and no one wants to overpay for real estate.
“Let the market do it; let them negotiate against one another,” he said.
It’s difficult for owners of real estate to put their fingers on what a property is worth, and they spend months to determine that number, he said.
“The market is changing,” he continued. “As it changes, you have to find ways to sell real estate a different way.”
Great Rock Auctions is doing that, focusing on high-end luxury homes and commercial properties that are not distressed or are not in foreclosure.
“There are buyers out there that have been circling for months but haven’t yet pulled the trigger.
Right now, they are doing due diligence and arranging their financing.
“They are very comfortable with the asset.”
For details about the auction and pre-registration, visit the website www.greatrock.com.
For the Lime Street property, a $50,000 deposit will be required of the high bidder. Ten percent of the gross sales prices, plus a 5 percent buyer’s premium must be made within five days after the auction. Closing must occur by April 9.
For the Brimmer Street property, a $100,000 deposit will be required of the high bidder and 10 percent of the gross sales price, plus a 5 percent buyer’s premium, paid within five business days. Closing must occur no later than March 31.
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The roof deck greenhouse, viewed from the stairwell at 20 Brimmer St., provides abundant light. The home has five bedrooms, four full baths and three half baths.
FILE PHOTO BY JUNE ALBRITTON
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. A breakfast room is nearby.
COURTESY PHOTOS / GREAT ROCK LLC.
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The triplex on the garden, first and second floors of 25 Lime St. has two bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. It is scheduled for auction March 3.
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A sunny gourmet kitchen at 25 Lime St. has top-of-the-line appliances, custom-made cabinetry and black granite counters. Nearby are French doors that open out to a private brick-paved garden.
