When we debuted our new feature?You Can't Be Serious?this week, we weren't exactly kind to the listing photos for the house at 3 Stokes Court. We picked on the exteriors, the interiors, the decision to include yoga students...hell, we even picked on the quality of the photos themselves. That's why it didn't come as much of a shock when the listing's agent came a calling. One might say he was not exactly thrilled with our coverage of the property. So, in the interest of fairness, we afforded him the opportunity to comment.
We now present to you his Email, unedited and in its entirety.
"Dear Mr. Johnson,
As the listing agent for 3 Stokes Ct., East Hampton, all I can say is that I am glad that you found the photos amusing. The point was to bring a little attention to the listing, by pointing out that it has served the Yoga teacher owner very well for almost 20 years. The house is set up in such a way that a new owner could conduct Yoga or meditation classes, Pilates classes, or any work-out related classes in the 25 ft. long room that is separated from the main house. There's a bedroom with a full bath over that room offering privacy as well for visiting guests, or "good" students. The dog kennel that you said was for "bad students" is actually for Alaskan Huskies that the present owner used to race, though I'm thinking it would also make a nice home for real estate journalists with a wry sense of humor.
You're right about the house needing some TLC, but your article belies some important considerations that should be afforded the listing. The country cape (sticks included) is exactly one mile to the beach on 2 Mile Hollow Lane off of Further Lane. The 3/4 acre corner lot has some protected space on two sides affording privacy from neighboring lots. The house had originally been quietly listed at $795,000 (not $110,000) and has been reduced once to the present price of 774,000. The price is negotiable because the owner has owned it for some time and is considering re-locating, they also will consider renting it for the season. By the way, the tea kettle is a clay flower pot, sans flower, and can be negotiated with the house for the right price. Lastly, I recommend you take a Yoga class and try the Lotus position to release some tension that I'm sensing you might be experiencing.
Yours sincerely,
Mosel Katzter
Douglas Elliman"
Now this is how you respond to criticism. We know he's unhappy, but his Email is filled with grace, insight and humor...we even liked the digs aimed at us. While there's a little confusion over the $110,000 pricechop we mentioned?the OREX listing we were privy to noted that the ask was originally $895K, not $795K?that doesn't detract from the overall impact of his response. Kudos, Mr. Katzter...although we still think those photos need some serious work.
A note to Curbed readers: If you choose to comment on this, please make an effort to do so civilly and keep the personal attacks to a minimum.
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