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You've heard of repeat customers, but realtor Cathy Lawton's latest listing qualifies as a repeat property. The five-bedroom Colonial at 15 Midbrook Lane in Darien was "the first house I ever sold," Cathy says. "So this place means a lot to me." She even developed a close friendship with the family who bought the house, which is why, 23 years later, they went straight back to Cathy when they decided to sell. "They're dear friends," she says. "But I won't help them pack, and you can put that in print!"
There's a reason why Cathy is reluctant to help this particular family pack up their belongings. The man of the house, an ex-media executive, has "many, many interests" and many, many rooms devoted to his collections and hobbies, from carpentry to vintage car collecting. This, combined with the family's taste and attention to detail, make for a highly unique (though still classically lovely) home. "Some realtors would say to de-personalize a home, make it neutral," says Cathy. "But I really don't think it's necessary with this house. It has all the charm of an older home, but it lives like a new house." Updated features include the limestone kitchen island.
One interesting aspect of the home's personality is how it manages to feel both rambling and cozy at the same time. As the resident family expanded, so did the house, with additions such as a roomy studio apartment over the attached three-car garage.
"Families grow, with adult children, spouses and grandchildren," says Cathy, a mother of three grown children herself. "You want your kids to have a place where they can stay when they come to see you."
Apparently, plenty of young families have places to stay in Darien - their own homes. Cathy says that most of her buyers of late have been young professionals with small children, many of them moving out of New York City. "They're taking advantage of the lower interest rates up here, the lower taxes, the excellent public schools," she says. Gothamites making the transition to the suburbs should find the Midbrook Lane house an excellent middle ground between accessibility (it's just about five minutes from downtown Darien and the train station) and private country living. High shrubs hide the house from the street; the long driveway is dotted with oversized sycamore trees. There's even a pond at the edge of the property. "It's not actually on this property," Cathy says, "but we sure did do a lot of ice-skating on that pond!"
Asking price is $2,350,000. To find out more, call Cathy at Kelly Associates Real Estate, (203) 621-0945.
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