Hickory Hill failing to sell?

[franksolich]

I can't find any information later than 2008, at which time the asking price for Hickory Hill had been halved, from $25 million to $12.5 million.

Hickory Hill is a large brick house in McLean, Virginia, in the United States, believed to have been built ca. 1840 (though the Fairfax County DTA page (see below) lists the date as 1870). The land on which it is built is part of a Lee family tract of land called Langley. General George B. McClellan reportedly commandeered Hickory Hill as temporary headquarters during the American Civil War, though this may not be accurate: On ordinance maps of Northern Virginia, 1865, there was no evidence of any structure on the property (WikiMapia).

The house has been the home of notable public figures. In July 1941, it became the home of newly appointed United States Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson and his wife, Irene, who, in 1955, after his death, sold Hickory Hill to United States Senator John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline. After the 1956 Democratic National Convention, the Kennedys sold the house to John's brother Robert F. Kennedy and his wife, Ethel, who had a growing family (eventually eleven children). While he lived at Hickory Hill, Robert Kennedy became Attorney General of the United States, in 1961; a United States Senator, in 1965; and a presidential candidate, in 1968.

Expanded by Robert Kennedy's family, the house was for sale since 2004, but the property was withdrawn from the market November 2008.

Information regarding the property can be found on the Fairfax County DTA web page (Enter Map Number 0311 01 0001) or on Zillow .

In 1980-1982, the property was nominated for the National Park Service's NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES and it currently is one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hickory_Hill_(McLean,_Virginia)

June 12, 2008

Ethel Kennedy reduces asking price for her Hickory Hill estate further, to $12.5M

Ethel Kennedy, the widow of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, has again reduced the asking price for her fabled Hickory Hill estate in McLean, Va. to $12.5 million.

The New York Post’s fine celebrity real estate writer, Braden Keil, broke the news this week of the reduced asking price for Hickory Hill, which first was listed in 2003 for $25 million. Subsequently, the mansion, at 1147 Chain Bridge Road in McLean, was reduced to $20 million, and then to $16.5 million.

Keil noted that Robert and Ethel Kennedy paid $125,000 in 1957 to purchase the estate from then-Sen. John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie, four years after JFK had purchased it for the same price. The mansion dates to 1815, although for whatever reason, Virginia public records state that the mansion was built in 1870. Features in the mansion include 12 fireplaces, a movie theater, two pools and a lighted tennis court. The mansion is located on 5.63 acres, according to public records. There’s some difference of opinion about the actual size of the mansion; public records state that it’s 7,332 square feet, while listing information measures it at 10,524 square feet.

Check out listing information for the house–complete with photos–here.

Speaking of the Kennedy family, the late Patricia Kennedy Lawford’s 12-bedroom, 10,000-square-foot summer home in Southampton, N.Y. also is on the market, for $12 million, Keil reported. Dubbed “Chrisyviro” after Lawford’s four children, the estate, at 155 First Neck Lane in Southampton, has 10 baths, a large “great room,” a sun room, a gym, multiple porches, a servant’s wing, a heated pool, a Har-Tru tennis court and a two-stall/caretaker’s shed, Keil reported. The mansion is located on a 1.92-acre parcel, according to public records.

Check out listing information here about the Southampton house of Lawford, who died last year at the age of 82.

Lawford, who was Robert F. Kennedy’s sister, also owned a four-bedroom co-op unit at One Sutton Place in New York. That unit, which has been listed for $12.75 million, now is under contract, Keil reported. Features in that unit include five full baths, river views from all major rooms, a gallery with a grand staircase, a 31-foot living room with a wood-burning fireplace, French doors leading to a Juliette balcony, a dining room, an eat-in kitchen, three staff rooms, a master with his and hers baths, a paneled library, a balcony that runs the length of the apartment, soaring ceilings and marble in the hallways, according to listing information. Check out listing information for that unit here.

http://www.bergproperties.com/blog/ethel-kennedy-reduces-asking-price-for-her-hickory-hill-estate-further-to-125m/

Ethel and Bobby Kennedy's historic Hickory Hill estate still for sale

Tuesday, May 29, 2007 12:00 am

It was in 2003 that the Kennedy Family first announced the late Bobby Kennedy's widow Ethel Kennedy, who turns 80 next year, was selling the family's fabled estate Hickory Hills for $25 million.

The enormous 13-bedroom and 13-bathroom mansion, the focal point of the property's six acres in trendy McLean, Va., was where the couple raised their 11 children.

Now, New York gossip columnist Cindy Adams, widow of comic Joey Adams, is reporting Ethel has chopped the asking price in half to $12 million. These days, Ethel lives at the Kennedy Family Compound in Hyannis Port, Mass.

Ethel first met her future husband while she was in college and a friend and roommate of Bobby's sister Jean Kennedy.

Ethel and Bobby married on June 17, 1950 and by 1956 Ethel was expecting their fifth child, so they purchased Hickory Hill from John and Jackie Kennedy who were moving to Washington D.C..

I chatted with Cindy Adams way back in 1995 after she wrote the hardcover biography of Kennedy Family matriarch Rose Kennedy (who died in 1995 just a few months short of her 105th birthday).

I'll never forget her book "Iron Rose" (1995 NewStar Press $24.95), especially since all the pages were rose-scented!

But I remember most is Adams saying that Hickory Hill estate after Bobby and Ethel Kennedy moved in was far different than the stately days when the future president and first lady had lived there.

Gone were the days of elegant dinner parties and afternoon teas, replaced by "rowdy" pool parties and infamous barbecues and a frequent guest list of gliterati that included John Lennon, Judy Garland and dancer Rudolf Nureyev.

Of course, adding 11 children to any household is sure to create chaos.

When I interviewed Bobby Kennedy Jr. in 1996, when the famed environmental attorney and activist spoke as part of the annual celeb lecture series at Sinai Temple in Michigan City, I asked him about the reported "virtual" zoo of pets he kept as a kid at Hickory Hills.

He said it was part of his early love of animals and the environment and most of the smaller pets like reptiles and hamsters were kept in the basement. And outside, he said at any given time, you might find everything from ponies and rabbits to anything as exotic as a seal or baby elephant roaming around the grounds!

One of the funniest things I ever heard from Adams was the fact that the refined and regal Jackie Kennedy thought Bobby and Ethel's brood were "too wild" and she wasn't very fond of the idea of Caroline and John Jr. spending too much time with their cousins.

http://nwitimes.com/entertainment/columnists/offbeat/article_65983117-8b84-51c6-b96a-9e2525997251.html

[RightCoast]

Zillow says it sold - $8.25 mil

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1147-Chain-Bridge-Rd-Mc-Lean-VA-22101/51756155_zpid/



http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS299US299&q=1147+Chain+Bridge+Road,+mclean+va&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=1147+Chain+Bridge+Rd,+McLean,+VA+22101&gl=us&ei=v5t2S_LtEYiwsgOGm8HLCA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA


Google map sat view

[franksolich]

Thank you, sir; as you might guess, I'm a rank amateur at real-estate.

That was quite a comedown from the original asking price of $25 million.

One wonders if the 0bama boconomy had something to do with that, or if Ethel Kennedy was hard up for money, and had to take what she could get.

[RightCoast]

Thank you, sir; as you might guess, I'm a rank amateur at real-estate.

That was quite a comedown from the original asking price of $25 million.

One wonders if the 0bama boconomy had something to do with that, or if Ethel Kennedy was hard up for money, and had to take what she could get.

Zillow.com is a great RE site. With that home's history 1/3 of the original asking price seems very low. And Fairfax county VA is not a cheap area, not like people don't expect to pay high prices.  BTW mortgage payments on 8.25 mil are around $35k per month, and the property tax would be nearly $100k/ year.


From Zillow:

Zestimate® Ranking This home at $7,944,000 is valued higher than: Zindex® (Median Zestimate) Close
What's a Zindex? The Zillow® Home Value Index, or Zindex for short, is the median Zestimate® for a given geographic area on a given day.
Learn more
 
• 99% of homes in 22101 ZIP code $780,446
• 99% of homes in Mc Lean $774,456
• 99% of homes in Fairfax County $413,513
• 99% of homes in VA state $232,195
• 99% of homes in United States $185,801

[JohnnyReb]

Thank you, sir; as you might guess, I'm a rank amateur at real-estate.

That was quite a comedown from the original asking price of $25 million.

One wonders if the 0bama boconomy had something to do with that, or if Ethel Kennedy was hard up for money, and had to take what she could get.

OR...maybe the Kennedy name just ain't worth what it used to be.

[debk]

Market conditions probably had a great deal to do with reducing the price. Plus if it was empty, the cost of maintaining the property was ever increasing, particularly in a house that size.

FYI....don't believe everything you see on Zillow. It's very inaccurate, particulary regarding the availability of property. Maybe not everywhere in the country, but certainly here.

[RightCoast]

Market conditions probably had a great deal to do with reducing the price. Plus if it was empty, the cost of maintaining the property was ever increasing, particularly in a house that size.

FYI....don't believe everything you see on Zillow. It's very inaccurate, particulary regarding the availability of property. Maybe not everywhere in the country, but certainly here.

Zillow's updates on property on/off the market are a bit slow, and their valuations can be off a few percent mainly because it's free. Like everything on the internet; take it with a gain of salt. But for a clear, mostly accurate picture of what's going on in a certain area it's a very good service.

[debk]

Zillow's updates on property on/off the market are a bit slow, and their valuations can be off a few percent mainly because it's free. Like everything on the internet; take it with a gain of salt. But for a clear, mostly accurate picture of what's going on in a certain area it's a very good service.

When India does not like the results on some of my reports, they are forever telling me to use Zillow. My biggest problem with Zillow is the on/off market information, particularly the off market properties. I have found some that are still listed when they have been sold or withdrawn for a year or more.

As a Realtor, we are responsible for published data on our listings. Realtor.com, Zillow, ViewHomes, and a whole raft of others....take our listings out of the MLS and publish them. It's free advertising for us - which is nice, but we have no control over the content - which is bad.

The Board of Realty here, is so far, being reasonable about understanding we have no control over the content, but still tells us that we are responsible.

[vesta111]

I can't find any information later than 2008, at which time the asking price for Hickory Hill had been halved, from $25 million to $12.5 million.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hickory_Hill_(McLean,_Virginia)

http://www.bergproperties.com/blog/ethel-kennedy-reduces-asking-price-for-her-hickory-hill-estate-further-to-125m/

http://nwitimes.com/entertainment/columnists/offbeat/article_65983117-8b84-51c6-b96a-9e2525997251.html

I love this stuff but wish I could see pictures of the inside rooms.

I don't suppose Hickory Hill could be opened as a bed, breakfast, and dinner for history buffs.?

Guests only by invitation, to be chosen to stay at the B&B&D one has to pass through a review board to insure only those with a valid interest in history receive an invite.

No children under the age of 12, all pets allowed and in couraged.   If one has no pets but likes cats, they will be issued a cat to stay in your room.

Now to drum up business, a quiet whisper in the ear of some reporter that the guests have on occasion seen what may be, could be, Ghosts in the areas of the house that is far away from the bedrooms.

It could be run along the lines of cruse ships, on arrival you get your very own service person on call 24/7.     All the service one gets on a cruise be it just one night or a week.

The nightly entertainment can be groups of musicians that can play the music of the era----Square dancing, Irish jigs sort of like River Dance.     I am sure dance studios in the area would love to show case the students talent before the public for just dinner.  French from both Europe and Canada music and the original music from New Orleans before Jazz. It amazes me the number of people interested in the music long gone.  For the pay of a dinner these people can perform in public and be noted.

Now the library could be extended into 2-3 more rooms and those looking for history be it sea land or air at that time can brouse to their hearts content in a setting like the old time Gentlemans Club.   Cuban cigars that request them and good Wiskey----Paid for separately naturally. Could get an old time Hunting Dog to wander around the library and sit at the feet of a reader.

 So much could be done with Hickory Hill that can turn it into a seat of learning, very exclusive, rates will vary, Some dude that loves history, is dirt poor ---$100.00 a night including tips.      

Some author resarching history for a book they are writing, $500,00 a night.

A foreign Historian doing research for a paper to get their PHD, $700.00 a night.

 Then to the true Historians, $1,200  a bargen to access just the library.

All staff dress in dress clothing for the men and the woman dress in something  very severe.  We don't want to chintz this up with stuff that looks like it comes from a mid evil fair.

Class act all tending to subtly remind the guests of past times.

No hats allowed to be worn by men inside, No T Shirts, other then that the guests can wear a pumpkin on their head, or a leather vest.

I wonder outside the selling price of Hickory Hill what the overhead would be.?

A chief that can cook wild game is a necessary, don't need to hire someone with culinary degrees, send out the word you need someone that lives in the area that can cook rabbit or squirrel that to our taste of today tastes really good.

Got to turn the stables into a place where kids in Vet school can get room and Bord plus a minimum wage pay check to  care for the Shire Horses, train them to pull a carriage of maxim 6 people around the grounds. Tend to the barn yard animals that were commom.  

There will be a few kids studying botany that can see to planting what was planted in the past, including Hemp.   They can also be put in charge of the gardens and grow food for the kitchen that is authentic.

The tour staff can be hired from the local highschools, the theater kids that can improvise.  They have to have a short script that they can give, then go on to interacting with the audience.  Kids that love an audience, that they can WOW, find a new slant to just pointing out a bedroom but point to the chair the owners wife was sitting in when she died.    These tours of set words,  by bored adults can use some enthusiasm and cause OOS and ARRS.  Never the same tour day to day, each day has new information.    

Don't you just hate to pay for a tour and the guide keeps moving along and has no idea what the people on the tour are thinking, their questions, or point out things they may not see at first glance.?

What fun, most likely go bankrupt without the proper publicity or word of mouth.    Don't hurt to dig up every thing one can about deaths, accidents and murder.  

If a Tinker comes to the door selling pots and pans, then was hung in the next town for murder, show case that.

As I said, I love this stuff, not for the possible money gains but for the mental exercise to wonder how to pull this off.

Seems a shame all the small towns that have some kind of museum run by the family's of old time never give a thought to just how boring they can be without a youth with lots of energy getting you worked up about the exhibits.

Time for my Canesta tournament Frank, thanks for the ideas that may be out of whack.

[The Village Idiot]

I can only imagine the zoning restrictions on that.

No subdivisions and theme park?