Why you should buy their house in South Jamesport

Thursday September 20, 2012 12:41 PM By Ann Smukler

Photo credit: Randee Daddona | Mary and Ken Aldrich stand in the sitting room of their South Jamesport home. The house at 154 South Jamesport Ave. in a historic district is on the market for $539,000. (Sept. 7, 2012)

Sellers. Ken and Mary Aldrich

Address. 154 S. Jamesport Ave., South Jamesport

Asking price. $539,000

The competition. A four-bedroom, 2.5-bath, two-story home on nearby Sixth Street is on the market for $595,000.

Recent sale in the area. A four-bedroom, 3.5-bath home on Lovers Lane sold in May for $555,000.

Taxes. $8,258

Time on the market. Since late April

Listing agent. Eileen Tonsmeire and Patricia Cosmadelis, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, Southold, 631-765-6656

Why it's for sale. Ken, 66, an assistant superintendent in the Seaford School District, and Mary, 64, a retired social worker, are moving closer to family in Southern Maine.

The Aldriches bought their three-bedroom, two-bath home in 2004. The Colonial was built in 1873 and is in the historic district of South Jamesport on a plump half-acre. The sight of the Aldriches sitting in two brightly colored Adirondack chairs on the front lawn is a common one for those in the neighborhood. Ken chats about his home’s appeal:

“The home has the right blend of nostalgic old house and modern conveniences. Every owner of the home has lovingly maintained and improved it, and in a tasteful way . . . The kitchen has beautiful dark cabinetry, a center island and stainless . . . The home is an entertainment mecca. Anyone looking for a big place to entertain -- this place can do it.

"It’s a big property with a 2½-car garage and seven off-street parking spots . . . The gardening is gorgeous. It’s what sets this house off to many people. There are 140 years of perennials here . . . that have been lovingly maintained . . . One of the rooms in the home is known as the Vermont Room . . . It has a diagonal rough-sawn post-and-beam look and a wood stove and hearth. The home also features a Victorian living room and a piano room . . . The house has a two-story turret, so there’s a wonderful window in the piano room . . . We added a 21-by-27-foot deck with nice security fencing around it, so you can have privacy . . .

"When we have people over, the kitchen and dining room are the party places. But during the summer, everyone migrates outside to the deck, where we have an outside bar . . . The house is three blocks from the Peconic Bay and two blocks from the Great Peconic Bay Marina . . ."

Tags: Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty , South Jamesport , Why You Should Buy Their House