Church selling Port Washington home in 'disrepair'

This Port Washington home went on the market last Tuesday. Some 125 calls were received on the listing in 3 ½ days. Why? The five-bedroom, two-bath Colonial, which has  an enormous front porch, is listed for $160,000.

Admittedly, the house looks like the “before” picture in a "This Old House" episode. In the refreshingly candid listing for the house on Multiple Listing Service of Long Island website, Dean Miller of RE/MAX Island in Hewlett characterizes it as being in “major disrepair.”

The 97-year-old home is located at 10 Charles Ave. and is owned by the Zion Baptist Church in Port Washington. The congregation is looking to liquidate it immediately and, with Miller, have developed an interesting approach.

An open house will be held this Feb. 26 and 27. Interested possible owners will be given an identifying number. The first interested party will write their ID number and their bid price on a sheet of paper. If any party wants to offer more, they will add their ID number and their bid price. Bidding will close Sunday afternoon.

On Monday, Miller and church leaders say they will call all bidders individually and inform them of the highest bid received. Each bidder will be asked whether they want to top it or drop out of the bidding process. After the telephone process is concluded, the final price will have been determined.

Four contractors have looked at the property. Three of the four say they think that it does not have to be flattened. The fourth one is bringing in an engineer before deciding what he might do with it.

Stay tuned.