Why you should buy his house in Freeport

Seller.  James Maltese

Address. 86 Front St., Freeport

Asking price. $399,000

The competition. An expanded ranch on South Ocean Avenue is on the market for $439,000.

Recent sale in the area. A four- bedroom, one-bath cape on nearby
South Long Beach Avenue sold for $231,750 in early June.

Taxes. $12,000

Time on the market. Since late June

Listing agent. Claudia Barnes, Weichert Realtors Quality Homes, Baldwin, 516-867-3508

Why it’s for sale. James, 54, a former assistant vice president and telecommunications manager, wants to relocate to Atlanta.

James has owned his expanded ranch for more than 12 years. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an attached garage and is on a quarter acre of property. The house, built in 1952, has about 1,450 square feet of living space and is within walking distance of Freeport’s Nautical Mile. Jim talks about the home:

“I bought the house as a fixer-upper and put in two new bathrooms ... I rebuilt the driveway, front walkway, the front porch and ... the rear deck with pavers. I tore out 99 percent of the plants and designed and installed most of the landscaping. I had the floors leveled and re-stained, and revarnished them with an ebony stain ... And I refurbished the kitchen cabinets.

"In the living room, the fireplace is catty-corner and it ’s an indoor and outdoor fireplace ... The outdoor fireplace is on the rear deck ... The kitchen is off the dining room and the living room is off the dining room. It’s a large rectangular space. I have an open foyer [that leads] into the living room, which has a big picture window looking out back. There’s a cherry blossom tree in the backyard, and [when it blooms] the yard is full of pink flowers. I have a sunroom where I keep my Bowflex."