Chatsworth General Store

jburd641

jburd641

Explorer
Jan 16, 2008
410
22
Port Charlotte, Fl.
What's going on with the Chatsworth General Store? Last I heard, it was going up for sale. Has it been sold and if so, is it still open? I'm planning on coming up to NJ for Christmas and would like to stop in and pick up some Piney things for my house here in Florida. Like to have a touch of home from the heart of the pines.
Any info would be appreciated.
 
I didnt take a close look, but Im pretty sure the stores still open even tho its for sale. I pass it quite frequently and at a quick glance it looked open.. could be wrong.
 
The hotdog stand across the street was busy today. Cars and motorcycles were parked everywhere. The general store looks like it always did but with no lights on. I think they need to put the hotdog stand in the general store. ;) Makes sense, no?
 
Gibby said:
The hotdog stand across the street was busy today. Cars and motorcycles were parked everywhere.
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I ate breakfast early today and Jessica and I were on the road by 7AM. So at about 9:30 I was already hungry and as I passed I noticed she was open. She informed me the hotdogs were not ready yet so I had to wait until I got home to eat.

Guy
 
I am the Realtor with whom Buzby's owner Marilyn listed her shop/home. To answer your questions, yes, Buzby's is still on the market and no, she hasn't lowered the price. Marilyn is in the position where she doesn't need to sell, though at 80 years old, she's thinking she should probably retire soon! When I talked to her yesterday, she was unpacking new stock, so she has no plans to close unless she sells Buzby's! As far as some sites dropping the listing, the extended listing date just hasn't hit them yet. The shop is open Thursday-Sunday from 10 until 3 or 4. As I'm sure you know, she lives upstairs in the 3-bedroom residence that she also renovated. There is a commercial kitchen in the store which Marilyn rented on two different occasions, with the front section of the shop used as the dining area. A cafe could be in a future owner's plans, especially when they see the non-stop action across the street. While I can't discuss negotiations, we do have a few interested parties, so only time will tell the future of Buzby's. Everyone I talk to - including Marilyn - hopes it will be used much like it is right now!
 
We definitely live in very strange real estate times. Frustrating. My house is taxed at $305K, was appraised a year later for a loan at $290K, and now I'm not sure I can even get $225K....and yet nobody at the tax office cares about that.

Last week I got a letter from Allstate...."Dear Bob, home construction costs are on the rise, so we have increased your premium $178 to cover the $7,000 increase in building costs in your area" (From $958 to $1136 for the insurance).

$178 for an extra $7,000? Also, why would labor be higher, you'd think the labor would be lower as builders would fight each other to build it. Even materials should be lower since they come from CHINA!

So, just in case my thinking is way off mark, I used the below site to tell me the "replacement" cost of my home, and it came up with $335K. Whoa! What is going on here? Is it really just demand that is driving the appraisals down? I suppose so.

http://www.accucoverage.com/?promo=WBAUAZ05

I do realize that my "restoration" insurance would be for a lower amount, but I hesitate to even argue with Allstate now. They may be giving me a deal. Makes no sense at all.

PS: Have any of you noticed that it's getting to be "dog eat dog" out there in the economy? I can't sneaze without somebody wanting to charge me $150.
 
bobpbx said:
We definitely live in very strange real estate times. Frustrating. My house is taxed at $305K, was appraised a year later for a loan at $290K, and now I'm not sure I can even get $225K....and yet nobody at the tax office cares about that.
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Did you go thru a formal tax appeal? We've done it twice and have had it approved both times. It's a pain, but worth the effort. There are also folks that will do it for a fee; I think it is a percentage of what they save you.
 
Bob, I agree that it's frustrating. Something like 30% of US homeowners owe more than their home is worth today. But the concept is pretty simple unfortunately - your home is only worth as much as a buyer is willing to pay. Replacement cost is probably more like that old story about the $10,000 car that would cost $200,000 if you bought all the parts separately. :)

I was reading an article the other day where the author filed an appeal because his taxes were higher than his neighbor's. The zoning board agreed, but instead of lowering his taxes they raised his neighbor's. :D

My taxes here are really low, to the point that it wouldn't be worth an appeal. However when I look at how much they've gone up over the past 5 years on a percentage basis (as opposed to dollars), it does worry me a bit.

Dragonfly: thanks for updating us. And a special thanks for mentioning that the store is still open - it looked like it was closed the last time I passed, but I guess it was just the wrong day. I hope you can find a buyer to continue the Buzby's tradition.
 
I don't think the dollar amount of your assessment matters all that much. It's more about comparing the assessed value of a comparable home to your assessed value.
 
bobpbx said:
Can you broadly outline the procedure? If it involves bringing in some comparison sales, here in Bamber that would be tough in this market.
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That is basically the way it is done. The APP had some very good articles that explained everything. The first time we did it, it was with the town tax assesor, now it has to be done with the county. If you do not have enough comparables in your area they provide other methods. I'll see if I can find the article, pretty sure I saved them. We had a real estate person get us the comparables. You can also find them online, as well as what other homes in your area are assesed and pay.

Edit: Add link http://www.app.com/article/99999999/NEWS/399990018/APPEAL-PROPERTY-TAX-ASSESSMENT
 
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