REAL ESTATE

INSIDE STORIES BEHIND AREA REAL ESTATE DEALS

A-Rod, Safe at Home?
The New York Post reports that Yankee's third baseman Alexander Rodriguez (a.k.a. A-Rod and sometimes Stray-Rod, due to sightings with a certain busty, blonde stripper) is looking to settle down in Greenwich. The word on Greenwich Ave. is that Rodriguez and his wife, Cynthia, have been eyeing a 35,000-square-foot, Georgian-style stone manse, one of the mega-mansions built on spec by Antares Investment Partners. Even while at home, A-Rod would have room to roam as the Round Hill Road estate, called Lake Carrington, features seven bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, a 45-foot-long indoor lap pool, a basketball court, a 20,000-bottle wine cellar and a 20-seat media center. The price: $25 million, which seems eye-popping to everyone but A-Rod, who will be asking for $30 million bucks a year when he renegotiates with Mr. Steinbrenner at season's end.

Lisa Jones' Lounge Act
No one has ever accused Fairfield County power broker Lisa Jones of thinking small. After just three years selling real estate, Jones was named a managing partner of the Higgins Group and is now presiding over a lounge-style office at 132 Washington Street in South Norwalk, amid the area's liveliest bars, restaurants and boutiques. After a soft opening in August, Lisa Jones' SoNo Real Estate Lounge is kicking off the fall selling season by staying open until 8 p.m. during the week and 11 p.m. on the weekends. Comfy sofas invite passersby to stop in, have a drink and review listings on multiple monitors, including giant, 52-inch screens. There's also a separate lounge area for kids, with TVs and snacks.

By contrast, the typical real estate brokerage tends to invest little in offices, as most business is conducted on the site of properties for sale. But Jones feels the industry underestimates just how many sales start with a client wandering in off the street.