This may have occasioned an awkward conversation between the agent and his clients

44 Orchard Drive, in Milbrook, was listed at $3.495 million last July, and the current owners “won” the ensuing price war by offering $4.175. They closed in September and relisted it last month — presumably, the ashtrays were full — at, first, $3.895 and then dropped it to $3.475. It’s now pending.

The owners are using the same agent who represented them on the buy side, so either they have a fine sense of humor or, and this can happen in bidding contests, he advised them to stay out of the fray, but they went ahead anyway.

Anti-disirregardless, even if the house sells for that final asking price of $3.495 million, $680,000 is a lot to pay to rent such a relatively modest house for just 11 months.