Direct sale, $9 million. Nice work, if you can get it

24 Hendrie Drive Ext., Old Greenwich, has sold direct for $9 million, without having to ever sully its feet in the murky waters of our GMLS. Its location must lend itself to this because these sellers also bought it direct, for $1.2 million, in 1997. The current "listing" shows it as having been built in 1916 and renovated in 2000. but that was one heck of a renovation: the entire house is new, and jacked up high enough to block my own family's view of the Sound from further down the creek. Not that we were peeved—we weren't, but a bit jealous? Yes.

Couple of nice stories about the original place: it once served, as did Gideon's oyster house a bit further downstream. as a bootlegger drop-off, and there were bottles around: in the walls, in the attic, and even buried around the property to prove it. And, related, sort of, a previous owner was known to get a bit tipsy from time-to-time and when he did, he'd don a kilt and parade around the grounds at night, playing his bagpipes (and very well, too). Picture a full moon, high tide, and a lamenting Scot, and what else is necessary for a perfect evening?

UPDATE: Screw up a story badly enough and you may just manage to hear from old friends. From Susan Hastings, who grew up there:

It was a gambling casino as well as a rum runners drop off in the 1920's notorious for shootouts over various arguments. Prohibition liquor was stored in a "secret" room which had an escape hatch if needed. Liquor was found in the room by my father who immediately gave it away as he and my mother were teetotalers. He indeed played the bag pipes but I guarantee he was not tipsy! He is probably rolling over in his grave with your suggestion

I think the image of a moonlit tipsy bagpiper is more colorful, but I suppose accuracy should rule.