Arleen Shabel hasn’t killed her husband–yet

My clients as photographed by the New York Times in front of their Moorestown, N.J. home.

I had the pleasure of connecting a New York Times writer with buyers of mine, Arleen and Norman Shabel, a couple of weeks back.

The Shabels, who have been looking for pied-a-terre in Manhattan, were quoted in a long piece about homeowners having second thoughts about selling their properties at the 11th hour.  Chronicled, as well, were the ziz-zags of buyers whose remorse had them pulling back from offers that they had made or were about to make.  And today’s Times had a similar story on Page 1.

Penelope Green concludes her article with an anecdote from the Shabels:

In Moorestown, N.J., Arleen Shabel, an artist, is practicing tough love on her husband of 48 years by gearing up to put their house on the market next month for a third time.

She recalled the second time she and her husband, Norman, a lawyer and a writer of thrillers, listed their house about a year ago. During a showing to a “very interested” prospect, Mr. Shabel ran to pull the “For Sale” sign from the lawn.

“We’ve been here for 23 years and it is our dream home,” Ms. Shabel said, describing a 7,000-square-foot house they designed themselves. “So it’s hard for him. But next month, if I can get it decluttered, it will go on the market for a third time. And if he backs out, I think I will kill him.”

The couple was in the city last weekend celebrating their wedding anniversary and kindly invited me to join them for brunch on Sunday before heading out to a couple of open houses with their extraordinary Maltese Bogie.  (Bogie Sees Paris is a book Arleen Shabel has written.)

I am happy to report that Mr. Shabel remains alive and well and that he has yet to dissuade his wife from going forward with their plans to sell the house.

Then again, they have yet to reach that 11th hour.

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Malcolm Carter
Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker
Senior Vice President
Charles Rutenberg Realty
127 E. 56th Street
New York, NY 10022

M: 347-886-0248
F: 347-438-3201

Malcolm@ServiceYouCanTrust.com
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