I'm sure there is a LOT of room for negotiation; or the seller is unable/unwilling to accept the realities of the current bear marketplace. Genuine Mason 43s typically list for about $100K, and then sit on the market for months to longer than a year without a contract.
I'm told the 44s aren't even genuine, that they were build from the drawings for the 43, modified by someone not Al Mason, and that Al Mason had no oversight over their construction (which is the source of the reputation for quality that Masons have); and that he was not paid for the use of the design. The builder stuck Mason's name on the boats to traffic in his excellent reputation for quality. I don't know how much of this is true, but I spent a lot of time digging in to the history of Mason boats while looking very hard at an Adriatic Yachts Alpha 48 (listed as a Mason 48), and this story popped out of that research. Also, I don't know anything about the actual quality of the 44s ... they might well be as good as the 43s.
There does not seem to be many people in the market for an old, heavy-displacement, full-keeled boat. Catamarans and modern production boats (priced to market) sell much, much faster. At least, that's how it looks to me after more than a year of price tracking.
