Open House Picks Redux

I didn't.

I'm poor

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 2:22 PM

Not worth seeing.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 2:24 PM

I checked out the Bainbridge property. Perfectly nice and in good condition but a very narrow house with less space than you might expect for the money in that area.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 2:27 PM

I'm waiting to see what the economy does before I plunge into another house.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 2:49 PM

You people kill me. That property on Chest Court is in FLATBUSH. It don't get more Flatbush than this. Prospect Lefferts Garden, my ass. I don't give a care if you live on Rutland, Fenimore etc. and paid big $$$ to live there. Some of those homes are architectual gems, But this IS Flatbush(AND there nothing wrong with that).

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 2:51 PM

limp response = market condition

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 3:05 PM

Did anyone go to the OH on 2d street between 5th and 6th ave's (multifamily - $1.4M)? Any reactions?

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 3:07 PM

"limp response = market condition"

limp response=crummy houses/slim pickings.

I'm not waiting to time the market. I'm waiting to find something worth buying. My finances are in order and I'm happy to write the check now, if only something worthwhile would appear.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 3:18 PM

Saw the South Slope house. Really nice house. Nicely renovated. Bright and airy. But what a terrible location! Not so close to trains, and not in a good school zone. It's appealing and unappealing at the same time. The house would be worth a lot more if it were in a better location, so I guess the location is the compromise. I know everyone thinks it's overpriced, but how low can a nicely renovated house go for these days?

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 3:18 PM

Why do people get so worked up arguing about where one neighborhood starts and the next one ends. My suggestion ... calm down and if you want a reference, how about the city's?

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/neighbor/neigh.shtml

As good a reference as any. It shows neighborhoods like PPS, Ditmas, Flatbush, Midwood in the same color coded box, but who cares? There's no iron curtain separating neighborhoods. Chester Ct. place looks like PLG on NYC.gov's map (And by old school brooklyn conventions Flatbush is a huge area including many smaller neighborhoods).

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 3:20 PM

Can someone tell me the difference btwn a wood-frame house and a house that is not a wood-frame house? I feel dumb, but I am confused by these terms. The Victorian brownstones are not wood-frames, but how do they differ?

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 3:22 PM

3:07--do you have a link for that listing? Is it one of the houses with lots of rent-stab tenants?

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 3:25 PM

3:18 - out of curiosity I looked up PS 124 on insideschools.org. It's not the long coveted 321, but the write-ups make it looks pretty good. I lived in that district when my kids were primary school age and they went to another district 15 school. Also fyi, if your kids register in a school and you move to an address zoned for a different school (in the same or in a different district) your kids can stay put.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 3:35 PM

Re 3:25: dunno. saw it on the NYT. http://realestate.nytimes.com/sales/detail/25-NY54A231

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 3:38 PM

'Can someone tell me the difference btwn a wood-frame house and a house that is not a wood-frame house? I feel dumb, but I am confused by these terms. The Victorian brownstones are not wood-frames, but how do they differ?'

Let's see - a Wood frame house is a WOOD FRAME HOUSE. It's skeleton is made of wood and the exterior whatever you see, usually siding.

Brownstones, Limestones, the skeleton is typically made of brick with facade of the stone (brownstone, limestone).

I have seen some Brick townhouses made of both brick and wood, which threw me off.

Designer in Brooklyn.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 3:50 PM

Brick/brownstone houses do have wood interior frames. The walls, floors, roof, etc are all wood frame. The four exterior walls are not.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 4:03 PM

I think the designer was referring to the exterior frames -- "skeleton" was the clue for me.

The designer did, however, make a punctuation error that never ceases to annoy me: putting an apostrophe in "its" ("It's skeleton is made of . . . .")

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 5:28 PM

These houses leave much to be desired. However, the stuff coming on the market now is just as bad, or worse. There are some really deluded sellers and brokers that are pricing their listings so astronomically high, and in total defiance of all comps and the market. It's totally fantastical and insulting. I chalk it up to these sellers not really needing to sell, and just trying to get attention. Otherwise, it makes no sense. I'm sure these properties I speak of will be HOTD soon.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 5:37 PM

"Also fyi, if your kids register in a school and you move to an address zoned for a different school (in the same or in a different district) your kids can stay put."

I thought it was just for the remainder of the school year, not for the rest of the schooling.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 6:21 PM

Once you're in, you're in, and younger siblings are in (for schools with sibling preference) and you're considered in-district for middle school even if your new house is in, say, Flatbush.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 7:29 PM

Watch your typing everybody - the grammar trolls are on the prowl.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 8:12 PM

suk my ballz u people r 2 cool 4 skool

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 9:12 PM

"Once you're in, you're in, and younger siblings are in (for schools with sibling preference) and you're considered in-district for middle school even if your new house is in, say, Flatbush."

That is NOT AT ALL TRUE! It used to be, but the board of Ed has gotten much stricter about living in the district. I know a number of people who moved out of good districts assuming that their kids could stay in the school only to find out that they were no longer able to. Now all those kids are in private school.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 9:26 PM

9:26 is right. The DOE is struggling with overcrowding in the more popular schools (i.e. 321) and as a result, what used to be true - "once you're in you're in" - can certainly not be counted on any more.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 9:42 PM

9:26 - my children go to 321, and once you're in, you're still in there and they also still provide variances for siblings.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 9:45 PM

So this means that I can rent an apartment in 321 zone the summer befor my oldest child has to register for kindergarten, move to Marine Park, have three more children within four years and register them at 321 as well. This might be worth a short term lease.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 11:20 PM

Re: 321 and moving out of zone - at the open house last year, the principal specifically said she could not guarantee the "once you're in, you're in" policy since all options are on the table with the DOE these days. There is another open house next week at 321 if folks want to find out any updates. But really, looking to the past is not a wise guide to the future!

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 11:40 PM

I've been told that the "once you're in, you're in" policy is no longer true in a lot of districts, and hasn't been for awhile.

Posted by: guest at January 7, 2008 11:52 PM

Most of these houses are overpriced from 20-40%.

http://spaceroach.tumblr.com/

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 12:54 AM

OK, this is from the Chancellor's Regulation on Admission, from the DOE website

docs.nycenet.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-11/A-101.pdf

Page 3, item G:

Students in grades 1 through 12 who change residence within New York City are entitles to remain in their current school of resister until completion of the terminal grade.

Terminal grade=last grade within that school, no?

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 6:54 AM

I was just going to post what 6:54 did. If the added commute causes chronic lateness, the school can ask you to leave. Also, if you move out of the area like to New Jersey or Westchester you can stay at the school and pay tuition to the DOE. I know a family who did this.
Yes, terminal grade means the last grade within the school.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 7:12 AM

I know of 3 people who have fought to keep kids in the district after they moved and lost. Following the above rule is at the school's discretion based on overcrowding. At popular schools it has become less and likely to be able to get to keep your kids in, and the number of out-of-area kids allowed is reevaluated each year, so you never know what will happen the following year.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 8:48 AM

"terminal grade means the last grade within the school."

So, at best, your kid can stay in the school until the last grade of THAT school. Then you're screwed.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 9:14 AM

I think that they can also stay in the district for middle school. I know plenty of faimilies who do not reside in district 15 but send their kids to district 15 elementary schools and subsequently to district 15 middle schools. Maybe the doe needs to change this and give district 15 residents priority to middle schools. This becomes an issue if there are future repeats of 2005 when 20% of fifth graders did not get into any of their choices.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 9:33 AM

3:07- we saw the 2nd street house. It was beyond atrocious!!!! It was in very bad condition, extremely dark and chopped up in very awkward ways, etc. Totally the pits. It would require a total gut, and I can't imagine that anyone would say differently so I don't even think that is an opinion. However, the location was great and the footprint (20x60) was pretty generous!!! A developer could make some pretty awesome condos out of the space for sure. I can't see a homeowner being able to salvage much though, so unless they are up for a gut, it's not worth seeing.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 10:59 AM