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November 12, 2008

Quote of the Day

If wanting to pay a reasonable price for a home somewhere within a 40 minute commute to my place of employment makes me a loser and a "tool bag", then I'm happy to be a loser and a tool bag. I'm sorry for all the people who are losing money on their home values right now, but those of us in careers other than banking, medicine and law would like to own our homes, too.

— by cwbuecheler in Has the Buyers' Market Come to Brooklyn? Duh.

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Can't argue with any of that!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 3:42 PM

FINALLY a quote that is truly worthy of QOTD honors. It's about time!

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 12, 2008 3:46 PM

i wish a type of housing existed that was sorta kinda like a coop / condo but like an SRO. like you can own your own room and shares in the kitchen and common areas. okay that totally came out stupid sounding. does something like that even exist?

-r

Posted by: PitbullNYC at November 12, 2008 3:52 PM

Ouch Biff. BRG ain't gonna like that!!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 3:56 PM

Oh, god, I'm going to get flamed to death. :)

Posted by: cwbuecheler at November 12, 2008 3:58 PM

"Oh, god, I'm going to get flamed to death. :)"

QOTD!

Posted by: SnarkSlope at November 12, 2008 4:06 PM

CWB---don't worry about being flamed. Its a badge of honor. Your quote expresses a thought that lots and lots of people have.

BTW--is it just me or has this been one of the least civil days on Brownstoner in some time?

Posted by: wasder at November 12, 2008 4:07 PM

Not to be dense, but I think of a "tool bag" as a rather useful accessory. Especially for a homeowner. Is that even an insult?

Posted by: serpentor at November 12, 2008 4:13 PM

I think the appropriate term is simply "tool." However, it may be a more modern shortening similar to where we were all call each other "douches" a few weeks ago and I inquired why we weren't using the old school "douchebag"

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 4:18 PM

DIBS, that makes sense. So maybe our forefathers were running around calling each other "Asshats" and somehow over time we've (at least most of us) have come to drop the "hats" portion of that word. The What must be old school.

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 12, 2008 4:21 PM

CW - advise from a previous Quoter of the Day.
Just don't call anybody Biatches, and you'll be spared.

Too bad Biff can't dispense any advise on how to conduct himself as a recognized and attribuited Quote of the Day Honoree.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at November 12, 2008 4:23 PM

Next she'll be comparing herself to Lincoln & Roosevelt. Jeeesh.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 4:25 PM

I voted for fsrq's...

"A real buyers market comes when sellers shift from resisting selling at a declined market price - because they believe a higher price will come sooner rather then latter to a situation where sellers are willing to take ANY market price because they believe that the future market price will likely be even lower."

...but the above is a good selection. Although I know some doctors with little or no debt who consider themselves priced out of the 'hoods they've always felt entitled to.

Posted by: DOW8000SP800 at November 12, 2008 4:26 PM

DOW..it's incredibly poor taste to throw up someone else's quote in this thread once the QOTD has already been awarded.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 4:28 PM

"Too bad Biff can't dispense any advise on how to conduct himself as a recognized and attribuited Quote of the Day Honoree."

At least I can spell "advice" and "attributed". HMMPH!

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 12, 2008 4:29 PM

Hey folks, let's play a game.
Let's count and correct how many times BRG mispells a word.

Biff, you're winning, and by days end you can be crowned...A$$hole of the Day.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at November 12, 2008 4:32 PM

"Let's count and correct how many times BRG mispells a word."

There's not enough time in the day and I can't be bothered to count them all so I'll just throw out my estimate of 763.

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 12, 2008 4:34 PM

Lets have another contest and count how many times BRG uses foul language on an otherwise civil blog about real estate in Brooklyn.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 4:36 PM

I think we need to take this to another room. It's clear that SOMEONE is upset at not having received QOTD AGAIN and has come back to disrupt an adult discussion about cw's QOTD.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 4:41 PM

DIBS -
Foul rarely
Lewd mostly :)

Posted by: bayridgegirl at November 12, 2008 4:41 PM

"DOW..it's incredibly poor taste to throw up someone else's quote in this thread once the QOTD has already been awarded."

So true, so true.

=====================

September 17, 2008
Quote of the Day

In Wasilla, a comparable home would be more horizontally oriented, clad in aluminum, and perched on wheels and/or cinder blocks. But with the de rigeur meth lab, it would be a more profitable investment than this place.
— by SnarkSlope in House of the Day: 47 Sidney Place

Posted by: SnarkSlope at November 12, 2008 4:44 PM

CW - great quote and so on point.
Working class NYers have been priced out of buying homes. NYC needs a price correction in real estate so Middle Class citizens can afford a nice home within commuting distance.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at November 12, 2008 4:48 PM

DIBS...I'm not disruptive.
And At least I'm not posting my Quote of the Day; Nov. 6th 2008 / 110 posts; in here.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at November 12, 2008 4:54 PM

I'm actually enjoying all of this bizarre infighting - mostly because I can't figure out if it's serious or not. :)

BRG: I'm not sure what defines middle-class anymore in New York. I make way above the average salary for the US, but I'm not sure about how I compare to the NYC average.

Posted by: cwbuecheler at November 12, 2008 4:57 PM

BRG...seriously, your 4:48 post is just socialism in its purest form, otherwise known as communism.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 4:58 PM

"And At least I'm not posting my Quote of the Day; Nov. 6th 2008 / 110 posts; in here."
Yeah, be proud BRG: 110 posts and not one having anything to do with your actual quote. I can't even remember what it was about, yet I quite clearly remembered SnarkSlopes QOTD from 2 months ago.

"I'm actually enjoying all of this bizarre infighting - mostly because I can't figure out if it's serious or not. :)"
cwbuecheler, it's real. BRG has been a thorn in my side since the day she appeared here with her random, communistic, off-topic, thread-hijacking posts. I thought she might be insightful, like her inspiration bxgrl, but my hope quickly died. Maybe bklyngirl will successfully carry the torch instead.

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 12, 2008 5:09 PM

I hate to point out the obvious, but Brownstone Brooklyn is not the only place in NYC.

There are 100's of neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island that most certainly ARE affordable to working class New Yorkers.

To suggest so means you really don't leave your neighborhood too much.

You can get a 2 bedroom down on Ocean Parkway for 250K.

You can get a 2 bedroom in Jackson Heights for 200K.

You people who think you deserve to live in a brownstone for 300K are absurd.

Also, I do not work in finance, am not a lawyer nor a doctor and I own my home. Granted it's a small one, but maybe some of you have ridiculous standards and need to lower them.

No couple needs 3000 square feet.

Seems the rest of the U.S. is catching on that our society has become too much about overconsumption...too bad it hasn't caught up with you all in NYC yet...

Posted by: 11217 at November 12, 2008 5:10 PM

"DOW..it's incredibly poor taste to throw up someone else's quote in this thread once the QOTD has already been awarded."

Not if it hasn't been deleted. It's just a comment. Fall back, Dave.

Posted by: DOW8000SP800 at November 12, 2008 5:10 PM

DOW, I think with DIBS refers to someone else's post as being in poor taste, it's pretty safe to assume he's kidding.

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 12, 2008 5:15 PM

QOTD a fair statement but I can't see how things will work that way. A rising tide floats all boats and sinking one lowers them all also.

If Brooklyn property drops by 50% it won’t mean that people, who needed twice as much money before, to buy a home, now will be able to. Not if we are looking generally at subsets of people.

The very action that brings about such a change will cause fairly equal pain across all homeowners and renters. Yes some people will be forced to sell houses to others that have the money to buy them… but there is not going to be a wholesale handover of houses by people with them, to people without them. This is not a matter of everyone getting a turn at owning a "home somewhere within a 40 minute commute to my place of employment". That can't happen because there aren't enough houses. The way our society has determined this works is that those with the money get the house.

Transfer from Asshat to Asshat … so to speak  Sure individual circumstances benefit individuals… the well documented case of Miss Muffett, for example. But the theme of letting the underdog have his day is BS … everyone is getting hurt.

Posted by: Aussie at November 12, 2008 5:16 PM

CW - we're joshing...but don't tell anybody.

I agree with you. I don't know what the average income is in america, but Hubby and I make a very decent living and I feel so poor. NYC is a money trap.

BTW - another tip. Be a ham about this moment in time, because it is fleeting. YOU ARE QUOTE OF THE DAY!! Remind people very opportunity you get that you had this honor.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at November 12, 2008 5:16 PM

Oh come on, 11217. DoBro is the bomb diggity and we are at the top of an unprecedented run-up in prices that will likely be mirrored in the downturn (at least that's the way I see it). Why not pursue an opportunity of significantly lower prices? Who the hell wants to live in Jackson Heights of all places? Even the outskirts of Brooklyn are not favored by most on this blog. Brooowwwnnnstoner.com!

Posted by: DOW8000SP800 at November 12, 2008 5:17 PM

BIff is always deadly serious when it comes to QOTD.
Stoner should start a "bon mot of the day". Biff would get that most days.

Posted by: sam at November 12, 2008 5:18 PM

Don't put words in my mouth Biff Champion. QOTD has been awarded by Brownstoner and DOW doesn't get a vote. He can't nominate someone else once QOTD is up.

It's like Sarah Palin trying to continue to add her 2 cents worth after she's lost.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 5:19 PM

You can get a 2 bedroom in Jackson Heights for 200K.

- that's not affordable if you're working class and single. ugh i need to find a boyfriend L:(

-r

Posted by: PitbullNYC at November 12, 2008 5:21 PM

Jackson Heights is lovely! You've clearly never been there to suggest otherwise.

They call it the Park Slope of Queens.

And it IS!

Posted by: 11217 at November 12, 2008 5:22 PM

People can't be expected to commute from ocean parkway - thats madness.

Posted by: dittoburg at November 12, 2008 5:22 PM

Wow, sam. You've just become my new favorite 'Stoner buddy (sorry DIBS). And might I say that OBBP is in one of the loveliest locations in all of Brooklyn and you were perfectly justified in referring to one of the featured homes a few weeks back as a mansion!

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 12, 2008 5:23 PM

'DOW, I think with DIBS refers to someone else's post as being in poor taste, it's pretty safe to assume he's kidding.'

I SEE a grammatical error by Biff Champion!!!!!!!

Posted by: bayridgegirl at November 12, 2008 5:25 PM

"A rising tide floats all boats and sinking one lowers them all also."

Cute but too simple. Some of us were prudent, have saved cash and will be fortunate enough to hold on to our jobs or get new ones. Also, when RE rebounds it does so very slowly. Much slower than the job market. Remember, tighter lending standards are back and here to stay. Prices are likely to go down and stay flat for a while. Plenty of time to get in the market (or get back, or buy an additional property) whether you suffer in the intirim or not.

Posted by: DOW8000SP800 at November 12, 2008 5:26 PM

Yes, and now that I'm no longer one of his 'stoner buddies i'll be pointing out more of them as well BRG.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 5:27 PM

BRG, mea culpa. I was too distracted by your statement "Remind people very opportunity you get that you had this honor."

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 12, 2008 5:27 PM

if you're single why are you buying a two bedroom?

Posted by: dittoburg at November 12, 2008 5:27 PM

"A rising tide floats all boats"

Unless your boat has a hole in it.

Posted by: dittoburg at November 12, 2008 5:28 PM

"You've clearly never been there [Jackson Heights] to suggest otherwise."

I bought and serviced a Volkswagen from Koepel. Park Slope? Hardly.

Posted by: DOW8000SP800 at November 12, 2008 5:30 PM

Guests maybe ditto? I also have two toilets as well!!!

Hey...you got any interest in splitting that house in Merida with me? You can have it for your chicas and I can well, you know.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 5:30 PM

'BRG has been a thorn in my side since the day she appeared here with her random, communistic, off-topic, thread-hijacking posts. I thought she might be insightful, like her inspiration bxgrl, but my hope quickly died. Maybe bklyngirl will successfully carry the torch instead.'

GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS!!!

Posted by: bayridgegirl at November 12, 2008 5:31 PM

Jackson Heights. Hmmm. Well at least its close to all those latin bars on Roosevelt.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 5:32 PM

DIBS, you know I was kidding. It was just another of my side-splitting bon mots!

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 12, 2008 5:33 PM

DIBS, you just used the word "Roosevelt" in two extremely different contexts in the same thread. I think you set a new precedent (or is that President?)

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 12, 2008 5:35 PM

I got over it thinking about Roosevelt Ave. and all those latin bars.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 5:35 PM

Biff, at this point my poor spelling and grammar is so blase.
BUT, YOU, BIFF CHAMPION, to make a mistake is unspeakable!

Jackson Heights, Should we start with Indian jokes?

Posted by: bayridgegirl at November 12, 2008 5:37 PM

We could probably weave something about dear Eleanor into this discussion as well!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 5:37 PM

"BUT, YOU, BIFF CHAMPION, to make a mistake is unspeakable!"

It's all Sri Kaleshwar's fault. I've been thinking about Mother Divine ever since I saw his ad.

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 12, 2008 5:40 PM

Another coincidence: the word "weave" and Sri Kaleshwar in consecutive posts.

By the way, we're up to 55; half way to 110, BRG.

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 12, 2008 5:41 PM

I don't need a 2 bedroom, dittoburg. I was using that as an example for a couple who might have a kid.

Regardless, there ARE plenty of neighborhoods in the area which are affordable. You can either check them out and make some compromises, or continue bitching about the high prices for the next 40 years.

Park Slope ain't never gunna be cheap again. The sooner you come to that conclusion, the better.

Posted by: 11217 at November 12, 2008 5:43 PM

God, if these people would just stop with the serious posts, it'll never get to 110 :)

Biff, typical, put the blame for your deficencies on someone else.
Who should I blame for my bad spelling? Bxgrl??

Posted by: bayridgegirl at November 12, 2008 5:47 PM

DIBS - are you trying to tell me you have guests that don't sleep in the same bed as you?

Posted by: dittoburg at November 12, 2008 5:49 PM

11217 - I was referring to pitbulls general complaint that NYC is unaffordable - when really it might well be affordable if you're not trying to buy more bedrooms than you have beds.

I agree with your general permis - there is plenty of affordable market rate stuff within the boundaries of NYC.

Posted by: dittoburg at November 12, 2008 5:52 PM

Oh ok...sorry I misunderstood, dittoburg.

I wonder if people sit around in LA talking about how they wish/think that houses in Beverly Hills might be worth 200K in a few months...

zzzzzzz

Posted by: 11217 at November 12, 2008 6:00 PM

yes, time for everyone to go to bed. lets meet here tomorrow morning.

Posted by: dittoburg at November 12, 2008 6:01 PM

Goodnight dittoburg, goodnight BRG, goodnight DIBS, goodnight John Boy...

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 12, 2008 6:06 PM

Goodnight All. Yes, they are called guests. The others that sleep in the master bedroom have various other names....mostly ending in a vowel!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 6:48 PM

Off to dinner at Peaches with a non-guest.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 12, 2008 6:53 PM

at your service, 11217!

Posted by: z at November 12, 2008 7:52 PM

"but I think of a "tool bag" as a rather useful accessory. Especially for a homeowner. Is that even an insult?"

Maybe if you're a Jewish male...?

{citation: NY Times article circa 10/2004, Home section, "as unusual as a Jewish man with a tool belt.")

Posted by: cmu at November 12, 2008 8:24 PM

11217 - Thank you for the dose of reality. Seriously. For the record, I'm very aware that Brownstone Brooklyn is only a small part of New York. It just happens to be my favorite part of New York. My fiancee and I absolutely do not need 3000 square feet, and I'm not sure we even WANT that much space. We're just trying to figure out how to buy in the neighborhoods we like. :)

And now, I'm sure everyone is headed to dinner and/or sleep.

ALSO ... I'm interested in the December meet-up and think it'd be fun to meet some of you. I live on 7th and Union, so if it's still happening at Union Hall I really have no excuse not to go.

Anyway, see you all tomorrow for a whole new batch of arguing about real estate!

Posted by: cwbuecheler at November 12, 2008 8:36 PM

Biff, it took me a while to figure out what the hell OBBP was. You're such a kiss-ass, you hate that building! I thought the apartments there were terrific, but it's not like I'm selling the homestead and movin' in.

PS: the "you are my gyro" was a little weak. Today's bon mot was the guy who wrote..."thou shall buildeth a house with one wide window and one tiny window"... that was hillarious. If that person does not already write for SNL, they should consider it.

Posted by: sam at November 12, 2008 8:53 PM

Aussie - while some during the recent presidential campaign were accusing Obama of being a "redistributionist", what was never mentioned was how much of a redistributionist Bush was - though the redistribution under Bush (and for that matter, Reagan and Clinton too) was one where we've seen a massive transfer of wealth to the very top of our society while the middle and working classes have seen their incomes stagnate or decline. The fact is, things are not as simple as saying a rising tide lifts all boats, or vice versa - as I've said before, economics is complex and many things factor in, including fiscal/tax policy, individual savings (as DOW8000 points out), etc. I know plenty of people who are in stable jobs (tenured college professors, for example) who have saved money and have reliable incomes, and they are precisely the types who could benefit from a housing correction, as can folks like DOW and yes, myself, since I sold previously, having seen the writing on the wall, and having made a prudent decision not to overprice as the market was already turning, and be glad for the profits I did make (unlike many owners now, who are sticking to high prices, and seeing their properties not sell - they will find in the future that they should have accepted some of those low offers since they will soon have to accept much less if they really want to sell...).

Posted by: Miss Muffett at November 12, 2008 10:17 PM

Quite a thread!

Posted by: brownstoner at November 12, 2008 10:21 PM

'Quite a thread!'
WOW...even Mr. B came commented on this one.

If he commented on MY Quote of the Day....he would have said.....

Quit the Thread!!!

Posted by: bayridgegirl at November 13, 2008 10:01 AM

"If he commented on MY Quote of the Day....he would have said.....

Quit the Thread!!!"

And if he saw me today in my stylin' suit, he would be saying...
Quite the Threads!!!

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 13, 2008 10:35 AM

A ridiculous QOTD. Mr. B is just trying to stir up trouble. Obviously, New York is desirable and full of rich people and prices have risen. It's still nowhere near as unaffordable as the SF Bay Area, where ANYTHING within three hours drive starts at $750,000.

Jackson Heights is a perfectly fine area and a whole lot more diverse than brownstone Brooklyn. Pitbull can get a perfectly lovely 1930s studio with a dressing area and entry for $80,000.

CWB can get a townhouse in Crown Heights, Bed Stuy, or Bushwick for $400,000 to $600,000 with all the other teachers and accountants.

If there's a problem, it's that people who work in grocery stores, restaurants, and construction can't compete with recent college grads for rent, which is rising from $1200 to $1600 for a five-room apt.

Posted by: mopar at November 13, 2008 11:51 AM

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November 12, 2008

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