As someone who can't really afford to renovate yet, I feel your pain.

Not really a consolation, but If the house stood for that long in that condition, I doubt that one more winter will do it in.

If by any chance (I'm guessing it won't make a diff, but what the hey) it might help to have some neighbors show up at the CB meeting to support your plans for the house, let us know here.

I will. I am definately hoping to stack the deck with Brownstoners. :P

As to your bank problem, I would suggest you pitch several banks with the promise of getting them great PR (everyone is reading this), and the possiblity of many future loans for others in your situation as you rave about how well the bank is doing with coming down, giving feedback, and letting you draw money. I'd focus on the smaller, local banks that do reno loans - they are hungrier for business.

I agree with you Dave. The problem is that I already have the loan, and it cost me a pretty penny to get into it. It would cost me just as much to find another one now. I'm tempted to say some VERY bad things here about the bank that did my loan. I'm even tempted to be a real asshole, go to the Better Business Bureau, and call a reporter I know. He could put together a scathing article for the Village Voice about shady real estate lenders and how they bait and switch and just generally generate some bad PR. But I'm on the fence about karma and letting go. Would I really be saving someone else from having the same problems I did, or would it just be about revenge?

Been through the Community Board and Landmarks route -- actually, not quite through them.

CB presentation is fun -- these people will be, I think, generally supportive of a plan to put back a historic building. The meeting will be long and you will be a small fry in a much bigger context, so make sure anything even remotely controversial in your renovation plans has a good explanation behind it.

Landmarks is a bit more complicated. Items the CB loved were put under scrutiny, and one commissioner in particular hated what the CB liked. She called for additional drawings and review. At the next hearing the tone was quite different, with more enthusiasm from the commission (there may be a very different crowd between meetings), and the original objector decided not to stand in the way anymore.

However, staff-level stuff has dragged on. I started this process in August, and hope to have my permits mid December. Good luck with your process.