Forum Archive: Posts by: PropertyVirgin

Hi Brownstoners,

First, thank you to everyone who gave advice on my post about doing a first walkthru/punchlist.

So, the walkthru is done, and one problem we found was a large chip at the bottom of the mirror above the sink in the hall bath. The seller says he can’t fix the chip and will give us a credit to replace the mirror.

The problem? I have no idea what it would cost to replace this thing and, unfortunately Brownstoners, I don’t have a pic of the whole mirror, either (I know, I’m an idiot).

Basically, you can see the width of the mirror in the pic above. It is a frameless mirror attached (I think glued) right to the wall. I’m sure removing it will do damage to the wall, so I want to take that into account when figuring out the credit.

The mirror is probably about 4 feet high and 2 feet (maybe 2 and a half) across. It’s not a medicine cabinet, just a flat mirror against the wall.

Any ideas of what I should ask for?

Additionally, in the master bath, there was about a half-inch gap in one spot between the CeasarStone countertop and the sink (someone cut the countertop incorrectly, leaving more space than needed for the sink). The seller was able to fill the gap with caulk matching the shade of the CeasarStone, but agreed to still give me a partial credit, since the caulk shouldn’t be there.

Again, I’m not sure what this kind of mistake is worth. Any suggestions?

Thanks a million, all!

PV

So the time of my inital walkthru to create the punch list has finally arrived, and I have a few questions (please excuse my naivete, I am totally new to buying property):

I’m wondering, for new construction, is it common that the apartment would have gas hooked up so that the oven and stove can be tried out?

Are things like cable connections and phone jacks able to be tested? (FYI, we are doing the walkthru with an inspector/engineer who came highly recommended by other Brownstoners.)

3) My lawyer tells me that it is common for an agreement concerning when the seller has to make any fixes found during the punch list creation to be drawn up and signed at closing. Has anyone ever heard this before or done it this way? I thought punch list items need to be addressed prior to close, and I know I was told earlier on that the punch list is in our closing requirements….

4) Any other general advice you have, please share. Obviously the inspector will be leading the way, but if you have advice on what I should be doing while he does his inspection, do tell!

Thanks all,
PV

Hi Brownstoners,

Anyone live in one of the buildings in this cluster? Know people who do?

This was the area where all those “mini-finger” buildings went up one right after another. Always thought it was a strange place for a cluster of condo buildings, but….

Anyway, I’m just curious as to how the buildings in this area seem to be doing and also wondering if people are enjoying living in this cluster? Anyone know if some of these went rental or rental/condo mix?

I haven’t personally been looking in this area, but someone I know is and now I’ve become curious….

Thanks,
PV

Hey Brownstoners,

I got some great advice here the other day, so I’m back for more.

I’m wondering if you guys can weigh in and tell me if you think this is shady or not:

A married couple bought an apartment in the condo building I’m looking to buy in (new construction) a few months ago and decided after living there for a month or two that it was too small for their need. They worked something out with the sponsor and moved into a larger apartment in the same building. Then, after a couple of months, they decided this 2nd apartment was ALSO too small for their needs. So, they once again made a deal with the sponsor to move into yet another apartment in the building which is considerably larger. They were able to get more money from their lender in each scenario to cover the price difference.

They are still wiating to move into the 3rd apartment, as some final fix-ups are being completed. Meantime, I happened to be shown the apartment they are currently living in by the sponsor’s agent and fell in love with it.

I’m very, very close to bidding on it, but the sponsor is treating this as a new construction sale. It is not, in other words, being sold by the current apartment owners to me, but by the sponsor to me.

Is this shady at all? Should I still have to pay transfer taxes and the other fees associated with a new construction sale, or should this be a resale from the current owners of the apartment?

As a note, the sale was officially recorded in July of this year, so it’s not as if it’s not public knowledge that the unit was bought and closed on by the current occupiers.

I hope this all makes sense! Very complicated situation!

Thanks for your help,
PV

I’m getting ready to put in a bid on a condo, and my question for you all is this: Do you generally review the condo by-laws prior to putting in a bid, or once the offer has been accepted? If it’s typical to review them prior to putting in a bid, does the seller’s agent provide the buyer directly with a copy of the by-laws, or does it usually go through the buyer’s attorney?

Sorry if these questions are juvenile — I have (obviously) never gone through this process and unfortunately have been trying to learn the ropes in a really, really short period of time! Didn’t expect to find the perfect place so quickly, but I did, and I don’t have a lot of time to act….

Thanks for your help,
PV