Flooding Around 3rd/4th Aves?


Hi,
I’ve been considering houses in the Park Slope side of Gowanus. Specifically, around 9th-13th streets between 4th and 3rd avenues. Several people have mentioned flooding as a concern over there, but I don’t see any signs of it in the houses I’ve seen (though I understand they don’t have basements for this reason) — can anyone speak to this? Has anyone had trouble getting a mortgage or insurance b/c of this?

Thanks.

Categories: Environmental
By elm_bk | 04/06/2011 10:36 PM | Comment

Fire Escapes for Multi-Family Townhouse?


Hi,
I’m house hunting, looking at a 3-family townhouse in which I would rent out the 2nd and 3rd floors. Will I need to put on fire escape? Would doing construction trigger something like that, or is there anything else I should be aware of eg roof access for firemen? (just read another post on this) — for example if I wanted to someday live on the 2nd/3rd floor and rent out the first floor, would I not be ably to fully enclose the stairwell to the top floor in order to leave public access to the roof?

Thanks.

Categories: Building Code
By elm_bk | 03/29/2011 10:45 AM | Comment

Tax Implications for Owning/Renovating/Renting a Multi-Family?


Hi,
Can anyone run down the ways that owning a multi-family house plays out re taxes?

-how do you calculate which parts of construction are for the rentals and which are for your own unit, for somthing like a boiler, the exterior, roof, etc?

-do you have to pay taxes on any profit you make on your rental?

-is it a big difference between one unit or two?

Thanks!

Categories: Taxes
By elm_bk | 03/28/2011 10:35 PM | Comment

west facing garden – ok for gardening?


Hi,
How does a west-facing garden do in terms of growing vegetables and flowers? We have been hoping to find something with a south facing garden but it’s slim pickens’ out there and we’re looking at something that faces West. Gardening is one of our main reasons for moving to a house, so we don’t want to make our big move and be unhappy with the reality.

Thoughts? Thank you!

Categories: Garden
By elm_bk | 03/28/2011 10:17 PM | Comment

boiler replacement/oil to gas conversion


Hi,
Just looked at a house with a very old oil boiler. Can anyone tell me anything about replacing it and/or converting to gas? The broker suggested that the gas company would give us a boiler as an incentive to convert — REALLY?? That doesn’t sound plausible to me . . .

How difficult/pricey is a conversion, and what does new boiler generally cost?

Thanks very much, I’ve been in an apartment for my entire adult life so I have very little idea about these things . . .

Categories: Utilities
By elm_bk | 03/28/2011 10:08 PM | Comment

questions about finishing a basement


Hi,
We’re house hunting; currently considering a house with a basement that is level with the backyard, at the back. My hope is that we could finish the bsement and use it for living space. The first issue I see is that we’d need to move the mechanicals – anyone know how difficult that is?

Any other issues I should consider? The ceilings are high enough, and there are windows across the back, and a door. I would eventually want to open up sliding glass doors to make it brighter.

Anyone have any ballpark figure for what it would take to finish and build out a cellar? It is a 17×40 house, and there is a cement floor but it is definitely just storage/mechanicals/laundry for now . . .

Thanks!

Categories: Cellar
By elm_bk | 03/28/2011 10:05 PM | Comment

Zoning/Development Changes on 3rd/4th Ave?


Hi,
Can anyone who has been following changes on 3rd and 4th aves between Park Slope and Carroll Gardens speak to what kinds of changes might be expected in that region?

We’re considering looking for a house on one of the blocks between 3/4, probably south of 9th st. It is a convenient location for us to get my kids to school, but I’m hesitant about having my kids grow up surrounded by such very busy truck routes/fast heavily trafficked avenues.

Can anyone speak to this?

Thanks

Categories: Quality of Life
By elm_bk | 03/22/2011 11:45 AM | Comment

Are Engineer Reports Part of the Public Record?


Hi,
I looked at a house that had been on contract but the buyer’s mortgage didn’t work out. I know there was an engineer’s inspection with that deal – is that now part of the public record? Could I access that somehow?
Thanks!

Categories: Engineer
By elm_bk | 03/22/2011 9:51 AM | Comment

Engineer for Inspection?


Hi,
We’re very actively house hunting, and may have a place we want inspected by an engineer. Can anyone tell me what we could expect to pay for that?

And then, recommendations? I’d like someone who might be interested in thinking through possible changes -eg if we walk around and they tell me a) is it safe, full of asbestos, whatever, and b) are my ideas about how I might renovate crazy, or doable? and ballpark what it might cost to do what I think?

Is that what the engineer typically does?

Thanks everyone!

Categories: Engineer
By elm_bk | 03/16/2011 12:35 PM | Comment

Middle Schools?


Hi,
We currently live in PS and our son goes to The Children’s School. We are house hunting, and currently considering Ditmas Park. Can anyone tell me about the middle school situation there? I’ve looked on Inside Schools but it isn’t shedding much light on it for me. I believe it is District 17. Would my children hve to go to a zoned middle school? Or have the choice to apply to other schools? I am told for elementary school that D17 is not very strong. If we would create a problem for ourselves down the road moving there, we could limit our search to D16, eg Windsor Terrace/Kensington, rather than considering wrapping around the park into D17.

Thoughts anyone? Thanks very much.

Categories: Quality of Life
By elm_bk | 03/16/2011 10:45 AM | Comment