Personally i don't like it when neighbors write 'anonymous' letters to me. Especially when said anonymous letters contain unreasonable requests like 'don't ever play music in your backyard'. I would ignore this letter b/c there really isn't anything your neighbor can do about it. Everything you are doing is perfectly legal and reasonable otoh the way they went about dealing with this issue was very rude.

Posted by: AnnaBea at June 22, 2007 1:30 PM in response to Noisy Neighbors

I also call this weed evil weed. My husband claims if you keep pulling it and its roots out of the ground, it will eventually die. *shrug*. I don't actually believe that but who knows. Also my evil weed is over 20 feet high :) If you figure out a way to kill it please post !!!!!!

Posted by: AnnaBea at June 18, 2007 12:52 PM in response to EVIL EVIL WEEDS

Ranter -
I agree with rachel and anon 12:08. I have had so many tradespeople pull the exact same stunt on me as with rachel. I don't see how it makes any of us unreasonable to feel its an unacceptable way to do business. If a job is too small or a tradeperson is too busy they should not waste people's time by making promises they can't keep. I know very good tradespeople that have simply told me they either didn't have the time or the project didn't make sense for them. I respect that and i think that's a legitimate way to do business.

Posted by: AnnaBea at June 5, 2007 2:52 PM in response to Don't Waste Your Time with Heights Woodworking

Tissony -
Do you honestly believe the city has blueprints of everyone's home? That seems doubtful, especially with many of the older homes that exist in brooklyn.

Posted by: AnnaBea at June 4, 2007 5:48 PM in response to Wall in hallway

If you get a comparable that is very low it could be relatives selling a property to each other.

Posted by: AnnaBea at June 3, 2007 10:06 AM in response to Help with Property Shark's comparables

Not everyone views their home as a strict investment, but also as a place they want to enjoy and like. These people may not like the renovations/new construction out there and are willing to pay extra for a renovation that is to their taste. Most of the time a person does a renovation its an investment loser but yet the home renovation business around the country makes a huge amount of money a year. The fact is people want to live in a home that they like, especially if they have the money for it :)

Posted by: AnnaBea at June 3, 2007 10:02 AM in response to What is a brownstone dump worth

If you want a conventional 30 year fixed and are only putting down 5% you will need an income of around 300k to make the 28% income expense ratio.

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 28, 2007 10:26 AM in response to Affording a Brownstone

I was in a similar situation, when we did the inspection we only showed them the areas of the house that had the violation. Not only did they not ask to see the rest of the house but they started chatting me up about being a DIY in a friendly manner. I didn't get the feeling that they cared one bit about what was going on in the rest of the house. But maybe i just got a nice inspector. Good Luck.

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 28, 2007 9:56 AM in response to The HPD and Landmark/Historic Building

I always thought that building was really really ugly. Why would anyone want to see that landmarked? What is so wonderful about this structure? Its a box with arched windows, or am i missing something 'important' b/c i never studied architecture in school.

As for nostalgiac reasons to landmark, i doubt there are any. My father worked in that factory in the sixties and he had nothing nice to say about the place. He said the only perk to working there was lunch at lugers!!

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 23, 2007 11:35 AM in response to LPC's Historical Context for Calendaring Domino

Personally i would opt for splitting the broker's fee. People don't usually move out after a year so i think it works out in your favor in the long run. Also if the place isn't renting make sure the broker is really working the listing, some are less diligent than others.

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 22, 2007 4:59 PM in response to Splitting rental agency fee with tenants

As the above stated it is probably legal but on a human level its not very nice. Also if she does decide to not move right away an eviction in nyc is slow and can be a costly process. If you MUST have the space within six weeks i would say the nice thing to do at this point would be to say you are going to give her 3 months to move but if she moves within six weeks you will give her x amount (Some amount that will make moving less costly, aka not 200 bucks). Just an FYI, i am not renewing the lease on my tenant and i gave her six months notice.

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 21, 2007 5:42 PM in response to Non renewal of lease guidelines?

Bedstyliving - Actually it was kind of an ongoing problem that has been made worse by the contruction. My councilman is Bill Deblasio and their office claimed they would talk to the parks department and the school for me. They also claimed they would speak to my police precinct about coming by when it happens. As far as i can tell none of that has helped at all. The school told me that they are only responsible for their kids and they didn't think any of their kids were trespassing on my property (which honestly i can't prove). They also told me that when its not school hours that its really the park's department's responsibility and they aren't allowed to do anything.

The liability issue is actually what concerns me the most. This is why this has me so frustrated. I feel like its only a matter of time before someone hurts themselves and i get sued. I suspect that issue may prevent me from putting up barbed wires also. I feel i am damned if i do and damned if i don't if i put up something to deter people from climbing the fence i am actually increases the risk of someone getting hurt and suing but if i do nothing i may get sued anyway. I can always try danialk's suggestions though :)

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 18, 2007 5:12 PM in response to Front Yard Fencing

danielk don't you have some electrical wiring to do?? LOL LOL

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 18, 2007 4:59 PM in response to Front Yard Fencing

kate - of course i don't like the idea of having barbed wire. But honestly what else can I do? I have tried yelling and screaming and they could care less. My plan is to try to put up a stopgap measure and save up money so i can redo the entire front of the house (i need the front yard redone anyway). Then i can put up iron fences.

btw most of my neighbors don't really take care of their houses so even with barbed wire my house will hardly be the eyesore of the block :).

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 18, 2007 3:09 PM in response to Front Yard Fencing

op again - if i don't use barbed wire any kid could easily climb a chainlinked fence. I don't really have/want to spend the money right now for iron fences which would be harder to climb (though at some point that would be the preferred solution). Barbed wire is really the only way to keep someone from scaling it. I haven't called any fencing companies yet b/c i want to know if this is even legal. But maybe i should just start calling.

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 18, 2007 1:42 PM in response to Front Yard Fencing

I have seen some people do those windows where on the outside it looks like a mirror but on the inside you can see thru them. I always thought those were nifty but i have no clue how expensive they are.

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 17, 2007 9:59 AM in response to Lot Line Window Privacy

I have the same problem as you do. Personally i think i am going to go the growing large vines route. Its not perfect and will take some time but its better than nothing. If i had different neihbors i would just opt for a higher fence. I have seen people do this but its the kind of thing all the neighbors need to go along with. It doesn't seem like my neighbors have any interest in privacy so i wouldn't even try this, but i have seen blocks with brownstones/townhouses where everybody has an 8 foot fence and everybody seems happy with that.

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 16, 2007 2:50 PM in response to Privacy Awning

Personally I wouldn't purchase a property with a low appraisal, unless there was something about this property that was so special and unique that i just didn't care. To me that's a clear sign that the property is overpriced. I mean its possible that a bad appraisal is done but if all the apartments in that building are coming in below the selling price that just seems fishy.

Plus do you really want to come up with the cash difference between the apraisal and the selling price?

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 16, 2007 10:49 AM in response to Appraisal Value< Purchase Price

What did they skim coat it with? if they started painting before all the spackle dried you could get bubbling. If they used plaster that would be less likely since it dries a lot faster than spackle.

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 16, 2007 10:39 AM in response to bubbling paint

Not sure what your landlord is talking about, the rental market right now is red hot. If the one family is a reach i wouldn't buy it and i would continue to search for either a cheaper one family or a two family you can afford. I personally wouldn't want to get involved in a conversion like that. It could potentially end up taking a long time and it could cost more than 30k. (possibly).

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 10, 2007 2:45 PM in response to Is Rental Conversion Worth It?

Link:
http://www.housingnyc.com/html/resources/attygenguide.html#28

"HEATING SEASON

Heat must be supplied from October 1 through May 31, to tenants in multiple dwellings if: a) the outdoor temperature falls below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, between 6 A.M. and 10 P.M., each apartment must be heated to a temperature of at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit; (b) the outdoor temperature falls below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, between the hours of 10 P.M. and 6 A.M., each apartment must be heated to a temperature of at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit. (Multiple Dwelling Law § 79)"

That's where you want your thermostat set :)

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 9, 2007 4:31 PM in response to when can you turn off rthe tenants heat

From talking to people who have been in the real estate business in nyc for a long time it seems like when the housing market busts you just see real estate transactions grind to a halt. Prices however do not tank (though they may be off from the high but not 20% off). I think as long as the rental market stays strong (and inflation keeps rising, which it seems it will), there is no reason to believe that this will be any different from any other housing bubble in nyc.

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 2, 2007 11:50 AM in response to "Real Wave of Pain Just Beginning"?

If you have a bunch of credit inquiries at one time it doesn't affect your score as badly. So the key is to make sure to call up banks all within a two-three week period. But yeah there is no way for the bank to give you a quote without pulling your credit.

Posted by: AnnaBea at May 1, 2007 12:44 PM in response to Preapproval cause credit probs?

Dave is right you have no clue what the context of the last sale was. One of my neighbors died about a year ago and apparently someone she and her relatives knew snatched up the house for a very good price before it even hit the market. I imagine the relatives that inherited the house just wanted their cash and didn't want to wait around for the right price. Could be a situation like that or who knows. Just worry about whether the place is right for you. Good Luck.

Posted by: AnnaBea at April 25, 2007 11:24 AM in response to Reliability of Property Shark

Here is a page of some useful links. I know some communities have graffiti removal programs for free. You can try to urge this landlord to contact them :)

http://www.nyc.gov/html/cau/html/anti_graffiti/main.shtml

Posted by: AnnaBea at April 20, 2007 3:34 PM in response to Graffiti

One cool thing you can do on propertyshark.com is remove properties from the comps result list if they seem like non market sales (between family members, etc). You can also now make notes right on the properties so if you go by a place and see the roof is missing, well then you can make a note on that and get it out of your list.

Posted by: J Bellw at June 7, 2007 10:31 AM in response to Help with Property Shark's comparables

OP here. I just looked up Japanese Knotweed and yep that's the stuff. Yuck.

I'm not terribly ecologically sensitive when it comes to these weeds, especially the ones growning near my foundation, but I do want to plant grass seed on the weed-site further from the house and, more importantly, I do want my kid to be able to play in the yard without any neurological damage or other nasty side effects... is ROUNDUP a problem with either of these concerns?

Posted by: at June 18, 2007 12:57 PM in response to EVIL EVIL WEEDS

OP here...
A google search turned up this:

http://www.cabi-bioscience.org/html/japanese_knotweed_alliance.htm

The things are so bad, it's illegal to let them grow in the UK.

It sounds like you really need to pull out the big guns to kill this stuff. I wholeheartedly endorse the use of strong chemicals when trying to kill mutant species of plants. It's like Day of the Triffids or something.

I'm not trying to make friends with the things. I want them dead dead dead.

I plan on trying out Roundup and will post my results...

Posted by: at June 18, 2007 1:38 PM in response to EVIL EVIL WEEDS

This is what they look like:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/Dayofthetriffidsposter.jpg

Posted by: at June 18, 2007 1:40 PM in response to EVIL EVIL WEEDS

A recent study by eminent oncologists Dr. Leonard Hardell and Dr. Mikael Eriksson of Sweden, has revealed clear links between one of the world’s biggest selling herbicide, glyphosate (commonly known as Roundup, marketed by Monsanto), to non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a form of cancer - NHL. There are even requests for permits for higher residues on genetically engineered foods because they are highly resistant to herbicides, instead of reducing herbicide use, glyphosate resistant crops may result in increased residues. They are already on sale. Farmers knowing that their crop will tolerate or resist being killed off by the herbicides will tend to use them more liberally. There have been no risk/benefit analysis carried out, so the regulatory authorities have failed to implement the precautionary principle with respect to GMOs.
(“Herbicide Tolerance,” New Study Links Monsanto’s Roundup to cancer,” www.biotech-info.net/glyphosate_cancer.html - June 2001)

The Women’s Cancer Resource Center (WCRC) and CHOSE (Coalition for a Healthy Oakland School Environment), showed that chemicals such as Round-Up (glyphosate) can result in reproductive damage as well as damage to the kidney and liver, and some studies show a link between the chemical and cancer.
(Chemical Injury Network, June 2001)

Glyphosate (Roundup) is one of the most toxic herbicides, and is the third most commonly reported cause of pesticide related illness among agricultural workers. Products containing glyphosate also contain other compounds, which can be toxic. Glyphosate is technically extremely difficult to measure in environmental samples, which means that data is often lacking on residue levels in food and the environment, and existent data may not be reliable.
(“Greenpeace Report - Not ready for Roundup: Glyphosate Fact Sheet,” greenpeace.org - April 1997)

Glyphosate is found in weed killers and may cause cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, nerve, and respiratory damage.
(“Special Report: what you need to know about pest control,” Natural Health Magazine, May/June 2001)

Roundup: Label - Keep out of reach of children, harmful if swallowed, avoid contact with eyes or prolonged contact with skin. Remove clothing if contaminated. Spray solutions of this product should be mixed, stored and applied only in stainless steel, aluminum, fiberglass, plastic and plastic-lined steel containers. This product or spray solutions of this product react with such containers and tanks to produce hydrogen gas that may form a highly combustible gas mixture. This gas mixture could flash or explode, causing serious personal injury, if ignited by open flame, spark, welder’s torch, lighted cigarette or other ignition source. Avoid direct applications to any body of water. Do not contaminate water by disposal of waste or cleaning of equipment. Avoid contamination of seed, feed, and foodstuffs. Soak up a small amounts of spill with absorbent clay. Do not reuse container for any other purpose.

Posted by: anon at June 18, 2007 1:54 PM in response to EVIL EVIL WEEDS

I had the same weeds and covered my backyard with plastic for 3 months last summer. I did the whole yard and just left it alone. (Poke holes in the plastic where water collects so it will drain). It worked really well. I have almost no weeds so I would recommend it if you can bear it. We had just bought our house so I just focussed on the inside instead of the outside. It was free and environmentally safe!

Posted by: at June 18, 2007 2:10 PM in response to EVIL EVIL WEEDS

another thing that helped me was planting grass, the roots make it harder for the knotweed to poke through. of course, that just means it pops up somewhere else, but then it was the neighbor's problem. whoops!

Posted by: Jimmy Legs at June 18, 2007 4:36 PM in response to EVIL EVIL WEEDS

If you fill your garden with lots of plants, there's not much room for weeds. I get those once in a while and just pull them up. But my garden is stuffed with flowers.

Posted by: anon at June 18, 2007 4:43 PM in response to EVIL EVIL WEEDS

Knot weed has been growing in our neighbors yard for at least 10 years. Every year they dig it up once. Every year it grows back, I have seen them put plastic down and all that PEOPLE it does not work, YOU cannot stop KNOTWEED, Roundup will not work either. IT is USELESS, knot weed will take over the world one day.

Posted by: at June 18, 2007 5:17 PM in response to EVIL EVIL WEEDS

We've got it, and I've found that what Jimmy Legs and Anna Bee's husband said works - rip those suckers up as soon as they sprout. The red leaves on the sprouts are a clear target. When I moved to my place, the entire yard was a forest. We just kept pulling them up, and now they only sporadically come up, and are immediately yanked. I don't know if the root system is just biding its time, but it seems to have gone elsewhere (my neighbor) where living is easier. Good luck!

Posted by: Brower Park at June 18, 2007 6:11 PM in response to EVIL EVIL WEEDS