What contractors are you getting bids from? And I would be interested in know order of magnitude for the bids you get - I keep procrastinating doing this.

Posted by: Back40 at February 9, 2010 12:30 PM in response to Wrapping Cold Water Pipes?

We in the neighborhood are on the edges of our seats. I was out walking in the neighborhood last weekend and considered going by and peering into your windows, but decided that would be rude!!

Posted by: Back40 at January 22, 2010 6:20 PM in response to Interior Demo Part 1: Bye-Bye Kitchen

that would be a great idea...

Posted by: Back40 at January 8, 2010 11:58 AM in response to Cash for Caulkers

I would check with the Department of Finance to make sure that they are sending people out to do with sort of thing. I think it sounds suspicious.

Posted by: Back40 at January 8, 2010 11:50 AM in response to Advice? Visit from Tax Assessor

I agree that there must be better locales than that condo (we are talking CIA and Slocum, right?). But the nabe is great -- I am on Stratford "steps from Cortelyou" as the real estate agents would say -- left the Slope and haven't looked back.

Posted by: Back40 at January 6, 2010 8:26 PM in response to Living in -Ditmas Park

"How folks can say that we are straining our infrastructure when in fact Brooklyn is still not at the peak population it hit in 1950 is beyond me."

The population may not have reached its old peak, but subway ridership has (at least it has citywide). Add to that the dramatic increase in auto usage, and I think it's safe to say that the infrastructure is under stress.

Posted by: Back40 at December 2, 2009 4:55 PM in response to Quote of the Day

Legal curb cuts and guaranteed parking are reflected in the price people pay for their homes, and thereafter what they pay in property taxes. So people do pay for them, it's just hard to identify exactly how much they pay.

Posted by: Back40 at November 17, 2009 4:18 PM in response to City Planning Targeting Curb Cuts

Pomme de Terre has an even awesomer hamburger than the Farm, IMHO.

We get chinese at the place that is across from Met food, on the corner opposite Duane Reade. I don't know the name of it -- is that the New Hong Kong House? It's not bad.

Posted by: Back40 at November 13, 2009 4:00 PM in response to StreetLevel: Cortelyou Market, Wine Bar Coming Along

MM I hope you are working on a book.

Posted by: Back40 at November 12, 2009 8:21 PM in response to Walkabout: MW Morris- the Commissions Cometh

Pop -- good luck and welcome to the neighborhood.

Posted by: Back40 at October 27, 2009 3:08 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

DIBS, I'm not arguing that the downturn will never end, so of course there will be new hiring. But in fact, the level of employment on Wall Street in NYC is at the lowest it has been since before the run-up in the 1990s.

Posted by: Back40 at September 18, 2009 10:23 AM in response to NYC Unemployment Passes 10%

Squaredrive: The securities industry has lost 31,000 jobs since January 2008, and the much broader "financial activites" sector has lost about 44,000, according to data from the NYS department of labor.

Posted by: Back40 at September 18, 2009 9:57 AM in response to NYC Unemployment Passes 10%

Household net worth remains more than 12 percent below what it was a year ago, despite the increase from Q1 to Q2. While that increase confirmed that the economy cannot continue to contract forever, the overall picture reflected in the Fed's numbers is not very rosy. The credit crunch and deleveraging are highly visible in the report, and the net reduction in wealth from this episode is sobering.

OTOH, the financial sector is likely to be paying out bigger bonuses this year than people were previously thinking, which will give higher-end properties a sugar high this winter. But it won't be sustainable -- real estate lags in a downturn since it is illiquid. Charles Kindleberger has a nice treatment of this fact in Manias, Panics, and Crashes.

Posted by: Back40 at September 18, 2009 9:06 AM in response to NYC Unemployment Passes 10%

Household net worth as percent of disposable personal income is still about 13 percent less than what it was 6 years ago, so I wouldn't get too excited about the little increase, DIBS.

Posted by: Back40 at September 17, 2009 3:14 PM in response to House of the Day: 7543 Shore Road

150 A MONTH for water, for a 1-bedroom apartment?? Something is seriously wrong with that.

Posted by: Back40 at September 17, 2009 8:38 AM in response to Utilities Bill

OP - your water bills will be going up but not really because of your meter! They have been going up double digits every year.

Ideally, the new meters will allow people to manage their water usage better and to nip leaks in the bud.

Posted by: Back40 at September 1, 2009 10:25 PM in response to Wireless Water Meter Today

Another Sluggo fan here. Works like a charm.

Posted by: Back40 at August 25, 2009 4:30 PM in response to Land Snails in the Garden

Thanks most of you for your helpful comments. I am definitely going to give the polite conversation another go -- we are generally on polite terms and of course I don't want to start a war with a neighbor. There's a certain beauty to the CO detector idea and maybe I'll give that a go. He might take our complaints more seriously if he knew that the fumes were literally setting off alarms.

Posted by: Back40 at August 14, 2009 1:57 PM in response to Noxious Neighbor Help

and aside from all of the above, your property taxes will be affected.

Posted by: Back40 at August 7, 2009 2:38 PM in response to Convert 2 Family House to 3 or 4

me again -- or is this building shaped like a wedge? It just looks funny.

Posted by: Back40 at July 20, 2009 2:43 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 209 Lincoln Place, #7CD

Is it just my browser, or does it look like the photo of the front of the building has been photoshopped onto a nice day somewhere in the country?

Posted by: Back40 at July 20, 2009 2:41 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 209 Lincoln Place, #7CD

So, to digress slightly from the OP's question, exterior acrylic latex is fine to use generally for exterior painting -- say, window frames or porch columns? (Just a couple of the painting jobs I have in mind). I always assumed that oil based was the way to go for exterior work.

Posted by: Back40 at July 20, 2009 12:44 PM in response to Oil Paint for Porch?

DIBS, the chart (http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/monthly-sp500-inflation-adjusted/) is in inflation-adjusted terms. Your rather incoherent rendition of relatively recent market trends appears to refer to the nominal trend.

As to your belief that history has no relevance, I will just let that go without comment.

Posted by: Back40 at July 1, 2009 5:28 PM in response to Case-Shiller: Beware the Head Fake

I get it from the chart, which shows for each secular bear market (within which there were rallies) the months until the S&P regained its peak. Average is about 300 months. As of March, we are 111 months out from the peak.

Posted by: Back40 at July 1, 2009 5:04 PM in response to Case-Shiller: Beware the Head Fake

DIBS, that is one way to look at it. Another way is that the average time to reach inflation-adjusted peak after the bear market starts is about 25 years. Thus, all those many people who had accumulated assets for retirement or whatever prior to 2000 may as well kiss it goodbye. If you're young, maybe this is not such a big deal since you have more of your savings invested at a lower base and you can ride up the recovery curve. If you are, say, a babyboomer, you won't have the opportunity. Thus the prospects for a very weak and drawn-out recovery.

Posted by: Back40 at July 1, 2009 4:47 PM in response to Case-Shiller: Beware the Head Fake

If anyone is still interested in whatever substance has been discussed in this thread, here is an interesting take on the current state of the market in historical perspective.

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/monthly-sp500-inflation-adjusted/

The post argues that we are in the midst of a secular (meaning long-term) market downturn that started in 2000. Admittedly, the chart only goes through 3/30 and so misses the recent rally, but it's intriguing, no?

Posted by: Back40 at July 1, 2009 2:00 PM in response to Case-Shiller: Beware the Head Fake

While the stock market is a leading indicator, it is not "the best" leading indicator -- it is one among many, and economists debate how reliable it is. DIBS I think you are endowing it with too much predictive power. It is true that this recession must eventually come to an end, and that house prices will eventually stop falling. It is also true that households have taken a huge hit and will not do much to contribute to a rebound in spending.

Posted by: Back40 at July 1, 2009 10:15 AM in response to Case-Shiller: Beware the Head Fake

Perhaps they are calculating "taxes per unit as percent of income" -- if it's 25 percent of income (as some properties are) then $8,400 in taxes assumes monthly income of about $2800, which might be a stretch for a condo you describe but not as bad as newsouthsloper's calculation.

And your broker predicting that there will be new abatements sounds like broker magical thinking.

Posted by: Back40 at June 15, 2009 11:22 AM in response to New condo property tax

I second Minka Aire. I also have been pleased with their customer service.

Posted by: Back40 at May 21, 2009 5:37 PM in response to Ceiling fans

Maybe the intent of rent stabilization is actually to stabilize rents and not necessarily to subsidize poor people. In a stabilized world, landlords are guaranteed some sort of return but don't get to gouge tenants in tight housing markets. The downside is that developers don't get the extra incentive to increase supply afforded by high profits when the market is at the top. So instead, they could get tax breaks to increase supply. In this manner, the stabilization of rents is in fact subsidized by the larger public in the form of developer tax incentives.

Just thought I'd offer a different way of looking at this issue.

Posted by: Back40 at May 19, 2009 9:23 AM in response to Rent Board Chief on Shifting Onus from Landlords

The Albemarle house was on the house tour a couple years ago. It was dreamy. Some of the furniture is original; custom made to fit the curve of the turret.

Posted by: Back40 at May 15, 2009 9:25 PM in response to Open House Picks

oy, you people! First of all, the $1 million price tags aren't likely to hold up in this environment and the fact is that most people who live in DP didn't pay anything near that for their homes -- these houses don't turn over that often.

I live in DP and who are my neighbors? Across back yard fence -- Pakistani family with a little contracting business and illegal tenants. North side of my house: Guyanese family with a day care center and a barbershop. South side of my house: retired couple with a couple of illegal tenants. Up the street: a couple of teachers, a freelance photographer, an MTA employee, an artist married to a health care worker. Across the street: Asian lady who works in the bakery. Around the corner, a few more Dept of Ed employees. We are just rich, rich, rich in Ditmas.

And Rob, you have no idea about the costs of raising children. It's true they can be raised very cheaply, but basic middle class enrichments -- music lessons, a sports team here and there, and maybe summer camp -- plus saving for college and paying for enough space for a family -- it's a lot.

Posted by: Back40 at May 14, 2009 11:28 AM in response to Can Ditmas Park Save The Middle Class?

there's also a Yahoo group -- KWTneighbors -- which is just the thing for questions like this.

For auto repairs, try Luis at the Shell station on Beverley and CIA.

Posted by: Back40 at May 12, 2009 9:35 AM in response to Newbie

“We believe that our new pricing structure creates smart investment opportunities for buyers who will be able to realize long-term appreciation on these residences"

i.e. "If you buy at our above-market prices and hold long enough, inflation will make you think you made a gain."

Posted by: Back40 at May 7, 2009 10:36 AM in response to Rentals, Price Cuts and Loan Extension at 1BBP

I thought Bklnite's costs sounded about right. I think it also matters that the Vics are cheaper to buy, so the all-in cost is still far less. You might not get as much of it back when you sell, but since I plan to be taken out of mine on a slab, I don't care!

We do our own lawn with a push-mower, and our own landscaping. We also procrastinate a lot on various upgrades and repairs, which is a time-proven short-term-cost-saving technique!

Posted by: Back40 at May 6, 2009 10:49 AM in response to Maintaining a Victorian home

I used Amendola's for a fence last year -- they were a little pricier than Bracci but otherwise I was very happy with them. They did a great job dealing with the fence around a tree that straddles my property line. I liked the guy from Bracci too but he didn't have any good ideas for dealing with the tree.

Posted by: Back40 at May 1, 2009 4:44 PM in response to Looking for a Fence Specialist

The "Bed-Stuy" house is in Ditmas Park/Midwood. (or whatever you want to call it -- Flatwood Park Square South)

Posted by: Back40 at May 1, 2009 1:08 PM in response to Open House Picks

Chosen,
My bad. I am confusing it with a different painted lady, I think.

Posted by: Back40 at May 1, 2009 12:06 PM in response to Victorian Flatbush House Tour in Jeopardy!

Bob,
Well, we won't settle the question here anyway! I do think that the house in the photo went up for sale in the year after it was last in the tour (unless I am misremembering). Also, the mansion on the corner of Albemarle and...Argyle?

Posted by: Back40 at April 30, 2009 3:05 PM in response to Victorian Flatbush House Tour in Jeopardy!

Bob, I don't have hard empirical information! However, it was my impression for a couple years in a row that several houses I'd seen on the tour went up for sale sometime in the following year.

However, maybe the stress of having all those people troop through proved too much and the owners fled. :)

Posted by: Back40 at April 30, 2009 12:40 PM in response to Victorian Flatbush House Tour in Jeopardy!

My general observation is that many of the houses on the tour are subsequently up for sale. So, this lack of participation might be a sign of the times -- people aren't planning on selling in this environment.

Posted by: Back40 at April 30, 2009 12:12 PM in response to Victorian Flatbush House Tour in Jeopardy!

And what does the bull camp think is the long-term sustainable differential in housing costs between the NY metro area and the rest of the country? Because, obviously, that is growing. How long are employers going to be willing to pay the larger increment?

Posted by: Back40 at April 29, 2009 10:18 AM in response to Case Shiller Index: Negative Numbers Across the Board

jose-
The assessment you receive in the winter doesn't tell you your taxes, only your assessed value. That's because it's for fiscal year 2010 which doesn't start until July 1 and the tax rates don't get set until June. You could use last year's tax rate as a start -- I'm not sure what it was, but it's probably in the ballpark of 15 percent. Apply that to your billable assessed value and that will give you an estimate of your taxes.

Posted by: Back40 at April 6, 2009 2:01 PM in response to Property tax math

I too suspect that the Stratford Road house is overpriced, although hopeful that it is not too overpriced since I have one sort of like it nearby, also a little smaller than the neighborhood average. We put in a third floor bathroom that retained the great bones of the sloping ceilings etc -- I'm sure a decent architect or designer could come up with something for this place that would be a plus, not a minus. The third floor wood stove is pretty cool, and has got me thinking... And gidget, your view of the need for yard reworking is really dependent on the buyer's interest in gardening and working with what's there, at least in the front. The front yard has a beautiful mature oak-leaf hydrangea (or something similar) and climbing roses on the porch that are spectacular.

I'll be curious to hear of any feedback from the open house.

Posted by: Back40 at April 4, 2009 7:33 PM in response to Open House Picks

Architerrorist-
Big difference is that the $1.1 million house is a two-family and therefore the extra income. I agree with you about its general blahness. This one is one-family and seems more charming although I've never been inside. It's got a great front garden (hard to tell in this picture since it's not in bloom) but it's on the Coney Island Ave side of Stratford which makes the back less charming. The neighbors also have a nice rear garden though so that might take some of the edge off?

Posted by: Back40 at April 3, 2009 4:23 PM in response to Open House Picks

I had a new wood board-on-board fence with a lattice top installed last year by Amendola Fence from Long Island. They did a great job, handled a tricky issue (neighbor's tree on border of my property) very aesthetically, and didn't trample the flowers. Competitively priced, too.

Posted by: Back40 at March 12, 2009 1:31 PM in response to Fence

Plus, you don't have to drive around for 45 minutes looking for a parking space. If you're of the automobile persuasion.

Posted by: Back40 at March 4, 2009 5:40 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 415 Argyle Road, #3J

g man outed as Eliot Spitzer.

Posted by: Back40 at March 3, 2009 12:41 PM in response to Hard Times for Brooklyn Hotels

I see the pics don't include a view of the perennially empty lot next door. Anyone know what's up with that?

Posted by: Back40 at February 25, 2009 3:04 PM in response to Condo of the Day: Montauk Club Mega-Spread

This is what they do. That's one way they evaluate market values.

Posted by: DeLepp at January 8, 2010 12:12 PM in response to Advice? Visit from Tax Assessor

Thanks everyone for your input. It doesn't seem very professional if surprise visits is really how they operate. So whatever I tell them is what they will go by to tax me next year? Seems highly non-scientific if that is the case. If anyone has been interviewed by them or has deep knowledge before please post, I'd love to hear from you...

Posted by: bklyn_girl at January 8, 2010 12:45 PM in response to Advice? Visit from Tax Assessor

I have no experience with a visit like this, which is not to say it doesn't happen (especially in Bloomberg's tax-and-revenue-crazed administration). Many DOB permit fees are tied to scope and cost of work. Who knows whether the city has begun to correlate these numbers with assessments? In addition, you might find some useful information on these two sites:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/property/property_val_assessment.shtml
http://www.nyc.gov/html/taxcomm/html/forms/forms.shtml
BTW, January 15, 2010 is the first day to apply to the city’s DOF for a reduction of the 2010–11 tax assessment for your property. Applications for Class 2, 3 and 4 properties can be filed up to and including March 1. Applications for Class 1 properties can be filed up to and including March 15.

Posted by: vinca at January 8, 2010 1:20 PM in response to Advice? Visit from Tax Assessor

Thanks for the links, vinca. FYI we called the city and they suggested emailing the office directly to confirm if the individual was legitimate, as there has recently been a big organized crime scam, with individuals representing Tax Assessors from the DOF! Also the business card the individual provided had his phone number handwritten on it, which is strange so we are checking it out.

If I learn anything I'll be sure to repost here.

Posted by: bklyn_girl at January 8, 2010 3:45 PM in response to Advice? Visit from Tax Assessor

Sound like a story for that pervert buster Chris Hansen!!

Posted by: Ben Gazi at January 8, 2010 4:22 PM in response to Advice? Visit from Tax Assessor

bklyn_girl pls tell how story ends! Both whether this was a scam and also, what the assessor did (about finished how much a finished extention gets assessed...)good luck!

Posted by: gowanusgus at January 9, 2010 11:26 AM in response to Advice? Visit from Tax Assessor

Have long wanted an energy efficiency/green section for Brownstoner - please, Mr. B?

Posted by: riis10 at January 10, 2010 11:43 AM in response to Cash for Caulkers

I built my simplified version of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden Japanese fence 12 years ago. You can see a pic at

http://www.schoolworksnyc.com/index.php5?module=Project&category=Residential%20and%20Furniture&id=48.

The bamboo between the vertical boards must be varnished which I didn't do and they did deteriorate over time.

Posted by: schoolworks at February 6, 2010 9:33 PM in response to Fence

I am happy to recommend the company which I use on my projects. They are reputable, fairly priced, very very knowledgeable and most importantly honest. Please feel free to e-mail me if you wish and I will forward the contact name and number via e-mail. I can be reached at: heat@moltenmechanical.com

-Steam Man

Posted by: SteamMan at February 9, 2010 1:24 PM in response to Wrapping Cold Water Pipes?

I don't think you should use fiberglas on cold water. You want to use that black split closed cell rubber insulation. Some in the trade refer to it as Armorflex.

But seriously, are you independently wealthy? This is one of the easiest DIY jobs there is.

Posted by: denton at February 9, 2010 6:14 PM in response to Wrapping Cold Water Pipes?