Bxgrl,

You read way more into my original post than you should have. No one seemed to be offended but you. But as 'Z' said, you are back and as nasty as ever.

Posted by: Bailmeout2 at December 12, 2008 7:15 PM in response to Home Ownership Bad for Your Health

Bxgrl,

Because you don't take pronouncements well is your issue but not a reason to name call. Although I can see that you don't mind pronouncing.

"I know quite a few people in NYC who are that age and rent. And do just fine. On the other hand there are plenty of elderly people getting thrown out of their homes"

Do you have the statistics for your pronouncement? I lived and worked in Brooklyn all of my life and can see the hell that many elderly are put through when they get evicted. You are delusional if you think that every elderly person in this city is as fortunate as your father. Far too many are not. You even stated as much.

"Nobody made renting a cause for questioning the brains, the lifestyle, or the finances of anyone before."

I know that I didn't. But it is done on Brownstoner almost everyday.

"My parents never owned a home- my father didn't want it. The majority of his generation and generations before them lived in rentals- NYC was a city of rentals."

My mother did own. Good choice financially for her and suited her lifestyle. When government programs making purchasing homes easier became widely available post WWII, many of these renters became owners and whole new neighborhoods were built to accomodate them which is why home ownership increased steadily both in NYC and outside of it. This trend may change.

"at 85, had my dad needed to move, there would have been a hell of a lot of people there to help. You should have so many when you hit 80."

We should both be as lucky as your dad, my aunt and other elderly who have a network of family and friends to help them with their needs.

Posted by: Bailmeout2 at December 12, 2008 3:51 PM in response to Home Ownership Bad for Your Health

Bxgrl,

What's with the name calling?

Sure there are wealthy 80 year olds who can afford to pay high rents and many of them own second homes elsewhere. However, in this city they are not in the majority. I have an elderly aunt who could no longer afford her rent who now lives with my mother in North Carolina. My aunt never had any children but at least she has family members willing to help her out but there are too many elderly people in this city who have children and other family members who don't give them the support that they need. I work with them everyday! Unfortunately, my aunt was never in a position to have ever purchased a home but if she had, she would have had more options.

Dittoburg,

I was not implying that a mortgage-free home was expense free but a mortgage free home at 80 gives you options that not having that home doesn't. See below.

Benson,

My mother sold her brownstone in 2005 because at 68, it was too much for her to handle. She lives quite comfortably now because of it. She chose to purchase a townhouse-style condo in a planned community and she loves it. Your father is fortunate that he can sell his home if he chooses too. He may not get what he would have gotten a year or two ago but the fact that he owned a home and now has incredible equity is a blessing that many elderly do not have.

Posted by: Bailmeout2 at December 12, 2008 3:08 PM in response to Home Ownership Bad for Your Health

How healthy is it to struggle to your pay rent when you are 80 years old? Even worse, I bet that at that age, you'd be hard pressed to round up enough friends to help move you out of your rental when your landlord kicks you out. I can see Finance Guys points, many of which are valid but if you stay put, mortgages eventually come to an end. Regardless of what your property is worth you would then at least have a place to live and possibly a rental income or two.

Posted by: Bailmeout2 at December 12, 2008 2:11 PM in response to Home Ownership Bad for Your Health

This seems to have been fair price for this house. I don't think it would have gone for much more a year or two ago. Mary Kay Gallagher seems to set prices a little more accurately in this neighborhood than do some of the other brokers. She's had several closings since October. I went along with friends who are looking in the area and it only took us an additional 5 minutes from the Park Slope stop on B/Q to get to Beverley Road. So I would say that the commute into Manhattan is probably only 5-10 minutes more than a commute from Park Slope. Bay Ridge does have a couple of good places to eat, but very few intact Victorian frame style homes or limestones and the commute into the city on the R train is dreadful. For this and other reasons, living there is just not an option for them.

Posted by: Bailmeout2 at December 11, 2008 1:53 PM in response to A Sale for Victorian Flatbush

When purchasing kitchen cabinets from Ikea, HD or Lowe's, all of whom have both good and crappy cabinets, you want to be mindful of how the cabinets are constructed and the material used to construct them. The worst cabinets are made of particle board covered with a photo finish of maple, mahoghany or oak covering the cabinet. Although very inexpensive they won't last long. You then have particle board covered with a wood veneer. The veneer will make the cabinets appear as though they are "solid wood" but don't be fooled. I would recommend a plywood cabinet contruction covered with a veneer which is mostly what they sell in Ikea, Lowe's and HD. The doors can be solid woods or plywoods covered with veneer. The stiles of the doors are usually solid so inspect the sample cabinet carefully to see what you are getting. Unless you have your cabinets custom made, they will not be solid wood. Plywood is much more stable than solid anyway. The next thing to look at are drawer glides and drawer construction. You will pay a premium for all of the fancy options like bread drawers, cutlery trays, etc... These things are nice to have but can be added on later. Not wanting to take out an equity loan (remember those,) I put off my remodel until I saved up enough for the highest quality in cabinet and drawer construction that I could afford. Paint what you have until you have the budget to remodel.

Posted by: Bailmeout2 at December 5, 2008 3:53 PM in response to need recommendation on inexpensive kitchen cabinets and counter please

Check out http://thecheapreport.com for a buying guide to cheap/inexpensive kitchen appliances. The buying guides lets you know what you get, what you are missing and whether you should consider an inexpensive/cheap product. They have cheap guides to dishwashers, blenders, toasters, & refrigerators.

Posted by: brm23 at August 13, 2009 8:43 AM in response to need recommendation on inexpensive kitchen cabinets and counter please

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Posted by: chordcabinet at August 19, 2009 6:40 AM in response to need recommendation on inexpensive kitchen cabinets and counter please

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Thanks
Chord Cabinet
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Posted by: chordcabinet at August 19, 2009 6:41 AM in response to need recommendation on inexpensive kitchen cabinets and counter please