Brooklynnative's Profile
- 1965
- 1977
- Brooklyn
- Park Slope
- House
- Male
Author's Posts
May 8, 2008
Illegal Washer Dryer
My rent controlled tenant has installed a washer dryer. This is causing sinks to back up, creates noise to the tenants below her, and could cause a massive flood if it overlowed. Anyone have any tips on how I can get her to remove it. I've already given her a letter explaining why I want it removed but she simply refuses. I'd prefer not to just consult a lawyer. thx.
April 23, 2008
Property Shark
I just noticed that 627 St. Mark's has been reduced yet again - started at 1.6 million it's now 1.3 I think judging from the pictures it's a very nice gut renovation but I think the developer made some big mistakes. First, he did it as a four unit as opposed to single or two family and it's very close to the Homeless Shelter on Bedford and Atlantic. I cannot see investing big bucks in that neighborhood. So I'm wondering, how much has the developer invested in this project and I went onto PropertyShark to see how much the developer paid but as usual I can't figure it out - there are two mortgages and a deed listed to different parties on the same date. Here's what - PropertyShark lists:
Date Type Amount Party1 name Party2 name
2/6/2007 Mortgage $68,000 Saleh, Mazin Mers
2/6/2007 Mortgage $544,000 Saleh, Mazin Mers
2/6/2007 Deed $680,000 Brick & Stone Realty Corp. Saleh, Mazin
2/6/2007 Deed $480,000 Bovell, Beryldine A Brick & Stone Realty Corp.
Can anyone explain what this means? Thx.
April 15, 2008
Electrical Rewiring Account
I thought I'd share my experience rewiring a four unit four story brownstone. Two months ago I learned the tenants on the third floor of my four unit four story building would be moving out and I decided it was time I finally rewired it because the wiring was so old that there were still some pull chain type ceiling lights. I also decided as I would be rewiring the third floor I should consider adding power to the second and fourth floor apartments which desperately needed it, especially dedicated AC lines. The apartments are huge and each one had different needs.
I ended up calling 5 licensed electricians for quotes, all praised by previous brownstoner posts. One person never showed up so that was the end of him. Two showed up, we walked through the four units which took about an hour, and then they never even gave me an estimate. One electrician decided he could just give me a quote by listening to what I needed over the phone. The company I decided to go with was Detore. To make a long story short, Detore, perhaps deliberately, made a mistake in the contract and the price went up by $6,000 the day before the job was supposed to start. Now I was in a terrible bind because I didn't want the apartment to sit vacant for more than 30 days and I had to get new quotes because I obviously no longer trusted Detore.
I called 2 more electricians, one being M&N High Tech. Mohamed from M&N, showed up the day after I called him, we walked through the apartments and he had some excellent ideas on how to minimize the work in such a way that could not only bring down the cost of wiring but also the inevitable dstruction that rewiring causes. During our walk through he asked me how I got his number - Brownstoner of course I said.
The next day he gave me an estimate that was 30% lower than any other estimate and he told me he could start this massive job in just two days time and still get it done in time for me to rent it out. So far his team has been showing up every morning, six days a week, and he's been incredibly flexible about working out the inevitable kinks. I won't lie, the destruction required by rewiring is pretty massive, the dust is a real pain, but his crew makes a real effort to clean up. When the job is completed I'll give a final appraisal but so far I am very happy with M&N and I would definitely recommend them over any of the seven other places I called, especially Detore.
If anyone thinks I'm just a shill working for M&N check out my previous posts where I requested advice on this months ago.
How Much Are Smooth Walls Worth
I own a 4 unit building in the Center Slope. It's 20 X 65, so it's huge and all the apartments are floor throughs. However, even though there are six rooms per apartment, there is only one real bedroom. The previous owner, probably seeking to avoid plastering, wallpapered one of the units that will soon be vacant. He did a lousy job and now the walls have these bumps and cracks if you just paint over it. To remove the wallpaper is a huge job and then the walls would need to be replastered. I would imagine the cost to be around $18,000 if I'm luck. My neighbor is a professional skim coater and she says she won't even give estimates for removing wallpaper because it's so unpredictable as to how long it will take.
I can rent the apartment as is, I imagine, pretty easily for $2800. Am I crazy to consider doing the walls? How much more are people willing to pay for smooth walls? How much more can a huge 1 bedroom rent for in the center slope? I think three or four hundred at most. Plus I'd have to show it with the bad walls and potential renters would have to be able to imagine what a huge difference it makes aesthetically.
thanks for any input.
April 3, 2008
Professional Cleaning Service
I'm renovating a rental unit, with a complete rewiring, gut renovating of the kitchen, plastering and painting. The apartment will need to be professionally cleaned afterwards. It's in the Center Slope. Any recommnendations? The unit is about 1200 square feet - any idea on what the cost should be? thx.
March 7, 2008
Double Basin Sink
Oops, forgot to post the picutre of the sink. Come on people, we're talking vintage sink here.
Double Basin Sink
Forget that crappy mahogany mantle that other guy is selling, what you need is this double basin sink! Any offers? Anyone willing to haul it away for me? it's on the third floor of a walk up but much easier to transport than that mantle.
March 2, 2008
Double Basin Sink for Sale
We're renovating one or our rental units and have decided this original sink is just too big. It will be availabe on March 16. Best offer, if no offers I'd be willing to give it away to anyone that is willing to carry it down from the third floor. If you are intersted email me at (I am not using the @ sign to prevent those programs which search for email addresses on the web and then send spam):
Brooklynnative at yahoo.com
February 28, 2008
Skilled Carpenter Recommendation
I frequently post on Brownstoner so this is an honest recommendation, not an advertisement. I found John Fitzgerald when searching old posts for someone who could fix my pocket doors. It's very skilled work due to the doors warping and the building settling. John did a great job, his prices are very reasonable, he shows up when he says he will and he even cleans up. I'd highly recommend him for carpentry or basic plumbing needs.
917 886 9576.
Tell him Guy sent you.
February 25, 2008
Detore Electrics
Anybody ever use them? I'm thinking of using them to update by brownstone's electrics.
thanks.
Author's Comments
Tinarina (great name) The problem with a frig is that even if you get one for 100 bottles, which are as about as big as they come, that's only 7 cases of wine. I'd like to be able to store closer to 40. I am worried about the temperature being stable but I thinking if it's below ground won't that do the trick?
Posted by: Brooklynnative at September 10, 2007 3:05 PM in response to Wine Cellar
NY Times had an article about this building a few months back. Great example of how rent control helped destroy this city back in the day. It was designed by a fairly well known architect, very high end, by the late 70s the landlord was getting less in from his rent stablized/controlled apartments than it cost to pay just the taxes and insurance on the building. Not surprisingly it badly deteriorated and suffered a terrible fire. They said that the interiors which were magnificent were totally lost but the exterior is still quite remarkable.
Posted by: Brooklynnative at September 12, 2007 10:03 AM in response to Wednesday Links
Pretty house, terrible location.
Posted by: Brooklynnative at September 19, 2007 1:48 PM in response to House of the Day: 158A Nevins Street
The building portrayed in this rendering will be worthless after AY.
Posted by: Brooklynnative at September 19, 2007 6:09 PM in response to Overlooking Underpinnings: A Recipe for Disaster
"so anyone knows whats wrong with st marks pl?"
So it seems as if at least one person wants to get back to the topic at hand.
I happened to walk down that street last night. I think that maybe it's relative cheap because it's so close to 4th avenue - lots of homeless types - and Flatbush. However, it's also super close to Atlantic/Pacific subway.
Posted by: Brooklynnative at September 22, 2007 4:13 PM in response to Open House Picks
Lot's of homeless compared to the rest of Park Slope. I walked from from 6th avenue and 2nd street to BAM. I walked down 6th avenue the way there, 5th avenue on the way back. The only homeless people I saw were on 4th avenue right around St. Mark's. For some reason there are usually a bunch homeless types right around there. It's a very harsh corner with Atlantic and 4th Avenue and Flatbush all converging. It's simply not a nice place to be, but one black in the other direction, 5th avenue and St. Marks is real nice.
Posted by: Brooklynnative at September 22, 2007 4:25 PM in response to Open House Picks
The Landlord is a film, made in 1969, that is about a rich white 29 year old who decides to buy a house in the "black ghetto of Park Slope." It has some scenes that were filmed in the Slope and Bed-Stuy. It's at the Film Forum through Weds, not available on DVD.
Posted by: Brooklynnative at September 23, 2007 9:05 AM in response to The Landlord
I think it would be fascinating to find out the story of who actually bought the building after the movie was shot. Apparently they only shot the exterior scenes there and the building was abandoned. Interior scenes are a laugh because the configurations are so different, one apartment to the next, couldn't possibly be the same brownstone.
Posted by: Brooklynnative at September 24, 2007 7:43 AM in response to The Landlord
I considered doing this, also for much fewer K, but it depends how far down you dig. A few important considerations. First and foremost, don't do this on the cheap, you will most likely be digging below the foundation of the building and if not done properly you can cause serious stuctural problems not just to your building but the building next door. Get an architect involved etc. Stoner posted an article about this recently. Second, consider radiant heating, the floor is going to be icy cold in the winter, we regret not doing this. Finally, you will be in a basement - humid in the summer, cold in the winter.
Posted by: Brooklynnative at September 24, 2007 7:46 AM in response to Increasing ceiling height by digging down?
We considered doing this but our building is pretty massive, 20X65, four family. The architect said the load would be too much - we ended up just putting in an extra window which looks great and was much cheaper. We used DesignTech - second time we used them, not sure if I'd recommend them.
Posted by: Brooklynnative at September 10, 2007 1:47 PM in response to Glass Door in rear wall