Jersey City sounds great and the weekday commuting times are comparable to Brooklyn.

Can any Jersey City residents (past or present) speak to what it is like when you need to get home late at night?

If it is late and you are drunk in the West Village, taking a cab to Downtown Brooklyn is between $15 and $25. What would cab fare be to Jersey City?

Posted by: CrankyYoungMan at June 24, 2009 3:45 PM in response to Townhouse for $600k?

I am sure others will tell me if this is illegal, but why not post the names of these lawyers who cause clients to lose rate locks and constuction dates?

Posted by: CrankyYoungMan at October 2, 2008 4:01 PM in response to Real estate lawyer (cont)

As one of those lawyer people who handles real estate closings and the like, I would suggest you change lawyers if possible. We're not all so bad - far from it. Many of these attorneys depend on high volume and have paralegals do the work at a much cheaper rate -otherwise, closings are a money loser for them. With a higher volume and non-professionals doing much of the work, mistakes and delays occur frequently. Ask around and get a referral from a friend or someone you trust. However, please note that if someone promises to handle a real estate transaction (or anything else for that matter) for a set fee or price, be very wary. If problems arise (and they often do), once the billings hit that amount, it becomes a losing proposition for the attorney. On the flip side, if billings never reach the set fee, then you are essentially paying for work that will never be done. The best solution, I think, is to have your attorney keep you informed of the costs as you go along, this way there are no surprises - and if its costing more than anticipated, you can discuss ways to save money going forward.

Posted by: jnjnjn2 at October 2, 2008 5:20 PM in response to Real estate lawyer (cont)

I agree with jnjnjn2. You don't (I might have missed it) discuss how you found your attorney or how you made the deal for the fee. I've been through several transactions, almost all of them with one extremely busy attorney, and have never had any problem stemming from my attorney. If anything, he winds up following up on things and doing things that the other attorney(s) in the deal - representing the prospective buyer or seller, or the bank's attorney - have the responsibility for. It is important to find professionals you can trust, and verify ahead of time how you know you can, by considering who made the recommendation and by doing your own due diligence. This happens with contractors too, and you hear about it all the time from people who get stuck. Unfortunately, it's all part of the learning process, where you learn how to recognize the signs of mediocre work, and how to guess that someone is up to the job. But no group of professionals are all alike, good or bad, and for some here to suggest that all real estate attorneys are of a kind is silly. Also, failing to pay your legal fees will result in you not getting your closing statement, and would be just plain dumb. Then your attorney will be on some board moaning about how all clients are evil.....

Posted by: raphael9 at October 2, 2008 5:46 PM in response to Real estate lawyer (cont)

I'm sorry to hear that so many of you had bad experiences with your RE Lawyers. Mine was fantastic, worked really hard for us and was honest. He might be more expensive than others but he came recommended so I didn't shop around.
If you want to change lawyers or will need someone for the next time around try Carlo Zacchia, Zacchia Law Group, 441 Lexington Avenue, NY NY 646-472-1893

Posted by: premadas at November 13, 2008 12:41 PM in response to Real estate lawyer (cont)

Since everyone keeps bringing up Jackson Heights, I have to mention: It does not have townhouses, which is what the OP asked about. However, you can get a spacious and gracious two- or three-bedroom pre-war apt with a shared garden, elevator, and fireplace for $450,000 to $550,000.

Personally, I would prefer a townhouse in Bed Stuy myself, and that's what we're looking for. You will also find two-families in your price range in Ridgewood, but I find the M train unbearable. Two-families in Bushwick are even cheaper, but hard to come by.

I also saw recently saw a brownstone listed online for under $600,000 in Crown Heights near the 4 or 5 trains. It was described as a fixer upper but with all the original details. It may be close enough to Prospect Heights that you have the convenience of the park, the Caribbean takeout places such as The Islands, and that one Mexican place that was reviewed on here recently.

Posted by: mopar at June 24, 2009 3:51 PM in response to Townhouse for $600k?

I bought for that price range in Bay Ridge. I got a cute 3 bedroom home with a yard and garage. I worried that the transition form Carroll Gardens would be tough, but I love my quiet street, the great restaurants, and the park and water being nearby. Now summer is here and I have a garden. I looked in Windsor--nothing in my price range. Sunset--things in my price range were dumps. And Greenwood, just didn't have much inventory in my price range at the time.

Posted by: Cantaffordcarroll at June 24, 2009 3:55 PM in response to Townhouse for $600k?

thanks for clarifying that Mopar - I was thinking where are they hiding all these supposed townhouses in jackson heights.

Posted by: dittoburg at June 24, 2009 3:57 PM in response to Townhouse for $600k?

Oops, wait, I forgot: Jackson Heights has a smattering of standalone and semi-attached houses built in the 1930s. Not many. Probably fewer than 20. I'm not sure what they go for these days.

Posted by: mopar at June 24, 2009 4:13 PM in response to Townhouse for $600k?

Adam,
Whats rent like in Jersey City?

I been looking for places in Brooklyn, I love it here. Never considered Jersey City, but I did a quick search and it looks nice!

Posted by: guikazoid at June 24, 2009 4:30 PM in response to Townhouse for $600k?

Mopar -- I saw a listing for a Jackson heights townhouse a year or so ago that was asking either low 800's or high 700's. I think it was maybe on 85th Street. It looked nice from the pictures. I doubt you will find many townhoues between Roosevelt Ave and Northern Blvd for under 700K, even post-Lehman.

As for Forest Hills, there are some small standalone houses (16' wide or so) for under 700K the farther away from the LIRR you get -- maybe 15 minutes walking.

Posted by: Boerumresident at June 24, 2009 5:12 PM in response to Townhouse for $600k?

Glendale or Middle Village, in Queens. Transport is kinda tough, as its a bus-subway connection to midtown, but the M goes downtown.

Safe, and Trader Joe's!

Posted by: bugleg at June 24, 2009 6:51 PM in response to Townhouse for $600k?