3:35, here is the fixed link. However, as the poster said, I don't think it applies to Manhattan or prime areas of Brooklyn.

http://www.realestatejournal.com/buysell/tactics/20070907-cullen.html?refresh=on

Posted by: Emily14 at September 12, 2007 4:56 PM in response to Buy or wait?

Has anyone been inside 338 Clinton Ave? Parlor looks amazing, but how about the rest of it? Even with price cut, seems way overpriced...the Portland Ave house, in awesome condition, is going for this price.

Posted by: Emily14 at September 14, 2007 1:55 PM in response to Open House Picks

Oops...I meant South Portland Ave.

Posted by: Emily14 at September 14, 2007 1:58 PM in response to Open House Picks

9:52--your estimates are high, and might be for the 4-5 story buildings with over 4500 square feet in a hot market. The shorter and smaller buildings are much cheaper, even if they're in good shape.

Posted by: Emily14 at September 19, 2007 10:08 AM in response to Dearth of brownstone listings

9:52--your estimates are high, and might be for the 4-5 story buildings with over 4500 square feet in a hot market. The shorter and smaller buildings are much cheaper, even if they're in good shape.

Posted by: Emily14 at September 19, 2007 10:09 AM in response to Dearth of brownstone listings

Regarding the Corcoran $3.35 listing at Berkeley Place: not digging the recessed lighting on parlor level. Also, while it looks like it's had a new renovation, also can't see much original detail from the pictures. But that's not that important to all buyers. Still too much. If I had the dough I'd rather spend $3.6 for this Montgomery Place manse listed by Elliman,

http://www.prudentialelliman.com/Listings.aspx?ListingID=861765&rentalperiod=&SearchType=houses&Region=NYC

and be on a better block, in a larger house with more original detail, and closer to the real entrance to the park.

Posted by: Emily14 at September 19, 2007 4:22 PM in response to Dearth of brownstone listings

Having "1/2" as part of my address would hurt, and in my mind makes it not worth the money.

Posted by: Emily14 at September 19, 2007 4:25 PM in response to House of the Day: 158A Nevins Street

Thanks a lot--much appreciated.

Posted by: Emily14 at September 21, 2007 3:23 PM in response to Independent Verification of Certificate of Non-Harassment

5:38--the archived posts are from 2005-2006, but you're right, my bad.

Actually, 5:50, the brokers volunteered the info as a selling point for some homes I viewed, ie., "the facade has just been redone and it'll save you $100K." I wasn't ASKING brokers for information. And I did call two different "experts" and received quotes of $125K and $35K for the same job(!!) on a building I was considering purchasing. So something sounded fishy to me there. And isn't the whole point of this blog to ask "total strangers" about brownstones and share relevant information?

Thanks, 5:53.

The aggression on this board, especially evident in today's open house picks and a lot of other recent forum posts, has convinced me that this blog is frequented by way too many sociopathic and clinically depressed people who don't get out much and will never be able to afford the brownstones they salivate over in this blog. Good luck to you all.

Posted by: Emily14 at September 21, 2007 6:36 PM in response to Cost of Brownstone Facade Restoration

Oh--and to clarify, the two quotes I received told me they'd be using real brownstone from the Portland quarry in Connecticut, which makes no sense since the quotes were so far apart.

Posted by: Emily14 at September 21, 2007 6:39 PM in response to Cost of Brownstone Facade Restoration

It's not only the economy. There are other factors. Don't forget there are waves of sales as generations retire or pass away. We might be passing out of one of those waves now. People live a long long time in brownstones. Not only in the best neighborhoods either, in the "fringe" ones too, as there are certain better blocks everywhere that have stable middle class and professional homeowners. Park Slope saw this turnover already. Most the houses in PS have new young homeowners now, not the old generation. The old generation cashed out. So it may be a long time before you see droves of brownstones on the market again. Of course there will be an occasional person relocating out of the city, or a divorce.

Posted by: guest at September 20, 2007 1:52 PM in response to Dearth of brownstone listings

Oh--and to clarify, the two quotes I received told me they'd be using real brownstone from the Portland quarry in Connecticut, which makes no sense since the quotes were so far apart.

Posted by: Emily14 at September 21, 2007 6:39 PM in response to Cost of Brownstone Facade Restoration

This usaed to be a good friendly blog but now is turned to be a real crap.
Emily14 you are totally right.But aniway good luck with your project.

Posted by: guest at September 21, 2007 8:41 PM in response to Cost of Brownstone Facade Restoration

a lot of the conversations going on are quite good, given the fact that it's an anonymous blog.

if you want nice chit chat, maybe head over the the park slope parent site or something.

there are distasteful comments, sure...but there is also a lot of great and different viewpoints. not to mention intense ones...which good and bad mean people care. i wish people would get this worked over the war, but maybe they do...this is a site about real estate so i digress.

if you need everything spoon-fed with only the parts you love perfectly and none of which you don't like, you might consider joining a communist society.

Posted by: guest at September 21, 2007 9:00 PM in response to Cost of Brownstone Facade Restoration

emily many of the posters on this blog actually own one or more brownstones. I own four. Think whatever you want to think in your own little fantasy world.

Posted by: guest at September 21, 2007 9:34 PM in response to Cost of Brownstone Facade Restoration

Emily, do not give on up on Brooklyn. I have written what I hope was friendly and constructive advice on other posts and suffered the keyboard-lashings of other posters, always "guests." Just do not let it get to you. The common theme among many of these mean-spirited posts is that others are "WRONG" or "DREAMING" or living in a "FANTASY WORLD." There is no absolute in real estate so everyone's experience will vary and all we can do is take everything posted as a whole and try to isolate the beneficial. This site, despite being insulted, ridiculed, and dismissed, has given me a great deal of help in making my house a home. An early settler of my neighborhood put it this way, "Thirty years ago the biggest adversity was crime and poverty and now it is attitude and bitterness." I really think Brownstone Brooklyn is worth the effort it takes to ignore negative people.

Posted by: bheightsejp at September 21, 2007 11:19 PM in response to Cost of Brownstone Facade Restoration

Emily I believe the disparity in quotes is due to labor not materials. In demand facade restorers price their services high because they have a back log. Cheaper restorers are not in demand due to lower quality of their laobr. If you think this makes no sense as you stated and that labor is an undifferentiated commodity you have quite a lot to learn about brownstones. Quite rude and insulting comments with little knowledge to back up your statements.

Posted by: guest at September 22, 2007 4:58 AM in response to Cost of Brownstone Facade Restoration

9/21 9pm and 9:34pm of course confirmed everything Emily said about Brownstoner. So did 9/22 at 4:58am. She obviously hit a nerve here.

By the way, Emily was not rude until someone was rude to HER. Her original post was not rude, 4:58 am. I also found her subsequent rebuttal an articulate, intelligent comeback to inarticulate, unintelligent, unnecessary insult.

Posted by: guest at September 22, 2007 10:17 AM in response to Cost of Brownstone Facade Restoration

rude is rude

Posted by: guest at September 22, 2007 6:55 PM in response to Cost of Brownstone Facade Restoration

Hi Emily14, I haven't dealt with this particular service but I have gotten quotes that were very far apart in price for the seemingly same work and materials.

I went back to the higher one and asked them to explain what would be different with the higher cost. Most quality people will explain the value of their work. They may also lower the cost if there's negotiation possible.

In some cases the reasoning was sound and the higher cost felt like a better investment and in other cases I decided the lower cost one was sufficient but at least I felt I understood something more of the work to be done.

Posted by: guest at September 23, 2007 3:10 PM in response to Cost of Brownstone Facade Restoration