Mopar, when we were looking for a house a couple of years ago we spent a lot of time exploring bed-stuy (and other neighborhoods) and talking to people, and at some point we narrowed our search down to this area, based on several factors: easy access to the A train, the stunning architecture, high proportion of owner-occupied homes, and a few interesting stores and restaurants. Initially we spent some time looking further north and east toward Broadway, and there were some interesting houses (and generally cheaper), but for the reason I mentioned we're very happy we moved to our area.

What do you mean by "an original two-family, not a brownstone conversion, so it's much easier to rent"?

And just to clarify on the rent, I think our house is slightly smaller than that one, and our apartment was so easy to rent that I think that it was slightly underpriced... So you could probably get $1200 or more if the apartment is nice.

Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

Posted by: Ibis at October 27, 2008 4:00 PM in response to More about Bed-Stuy

This is my block. I think I know which house you are talking about (is it across the street from the parking garage?)

The price sounds reasonable based on the size and your description. I believe this house could have sold for a little more a year or two ago. No one can predict what will happen with prices. But if you can afford it, have a secure job, and plan to stay for several years, it seems like a good decision.

Our house is a two family, similar size, and we rent the top floor one bedroom apartment for $1100. We advertised it on craigslist and there was a LOT of interest for the apartment. We found a great tenant within a few days.

This is a great block, people have been extremely welcoming and friendly since we moved here. We have a very active block association. And as you probably know several new businesses should open soon around the corner of Halsey and Lewis.

Posted by: Ibis at October 27, 2008 1:14 PM in response to More about Bed-Stuy

I worked with Frank Tamayo last year after he was recommended to me, and he did an excellent job. My situation was not the most straightforward (I had an excellent but relatively short credit history in the US), and the timing was not good (we were trying to get financing in May 2007 when underwritting guidelines were getting tighter). Given the situation, he and his team worked hard and did a great job; they got me a 30 yr fixed loan with a good rate. I strongly recommend him.

Posted by: Ibis at October 9, 2008 11:04 AM in response to Anyone ever work with Frank Tamayo at Traubman

Get an ironwork company to build a vent in that metal door, and then install a fan to ventilate your basement. That's what I did in my unfinished cellar and it made a huge difference, no more humidity and smell. In the winter it's much dryer; I don't use the fan and I seal the vent. A dehumidifier could also work.

Posted by: Ibis at September 21, 2008 4:27 PM in response to Smell and dew in the basement

"many of the homes have been owned by Black families since the dawn of time (well, maybe slightly less), and many of these families are today the core of business and professional people who have stabilized the area and gotten landmark status for CHN. All the news about Crown Heights focuses on the problems and there is a vast, largely ignored working and middle class that has always been here."

Very good point, and this is also true about Bed-Stuy, a least in Stuyvesant Height and the surrounding area.

"Many of the newbies moving in seem to operate in a cultural vacuum here. Their only interest is in their house or apartment, not the neighborhood per se."

Also very true. These neighborhoods have a strong sense of community, and I'm worried this may get lost.

Posted by: Ibis at August 15, 2008 10:14 AM in response to What’s it Like in Crown Heights?

Yes, we definitely need Nostrand repaved.

Posted by: Ibis at July 24, 2008 9:55 PM in response to Closing Bell: Repaving Everywhere!

Sorry, our block association is Halsey between Stuyvesant and Marcus Garvey. If you live on our blocks, come to the meeting! We will also distribute a survey in the next few weeks.

Posted by: Ibis at July 22, 2008 7:42 PM in response to StreetLevel: Peaches Market Opens in Bed-Stuy

I posted about the future pizza place at the corner of Halsey and Lewis... Just what Dave said, the owner was at our block meeting recently (he lives on the block), and he said it would take about 6 motnhs before they open. We recently resuscitated the block association for Halsey between Lewis and Marcus Garvey, so if anyone wants to join, please come to our next meeting, we will meet every month on the third tuesday at the Macon library.

I'm glad to hear that Peaches is so good, it seems like a major improvement compared to Petit Bassam. I've had some good food at Bassam but the place was not consistent. Being francophone I enjoyed talking to them, and I'll miss them.

Dave, you seem to live just around the corner from us and I've been learning a lot from your posts... We should meet for a drink sometime.

Posted by: Ibis at July 22, 2008 7:39 PM in response to StreetLevel: Peaches Market Opens in Bed-Stuy

While I agree with the previous comments, I just wanted to add that custom metal products did multiple jobs on my house (cellar door, a/c box on window guard, ladder to roof hatch) and I was very happy with their work. They are a decent company that had some real recommendations on the forum in the past. So why the fake post? I guess business is slow these days.

Posted by: Ibis at July 14, 2008 5:20 PM in response to I've Found A Great IronWork Company!

Dave, last night we had a block association meeting (Halsey between Stuyvessant - Marcus Garvey association), and the owner of the future pizza place on the corner of Halsey and Lewis was there. He lives on the block. He said it should take about 6 months before he opens.

Posted by: Ibis at July 9, 2008 5:12 PM in response to Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up

I believe what curiositykilledthecat said is true. At least that's exactly what my attorney told me when I bought my house. I got the $500 "discount", and apparently this is what most sellers decide to do. And I would do the same thing if I was selling.

I think there could be some exceptional situations in which you would still have some recourse. Like if the house collapsed two weeks after closing due to a structural issue known to the seller. I don't think the seller would get away with that. But water in the basement after a heavy rain storm is not at all unusual in Brooklyn houses.

Posted by: Ibis at June 15, 2008 10:24 PM in response to Legal disclosure responsibilities for a seller

You should be ok. You need to keep an emergency fund for things that you didn't mention and may break, like water or sewer main. Maintaining an old house, even a small one family house, is expensive. I know it may seem scary, but if you compare to what you are currently spending on your coop, it will probably not be significantly more expensive, and maybe even less. And it will be very satysfying that you are the one deciding how the money is spent and the building is yours.

Posted by: Ibis at June 9, 2008 7:16 PM in response to first time home buyer

I had this done last year by Custom Metal Products and they did a great job. They did other things at the same time: build a new ladder to the roof hatch, fixed the roof hatch, and build a vent in my cellar door. Total was $750. Their shop is located in bed-stuy and they seem to be doing a lot of work on historical houses. They have a website, you can find them easily with a google search.

Posted by: Ibis at June 9, 2008 7:00 PM in response to need to get an AC cage/box installed

6:52 - I don't know what Quietrock you tested, they have multiple kinds. But the ones that most people seem to be using (510, 516, 525) don't contain any metal, they are made of a layer of viscoelastic polymer between two layers of gypsum. I have not tried it yet, but according to their website, it is cut and installed the same way as regular drywall. It's slightly heavier than regular drywall, but the principle behind Quietrock is not an increased mass or a sheet of metal. The sound is absorbed by the viscoelastic material in the center. My understanding it that it's the same principle as using green glue between two sheets of regular drywall.

Posted by: Ibis at May 7, 2008 9:22 AM in response to soundboard vs. furring (firring) stips for ceiling

Rick, can you comment on Quietrock 525 (5/8") vs. 510 (1/2"). There is a significant price difference, but is there is a significant performance difference?

Posted by: Ibis at May 6, 2008 11:03 AM in response to soundboard vs. furring (firring) stips for ceiling

Thanks Jonhife, you confirmed what I was thinking about the way the houses were built. And yes, I was thinking that the party wall is probably not fireproof since I realized that there are holes in the wall at the joists.

These are 3 story brick houses in Bed-Stuy, build in 1899 according to city records.

Is this common in Brooklyn?

Posted by: Ibis at May 1, 2008 4:15 PM in response to Party wall soundproofing

It is plaster applied directly on brick (no lath). The plaster has no visible cracks. The two houses are identical and were probably built at the same time. I suspect that the brick party wall was poorly built and may have some crack or holes. Another interesting observation: When I'm in the cellar, I can hear our neighbors washer and dryer quite well, and recently I realized that the noise is coming through one of the joist pocket in the brick wall just above the foundation.

The house on the other side is a different house, and we hear absolutely nothing through that other party wall.

Thanks for the reponse Johnife, and if you have any suggestion on how we could investigate and fix this, please let me know.

Posted by: Ibis at May 1, 2008 3:16 PM in response to Party wall soundproofing

Thanks 2:51, that's very similar to what I'm planning. I agree that the space between the party wall and the new wall is probably the most important aspect. What cotton soundproofing insulation did you use, and where did you get it? Are you happy with the results?

Posted by: Ibis at May 1, 2008 3:01 PM in response to Party wall soundproofing

Brooklyn already has a Death Star!

http://bedstuybanana.blogspot.com/2008/01/our-local-hospital-death-star.html

Posted by: Ibis at May 1, 2008 12:32 PM in response to Navy Yard Watch: SurroundArt Building Rising

I live closer to the bushwick border, how much was that other house? Where was it? What do you mean by not a conversion?

FWIW, I like it over here. Mr. Kiwi on Broadway is a pretty good grocery store, and I don't mind ten or fifteen minutes walking to Peaches, Tiny Cup, etc.

The area around the Halsey house is really, really nice, and I am jealous because I paid $90K more for my house two years ago, and because of course I want a house down where it's jaw-droppingly adorable.

But I'm assuming that a house over where I am is going to be cheaper still. And if you're in it for the long haul, I think that the savings is probably going to be valuable, the J train is definitely faster to the city and generally just a better train than the A, and that over the next many years the strip of Broadway that separates Bushwick and Bed Stuy is going to become very interesting.

I also like that I am not in one part of Bed Stuy, but instead can travel a small distance to either gentrifying part--I can go toward Stuy Heights or toward the Clinton Hill border, quickly. I feel like this gives me more options.

Posted by: vanburenproud at October 27, 2008 5:20 PM in response to More about Bed-Stuy

This is just so incredibly helpful, please keep those comments coming if you have any more. To clarify, one house was originally a two-family and one house was originally a one family. The original two family is "easier to rent" because it's already two separate apartments with doors. And each apt has two or three bedrooms, so they rent for more, whereas the rental apt in Stuyvesant Heights is only a one bedroom. Another factor: If we buy the border place, our monthly carrying costs stay the same as our current rent. If we buy in the Heights, our costs go up quite a bit. And we don't have proper bedrooms (we'll be living in a parlor). But it's a very grand house in a grand location.

Posted by: mopar at October 27, 2008 5:44 PM in response to More about Bed-Stuy

I think you should wait - really prices are going nowhere but down. But I guess if interest rates shoot up your monthly will remain the same...

Posted by: gkw at October 27, 2008 6:03 PM in response to More about Bed-Stuy

now i want to hear more about the other house! that's the dream, isn't it? buying a whole house and not having to pay any more than your previous rent? plus a big apartment to rent? still, the stuy hts house sounds nicer in general. but frankly i like the idea of an affordable house (could you forgo renters altogether if you went for the cheaper house?)

and personally, i don't see the reason to wait if you find a house you truly love and it's a good deal for you. too many people on this site insist on looking at a home like they're looking at the keno board in atlantic city.

Posted by: Jimmy Legs at October 28, 2008 10:11 AM in response to More about Bed-Stuy

but Jimmy if you KNOW that prices will come down, why would you pay more than you have to? It's not like Bed Stuy has a dearth of houses for sale - and since they're looking for a fixer upper, and brownstones are pretty generic, it seems like there will continue to be a pretty good selection out there.

Posted by: gkw at October 28, 2008 12:07 PM in response to More about Bed-Stuy

Jimmy Legs, Jimmy Legs, we saw the inexpensive house on the border of Bed Stuy and Bushwick at the Halsey J stop last night. Oh, it is our dream house. Nothing has been changed since it was built. Oh, wait, that's not entirely true -- at some point they put in a few light bulbs hanging from wires and capped off the gaslights. Needs a lot of work but it's mostly cosmetic. (Stripping, refinishing floors, skim coating, painting, etc.) Plus new electrical. The floor plan is perfect for us. Jimmy, do you have any wooden fireplaces in your place? Because now I know how they were originally painted: To resemble slate with marble inlays. Jimmy, how has your experience with renters been? Our biggest concern is the location. It's just deserted. There is virtually nothing there but a laundromat. And some empty lots, presumably from the arson, looting, and blackout of 1977.

Posted by: mopar at October 28, 2008 1:14 PM in response to More about Bed-Stuy

And Vanburenproud -- you're close to the Myrtle J, right? Something is going on there with retail improvements, you think? If you have renters, how is that going? I look around the Halsey stop, and it doesn't look like anything will change there for many years.

Posted by: mopar at October 28, 2008 1:30 PM in response to More about Bed-Stuy

Halsey stop is much further out.

I wouldn't live that far out, I am at the edge of where I would want to live right now.

But if you like the street and you like the house and *most important* if you are locking in your current expenses, then over time that seems like a good thing that is totally worth considering.

I wouldn't jump too fast. Go to the neighborhood at night. Do your commute. Talk to your prospective neighbors a lot. Figure out where you would shop, how you would have fun, etc. Make sure you are really in love, or at least in like.

And shell out for a good inspector that isn't in your realtor's pocket. There is no such thing as a 100 year old house without structural problems.

Posted by: vanburenproud at October 28, 2008 3:37 PM in response to More about Bed-Stuy

Oh, I reread your post. I wouldn't buy anything in a deserted area. Empty lots kill a neighborhood. They collect trash, rats, homeless people and all kinds of bad behavior.

Jane Jacobs writes eloquently on this. You want eyes on you all the time, with neighbors who engage in active street life.

I think this idea is especially relevant in this current environment. Crime will be rising. I wouldn't put myself in a position to have to deal with the worst things this city can offer by surrounding myself with empty lots and relatively deserted streets.

Posted by: vanburenproud at October 28, 2008 3:45 PM in response to More about Bed-Stuy

Thank you so much, vanburenproud for these very informative posts. There are people around, just not much retail. (The empty lots are on Broadway, not residential, but your point is still valid.) We will do everything you suggest.

Posted by: mopar at October 28, 2008 4:45 PM in response to More about Bed-Stuy