How about the Ft Greene house going for more than asking and going from 965K in 2002 to 1.895M today. Doesn't sound like the end of Brooklyn to me. A house a couple of doors down from me in the slope had a signed contract within 2 weeks of going on market.

Posted by: Jebby at May 19, 2009 11:57 AM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

My apologies, there was a stop-work order put on the Miriam Bldg as well last week. But the joking about is still wrong for a bldg collapse. And trying to make this location sound shady is crazy.

Posted by: Jebby at May 7, 2009 12:22 PM in response to Building Collapse at 217 Court Street

There's no drug clinic in this building and never was. Those first posts were rediculous considering that an historic bldg may be lost and neighbors have been removed from their homes. So a story like this is a joke? This is where Miriam restaurant was. How very lame.

Posted by: Jebby at May 7, 2009 12:01 PM in response to Building Collapse at 217 Court Street

Here's a nice example for the other thread on preservation being green. Even though the new building might have better insulation, etc you have to factor in the waste of a beautiful building that was demolished and trucked to a landfill.

Posted by: Jebby at April 7, 2009 3:02 PM in response to Development Watch: 1124 Bedford Avenue

Benson, It wasn't the NYT making a sweeping statement, it was Richard Moe of The National Trust for Historic Preservation. Your opening sentence says the economics of the situation should be judged, but this is about being Green. The Greenest building is the one that's already built! What's the point of recycling that newspaper if you think tearing down a building is ok?

Posted by: Jebby at April 7, 2009 10:41 AM in response to Preservation Makes It To The NYT Editorial Page

Doesn't seem that there are a lot of stories of people putting up their own money to keep a business open. So maybe in the true Brooklyn Spirit, this establishment provides a sense of community rather than the Holiday Inn "No surprises" business model. As someone who would go everyday for a cappy, I'm glad it's coming back. It's one of a kind.

Posted by: Jebby at March 31, 2009 10:38 AM in response to Vox Pop Sells Shares, Claims Survival

Thanks Johnny for pointing out the idiotic jokes from many posters. It just shows that it doesn't matter what the subject matter is, a majority of posts are lame. As a father of an at risk teen, I find it loathsome. These 2 men from Tenn were sons, brothers of someone. Propjoe, Have fun!

Posted by: Jebby at March 30, 2009 11:56 AM in response to Death at Eastern Parkway Drug Den

The Park Slope house was purchased 80% through a total gut renovation. The assumed construction contract to finish the house will put it at 1.9 totally minted out.

Posted by: Jebby at March 24, 2009 11:45 AM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

Xander, Like anywhere else there are great people and turkeys. I had a wonderful agent sell my house in Cobble Hill last year which she found for me in 1996. There are lots of sellers that don't follow the direction of the broker in setting the price or accepting an offer. I've seen a lot of it recently as I just bought a house after looking for a year.

Posted by: Jebby at March 16, 2009 7:24 PM in response to House of the Day: 345 Hoyt Street

Six years, I hope when you took all your students there that you all ordered meals and not just one tea and sit there for 2 hours. That's where their business model didn't work. They would let people stay as long as they wanted with a nominal purchase. I hope you've found a more sanitized professional place to hang on Courtelyou. And by the way, don't ever go to McSorley's Ale House in the city. It will gross you out.

Posted by: Jebby at March 16, 2009 6:12 PM in response to Vox Pop Teeters On The Edge

Xander Crews, Is there a broker out there that you would let control you? I have recently bid on 2 Corcoran properties and the sellers wouldn't budge and believe me the Corcoran broker didn't want to sit there for the 18th open house. This is a major battle for brokers to convince sellers that it is a new world out there.

Posted by: Jebby at March 16, 2009 4:15 PM in response to House of the Day: 345 Hoyt Street

Fsrq and Wine lover, I'll take more flawed businessmen who have a human heart, and less MBAs who have company towncar dispatchers pointing out their car to go home in order not to spend an extra 15 seconds on the street with the great un-washed. There was nothing heavy-handed about all the literature and art at VOX POP. All were welcome and those who worked there were gentle. I continue to be amazed and the ugly anger that can be focused on such small corners of our town. I can think of a few deserving bigger targets.

Posted by: Jebby at March 16, 2009 2:36 PM in response to Vox Pop Teeters On The Edge

Something expensive was bought by me last Friday in the slope!!

Posted by: Jebby at March 10, 2009 12:48 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

It's interesting that this set of actual sales numbers has been followed by the sound of crickets. I think it cancels out about 200 posts yesterday.

Posted by: Jebby at March 10, 2009 12:18 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

Boofer, The reason Tango survives is that the owner bought the building 25 years ago. Let's not overlook Theresa's which is great and has a diverse clientele.

Posted by: Jebby at March 10, 2009 12:11 PM in response to High Rents Killing Montague Street

The Victorian Flatbush deal should quiet all the market has fallen off a cliff folks. This is an area that is still transforming and the numbers don't lie.

Posted by: Jebby at March 10, 2009 11:43 AM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

Danny Noonan, There was a fantastic old world restaurant on Montague Street called Foffes (155 I believe). All the judges would have lunch there and Meade Esposito would hold court at a table in the back. They would have a wild game dinner every holiday season that people came from all over NYC to attend. It had great real food, professional union waiters. Think it opened in the 30's and closed in the early 90's. I was heart broken.

Posted by: Jebby at March 10, 2009 11:32 AM in response to High Rents Killing Montague Street

Christopher, Thanks for writing the note to Hannible that I was about to write. Can't think of any "hippie" businesses ever on Montague St. I lived just off the street for 32 years and the big change was driven by the lunch business. It went from neighborhood services, to lunch time outlets for the courts, Bklyn Union Gas, Banks, etc. This drove the rents up and brought national chains. I picketed the Burger King opening in the 70s.

Posted by: Jebby at March 10, 2009 11:23 AM in response to High Rents Killing Montague Street

Wasder, As my grandmother used to say, "don't go looking for oranges in a hardware store". Still got that 60's change the world thing in my blood. Should know at my age that I'm not going to change anyone. Thanks for the web view. This is the only place I have posted as I love Brooklyn and real estate, but it is what it is. Cheers

Posted by: Jebby at March 9, 2009 5:15 PM in response to Where and When Will The Market Bottom?

Wasder, Thanks for your thoughtful post. I was not discouraged because I was worried that I had just bought a house. I sold my Cobble Hill house, rented for a year and have now bought. I actually bought as a way to support Brooklyn,Obama and America in my small way. And as an example of how these kind of moves help the economy, on Sunday I had a wonderful stone man looking to redo my facade and two of my new neighbors have now hired him to do theirs. He's got a year's worth of work and my block has new investment in it. To say nothing of the tens of thousands of dollars in taxes the city and state got in the transaction. If you care about where you live you should want this to be happening. I was discouraged at the stupidity and ugliness of people in the thread. I'm really impressed with your research as I thought they were the same in my sub-conscious.

Posted by: Jebby at March 9, 2009 4:59 PM in response to Where and When Will The Market Bottom?

Wasder, I think you're onto something. I addressed one of my posts to the two of them a while up the thread because I thought they were saying the exact same thing, but didn't do the math you did.

Posted by: Jebby at March 9, 2009 4:36 PM in response to Where and When Will The Market Bottom?

There are sellers who don't really want to sell, and buyers who don't really want to buy. I sold my Brownstone in Cobble Hill last year and once I had the first offer, folks who didn't want it started to bid. I made a all cash offer on a house in Park Slope that the seller passed on. When I pulled out they called and knocked 200K off, but I was already on the way to purchasing another house. The deals that happen are due to both parties being into what they are doing and being reasonable. The rest is all games.

Posted by: Jebby at March 9, 2009 3:35 PM in response to Where and When Will The Market Bottom?

DIBS, Exactly as it should be. People have fallen for Brooklyn and moved in from all over the world for 200 years. Real Estate is not the stock market, it's where you live. There should be no Bear or Bull in real estate. It should be as you and Christopher have stated.

Posted by: Jebby at March 9, 2009 3:09 PM in response to Where and When Will The Market Bottom?

All of a sudden I'm getting a warm feeling deep inside from WHAT and BOH. I the Asshat moved into Brooklyn in 1954 and haven't lived anywhere else. Is it true that WHAT lives in Lodi, NJ?

Posted by: Jebby at March 9, 2009 2:51 PM in response to Where and When Will The Market Bottom?

BHO, This is the market peak????? You have no idea what I paid.

Posted by: Jebby at March 9, 2009 1:29 PM in response to Where and When Will The Market Bottom?

Wasder, Thank you. I read this whole thread and couldn't believe this was going on while the world is on edge. We all need to get real in all areas of our lives and this was getting me bummed. Thanks again.

Posted by: Jebby at March 9, 2009 1:26 PM in response to Where and When Will The Market Bottom?

I closed on my house in 11215 on Friday, half block from the park. Both attorneys, had 2 closings in Brooklyn every day last week. Things are selling. Think this will be my last Brownstoner post as I find it really depressing. The amount of negative energy and lack of civic discourse is sad. There's a lot of good that could be done with the energy that would make Brooklyn a better place. What a goal, root for housing to go down so you can get a better price. Let's root for more people to die at home so the Emergency Room won't be busy if you neeed it. It's that attitude of being deaf to others suffering that enabled all the sub-prime mess to take place. Lend money and not care who borrows, because you're going to pass it on to someone else to deal with. Get outside and sweep the sidewalk in front of where you live, water a tree, do something.

Posted by: Jebby at March 9, 2009 1:11 PM in response to Where and When Will The Market Bottom?

I am buying a house today, with the closing in a couple of hours. It was a weird feeling running around to multiple banks yesterday taking out money and getting bank checks. While we all speculate on the further decline in the market, I had this feeling that what was really becoming worthless was CASH. I assume that my new old house in Park Slope will go down in value for the short run, but I feel better having it than money in the bank. After my whole life along the Brooklyn waterfront, I'm moving within 6 blocks of my high school John Jay. The whole world is starting to feel like the 70's again. Onward and upward in the borough of Kings!!

Posted by: Jebby at March 6, 2009 9:47 AM in response to Open Thread

I have been renting a 5 bedroom coop in the bldg next door for the last 7 months. There have been 2 sales in my bldg this month at 400K plus. This is a great block, Courtelyou has some really fine merchants including the best Hummus at Mimi's Hummos on Courtelyou. Why would you say negatives things about this area when you don't know it. In my bldg, there are 18 tenants that have been there for over 25 years. There are lots of families moving to the area, first time real estate buyers who are forced out of the slope in the need of more space. You can't compare this to new cheap condo developments. And I get to 14th St. faster on the Q, than I did for 20 years on the F from Bergen St in Cobble Hill.

Posted by: Jebby at March 4, 2009 3:35 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 415 Argyle Road, #3J

Meant Prospect Park, not house. Time to stop all this and go outside.

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 5:10 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

BKNY, I prefer Cobble Hill to Park Slope. I had a special house that I'll never get back. I think Cobble Hill is the best neighborhood in Bklyn, but I am on a new journey. Half block from Prospect House is looking good, however.

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 5:08 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

Iron Balls, Good, but I never said you were a dancer!

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 4:51 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

Iron Balls, Don't know if the "in the arts" comment was directed at the music biz folks, but I bought 6 pieces of property in Brooklyn Hgts in 1975, 2 in Fulton Ferry in '77, 16,000 sq ft lot in Red Hook in '84 and a brownstone in Cobble Hill in '96. And yourself?????

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 4:41 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

BHO, got me from Brooklyn for 54 years. Seems like you wallow in wanting Brooklyn to crumble for some reason. It's a wierd way to live. I couldn't imagine living in a place that I wanted to decline. So I was just curious about your past civic views to educate me. Not trying to say you're old or anything.

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 4:30 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

I think the prices will continue to slide a little for the next year. But everything will be losing value, including cash. I bid based on what I had been seeing over the last year. I was supposedly in the best position having sold before the decline and was renting. But, I'd rather have a house in Brooklyn than cash in a bank that the govt will have to rescue. I was renting for $4500. a month for a five bedroom coop in Ditmas Park. It's a great time to buy. Go for it and thrive in the greatest city in the world.

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 4:10 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

BHO, Who did you root for in WW II?

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 3:58 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

BOH, Who did you root for in WW II?

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 3:56 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

DIBS, It was not a HOTD, but a gut renovation not quite finished that friends were doing and couldn't finish. I sold my house in Cobble Hill last July and have been renting. I greatly honor your pride in Bed Stuy. Everyone should take pride in their neighborhhods whether they rent or own. There's very little civic discourse going on here, which the times call for. Stay strong!!

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 3:40 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

Mopar, I should add that my offer above was turned down. Sorry for missing my point. This was not the house I got but one of my three turn downs. I could add that a house in Prospect Hgts was sold before I could make my offer. Brooklyn will survive!!

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 3:32 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

Mopar, I can tell you that I offered 1.925M on a house in the slope listed at 2.195 and had that price since November 1st, 2008. My offer was cash and the owners had already moved. I'm sure that in '06 it would have been at 2.4M.

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 3:27 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

Thank you 11217 you nailed it. I have now posted twice that I bought a house and got no reaction either today or yesterday. It's funny how when you post something that actually has happened, no one responds.

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 3:11 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

In a world where GM, Ford, Chrysler, AIG, Citibank, Bank of America,etc are now worth zero, Brooklyn real estate is performing quite well. Of course the bubble is over, but brownstones and townhouses are not going to drop 50% anywhere.

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 3:05 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

How can anyone take pleasure in the potential drop of prices in Bed Stuy? It's like being the Rush Limbaugh of real estate and wanting Obama to fail. I have just gone to contract on a house in Park Slope. Over the last 3 weeks I have made 3 all cash offers and been turned down on houses in Park Slope, Ditmas Park and Boerum Hill - they were about 90 per cent of asking. Real Estate is selling in Brooklyn!! There are sellers who think it's 2006, and that must be factored on to houses not selling.

Posted by: Jebby at February 27, 2009 2:48 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

So much love in Brooklyn. I bought a house in Park Slope last week, and lost out on one in Prospect Heights that had an all cash offer accepted before I could react. To say nothing of Norah Jones' $4.9M purchase in Cobble Hill posted last week. There's a lot of cash out there, and as someone who's been actively looking to buy a house after selling mine, trust me people are buying $2M plus houses. Everybody needs to get outside for a walk.

Posted by: Jebby at February 24, 2009 1:18 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

Spicy Pickle took down the beautiful Armando's neon sign with the lobster and only lasted 6 months. It was up for all of my 50 plus years. We lost so much with the artificial boom that won't come back.

Posted by: Jebby at February 23, 2009 11:19 AM in response to Spicy Pickle Loses Its Crunch

Not one of these posts is about OH 6 months later. ADD Theatre!!

Posted by: Jebby at February 20, 2009 1:31 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

It's a shame that Fjorder's hilarious post following the opening one wasn't built on. I gave it a lot of thought, but couldn't come up with one worthy enough. Now the moment is lost.

Posted by: Jebby at February 16, 2009 9:35 AM in response to Open Thread

The footings are an issue as NYCBuilder pointed out. When I was doing an extention in Cobble Hill, we had photos of the footings as well as a concrete sample saved for the CofO inspection. I'd get out.

Posted by: Jebby at February 5, 2009 3:29 PM in response to HELP: Cert. of Occ. issue

What has to happen for the state and city agencies to correct this nightmare and start a new course? I took a long walk around the area as I was considering making an offer on a house on St. Marks Avenue. I decided not to do it for the close proximity (someone else did go for it, I must add). The naming of DDB becomes more spot on as time passes while a vital area of Brooklyn has been destroyed. Atlantic Yards is now "Brooklyn's Ground Zero"

Posted by: Jebby at January 22, 2009 9:34 AM in response to Ratner Now Trying to Stiff the MTA

I was there in 1997, and this was the restaurant that got it all started on Smith Street. Smith and Court Streets are now dotted with increasing empty storefronts. It's sad to see places go dark.

Posted by: Jebby at January 7, 2009 11:38 AM in response to Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up