MR's Profile
Author's Posts
September 14, 2009
Need exterior/brick/leak repair
We've got some minor cracks in our brickwork in an exterior wall that has allowed some water seepage and created a mold problem in our basement. Before we clean up the mold we need someone to repair the leaks. Does anyone have a recommendation for a company to do that? It's a small job but we really need an expert to do it right so we don't have a repeat of the problem.
Thanks in advance.
Author's Comments
Anyone still think the limestone on Windsor Place from the other day won't break $1 million?
Posted by: MR at November 6, 2009 1:50 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later
1,050,000
Posted by: MR at November 4, 2009 2:34 PM in response to House of the Day: 238 Windsor Place
Um, Circuit City went bankrupt and liquidated all of their stores over 6 months ago.
Otherwise a fine fine joke, Fawn.
Posted by: MR at October 29, 2009 1:08 PM in response to Best sports bar in Brooklyn?
Sounds like you guys want to punish an asinine broker by denying yourself a shot at a home you like.
When I was in the market I bid on a few houses with brokers I didn't like. I just assume they are all shady so I won't be surprised later on.
Posted by: MR at October 22, 2009 1:58 PM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million
Do people really decide not to submit a bid on a house that they like and plan to live in for years because of a bad moment with a broker?
Seems kind of silly and petty.
Posted by: MR at October 22, 2009 1:25 PM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million
Doesn't it seem like every building on Summit comes with a rent controlled tenant?
Posted by: MR at October 8, 2009 2:24 PM in response to House of the Day: 130 Summit Street
MR wrote a review about Buddy's Burrito & Taco Bar on October 1, 2009 1:47 PM
Very bad.
What they try to pass off as "guacamole" is a joke.
Thanks Pete. I'll call him.
Any recs from others still appreciated.
Posted by: MR at September 14, 2009 11:26 AM in response to Need exterior/brick/leak repair
No offense intended. Don't mean to question you as much as your landlord. I myself have put money into a rental. I just think your landlord could cut a 25 year tenant some slack.
Posted by: MR at September 9, 2009 4:14 PM in response to Help Matching Parquet
Pretty crazy considering that you are a renter willing to put over $1K into your landlord's property.
Posted by: MR at September 9, 2009 3:51 PM in response to Help Matching Parquet
Our contractor cut a small bit of original flooring (my fault) and used new wood stained to the same color. It looks very very similar.
Posted by: MR at September 9, 2009 3:37 PM in response to Help Matching Parquet
Mazzola's ham & cheese croissant is awesome.
Posted by: MR at September 8, 2009 5:52 PM in response to Streetlevel: Provence en Boite Shuttered by DCA
MR wrote a review about Calexico Carne Asada on August 14, 2009 1:23 PM
I found it underwhelming. Not bad, but I wouldn't travel from out of the neighborhood to go there.
MR wrote a review about Clemen's on August 7, 2009 12:39 PM
I wish to god this place was better. It would improve my life measurably. It just isn't very good.
On the plus side, I think you will get better labor prices from contractors now than you would have a few years ago.
Posted by: MR at July 31, 2009 12:42 PM in response to Gut Reno Estimate?
I strongly advise against having children live anywhere that work remotely like this is being done. There will be lead dust everywhere and it cannot be contained while work goes on.
Posted by: MR at July 31, 2009 12:02 PM in response to Gut Reno Estimate?
I lived near Lucali while they renovated the space before opening the restaurant. It took them forever.
Posted by: MR at July 31, 2009 11:17 AM in response to Looks Like Lucali is Coming to the South Slope!
MR wrote a review about Toby's Public House on July 30, 2009 4:38 PM
Like this place a lot. Great pizza...not cheap but not outrageous either. The staff is really nice. Great vibe.
People do not take the widget seriously.
If everyone who voted threw in a dollar and the voter who came closest to the final price won the pot then we would see "Average Reader Appraisals" very close to closing prices.
Posted by: MR at July 29, 2009 10:48 AM in response to Widget Underprices for Third Straight Time
Personally, I am not interested in a 2 family. The rent generally won't cover the share of the mortgage and I don't want the headache.
Posted by: MR at July 23, 2009 8:21 PM in response to Bearish Brownstoners Miss Mark on 2nd Street Sale
MFN-
Tough call. That's a lot of money. Add the $4k with the savings that you expect from the market...
We felt like we had to move out of our smallish one bedroom when our son got about to walking age. Plus we were being kicked out. I knew the market was going to go down, but I guess I made a lifestyle choice. I mean what is money for anyway?
I think if I were in your position I'd probably end up staying "just another month" for a year or so. Until my wife started threatening my life.
Posted by: MR at July 23, 2009 5:32 PM in response to Bearish Brownstoners Miss Mark on 2nd Street Sale
If I was slightly annoyed at my rental but not desperate right now I think I'd look a lot, try to find a great bargain, bide my time for another 6-12 months and see what happens. Worst case is the market flattens and you pay the same price next summer for what you could be living in and enjoying today. If I hated my rental or was losing my lease then I'd probably buy.
Posted by: MR at July 23, 2009 5:25 PM in response to Bearish Brownstoners Miss Mark on 2nd Street Sale
Hey, it's really nice around here when the fighting people take their shrill back-and-forth to another thread.
CarrollGardened - take a look at Windsor Terrace. I live there and find the plus/minus equation well well worth it.
Posted by: MR at July 23, 2009 4:59 PM in response to Bearish Brownstoners Miss Mark on 2nd Street Sale
MFN-
Sorry if I misinterpreted your tone.
I def see your dilemma.
Obviously we all here can't know and disagree with where the market is heading. If you think it's got more than 15% down to go then I guess you stay put. And I know that $150k is huge money. But the $1.5mil mortgage at today's 5% means $8k-ish per month. The 1.35mil monthly at a still very low 6% is...$8k-ish. Keep in mind that real estate is not the only asset that can go up or down. Where is your large downpayment? Stocks? Not so large anymore. Savings account? Getting eaten up every day. If you are getting 7% for it per annum then that is even more valuable than your sweet SOHO pad and you are double blessed.
You are in the catbird seat and like I said earlier, waiting is pretty safe for you.
When I was in the same position I figured I'd do better financially if I waited, but would lose my sanity, warp my child, and wreck my marriage. But then again the rentals I was seeing for the price were horrible at the time.
Posted by: MR at July 23, 2009 4:54 PM in response to Bearish Brownstoners Miss Mark on 2nd Street Sale
MoneyForNothing you should never move. Seriously why would you unless you have grown to hate SOHO (which I personally do, but you probably don't). If you've got a sweet pad that's permanently cheap you should just stay. Don't buy in Brooklyn. Go buy property outside the city as a vacation home or buy an investment property when you feel the market is right.
Lots of people have to move for various reasons, frequently in Brooklyn it's because of an expanding family. For those people it's actually a great time to buy. Sure they could rent somewhere, try to time the market to save 5-10-15%, but that means moving twice (which can be hard for kids) and since interest rates could be going up it might not make a big difference on your monthly payment anyway. Plus for people renting today (as opposed to already living in a rent stabilized place) the cost of living in a crappy rental really might not look that great.
What I don't get is that with so many people like yourself on this board and around NYC that are waiting to buy...when exactly is the bottom going to drop out? If prices continue to tick down slowly more people are going to decide it's the right time, which will keep the market from tanking. There are so many potential buyers waiting to get into the market I just don't see it taking a huge dive.
Sorry if you were trying to pick a fight, I'm not one of those types on this board, just a civilian trying to talk real estate.
Posted by: MR at July 23, 2009 4:12 PM in response to Bearish Brownstoners Miss Mark on 2nd Street Sale
"Reality is, there's no reason to buy quickly unless you've got enough spare cash after a massive down payment and just don't give a f*ck."
or unless you need a place to live
Posted by: MR at July 23, 2009 3:31 PM in response to Bearish Brownstoners Miss Mark on 2nd Street Sale
Well I think the takeaway from this entire thread is that the "Average Reader Appraisal" is absurd. I'd venture that it doesn't even accurately reflect what posters really think. There is so much posturing going on here that a lot of posters (most? all?) will appraise a property way above or below their actual belief in order to counter an appraisal from the other "team". In fact I'd go so far as to say that the "20% more than widget price" valuator, which seems fairly accurate, really means that we all pretty much know what a place will sell for, but the bears have 20% more posting power here than the bulls.
Posted by: MR at July 23, 2009 3:22 PM in response to Bearish Brownstoners Miss Mark on 2nd Street Sale
MR wrote a review about Get Fresh Table and Market on July 23, 2009 3:06 PM
I went once and liked it. Plan on going back. The food is good, the prices are not cheap but not outrageous, and the people are nice. It's easy to root for them.
Thanks Kensingtonian, I really just miss ghettoazzpnkbtch.
Posted by: MR at July 23, 2009 10:28 AM in response to Bearish Brownstoners Miss Mark on 2nd Street Sale
Clearly the idiots who bought these places are so rich that they don't know how much money they have, just like all rich people. They are so stupid and rich that they have no idea what they bought, what the market is, or what it is really worth according to the good faith geniuses on this site. The buyers probably didn't look at any other properties, don't know Brooklyn, can't count or add, or are 'outliers' of some kind. Maybe they're French. Because clearly any indicator that doesn't point straight down is always wrong for some reason.
Posted by: MR at July 23, 2009 10:16 AM in response to Bearish Brownstoners Miss Mark on 2nd Street Sale
Second on Park Slope Plumbing. They are awesome.
I liked Home & Stone for tile. They have fixtures too.
I would avoid Home Depot & Lowe's.
Posted by: MR at July 22, 2009 3:59 PM in response to Buying Bathroom Fixtures
MR wrote a review about Mazzola's Bakery on July 6, 2009 12:47 PM
When we moved out of CG, I knew that Mazzola's would be one of the things I missed the most. We try to stop by whenever we're in the hood.
I too used to bring lard bread to parties and be loved for it. Now I just have to try to get by on personality.
The ham & cheese croissant is awesome too.
Sorry if I'm misreading your comment, but there are express tracks that run under Carroll and Bergen. Indeed they don't stop at the platform at 4th Ave so that connection couldn't work.
Posted by: MR at June 30, 2009 8:05 PM in response to Closing Bell: Signs of the G Train Extension
What else they should do:
Create an express F (Church, 7 Ave, Jay, Bway Lafayette etc.)
Extend the V to Jay Street
Posted by: MR at June 30, 2009 4:56 PM in response to Closing Bell: Signs of the G Train Extension
So we have two prime homes selling like it was 2006.
These data points are irrelevant?
Wonder if they would still be "irrelevant" if the prices were down 40% off of 2006.
Posted by: MR at June 16, 2009 2:14 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales
BrooklynGreene-
If you are indeed a real person. You must ignore everything you read on this site. It is full of liars, confederates, double talkers, self interested ignoramuses, and pure jerks. Trust yourself, not these scammers.
Posted by: MR at June 5, 2009 9:24 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later
My god, I may start reading this site again.
Posted by: MR at June 5, 2009 5:51 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later
ghettoazzpnkbtch. You are an antidote. Thank you.
Posted by: MR at June 5, 2009 3:50 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later
I have a portable unit and I'm very unhappy with it. It's inefficient and needs to vent water somewhere, which is a pain.
Try AJMadison's web site. You can search for different units in all kinds of ways. You can then buy from them or google that model and buy elsewhere.
Posted by: MR at June 2, 2009 4:20 PM in response to Window AC - less than 18'' wide
I'm curious to know the details of the budget.
Posted by: MR at May 22, 2009 1:07 PM in response to Prospect Heights Garden Build: Setting the Stage
I think the entrance to the subway is only a block or so.
Posted by: MR at May 19, 2009 1:51 PM in response to House of the Day: 161 Prospect Park Southwest
WTbound-
I saw the house back then too but I thought it felt cramped, although they were renting out the apartment back then.
Posted by: MR at May 19, 2009 1:29 PM in response to House of the Day: 161 Prospect Park Southwest
I was just told the other day by a landscaper that the law is that you must build the "good" side of the fence looking out away from your house, but that nobody in BK does it that way.
Posted by: MR at May 18, 2009 3:23 PM in response to FENCE SEPARATING PROPERTY LINE
Anybody have an intelligent opinion about whether I need a real estate lawyer for my refinance?
Posted by: MR at May 14, 2009 4:37 PM in response to Refinancing: How Sweet It Is
This seems to be the best calculator I've found:
http://www.forthebestrate.com/java/MortgageRefinance.html
Posted by: MR at May 14, 2009 1:06 PM in response to Refinancing: How Sweet It Is
We had the same question and found something called a Coastal Stormwatch door from Anderson. I think it's similar to what the poster above is talking about. Will withstand hammers and crowbars etc. Wasn't cheap. But if they get into my house, it won't be through that door.
Posted by: MR at April 28, 2009 4:53 PM in response to Informal Poll: Door for the Deck
"What would someone be charged with for shooting a cat with a gun?"
The question is, what would someone be charged with for tracking down the dog that killed their cat and shooting the dog with a gun?
Posted by: MR at April 28, 2009 11:28 AM in response to More Problems with Pit Bulls — And Their Owners
Great photo!!!
Posted by: MR at April 13, 2009 5:21 PM in response to Monday Blogwrap
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
What about burying the cable from the pole in the backyard to the house? Will they do that?
Posted by: NorthHeights at November 17, 2009 10:22 AM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?
Yes, I just worked with Verizon and Time Warner to remove all the cabling and bury it underground. Start with Verizon. Call Tony Herron 718.624.4264. Keep records. If they are non-responsive, try again, and then contact the NYS Public Sevice Commission to initiate a complaint. That's what finally worked for me. It took me 7 months to have the work completed. After Verizon, then contact Time Warner. They're a bit faster but still difficult to work with. Follow the same protocol. Ed Kopel Architects, PC
Posted by: edkopel at November 17, 2009 10:24 AM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?
No, been waiting 3 years for them to fix a falling pole. Plus side, our wires are concealed in our shrubs now.
Posted by: IMBY at November 17, 2009 10:25 AM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?
Ed, called Verizon numerous times. Each time a service tech would come out. Service tech would call the engineer who would come out and tell us that they don't fix lines until any and all construction is completed on the block.
This is now impossible since we have a stalled site on one end and a finished new building that won't let ANY utilities touch their property. Nice since they are the one's who knocked over the poles and cut the lines in the first place. As you know new buildings get all their utilities via underground service so there is no incentive to fix the neighborhoods problem.
As for the stalled site, Verizon has assured us that as soon as it's finished they will talk to the residents and get their permission to make repairs. ?????
Time Warner who "rents" the poles from Verizon refuses to climb the poles because they are a safety hazard, (The last TW service person told me to cut the pole down with a chainsaw to speed up Verizon's response time...no joke).
We have made multiple NYS Public Service Calls and while they do cause an inspector to show up, it never advances the repair to our block wide problem. Verizon does not want to service their old copper wires anymore. They are just stalling until Fiber Optic shows.
Posted by: IMBY at November 17, 2009 10:40 AM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?
I am talking about the big heavy cables that run along the back of properties connected by those tall wooden poles. Am I understanding correctly that it may be possible to get these bundled more tightly and lowered so they are less unsightly, or even buried underground completely?
Posted by: New Guy at November 17, 2009 12:58 PM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?
We buried our wires during our renovation, going straight into the cellar & then up from there. Still have neighbor's ugly wires each side...
Anyone with a utility pole in their back yard? Do you have any record of it on your title deed? If no record (easement?), is there any ability to arm twist the utility to clean up their mess etc
Posted by: going4broke at November 17, 2009 1:00 PM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?
Has anyone ever had any luck getting rid of a telephone box on the back of their house? I have two, with festoons of wires coming out and spreading across the back of my house to the neighbors'. Looks like hell. One box was there when I bought the house many years ago, another was added later over my protestations. We're planning work on the back wall of the house and will need to get rid of the boxes. I'd appreciate any information about remedies that are open to us.
Posted by: Silvermax at November 17, 2009 3:44 PM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?
i've had wires moved and made neater every place I bought by simply getting a manager to come out. they'll do the work.
good luck.
Posted by: wine lover at November 17, 2009 4:29 PM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?
I called Verizon and told them that the cables they draped across my backyard fence were fast becoming my sons' favorite climbing toy and should I be worried about that? They came within 2 weeks to do a survey of how to bury the wires and though it was months later, and took a lot of follow up, they got it done.
Posted by: jlo at November 17, 2009 5:51 PM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?
Yes you can get Verizon to get rid of the box with your neighbors wires. Be persistent, tell them you're doing construction and their box with other customers service will be destroyed. They are slobs when they install. Get tough. And when they balk, filing a complaint with the PSC (done online) gets results.
Posted by: jfss at November 17, 2009 6:11 PM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?
I have sometimes been appalled at some of the cabling I see around. People spend multi-millions on their homes, spend 6 figures to renovate the inside, then leave these horrible cables hanging off the roof going to a window on each floor in the front of the house. It makes no sense to me.
I spent a few hours running coax along the crack between my house and the one next door, ran it over the roof and tied it down, ran it down the back behind the rain gutter and tied everything down pretty tight. Looks much better. Unfortunately when I look out my window I still see the spaghetti of cables across the street.
Posted by: MR at November 17, 2009 10:18 AM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?