Just got one myself yesterday. Spoke with the man. He said that the folks who did my renovation cut the wire and covered over the remote box outside -- I got new siding. According to him and the written summons, a licensed plumber is to reinstall the remote box and connect it to the meter in the basement.

Posted by: RandiZ at February 20, 2009 4:53 PM in response to DEP Fine for Meter in Basement?

1. Agreed. No way to know for sure. But, condo/coop will likely take less time than house/townhouse. Yes, it will take at least 60 days for everyone else to get their act together (title search, inspection, etc.) and have a closing.
2. Putting less down now means paying out more in monthly payment and definitely the amount you will pay out over time. But, you have more in your pocket now to do improvements. Besides mortgage broker (I recommend calling Wells Fargo) also speak to your tax consultant about your particular situation. It is that time of year anyways.
3. Agreed. Let multiple brokers work for you b/c they are really working for the seller. Never forget that.
4. Again, speak with a mortgage company.
5. How long to live in a home depends on the market and your financing situation. It is a crystal ball question.
6. I agree with looking for bargains in established neighborhoods in the current economic climate. If you are really planning to leave NYC within 2 years, I strongly encourage renting and saving your money to buy something when you land where you want to be.

If you REALLY want to buy, go to the class. Good luck.

Posted by: RandiZ at January 27, 2009 1:06 PM in response to First-Timer Questions

I put in really large, dark tile with the smallest possible matching, dark grout line possible. I don't like the look of dingy floors in a kitchen. No matter how clean I know it is, once dirty it seems unsanitary forever. To get the tiny grout line though you can't have beveled edges and you have to lay them in rows rather than staggered. But diamonds would work because they are really lined up. When doing major cooking, I wear my heavily cushioned, and supportive sneakers. Also, I do as much sitting at the counter as I can.

I didn't do bamboo (my first choice) because the kitchen leads to the back entry way which will track in lots of dirt. I was told that the bamboo would scratch easily if a pebble got stuck to the underside of a shoe.

Something else to note about tiling in a major reno. Everywhere we tiled, the floor either had to be dropped or raised because unlike any other floor, tile has to be really level. 100 year old houses are not likely to be level. People in wheelchairs or other physical disabilities and older folks might not want to have short steps in their house. So, you might get away with dealing with a possible 2 and a half inch or more difference if you use linoleum.

Posted by: RandiZ at September 12, 2008 7:57 PM in response to A penny for your... kitchen floor??

I currently live in Windsor Terrace and love the neighborhood so much I started looking to buy here. I too felt the prices were too high for what you get. So, we found something that suits the family and my budget in another neighborhood.

The truth is, anything is worth what people are willing to pay and people are paying those prices in WT and PS. Just not me.

Posted by: RandiZ at August 8, 2008 8:06 PM in response to Open House Picks

I had such a good experience with my tile at Home and Stone on Coney Island Ave, that I went back for some hardware. Jerry in the tile dept. helped a lot with design and tile choices. Prices are not cheap. But, it was definitely discounted from top end anywhere else.

Posted by: RandiZ at July 27, 2008 10:47 AM in response to Sources for bath reno supplies?

We have wide plank floors in the kitchen, and they take a beating. I've been thinking of cork or something else that I can float on top, just to serve as a sacrificial barrier. Our kitchen is also off the front hall, and leads out to the back yard, so it gets a lot of dirt and grit tracked through (no matter how hard you try).

I thin that large terra cotta tile avoids the "institutional" look - growing up, our kitchen had 12"+ mexican terra cotta tile, with wide joints. The tile was very irregular, with cupping in a lot of places, but that added to the character. The joints (and even the tile itself) discolored, but that too became part of the character.

Wood, or cork or linoleum over wood, will be a lot easier on the feet. But at the end of the day, I think Mrs. Limestone has the right advice - don't choose a flooring based on appliances that will probably be gone long before the floor is. Choose the flooring that goes with your room and lifestyle, and then adjust appliances and cabinetry accordingly.

Posted by: WBer at September 12, 2008 10:47 PM in response to A penny for your... kitchen floor??

For those of you who need some foot/leg relief you may want to buy one of the rubber mats that chefs use in restaurant kitchens. You can find them at restaurant supply stores and they are a godsend. I have one and it helps tremendously.

I will say this though. They are a bit cumbersome and even though I stash mine away when company comes it's usually a job left for my husband. They are heavy.

http://www.industrial-antifatigue-mats.com/ultimate-diamond-foot-antifatigue-mat.htm

Posted by: TownhouseLady at September 13, 2008 9:41 AM in response to A penny for your... kitchen floor??

I say nay to wood,cork, or laminate flooring in any area that can be exposed to water. Buckling due to swelling,peaking and stains are one of many common problems. On a budget, my choice would be durastone (V.C.T. type tile),or linoleum would be more suffice. H.D. starts @ $3.00 per square foot. With glue and floor patch add another $50.00.

Posted by: premium floor covering installation at September 13, 2008 3:45 PM in response to A penny for your... kitchen floor??

I recently renovated my kitchen, put in stainless appliances, white cabinets, butcher block counter tops and white tile back splash. I was torn between putting a wooden floor in the kitchen to match the rest of my apt and a tile floor. My apt is pretty small, so I thought the wooden floor might make it feel more cohesive. However, I ultimately put in black and white tiles, in a checkered pattern across the floor and i love it! It doesn't make the kitchen/apt appear any smaller. It looks great with stainless and picks up the black accents on the stainless appliances. I also used a black grout which I also really love. I cook often and I don't really find standing on the tiles to be an issue. You could also easily get the same look in linoleum.

I find the tiles easy to clean and hard to damage. I would also suggest going to a tile store and checking things out. even though most brownstoners are not fans of Bergen Tile, I got a TON of samples from them to bring home and put on the floor to see what I liked. Even if you don't love the tiles, it's helpful to see what colors you like.

Lastly, I would check with the ppl who are installing the appliances and cabinets. Sometimes it can be an issue with installing the appliances/cabinets before you install the floor. If you are going to have a temporary floor first, you may want to make sure you can change the floor later. This issue came up for me.

Good luck deciding, it's so fun to create something for yourself!

Posted by: bodhi_brooklyn at September 14, 2008 11:08 PM in response to A penny for your... kitchen floor??

I have large porcelain tiles that REALLY looks like slate. Quite reasonable in price, not so hard on the legs. (Much cooking is done in this kitchen). Also, the contractor went for quite narrow grout lines so there hasn't been a problem with keeping the grout clean, and I went for a grout color that complemented the gray tile (it's a kind of light reddish brown, it doesn't stand out as too dark nor is it too light the way that much white grout is.) I love the look of wood in a kitchen, but I've also seen how grungy it gets if you don't wipe up spills quickly.

A previous poster's comment about just finishing off a sub floor was a neat idea, but I know I'd be happier with a finished floor.

Posted by: Minmin at September 15, 2008 9:58 AM in response to A penny for your... kitchen floor??

just to add to the unexpected cost and timeline for selling questions (and perhaps these are obvious if you've read the buying a house for dummies, but just in case): when you are looking, be sure to find out what the rules and regulations of the co-op are when it comes to renting and selling. some places are extremely restrictive and if you're having trouble selling, but want to move to another city, you may need to rent it out for a period--find out the policy. also, many places charge a flip tax-- find out how much it is, because in this market, it may erase whatever modest profit you might make in two-three years time.

other questions to ask in the "unexpected cost" category: find out when the last time the roof/boiler/etc were replaced, whether assessments have been made in recent years, if any are expected, and be sure to have money in reserve to pay one if it happens. in other words, if all you have is $40k, i woudln't plan on putting it all into the down payment. they'll show you the financials for the last two years, and i'd pay special attention to how the reserve has changed in the last year-- i know multiple people who are dealing with suddenly jobless residents in their co-ops/condos who aren't paying their share, causing the reserve to be drawn down until it can be resolved. not good!

Posted by: ms_boerum at January 27, 2009 1:30 PM in response to First-Timer Questions

2. Not putting 20% will force the bank to require to get a Personal Mortgage Insurance (PMI). This is an insurance just in case you fail to pay your mortgage for some reason. You can cancel PMI once your loan is less than the 80% of the purchase price or appraised value. PMI is about $200 a month for a $500k loan.

3. There is a big difference when you buy a new construction vs established. There are large taxes involve with new construction. For example a $500k new dev would have a TOTAL closing cost around $25,000. If that was not a new construction it would be under $10k.
Other than state taxes - there are bank fees (from $500-$2500), government related paperwork fees, appraiser, lawyers, etc.

5. Minimum of 5 years IMO. Unless you get lucky in a hot neighborhood. But the appreciation in value vs your upfront cost (especially closing) would not be recovered until the first 3-5 years. In this current market I would say 10 years.

National average is around 7 years.

Posted by: crimsonson at January 27, 2009 1:47 PM in response to First-Timer Questions

Are banks still making mortgages with less than 20% down?

Posted by: NorthHeights at January 27, 2009 2:38 PM in response to First-Timer Questions

Yes NorthHeights. Many banks where minimally effected by subprime. The requirements are tighter but having good credit and liquid assets can get you approved for less than 80/20 LTV.

Just to add...

3. $25k vs sub $10k is worst case vs best case. Established $500k unit can have a closing cost more than $10k. There are many variables involved to give you a solid number. The rule of thumb is 3%-4% for the value of the unit of an established home and 4%-6% of a new. 6% is usually for Jumbo/non-conforming loans and above $1 mill (the transfer tax rate changes - you get the 'mansion' rate).

5. My 10 years is based on buying at the peak of the boom (2006-2007). If you bought after the crash with heavily reduced price (5%-15%) you can probably recover that in 5-10 years. But that is just a guest. No one knows how the market will exactly be in 2010 (bottomed or getting out of bottom).

Posted by: crimsonson at January 27, 2009 3:04 PM in response to First-Timer Questions

Bedstuy and bushwick lol that's why it's cheap people lol

Posted by: karo25 at January 27, 2009 3:25 PM in response to First-Timer Questions