tybur6, your rants are getting more insane by the day. First, just because someone buys a million dollar home, does NOT mean they have a million dollars. You ever hear of a mortgage? As someone else pointed out above, they likely put down between $200,000 and $400,000 of the purchase price. Second, the buyer does not pay the realtor - the seller does. So, your point that the buyer is fine with payign a realtor $50K but not $10K in taxes is moronic as well. Furthermore, even if the buyer was paying the realtor his/her commission, that does not mean the buyr "is fine with" it (as your state). Rather, it measn the buyer wants the property and will pay what he needs to pay (which may include a broker commission). Third, just because a buyer can afford a home, that does not mean that he wants to pay taxes. If he can get around the mansion by paying less than a million, then great. Have you ever heard of a tax shelter? (Since you probably don't know, it is a mechanism to shield income from taxes and 100% legal.) But, I guess in your deluded view of the world, everyone should be happy with with paying taxes. I repeat - you sound like a total moron.

Posted by: Splenda at November 12, 2009 10:21 AM in response to Mansion Tax

tybur6, you sound like an utter moron.

Posted by: Splenda at November 11, 2009 4:50 PM in response to Mansion Tax

Kitchen: French doors to the yard from the kitchen (unbeatable if you have a dog); more cabinets than you think you could ever use; space for a tv; double sinks

Bathroom: shower and tub; no cabinet over the toilet (stuff falls in); big closet (that can fit towels and the like).

Posted by: Splenda at September 22, 2009 10:25 AM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!

Crescent Hill,

I did not intend to sounds condescending. I was simply trying to understand what is so great about Brooklyn that people would pay more money for substantially less space. Having lived in Brooklyn for many years -- and having thoroughly enjoyed it --, I get it. However, once you move further out and are away from the amenities, the convenience to Manhattan, and the culture, I just dont get why someone would stay UNLESS you were paying much less money to do so (i.e., I get moving to Bed Stuy as it is cheaper than other areas). But, why move so far out for $4.2 million? Like I said, you can get more for your money in Westchester, with the same commute/drive in the Manhattan. As for the preception that all Westchester has is a bunch of houses and golf courses, that could not be further from the truth. There are loads of great restaurants (granted not as many as in NYC), wonderful parks, beachs, etc...

Posted by: Splenda at September 17, 2009 3:28 PM in response to House of the Day: 7543 Shore Road

bkoriginal,

I understand the perspective of wanting to maintain an urban lifestyle, but is Bay Ridge such a lifestyle? I guess I dont see the advantages of this location to Westchester - similar commutes; both suburban feel; both need cars; etc.

Also, how long does it take to commute by subway to midtown from here? How long to drive in non-rush hour traffic?

Posted by: Splenda at September 17, 2009 2:46 PM in response to House of the Day: 7543 Shore Road

Out of curiosity, why would anyone pay $4.2 million to live in Bayridge, Brooklyn? I understand that reasons to live B'lyn, but Bayridge is so far from all that Manhattan and Brooklyn have to offer, why not move to the suburbs at that point? You can buy a really nice home on the water in Larchmont, with a 30 minute commute by train to GCT for that price? Please explain....

Posted by: Splenda at September 17, 2009 2:10 PM in response to House of the Day: 7543 Shore Road

we have a live in nanny living in a bedroom in our house. I would NEVER consider our a house now a two-family house.

But what do i know....

Posted by: Splenda at September 17, 2009 10:53 AM in response to Live-in help in two family house

OP here. The crazy thing is this is a free standing house; we have 50% equity; we have received approval; and still it has been over over 4 months since we began....

I am not going to give up as we will save $500/month once we actually do the refinance. But, they are making it so painful.

Posted by: Splenda at September 1, 2009 2:38 PM in response to How Long to Refinance?

It sounds idiotic to pay the broker anything - he/she did NOT do anything. I would call the prosective buyer directly and tell them that they will pay less if they don't use the broker (who did not do anything anyway). If they wont buy your place unless the broker gets a cut, then they probably are not that interested in your apt anyway.

Posted by: Splenda at September 1, 2009 10:19 AM in response to FSBO - Dealing with Buyer Broker

Labs are wonderful dogs and great with kids. we have a 2 year old lab and she is the sweetest girl. se wouldn't hurt a fly. we also have a newborn baby, and our lab is so gentle around her. although we carefully monitor them when they are together, we couldnt imagine our lab doing anything intentionally. That being, labs need a lot pf exercise.... Good luck...

Posted by: Splenda at August 2, 2009 6:58 PM in response to Labrador in brownstone

We got every agreement in writing, which clearly spelled out when the realtor would be entitled to a commission. We also had every realtor email us the name(s) in advance of people they were going to bring.

Posted by: Splenda at May 19, 2009 3:56 PM in response to How Much to Pay a RE Broker

When I sold FSBO, I cut deals with many agents that said I would pay them between 2 and 3% if they found us a buyer. (Some agencies would only do 3%; some I was able to get at 2 or 2.5%.) What is the downside? The brokers probably are full of it, but if they will bring in some extra potential buyers, why not? Just keep good records as to who brings who.... Also, agreed that the CL ad is missing key information (size; layout; etc). Also, it is sort of useless without pictures.

Posted by: Splenda at May 19, 2009 2:17 PM in response to How Much to Pay a RE Broker

Bklyndoug,

I agree 100%, as we moved from B'lyn to Westchester. We also paid around $1K per month for elec/gas during the winter. We just locked in though for gas and elec rates for the coming year. You might want to look into that.

As for restaurants though, we have found a number of really good ones: FISH, Easterchester Fish Co., Sammy's Downtown Bistro, etc....

Posted by: Splenda at May 7, 2009 4:29 PM in response to Maintaining a Victorian home

bklyndoug - what did you pay for closing costs (in total) to refinance?

Adam Dahill - is 4.875% still the current rate on a loan of $729K? Do you expect the rates to rise or fall going forward?

thanks!

Posted by: Splenda at May 4, 2009 10:37 AM in response to Despite Low Interest Rates, Few Refinancings in New York

Thanks for the tips guys! I am pretty handy around the house - do you think adding the sensor is something that I might be able to do myself? Does anyone know of an installation manual online that I can check out before buying? (I looked for one, but could not find.)

thanks!

Posted by: Splenda at April 29, 2009 10:14 AM in response to Motion sensor?

Misty, our dog also goes into the litter box... (which is in the basement). I think we have narrowed down the possible solutions to:

using something even heavier as a door stopper;
wedging something in the hinge end;
baby gate;
eyelet lock system.

Posted by: Splenda at April 23, 2009 2:32 PM in response to How to keep a door ajar???

Denton, your post made me laugh a bit. Our dog is a yellow lab, and like all other labs, she will eat as much food as possible. I used to have a Yorkie, and he would only eat when he was hungry. The lab, on the other hand, scarfs everything down and then still wants more! She is a total pig.

Vinca, i was sort of wondering if i could rig something along the lines of your suggestion using the doorknob and door strike, but have not come up with anyhting feasible.

Posted by: Splenda at April 22, 2009 6:01 PM in response to How to keep a door ajar???

dog is much bigger (a lab). But, we dont want to ruin the door (eg with a cat door). I guess we might have to go the latch route, but I would prefer not drilling into the door. But I cant think of another option (although I will try dave's idea).

Posted by: Splenda at April 22, 2009 4:11 PM in response to How to keep a door ajar???

what is the communityworks program? What do you need to qualify?

thanks!

Posted by: Splenda at April 22, 2009 2:53 PM in response to Best rates for conforming loan?

Thanks Adam. I was hoping you'd chime in on this. Is $5K about the normal cost for refinancing?

Posted by: Splenda at April 22, 2009 11:45 AM in response to Best rates for conforming loan?

We sold our apartment over the summer (i.e., after the RE downturn began but before the "meltdown"). We sold it ourselves. We considered the broker route, but decided against it as we didn't feel like paying $50-75K in a commission. (Also, when we went to Brown Harris, their response was they could not even give us the "standard" discount to 5% b/c the RE market was bad.) Anyway, price your apartment competitively, and hold open houses every weekend. We had some during the week (evenings), but those never went well. Make sure your apartment is DECLUTTERED and spotless. We lived like that for a few months, but no big deal. We literally loaded up car-loads of stuff to leave at a family member's house during the process. We also agreed with a number of brokers that if they found us a buyer, we would give them a commission (it ranged between 2-3%). Bottom line, we might have gotten a little bit more for the apartment with a broker, but certainly not enough to offset the commission. All a broker really does is provide a customer/contact list. You have to clean the apartment for open houses youself (the biggest hassle). As for running the open house, it is really not a big deal to do it yourself.

Just ask if you have any questions....

Posted by: Splenda at March 12, 2009 10:26 AM in response to Realtor commissions

I will echo others and say you should sell now. I will also go out on a limb and suggest looking in the 'burbs. We recently left B'lyn for Westchester. We loved B'lyn, and it was hard initially, but now we are much happier. We love our yard, the space, the incredibly short commute to midtown (28 mins by train). And, we bought a nearly 4000 SF house built at the turn of the century that had been renovated for less than what we would have paid for a 3 BR apt in B'lyn. But, to each his own.....

Posted by: Splenda at March 5, 2009 5:46 PM in response to If we sell, can't afford to buy

We used Moving Your Way, and they were fantastic. Fast, cheap and very careful. I have used FlatRate in the past, and not been overly satsified. For the record, FlateRate quoted us over $3K and MYW did it for less than 1/2 of that.

329A 18th Street, Suite 1
Brooklyn, NY 11215
tel 718-788-4920 212-832-5576
email: info@movingyourway.com

Posted by: Splenda at March 5, 2009 10:53 AM in response to good movers?

Mod Squad, I assure you my house has been renovated. Not that it matters, but our windows have storm windows that are already in place. During the winter, you simply open the window, lift the screen to the top, and then lower the storm window to the bottom. Does that make sense?

Posted by: Splenda at January 28, 2009 12:13 PM in response to Seasonal Maintenance?

I agree 100% with Iron Balls. I beleive hedge funds are a total scam. They tout their wonderful returns, but due to the fact that they don't have to fully disclose everything, they manipulate the numbers to make their returns look artificially high. That being said, I just dont get why someone would pay 1.5% PLUS 20% of profits. Seems insane to me. The best hedge funds though are the ones that are simply funds of funds! So, in effect, you are paying someone to simply choose what other hedge funds they invest your money in! Give me a freaken' break.

Posted by: Splenda at December 23, 2008 2:08 PM in response to Money managers are a complete scam!

And what does it cost for the privilege to invest with your fund Dave?

Posted by: Splenda at December 22, 2008 9:45 AM in response to Money managers are a complete scam!

Architerrorist-

Where did you ultimately buy? All I can say is that we saw tons of houses that fit the description i gave of our home in New Rochelle, White Plains, etc... Scarsdale was more money though. All I can really vouch for is our house, which like I said was built around the turn of the century, has been redone beautifully (while retaining period details, like stained glass, original floors, fireplaces, etc.), on over a 1/2 acre, etc. All for less than a brownstone in Park Slope needing a full gut would have cost.

Posted by: Splenda at December 22, 2008 12:38 AM in response to Open House Picks

Architerrorist

I totally disagree with you re pricing. My wife and I lived in Brooklyn, and started looking for a house. The cheapest brownstones we could find in Boerum Hill, Park Slope or B'lyn Heights cost between $1.8 and $2 million -- and that was for houses that needed full renovations. We ended up buying in Westchester for less than $1.5 Million, and got a 4000 SF house that was built around the turn of the century, was fully updated about 6 years ago (to our taste, luckily), with a big yard. Granted our property taxes are higher here than in B'lyn, but we don't pay city taxes anymore, so it is about a wash. We do miss the restuarants and the like from B'lyn, but we love our home, and simply could not have afforded something comparable in Blyn. And, it is only 30 minutes on the train to Grand Central.

Posted by: Splenda at December 21, 2008 1:48 PM in response to Open House Picks

I agree 100% with CGFan. I like Brooklyn, and really like the architecture, but it seems assinine to spend $1.4 million on a house in a less desirable area with few amenities and where safety may be an issue. I also don't fully comprehend spending $2 million on a house in a more desireable area (such as Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Fort Green, etc) that needs another $500K in renovations. You can buy beautiful turn of the century houses in the suburbs within a 30 minute train ride, for much cheaper. Granted Brooklyn has more to offer in some regards (culture, restaurants, etc), but there is a lot to be said for purchasing a home within your budget and not stretching yourself to the max (or beyond)....

Posted by: Splenda at December 19, 2008 2:57 PM in response to Open House Picks

Hi, the router is in fact an "N" router. It is the Netgear WNR3500, but it does not reach from the basement to all corners of the house.

thanks

Posted by: Splenda at October 26, 2008 3:32 PM in response to Extended Range Wireless Router - Follow up

Thecomputerguy - the house is single family. The cable wiring is inside the walls. We have tvs in the kitchen and living room (1st floor) and bedroom (second floor). Like I said earlier, modem is located in basement. I thought the router would be connected to modem via ethernet cable (that is how it was done on our old DSL modem). Anyway, we definitely have cable lines running throughout the house (inwall) that we can tap into (if you explain how!).

thanks so much!

Posted by: Splenda at October 13, 2008 10:31 AM in response to Extended range wireless router?

The installer said that modem needed to be near the "telephone box" which was in the basement. I guess he could have snaked more lines to the rest of the house, but it seemed more logical to just put the modem in the basement (since we are using a router anyway).

thaks

Posted by: Splenda at October 13, 2008 9:46 AM in response to Extended range wireless router?

Not sure what amount you should get, but my understanding is that some insurance companies (Chubb?) will pay guarantee replacement of your home no matter the cost. They will give an estimate when you get your policy (which I assume is relevant in determining the premiums), but should the cost overrun in rebuilding, they guarantee replacement no matter what.

Good luck

Posted by: Splenda at September 24, 2008 10:30 AM in response to Home Insurance

Hmmm... Interesting, as I thought that Flat Rate was supposed to be the cheapest. The move is not local, but not that far. We are moving about a 45 minute drive away. The quote did NOT include any packing (other than furniture and the like).

Any other input?

Posted by: Splenda at August 28, 2008 11:10 AM in response to Ballpark cost for move & tipping movers?

Yes, no stone or tile flooring if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen. If you're coing high tech get this stuff..

www.garagefloor.com

or cork.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 22, 2009 11:54 AM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!

Some of these ideas are from my own kitchen and some from my own kitchen wish list.

-A large, deep sink-- mine is divided in two and I like that.
-A faucet with a hose and that can switch from a stream to shower.
-A seperate faucet for filtered water (filter under the counter). Mine is just on the side of the sink.
-I've always wanted kitchen cabinets to the ceiling and then a library ladder to reach them with.
-An appliance garage or counter-level cabinet with a power strip for easy access to coffe maker, toaster, ets.

Posted by: fawn at September 22, 2009 12:29 PM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!

Fun post/replies...It takes me back to the fun of the brainstorming phase!

• The Bosch DW seems like a no contest vote...me too. I'm single, so I didn't overdo it on features – there's about a dozen models. I went for the least features on the model with a smooth front.

• I LOVE having an ice maker and filtered water in the fridge/freezer but wanted a smooth front so I went with a Jenn-Air.

• Look at Jenn-Air's double oven. It's two ovens in the size of one. This might not be for everyone, because the larger oven is on the bottom and you do have to get a little lower than most people when pulling out a big bird, but most of the time, I don't think twice about it. I didn't have room for a double wall oven.

• If you're getting a microwave, get a one that's also a convection oven. That's another way to get more than one oven in the space.

• I have a two level counter...workspace and eating counter. Instead of spending the $$ on a backsplash for the vertical space between them, I bought pull-out drawers with my cabinets which provide additional storage space and a regular Alzhemier's prevention exercise...teabags in this one? Measuring tape, screwdriver in this one?

•I had duct work for CAC run up at the end of the kitchen and we built wine racks and plate displays around it, hiding it and creating more storage. (From stock items too...)

• My kitchen and entire lower level is slate floor heated by radiant (water) heat. I love it. I know people want a more cushy flooring in the kitchen, but I love the durability of the stone and its warmth in the winter.

• I also put radiant heat under the marble floor in the master bath. I also did a walk-in double shower that has turned out to be a blessing with my new dog!

• If you're doing a rebuild, you can fake a counter-depth fridge by not framing out the area behind the fridge so that it goes back further than the counters.

• Personally, I did go for the sink sponge drawer, but I never use it.

Have fun with the planning!

Posted by: BKRed at September 22, 2009 12:42 PM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!

OMG, I go away for a few hours and come back to wonderful ideas and links! Thank you each of you! Glad to hear the vote of confidence about no tub in "adult" bath and love the little kitchen/bath ideas I didn't think of that will be huge helps (cabinet with power strip, electrical on island, more lights & drawers than I could ever think I need, drawer for pots and pans, sponge drawer on cab front, no cab over toilet ETC!) There was not one thing that hasn't been helpful. Keep 'em coming...nice to hear other's are in the same boat and getting something out of this too.
:)

Posted by: amybnyc at September 22, 2009 12:45 PM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!

One more to add:
A book shelf for cookbooks! It's nice to have them in the kitchen.

Posted by: fawn at September 22, 2009 12:47 PM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!

"i'm in the same boat as the OP...a few questions:
i'd love to hear how people feel about the water/ice on their fridge...we have a fridge currently with this...but i'm wondering if the new fridge i'm thinking about will bum me out if it doesnt have this?
also how bout bottom freezer fridges? any love/hate comments on them? (what's the deal with ice in these? is it ice trays?)"

Fawn, I love cookbooks and that's why I think they should be NEAR the kitchen but not IN the kitchen as they get grungy.

CG, I personally don't like the icemaker/water thing. Just more complicated plumbing to get screwed up. Also I understand it cuts down the efficiency of the refrig.

Re the freezer on bottom, if you claim to be a locavore and buy your stuff almost daily and cook it fresh, it's much better as you won't be using the freezer that much. I like it that way.

Posted by: denton at September 22, 2009 4:12 PM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!

More of the same:

Radiant heat (by far the most important.)
Venting to outside.
Ice maker.
Big sink.
Extra Cabinets.
Good lighting.

Here's one I didn't see:

Get 2 dishwashers. One is for clean dishes, the other is for dirty. You just swap back and forth and basically the chore of putting dishes away is gone.
When you think about it, a decent dishwasher is $750 bucks. Not much more than two more feet of quality lower cabinets. For a small amount of money you get a major convenience.

Fabulous during the holidays and parties too.

Posted by: guywithahouse at September 22, 2009 8:25 PM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!

WTF? Sponge drawer? Such a thing exists?

The miracles never cease.

Posted by: bkrules at September 22, 2009 10:09 PM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!

Nothing fancy really but I put a little glass shelf above all the sinks in the house. Great way to keep things in easy reach without it all looking cluttered.

Posted by: MrsLimestone at September 23, 2009 8:28 AM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!

Most of what I'd suggest has already been covered, but here are a few others:

Pull-out trash/recyle bins
Blum soft-close drawer glides
Angled plug mold, undercabinet power strips
If glass cabs, get glass shelves encased in wood

Here are a few repeats with additional provisos:

Really generous lighting plan that is both zoned and on dimmers
Vent hood should be at least 6" wider than range/cooktop and, ideally, extend beyond the front burners for best capture area

Here's one departure from the no-contest Bosch dw:

Get a Miele! (Now that's a true no-contest.)

And, by all means, I second Zeebee's suggestion to join the Kitchen Forum at the Gardenweb. IMO, that's the most knowledgeable, supportive, creative and, engaging community of folk dealing with kitchen renos anywhere on the net.

Good luck!

Posted by: Brooklynista at September 23, 2009 8:45 AM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!