BrooklynLove,

Are we seeing that in Bed Stuy now? I look at recent sales on Property Shark and I am just not seeing prices "plummet."

Posted by: amanda at April 23, 2008 9:24 AM in response to Foreclosure of the Week: 872 Park Place

Okay, one: the community board, zip code and council district boundaries are all on Classon. This is Bed Stuy.

Two: it is hard for me to see how a bunch of privileged rich folks snapping up the cookies at heavenly crumbs is good for anyone in the neighborhood. It won't improve life for the people trying to get by around there.
Already longtime

Posted by: amanda at April 30, 2008 1:59 PM in response to Development Watch: 377 Franklin Stalled No More

1:46 -- Moron? or shark? I'm just saying. Maybe he was smarter than you think. If he can sell someone on a buggy unit they don't want, he's pretty smart.

The prices at 377 Franklin though have to be a joke. Is "new" that worth it? I find it hard to believe that anyone is paying that much money to live on that block of Franklin when they could get a floor of a brownstone a block away for that price. There's no sidewalk for half the block.

Posted by: amanda at April 30, 2008 2:19 PM in response to Rentals: 377 Franklin Avenue 90% Rented

Sounds like you get the idea: it is a matter of public record. So is a lot of other data, like whether or not you voted in the last election, or, in some cases, your salary (like if you work in a small nonprofit, for instance). It is even pretty straightforward to find out who owns a car with a given license plate.

If there is a good reason why your identity needs to be concealed (like you're in the federal witness protection program or sumfin) you may be able to get help, but you'd have to go through the courts.

Even if you can get your name off of the record, the numbers will still be public.

Posted by: amanda at April 30, 2008 4:54 PM in response to Posting on Property Shark

I'm struggling with similar issues and finding it very hard to know how to negotiate. There is a ton of work that is altogether functional, but we *know* they never got permits for any of it. There are a few things that are seriously non-functional and we are trying to figure out how much we want to get estimates before we go into contract.

Posted by: amanda at May 7, 2008 11:54 AM in response to Buying a home not up to code

We need a fire escape repaired (a few rungs are coming loose) -- so I, too, would like any insights on good contractors who do this work.

Thanks!

Posted by: amanda at May 7, 2008 12:00 PM in response to Fire Escape Installation

hey, hey1: my very strong recommendation is to spring for a login on Consumer Reports: http://www.consumerreports.org

They have very reliable data.

Posted by: amanda at May 7, 2008 3:38 PM in response to Cost of Conversion: General Estimate

I know this thread is ancient, but I just wanted to say ... you probably get the idea.

You don't always get what you pay for, people get scammed all the time at both ends of the scale of shelling out. Get a couple of bids, check references, and monitor the work closely. Don't be afraid to ask questions about how the bill will be broken down.

Posted by: amanda at May 7, 2008 3:44 PM in response to Are these estimates ridiculous?

I recently got a few bids because I thought I could talk my landlord into installing one. It was going to cost over $1000 to build something we could use on the third floor.

I actually think $1000-1500 isn't outrageous given the kind of structural integrity you need (it is just a wee bit less simple than it looks, and you don't want it falling over ...) but I wasn't willing to spend that and neither was my landlord.

Posted by: amanda at May 8, 2008 5:06 PM in response to we want a clothesline pole/ladder

Slopenick, did you really just say that ("Either way, you could (hopefully) refinance your way out of a bad deal.") -- have you been under a rock for the last two months?

You might be able to refinance your way out of a bad deal, you might not. You might end up being part of the next foreclosure crisis. If rates fall and you have maintained good credit, you might be able to re-negotiate a fixed rate mortgage, but I wouldn't enter an ARM on the theory that you can just refinance later if interest rates skyrocket.

It sounds like OP should do a lot more research about how mortgages work before s/he signs a million dollar one. Do a web search for "Understanding Mortgages" or check out on of PACC's first time homebuyer classes.

http://www.prattarea.org/homeservices.htm

PS. I'm with 9:25 on looking up the rates for yourself. Any newspaper with a real estate section publishes that information.

Posted by: amanda at May 8, 2008 5:13 PM in response to Mortgage?

I knew my ex-husband was hiding assets :-)

Gotcha!

Posted by: guest at May 1, 2008 9:18 AM in response to Posting on Property Shark

"Now why would you want to do that...?"

Answer please!

Posted by: guest at May 1, 2008 12:47 PM in response to Posting on Property Shark

Thanks to those who provided constructive advice. To those who are so curious about why this question was posed, I would like to remind you that the purpose of making title transfers public is to allow for verifiable interests in property not to satisfy your particular curiosities or to provide comps for buyers (as useful as they may be). If you are so interested in other people's lawful private information then you should walk down to the municipal courthouse and verify recorded deeds and share prices to your heart's delight. There is no benefit to property owners to have their private information publicized--i.e., advertised-- versus made publicly accessible, and as such, websites like Property Shark should be limited to providing information about the building and the surrounding neighborhood absent permission to post information considered private to some. Just because it is obligatory to make something public doesn't mean that a private company should be allowed to profit by making the public information more accessible. While this principle may not hold true for information that is in the interest of public welfare and reasonably related to a substantial government purpose, the public has no protected substantive right to know this information per se.

Posted by: lewislee at May 1, 2008 9:01 PM in response to Posting on Property Shark

I don't know what Lauren Walsh's situation was, but based on the information given by the original poster, you need an architect.

Posted by: nyarchitect at May 7, 2008 3:57 PM in response to Cost of Conversion: General Estimate

It all depends on the extent of the renovation. If your changing the C of O for the building, you'll spend 12-15K just on city fee's and expeditiers. If you are talking about a gut reno of the three floors I believe $150/sq.ft. is a start.

Posted by: andrix at May 7, 2008 4:47 PM in response to Cost of Conversion: General Estimate

You should bring in your own licensed master plumber and electrician to review the work. If seller brings them in, it won't be an "independent" review. If you don't want to pay for that and this is the only concession the seller will give you (and you want to move forward) then have seller agree that you will get a written opinion from a licensed plumber or electrician. Of course, teh problem is, they won't be able to see the important work behind the walls.

Or, you can just take the risk. My point is, they are offering you a false sense of security. There is a chance that every thing will be fine, and there is a chance that they are pawning off bad work that you can't see. If you have the tolerance, and the wherewithal, to live with the risk, go for it, especially if you are not paying a renovation premium and don't mind the prospect of reopening a bunch of walls if you find out that there are real safety and quality issues. Just don't talk yourself into the notion that the risk isn't there just because seller's guy tells you so.

Posted by: slopefarm at May 8, 2008 10:18 AM in response to Buying a home not up to code

$150/sf sounds like a good budget number to me. Could be less if you can minimize the amount of work required. Could be higher if you're putting in custom work.

Posted by: nyarchitect at May 8, 2008 5:52 PM in response to Cost of Conversion: General Estimate

Dear All,

OP here. We have decided to go into contract and take the risk. We've set aside a fund to bring things up to code as issues arise.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

Brownstoner rocks!

Posted by: feelyng at May 9, 2008 6:00 PM in response to Buying a home not up to code

I have one that I will give you for free - take it away and it's yours!

Please contact me at:
slslaughter (at) gmail(dot)com

thanks!

Posted by: shasla at May 15, 2008 11:52 AM in response to we want a clothesline pole/ladder