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July 1, 2008
Help! Need Lead Paint Removal Recs
My husband and I just bought an apartment and we are doing the painting pre-move in. The paint looked like it was in pretty good condition but as we started to scrub the walls for prep work we noticed that the baseboards are peeling. The building is pre-war so we expect that there is likely some lead paint under there.
Everything I've read about lead paint removal is starting to freak me out. Did you go with a company to strip away paint or did you do it yourself? Any good recommendations? How much did you pay and how quickly were they able to do it? The walls are in good shape, so we're just looking to redo the baseboards.
January 1, 2008
How long did it take you to find/buy your first apartment?
Happy New Year, fellow Brownstonians! I've often lurked on this forum and found great advice about the nuts and bolts of apartment shopping and owning.
My husband and I have been seriously looking to buy our first place for over 1 1/2 years. Off the top of my head I can think of 30 plus apartments that we've seen in the past 6 months and I know that there are likely more than that--after a while they all blend together a bit.
In the past 3 months we've really kicked our search into high gear and we've come very close to closing on several properties. 2 were accepted offers that we walked away from because of big red flags with our due diligence and one that we underbid b/c we thought the apartment was priced high for various reasons, but even in this supposedly slowing market someone else came in over asking. As the New Year begins, I'm trying to remain optimistic that we'll find a place, but I can't help feeling somewhat defeated by the whole process. I know that you have to see a lot and really get out there before you find your place, but it's hard when you put so much effort into something and it always seems out of reach. How long did you search before you found your apartment?
Author's Comments
There's a store on 7th Ave and 6th St in Park Slope, Gothic Cabinet Craft, I think. I believe they do radiator covers--they might even do custom work. I haven't bought from them, but I think I saw covers when I was there recently.
Posted by: brownstonegirl at January 2, 2008 10:27 PM in response to Radiator Covers
Wow, that's a tough call. I don't have kids, but I can see how you might want a ground floor bathroom with the little ones and it is nice for guests not having to send them upstairs. That said, the nicer kitchen might be more of a selling point than a powder room if you decide to sell your place.
My in-laws are renovating an old farmhouse (outside the city) and they have a powder room on the ground floor. It's really tiny and they just finished re-doing it. We all got along fine while it was out of commission (including the young grandkids). And now that it's in working order I think I'm the only one that actually uses it. Good luck with your reno!
Posted by: brownstonegirl at January 1, 2008 11:26 PM in response to poll: add a powder room to the main floor of a house or have a bigger, better kitchen?
Obviously the search process is different for everyone and I appreciate all the feedback.
When I said "seriously looking" for 1 1/2 years, I meant it's been 1 1/2 years since the first place that we bid on. It was one of the early apartments we saw--we actually had the high bid, but the buyers needed to make a quick sale and we lost to someone who could put 80% down in cash. Since then we've looked on and off, with most of our house hunting in the last 6 months.
Thanks for sharing your strategies zeebee and cortnyc. We're pretty much in the place where we've defined what is necessary and what would be great but not a deal breaker for us.
8:18: I don't really want to get into all of the specifics of why we backed out on the other apartments, as I know that brokers troll these sites, but there were significant concerns and our lawyer basically advised against either. We realize that home buying is always a risk, but we didn't walk on these deals over something trivial or because we were being "picky."
Posted by: brownstonegirl at January 1, 2008 11:14 PM in response to How long did it take you to find/buy your first apartment?
@:55: Thanks for giving me hope! We'll keep plugging.
clementine16: We're also looking for a 1+ co-op or condo.
With one of the places we walked away from there were issues with the building financials, the sponsor and the apartment itself. With the other place we had an inspection and discovered there were a lot of things that needed to be addressed. The seller wouldn't budge on the price and while we were willing to do the reno work, we couldn't afford the price they wanted and the work that the apt needed.
From our experiences I've learned it's really important to do your due diligence. Read those board minutes and get a good attorney who knows what they are doing. Good luck as you begin your search!
Posted by: brownstonegirl at January 1, 2008 5:17 PM in response to How long did it take you to find/buy your first apartment?
1:41: I didn't actually mention anything about my current place...which is a fine apartment to rent, but we're at a point in our lives where we'd like to own our place and build equity in our home.
2:21: Thanks for your perspective. We're definitely going to start the New Year fresh. It's not that we're not expecting to see anything so different in price or space from what we've seen. And we're willing to put work into the place. It's just been a very stressful last couple of months between being outbid on places that we wanted and having accepted offers then discovering legal and other issues with the apartment.
Posted by: brownstonegirl at January 1, 2008 2:46 PM in response to How long did it take you to find/buy your first apartment?
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
Buyer's brokers in NYC are a waste of time. No one works for the buyer. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Posted by: guest at January 2, 2008 5:32 PM in response to How long did it take you to find/buy your first apartment?
There's no such thing as buyer's broker! it's a myth!
It took 4 months of intense search (going to open houses almost every weekend) for us. I have to say apt-hunting in NY is the most exhausting and frustrating thing to do. A few of the deals fell through, which were devastating.
Take your time, be patient, I'm sure you'll find a place that you'll love (in which case you should jump on it right away). Hang in there!
Posted by: guest at January 2, 2008 5:33 PM in response to How long did it take you to find/buy your first apartment?
it took me two or three months, looking in park slope. (but that was 2002.)
Posted by: guest at January 2, 2008 6:23 PM in response to How long did it take you to find/buy your first apartment?
While there are some conflicts of interest, I do believe that a good buyers' broker can be invaluable. We moved back to Brooklyn after a stint in California, and used a broker to help us power house hunt for three days. (We'd been watching the market via the internet and with local friends for about four months prior to our visit.)
Our broker showed us apts that were not within her brokerage, and changed the places that she showed us as we gave feedback and changed our price range.
We saw maybe 15 apartments within those three days - by the end of it confidently put in a bid. Good luck with your hunt!
Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 9:45 AM in response to How long did it take you to find/buy your first apartment?
LWP (Lucky Window Products)carries them. they on the web.
Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 11:22 AM in response to Radiator Covers
http://lwphomepro.com/showroom.asp
Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 11:24 AM in response to Radiator Covers
thanks for the tip on gothic. i just called and they do make radiator covers. i'm going to go there this weekend and see what kind of prices they have.
i'm not looking for anything fancy, just something to get the job done.
Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 3:29 PM in response to Radiator Covers
Are you talking about the Gothic that was in the same building as Dagastino's? That's gone. They both moved out months ago.
Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 4:08 PM in response to Radiator Covers
This company appears to make wooden versions to order. They'll be in New York next week making house calls to take measurements on custom builds and offering 25% off some styles.
http://www.woodenradiatorcabinet.com/english/home.html
Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 4:24 PM in response to Radiator Covers
For what it's worth, kids only touch a hot radiator once. If you want them, go ahead, but like most child-proofing, they really are optional.
Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 4:26 PM in response to Radiator Covers
I read the thread on Chowhound and ordered my first pie from Peppe's last week. After seeing the raves, I ordered the Grandma's Pizza, and sadly, it was not very good. The sauce was more crushed tomatoes than an actual "sauce." And the crust wasn't anything to write home about. The owners seemed nice and I wanted the pizza to be good, I really did. Maybe I'll give them another chance once the buzz dies down a bit and they get more into their groove. Hope you guys have better pizza luck!
For pie in the Slope, I agree with Action Jackson. I love Pizza Plus. Pizza connoisseurs may balk, and I'll admit it's not the best pizza place in the world--I wouldn't suggest pilgrimages if you're not from the nabe, but it's a nice family business and they make a solid pie.
Posted by: brownstonegirl at January 2, 2008 11:44 PM in response to StreetLevel: Slope's Best Pie?