For a co-op with 12 units or more, just read the minutes and the financials, for a building with 4 units or less, it would be financially irresponsible not to have a building inspection. For a co-op in a building with between 4-12 units, it is up to you and your comfort level.

Posted by: chase at February 27, 2010 5:46 PM in response to Good Co-op Inspector

It is actually two trees down on St Johns. They were both removed yesterday.

Posted by: chase at February 27, 2010 5:41 PM in response to Tree Down in The Slope

The Prospect Place house seems overpriced by $600K. This is three story house priced as a four story. The house looks to be in good condition and on a well located block. Because the stoop has been removed, it's facade has been compromised. This can be fixed but will cost $40,000. The broker on this one is living in the past!

I saw the 1st Street house a while ago. What I remember about it is that while it was in very good condition, is small, and felt narrow. I thought the narrowness was because of built in bookcases and closet placement, not because actual width. The 3rd floor feels like a large master bedroom suite, but nevertheless a one bedroom.

Posted by: chase at October 17, 2009 11:08 AM in response to Open House Picks

I lived in a loft building on the next block on Lexington fifteen years ago. It was was one of the most fun places I ever lived. Then there were a lot of Pratt students and some working artists in the surrounding buildings and blocks. Some of them still live there.

Posted by: chase at May 15, 2009 7:07 PM in response to Checking In On 105 Lexington Avenue

brooklynbaroque:
PS321 zoned area is south side President Street to north Fifth Street. All of Garfield is zoned for PS321.

Nothing is perfect, but this house looks good to me. I could change the paint colors and the appliances in time.

Posted by: chase at April 13, 2009 5:52 PM in response to House of the Day: 113 Garfield Place

I choose honed granite counter tops for my kitchen when I renovated about eight years ago.

I like the functionality. I can put a hot pot down without burning the counter top. I do have to wipe them to avoid smudges, but I don't mind that.

I will never use granite or marble or slate or any stone for kitchen counters again. They last too long! There is no one material or look that I will want for the rest of my life, yet these granite counter tops will outlast me and my children. I wish I had used a cheerful formica. Then when it got tired or it looked crummy after about 8-10 years, I could, in good conscience, pull it out, replace it and freshen up my kitchen!

BTW, I also had high quality custom cabinitry built for my kitchen. Yhey are great looking and while I love my kitchen, I will be tired of the look before it needs replacing. The next time I have an opportunity to renovate a kitchen, I plan to spend less and be pleased when it gives it up after ten years.

Posted by: chase at January 21, 2009 12:47 AM in response to Condos of the Day: 4 South Portland Avenue

The music is always just right, and the coffee is good.

Posted by: chase at January 5, 2009 10:49 PM in response to Shout-Out to Outpost

The music is always just right, and the coffee is good.

Posted by: chase at January 5, 2009 10:49 PM in response to Shout-Out to Outpost

Ironballs,
I know an "elder" in Fort Greene, who had worked in the NYC schools first as a teacher, then as an assistant pricipal prior to retiring. She recently sold her house to one of those undesirable people who paid between $1,500,000 - $2,000,000 for her house. She moved to Florida, bought a three bedroom house with an in ground swimming pool in a 55+ community, travels and is really enjoying herself. The new owners will raise their family in that house, and maybe someday sell it. Sounds like a good ending to me.

Posted by: chase at December 14, 2008 9:35 AM in response to Open House Picks

Is 1.26M too much for one of the houses on Park Place? The work can be done in stages. I like that spot.

Posted by: chase at November 29, 2008 10:02 AM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

Great idea! Jerry goes to revive North Philly or Camden. No one will ever have to hear from him, again and again, how he is solely responsible for the neighborhood Fort Greene is today, or what marginal celebrity he has been associated with during a real estate sale.

Posted by: chase at November 2, 2008 10:24 PM in response to Minsky Out At Corcoran?

Our small coop has always let building inspectors look at the whole thing when someone is buying. That way we get free trouble-shooting ourselves. We just fixed something the last inspector found. Cannot imagine that a well-run coop would have big objections to something for nothing.

Posted by: boerumbiddy at February 27, 2010 6:19 PM in response to Good Co-op Inspector

My experience is with large, luxury co-ops. Sorry. I really feel badly about perhaps misleading folks who are looking to buy into smaller co-ops.
In my building, we would never, ever, allow a prospective buyer to look at the infrastructure of our building.
If you don't want to live here, don't.
My advise is sound if you are planning to move into a prestige co-op. Don't challenge the board. They will not schedule an interview.
As I said in an earlier post, i don't have experience with smaller co-ops.

Posted by: Minard Lafever at February 27, 2010 8:23 PM in response to Good Co-op Inspector

Minard, you live in Brooklyn Heights, right? You're on the board? I know board members at 1 Pierrepont St and 2 Montague Terrace and both allow inspections. Those are pretty large/luxury co-ops. And I'm on the board of a neighboring building that is of similar size. True, we may not be considered quite so lux, but we do know the difference btw feeling bad and badly ;)

I didn't inspect when I bought into this building because I was pretty familiar with it, but I would have walked had I been told that I couldn't. How would you know if the 100k/200k/650k reserve is at all reasonable if you didn't know what major cap ex projects are coming down the road?

Posted by: Ringo at February 28, 2010 4:54 PM in response to Good Co-op Inspector