i would almost think this wasn't so bad if it weren't for the balconies. without those it could be seen as eccentric but cute. but with them i think it's pretty much beyond redemption.

Posted by: geekspice at November 12, 2008 12:28 PM in response to A Mediterranean Makover

It's a gross oversimplification to try and explain the 25-year period to which you're referring, which included multiple economic cycles, as some kind of inevitable result of the the NYC tax code. White flight and urban decay were national phenomenons with much more complex and intractable roots than the NYC commuter tax.

Studies have shown that the "tax breaks" that municipalities hand out to corporations to try and attract them to a city, or prevent them from leaving a city, almost never pay off for the taxpayers in that municipality - although of course they do for the corporations.

Fundamentally, the city has to pay its bills, and everyone has to do their fair share. NYC residents shouldn't be bullied into shouldering the entire burden of the current downturn by the scare tactics that the freeloaders so love to use.

Posted by: geekspice at November 6, 2008 5:56 PM in response to End of the $400 Property Tax Rebate

These arguments against the commuter tax are pretty old and tired. We have to face facts: Maintaining services and facilities in NYC costs money. The money has to come from somewhere, and in lean times those somewheres become a lot more scarce. Fairness dictates that the costs should be borne in some measure by all the people who use the services and facilities in question.

If all the commuters will agree to not use the subways, the streets, the water and sewage systems, the licensed taxis and limousines, and everything else that is funded, administered, and licensed by the municipal government, then they should be exempted from paying taxes to NYC. Otherwise, they should go and try to find a job out in the boondocks somewhere that pays like the one they have in NYC. Good luck with that.

Business isn't going to flee the city because the commuter tax comes back. There are a million reasons that firms want to be based in NYC. The tax structure isn't and never has been one of them.

Posted by: geekspice at November 6, 2008 4:39 PM in response to End of the $400 Property Tax Rebate

You need a wireless range extender (or two). I use this one: http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1130267578138&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper. If you don't like Linksys I am sure other manufacturers have similar products. It's the same concept as a repeater.

Posted by: geekspice at October 14, 2008 7:40 PM in response to Extended range wireless router?

Harsh but fair on the Mcmansion comment. I wish I could see if the toilet is black.

Posted by: geekspice at October 7, 2008 3:07 PM in response to House of the Day: 414 Vanderbilt Avenue

If you're dependent on the renters to make the mortgage work, then you need to determine what rent you can realistically expect to get in this market. You can always rent an apartment out (assuming it isn't a dungeon) - it's just a matter of what you get for it. So how optimistic - or pessimistic - were your rent projections when you decided to go ahead with the deal? if they were optimistic, that's probably a good reason to back out, because rents really can't go anywhere but down in this market.

I would think the other consideration would be - how much do you love this house? If you're totally in love with it, I would think that would tilt the scales toward going forward. it could take a long, long time before you find another house you can really connect with.

Posted by: geekspice at October 1, 2008 2:59 PM in response to Close? Or Walk Away?

http://www.ahrlty.com/H-258U/C-258U.html
A very, very similar house 2 blocks away that sold for ask a year ago. I agree about the light woodwork, but it will age nicely. I don't like the painted woodwork, though.

Posted by: geekspice at September 30, 2008 2:44 PM in response to House of the Day: 208 Midwood Street

The PLG house has some original detail, but not much. I believe a wall has been removed from the parlor floor to make the living room bigger. The kitchen and basement look very unattractive in these photos; hopefully they look better in real life. I don't think this house in this condition is priced under market; nicer houses in better condition in this area have gone for only slightly more when the market was in much better shape.

Posted by: geekspice at September 26, 2008 3:00 PM in response to Open House Picks

I love the idea of the person who's breaking the law by double-parking complaining about other people's ethics.

Posted by: geekspice at September 23, 2008 4:13 PM in response to Ethics-free Parking?

January 2008 was the peak of the market?

Posted by: geekspice at September 22, 2008 1:57 PM in response to As Predicted, 547 9th Street Sells Above Asking

This is hideous and despicable. Building a bigger building is one thing - building an eyesore that is completely out of context with the surrounding buildings is quite another. Unfortunately you can't legislate against bad taste.

Posted by: geekspice at September 22, 2008 1:55 PM in response to A Brownstone [Still] Dies in Brooklyn

The original parts of the house look great (although I do agree about the yellow - it's just paint). The renovated parts, the kitchen and den - no so much. It looks like there was serious damage or wear in the den and they didn't have the money or inclination to restore it - or maybe they just wanted one room where they could hide out from wood and moldings. The kitchen - ugh. Just ugh. But - 1.2MM still seems like a good price for a house this size with so much detail preserved; I think they will get very close to that. Maybe the top floor is the nanny's apartment?

Posted by: geekspice at September 8, 2008 4:59 PM in response to House of the Day: 84 Rutland Road

traditionalmod:

My house is exactly the same as you describe. If you stand on the curb you should be able to gauge fairly accurately if your basement is more than 50% above grade.

Posted by: geekspice at August 15, 2008 9:28 AM in response to House of the Day: 280 Lefferts Avenue

In some of these houses (including mine in PLG) it is actually legal to live in the English basement. Grade is measured from curb height in most cases. However this house has no C of O so you can't be sure whether the current setup is legal. It is listed as a 2-family with DOB though.

I do agree this looks overpriced. This is a decent but not great block; the house has some of the original charm but the kitchen and bath are do-overs; and then there's the legalization issue. Although I do appreciate that they didn't sink money into granite counters and recessed lighting. :-)

I spent over 3 hours in Kings Country ER recently. I ended up leaving and going to an ER in Manhattan where I was seen immediately. But my injury, while bad, was not life threatening.

Posted by: geekspice at August 14, 2008 9:51 AM in response to House of the Day: 280 Lefferts Avenue

http://www.vintagedoors.com/

Posted by: geekspice at July 30, 2008 7:52 PM in response to The hunt for the darn door

I legalized an existing deck that was built without permits and that is noncompliant with code (it's built of wood and closer than 3' to the property line). The catch is that I was able to prove (with a 40 yr old survey) that the deck had been around for quite a while. I have no idea if that tipped the scales in my favour or if it would have been legalized anyway.

Posted by: geekspice at July 30, 2008 7:50 PM in response to Real Risks of Building Without a Permit?

if anyone finds out who renovated this house, please post it sounds like a lot of people would love to know (and love to hire them)!

Posted by: geekspice at July 24, 2008 2:03 PM in response to House of the Day: 210 Prospect Place

Not sure what you are comparing these stats to to find them concerning. Here's the stats for the 71st:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cs071pct.pdf

Some people will take the % increases in some categories as an excuse to tell you you'll get shot in the head on the street if you move to LM; others will tell you they've lived in LM for 30 years and never locked their doors. LM and PLG in general brings out a lot of intense debate (read: vitriol) on this board. From a personal standpoint I live in LM and feel very safe here, but then I lived on Ave C in Manhattan in the 1991 and felt safe there, too. It's really a matter of what your comfort level is. It also matters what specific block you're talking about. Like most NYC neighborhoods, one street over can be a whole different world.

Posted by: geekspice at July 21, 2008 9:35 AM in response to what's the real deal on crime in Lefferts Manor?

While we're on the topic, can anyone recommend someone who could refinish or replace the painted or otherwise damaged woodwork in my brownstone? Most of it was never painted, but some of the windows/sills were and I would like to restore them. I am not a talented DIY person so I will not take the risk of messing it up myself; I would much rather hire someone competent and experienced.

Posted by: geekspice at July 18, 2008 3:20 PM in response to Painting the woodwork - is it a crime?

I have a Mosquito Magnet. It takes a while to bring down the population - at least a month - but it does work. If you do get one, get the Lurex attractant - despite what the MM website says about them only being south of us, we do have Asian tiger mosquitos in Brooklyn. Even with the magnet, I still use repellent since nothing will eliminate 100% of the little beasts.

Tiki torches filled with citronella oil are also somewhat effective for short periods of time. The candles are pretty useless in my experience.

The other thing that does work is the foggers (aka Yard Guard). But they are highly toxic to good insects as well as bad - as well as people and pets. And don't get them near anything you might eat, or eat off of. You get the picture - they're nasty stuff.

Posted by: geekspice at July 17, 2008 9:10 AM in response to Best way to deal with mosquitos?

Does anyone seriously expect WF to spend $$ to repair this building before getting their permits etc. settled with the city? That would be a poor use of what leverage they have here. Whether or not you're waiting with bated breath for the WF to open (and I'm not) - they're a business.

Posted by: geekspice at July 16, 2008 11:34 AM in response to Whole Foods: Not the Best of Neighbors

I bought a Mosquito Magnet this year with the Lurex attractant (despite what so many people think we definitely have daybiters in Brooklyn). So far I have had it running for 3 weeks. We still have mosquitos but their numbers are decreasing (and we have the dessicated bodies to prove it). The product isn't cheap, and of course it sucks power and propane 24/7 which some people might not be happy with - but so far I am a believer. it's better than avoiding the backyard or fogging.

Posted by: geekspice at July 16, 2008 9:23 AM in response to mosquito repellent plants (Pelargonium quercefolia?)

I don't know what there called, but I have hardware stops installed on the sides of my windows that prevents them from being opened more than ~6 inches unless I disengage the stops from inside with thw window closed. I've seen them in the hardware store so they shouldn't be too hard to fine.

Posted by: geekspice at July 14, 2008 12:36 PM in response to Window lock?

Is it me or does the PPS house seem like a pretty good value? What am I missing?

Posted by: geekspice at July 11, 2008 2:02 PM in response to Open House Picks

I'd love a bat house. But I thought you had to put up the house and then it takes a few years for the bats to move in?

Posted by: geekspice at May 21, 2008 12:44 PM in response to Mosquito Magnet Placement

I'm almost afriad to ask because I fear being heaped with the usual BS opprobrium, but what's the really nasty yet effective stuff? Sorry but my neighbors just don't keep their backyards well drained, and i can't be eaten up yet again this summer every time I set foot in my backyard - so I'm willing to consider commiting a crime against the environment.

Posted by: geekspice at May 20, 2008 4:43 PM in response to Mosquito Magnet Placement

I think this house might be worth 1.35, or close, to someone who falls in love with it - but I don't think anyone is going to fall in love with it from this listing. The description is not too bad, just a little over the top - but the photos are terrible. Good photos can bring in a buyer who might not have been looking in a specific area or at a specific type of property - this owner needs to invest in a quality photographer to maximize their chances of bringing in buyers who want to pay this kind of money.

Posted by: geekspice at May 20, 2008 4:23 PM in response to House of the Day: 168 Midwood Street

Begonias are nice in semi-shade. There were great ones at the g.a.p. farmer's mkt Saturday.

Dianthus and alyssum also tolerate semi-shade well. Lowes in Gowanus has both right now. They also have some hybrid "ground cover" roses that supposedly thrive in semi-shade - I am trying those for the first time this year.

For full shade - I have some grape hydrangeas that have done surprisingly well under a rosebush with a large overhang. I think they get < 1 hour day of sun.

Hydrangeas look great but attract snails. Yuck.

Posted by: geekspice at April 21, 2008 12:11 PM in response to Gardening on the Mind

Begonias are nice in semi-shade. There were great ones at the g.a.p. farmer's mkt Saturday.

Dianthus and alyssum also tolerate semi-shade well. Lowes in Gowanus has both right now. They also have some hybrid "ground cover" roses that supposedly thrive in semi-shade - I am trying those for the first time this year.

For full shade - I have some grape hydrangeas that have done surprisingly well under a rosebush with a large overhang. I think they get < 1 hour day of sun.

Hydrangeas look great but attract snails. Yuck.

Posted by: geekspice at April 21, 2008 12:10 PM in response to Gardening on the Mind

Thank you for the helpful comment, Smokychimp. The floor of the basement is only about 2' below grade, so I guess that explains why the architect says it will be OK. But I still don't understand why we have to file plans at all when all we are doing is retiling and replacing existing fixtures. I guess I may never get an answer to that question....

Posted by: geekspice at March 3, 2008 3:38 PM in response to DOB Stop Work Order - what to do?

That's weird, my first post appeared and then disappeared. In answer to Smokychimp's question - the Violating Conditions were that a new 3 pc bathroom had been installed, and yes, the Remedy section was left blank. And in response to the oh-so-helpful blame-the-victim posters - I wasn't home when the inspector turned up, and apparently he just walked right into the basement.

Posted by: geekspice at March 2, 2008 4:25 PM in response to DOB Stop Work Order - what to do?

Also, my newly acquired architect doesn't agree with the previous poster's opinion - apparently I can have a 3pc bathroom on this level if something called a vent pipe (???) is done properly (but don't ask me what that means, I probably didn't even repeat it correctly)- just in case anyone else was taking that as gospel.

Posted by: geekspice at March 2, 2008 4:21 PM in response to DOB Stop Work Order - what to do?

Before we moved in there was definite evidence of mouse infestation in our brownstone. We even promised our cat all the mice he could catch before the move. But since we moved in, we haven't seen a single mouse. As you would expect, the cat is extremely disappointed. I think the presence of a cat must drive the mice away, assuming they have somewhere else to go. Our neighbors probably wonder where all the mice came from all of a sudden.

As for the baby smothering thing... that does sound a bit overprotective. I would be surprised of there were any documented cases of that happening. Anecdotal evidence is fairly worthless, but my parents had cats before they had me, and as I recall the cats stayed well clear of both me and my younger brother until we were old enough to recognize them as living creatures instead of toys. Infants and toddlers have a tendency toward tail-pulling that makes most cats wary.

Posted by: geekspice at February 6, 2008 6:39 PM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?

This is what's becoming a classic Brownstoner thread. What could have been an (somewhat) interesting discussion of what's happened to the market across various nabes and price points over the past six months, has instead devolved into yet another cross-nabe name-calling session, with a few pointless cheap shots thrown in about nannies. Do a whole bunch of people post on this site while drunk, or what? The hostility level is just astonishing.

Posted by: geekspice at December 29, 2007 4:12 PM in response to Six Months Later: Open House Picks 6/29/07

Looks like a nice reno except for that godawful kitchen floor. Don't spill any water in there unless you want a broken neck. I also have a hard time seeing it sell for this price in today's market. The block is nice and the house is unique, but I just don't see the neighborhood having the comps to support that price, and the shortage of bathrooms has to count against it, esp since it doesn't look like there's any place to put another one (maybe in the basement?).

Posted by: geekspice at December 5, 2007 5:19 PM in response to House of the Day: 1230 Dean Street

Supposedly December 31, but it's looking more like Jan 15th right now.

Posted by: geekspice at December 5, 2007 12:42 PM in response to Contractor for Basement Renovation

Try Rosini and Sons, they do high end restorations and repairs.

Posted by: geekspice at November 29, 2007 11:15 AM in response to MidCentury Armchair repair

I'm going through this process with my basement. It is pretty expensive, but not insanely so: >35K for a complete reno, including demolishing the old concrete slab, laying a new slab with vapor barrier, building out a new full bath, laying new floor tile, demolishing and rebuilding a closet under the stairs, and new sheetrock for the walls, plus a bunch of electrical work. (Apparently a lot of brownstones have very thin basement slabs that need to be demolished and repoured to avoid future cracking etc. It was a very interesting, and expensive, piece of learning.) Once the work is done, I will be happy to post a recommendation for the contractor.

Posted by: geekspice at November 29, 2007 11:06 AM in response to Contractor for Basement Renovation

I had a great experience seling my last place through Corcoran about 4 months ago. My broker was full of helpful advice and took care of arranging a lot of things I didn't have time for, plus I got above my asking price in < 2 weeks on the market. My experiences with other brokers have been much less pleasant (including some of the local Brooklyn brokers who seem obsessed with protecting their turf).

Posted by: geekspice at November 2, 2007 9:35 PM in response to Any GOOD experiences with Corcoran?

Depending on where you are, could be raccoons, squirrels, rats, or something else. In my case it seems to be squirrel(s). I never notice but apparently my neighbor can hear them. :-)

Suggest you have a pest control company come and check it out (and hopefully get rid of it). It's nice and toasty warm in there, i expect, and the critter's not likely to leave on it's own....

Posted by: geekspice at November 1, 2007 3:41 PM in response to something living in my ceiling

Heimer Engineering did a thoroughly anal-retentive inspection of our house before we bought it.

Posted by: geekspice at November 1, 2007 3:34 PM in response to home inspector

this is extremely cool. i would love to install one of these next spring and see if i can get away without air conditioning in the summer.

Posted by: geekspice at October 22, 2007 4:29 PM in response to Green Roof

Try Oz Moving if you want them to come in, pack everything up, take it away and store it, and even bring it back and unpack it when you're done. How expensive it is obviously depends on how much stuff you have and how long it takes to pack - but they will come and do a free estimate for you. I used them and found them to be shockingly reasonable (and their estimate was actually a little higher than the final cost).

Posted by: geekspice at October 22, 2007 10:25 AM in response to short term storage for furniture

I just had this done. I used A.Y.C. Group (you can Google them) and they did a fine job.

Posted by: geekspice at October 22, 2007 7:34 AM in response to dryer vent?

If you as a buyer want to know who the sellers are, just check the property tax rolls (or PropertyShark).

Posted by: geekspice at October 11, 2007 3:59 PM in response to Do sellers know the buyers names when offers are accepted?

For what it is worth, since you all (some of you anyhow) were such a lovely little support network ... we got our deposit back.

They actually tried to fight us on it, even though they actually have so many liens (okay, one plus the mortgage) on the house that they couldn't have afforded to close even if they wanted to. I still think that the lien (mechanics lien for nearly six figures) is a fiction that was invented to try to squeeze some extra money from someone (us, the bank that is foreclosing on them, a rock -- not sure who), but the lien exists nonetheless.

So we asked for our money back finally, they said "no" and sent us a time is of the essence letter. We sent our own letter, they scheduled a closing but wouldn't return calls from our title insurance company.

And then, this weekend, they just handed us a check.

I have no idea what I just learned, but I am seriously glad it is over and ready to start looking again and hoping for a bit more market tankage.

Posted by: serpentor at November 12, 2008 4:19 PM in response to Close? Or Walk Away?