I do think you should start a brownstoner award for best historical restoration. Thoughtful, gorgeous project like these deserve recognition. Wonderful to see.

Posted by: gkw at November 19, 2009 3:34 PM in response to Development Watch: Turnaround at 424 Waverly Avenue

that is such a good price. I was trying to get various friends (with big down payments in bank) to buy that place for a long time and they all seriously missed the boat.

Posted by: gkw at November 19, 2009 10:55 AM in response to 150 Bond Finally Sells—For a Loss

so unbelievably upsetting.

Posted by: gkw at November 17, 2009 4:14 PM in response to Development Watch: Grandma's House No More

a lot of space, but location will always limit how high the price can do. Better are the little houses btw hoyt and bond where you can pay a cool mill and build another story and extension for the $200k you saved. although this is in ps 58 district which is a big advantage.

Posted by: gkw at November 17, 2009 2:43 PM in response to House of the Day: 121 Rapelye Street

I SO agree about the too small kdla - mcmansion sized bathrooms and master bedrooms in modest nyc apts drive me NUTS. But people (from the suburbs?) apparently buy based on ridiculous things like the size of bathrooms and bosch appliances. somehow the living space has become last on the list of priorities (or else the twenty gazillion new developments have somehow all gotten it wrong?) What will archaeologists/historians think of us in 100-200 years? "at this point in american history, bathing and taking a crap took on a role of central importance in the culture, as the size of the bathrooms can attest"

Posted by: gkw at November 11, 2009 2:17 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 110 Livingston Street, #8O

Rob - that's so funny! My first tenant was a female in her 20s from out of state and she was SO clueless - asking me to come down and remove a mouse from her mousetrap, put in and remove her air conditioners without so much as a please or thank you, ETC. My father (a former landlord) used to say that too...

Posted by: gkw at November 5, 2009 2:42 PM in response to Help with Demanding Tenant?

that slope house is the sweetest thing ever.

Posted by: gkw at November 5, 2009 11:06 AM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million

My exterminator had to come three times last fall/winter - (eric - 917-854-7090 - I found him on brownstoner and he's very good) but by Feb they were gone. This year they started coming again in Oct and he came once and none have returned. He figures out where they're coming in, blocks all holes in whole house and puts in industrial size traps for places that can't be blocked, ETC. You should get the landlord involved because it really needs to be house-wide sweep.

But definitely winnable! (I felt the same despair as you last year)

Posted by: gkw at November 5, 2009 10:09 AM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

can someone tell me who to vote for in support of parking permits? would be SO GREAT to have them...

Posted by: gkw at November 3, 2009 11:09 AM in response to Closing Bell: Windshield Spam Backfires

what a joke of a listing.

Posted by: gkw at October 29, 2009 2:45 PM in response to House of the Day: 902 Union Street

do we know what are the boundaries of the area covered by this re-zoning?

Posted by: gkw at October 29, 2009 11:19 AM in response to Carroll Gardens Downzoning Sails Through Council

mostly lovely with some weird tacky elements - i.e., the paint in living room, the too shiny floor and the big white shiny wall in kitchen. but love how they did the extension off the kitchen and LOVE the design of the garden. no idea about price - PLG to me is the wild west, but I'm sure there are many fans.

Posted by: gkw at October 28, 2009 1:38 PM in response to House of the Day: 136 Hawthorne Street

really lovely design. however, I just don't understand the appeal of the gravel to people (besides its low cost). especially with children, it just gets dragged everywhere...

Posted by: gkw at October 22, 2009 12:03 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 105

great price on the bed stuy house - if prices stay in that range houses will be snapped up and the neighborhood may in fact reach a gentrifying tipping point...

Posted by: gkw at October 15, 2009 11:39 AM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million

haahahahahahah - is this a joke????????????? this is the crappiest apt I've seen in a long time - who is this insane broker who thinks an apt with basically no living room could sell for anything close to this price?

Posted by: gkw at October 13, 2009 12:59 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 39 Plaza Street West

all I can say is those are some of the prettiest paint colors I have seen in a long time. I'm cutting and pasting them all onto my paint color inspiration list!

Posted by: gkw at October 8, 2009 1:57 PM in response to House of the Day: 130 Summit Street

wow - that ansonia court apt was a great deal. Love it! ahhh the good old days of decent renovations of old buildings....

Posted by: gkw at October 8, 2009 12:28 PM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million

the people who live in this building probably hightail it quickly back to manhattan (or the suburbs) and complain about how inconvenient brooklyn is...

SUCH an outrageous price. I would say $650,000 - and even that may be too high. The point of terrible locations is supposed to be that at least you get some sq footage for your dollar. Buildings like this make the insanity of our recent bubble all too clear...

Posted by: gkw at September 22, 2009 4:09 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 189 Bridge Street, #13D

i can't resist even though it's such an easy target. WHY would someone choose to live in this charmless cookie cutter POS apt? I guess because to some people the size of the bathroom and the kitchen appliances are of primary importance. ugh

Posted by: gkw at September 16, 2009 1:51 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 500 4th Avenue, #PHG

I live on 1st and really love being close to the canal simply because I find it appealing aesthetically. the block never smells - I think years ago it was a problem but hasn't been for a long time. they are very sweet quiet blocks that children can play on without supervision and there is always parking. My basement is super dry - checked that when we bought house. Owners had tons of stuff stored on floor and there was no dampness at all. However, who knows what it will be like in 30 years with global warming! I am worried about toll bros but hoping this economy will stall them for a long time. If/when they do build, it will probably be a mixed blessing since it will probably improve the zoned school.

I would just say that bank just reappraised our house for $850k - about 300k less than when we bought (at very very peak)so don't overpay!

Posted by: gkw at September 16, 2009 10:48 AM in response to Living Near the Gowanus

i agree chicken that people wildly overpay for renovations here...

Posted by: gkw at August 18, 2009 2:13 PM in response to Renovation on the cheap

perfect - except the horrible white door!

Posted by: gkw at August 18, 2009 2:09 PM in response to House of the Day: 315 Garfield Place

so so so pretty...

Posted by: gkw at August 12, 2009 2:07 PM in response to House of the Day: 20 Grace Court Alley

yuck. I hate the reno.

Posted by: gkw at August 3, 2009 1:36 PM in response to House of the Day: 225 Garfield Place

wowza - now that seems like a grat price. Not sure what it means though that a 'commercial loan" is necessary? Is that what's keeping buyers away?

Posted by: gkw at July 29, 2009 1:26 PM in response to House of the Day: 156 Hicks Street Revisited

I actually can't believe you are quibbling over $100 dollars. Small claims court will go on your record and make it difficult to rent in the future. I would let it go.

Posted by: gkw at July 29, 2009 11:15 AM in response to Deposit Deduction?

I'm an owner with a rental in Carroll Gardens and always use my broker (alan from Prudential Elliman) simply so I don't have to do all the background checking myself. I bet many owners do the same for the same reason - it's just less work. However, I think the best apartments (which my rental is not) are always rolled over to friends of the tenants that are leaving, which is why it's so hard to find good ones...

Posted by: gkw at July 29, 2009 10:20 AM in response to Need Renting Advice

I did that - renovated a farmhouse in chatham we bought for 175k and turned a 200k profit (or at least cash in hand) which we used for a deposit for a house here in bkln - unfortunately at very peak of market.

I highly recommend this system however, since you get two houses for price of one if you have a decent price on a rental here in NYC and if you buy here you may never be able to afford a second home.

Posted by: gkw at July 28, 2009 1:58 PM in response to Need Help - NYT article

I looked at these apts back in Spring 2007 when they were wildly overpriced. The construction and all the details are absolutely cheap and shoddy and the building is super dreary. It kind of sent me into a rage at the time - such high prices for such crappola. So it's been a pleasure to watch the prices drop on natefind.

Posted by: gkw at July 27, 2009 12:47 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 505 Court Street, #10C

Alright I don't feel so alone. What the hell is a url shortener and why would anyone need one? agghhhhhh - it's pretty amazing that at this point ANYONE under the age of 25 - no matter how ignorant or under-educated - understands computers, internet and social networking better than me.

Posted by: gkw at July 27, 2009 10:54 AM in response to BK.LY Launches

this is a super nice block and the lots are really deep. plus ps 29 and close to the private schools. not sure it's so aggressive, although I hope it turns out to be so!

Posted by: gkw at July 21, 2009 1:25 PM in response to House of the Day: 455 Henry Street

I am a landlord and would be THRILLED if my tenant were to make improvements. I rented for 8 years in CG and actually probably put thousands over that time into the apt - in the garden, opening up a wall, putting in french doors etc. I think it's SO worth it, especially since a little apt therapy can revitalize your love for the place and help you resist the temptation to move or buy. However, I do know people who made major improvements to their apartment and the landlord jacked up their rent to the level that the apt is now worth thanks to the improvements they made all on their own dime! Asshole! So I would make sure your landlord will NOT do that as a result of your energies.

Posted by: gkw at July 20, 2009 12:05 PM in response to Comestic Renos on a Rental?

lots of super tacky elements, but garden is a non issue - what makes it gross are the skimpy plantings and the hideous red mulch which is always a disaster- just needs a couple thou of new plants and overflowing containers. On the other hand, the stairs coming down from deck are awful

Posted by: gkw at July 15, 2009 3:47 PM in response to House of the Day: 202 Clermont Avenue

the master bedrooms in these apts are literally as big or bigger than the common living space. SO crazy.

Posted by: gkw at July 1, 2009 11:08 AM in response to Checking in on The Elan

this building is just so deeply upsetting

11217 - this is a city and ALL buildings built on main thoroughfares should have retail spaces period - encourages pedestrian life, reduces crime - it's ALWAYS a win win. Why in god's name would you argue to keep 4th ave (or any street) a wasteland? I unfortunately have to spend more time than i'd like in this area since my son attends the children's school and I would love to see the glimmerings of a vibrant retail culture along this hideous ave. unfortunately, it attracts only the deepest and most dim witted assholes of the development world who seem to be committed to keeping the ave a pit and their property values low.

Posted by: gkw at June 24, 2009 12:14 PM in response to It Came From 4th Ave: The Electryifying Conclusion!

yuck, living room is so narrow. but nice paint job.

Posted by: gkw at June 17, 2009 1:02 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 44 Cheever Place

you can have someone put in a sub-pump. we had lots of water in our basement upstate and we had to re-cement the floor so it was graded and water flowed into ditches around the parameter and then towards the sub-pump. Can't remember how much it cost, but it kept our basement very dry

Posted by: gkw at June 17, 2009 12:23 PM in response to Water Seeping From Foundation

wow, what a nice job they did.

Posted by: gkw at June 16, 2009 1:25 PM in response to House of the Day: 244 Hall Street

Don't count on the market going up again for at least five years. Interest rates are going to shoot up and prices have just barely started going down. From someone who has done one major renovation (on a farm house upstate) and one partial (on a brownstone in bklyn) I would say walk away and find a place where you can put your money into getting the place into the final shape you want it. Otherwise you will put any money you have into simply making it livable and never have the money for the finishing touches, which becomes more frustrating the longer you live in a place...

Posted by: gkw at June 15, 2009 4:03 PM in response to Do we walk? Need estimates?

there are lots of things you can do about wet basements - a simple fan can make a huge difference. subpumps etc for more severe problems. In any case, a quick way to get a sense of how wet/dry the basement is to see if they store stuff down there? if they don't, that is not a great sign. The basement of my brownstone was filled with the owner's belongings, NOT in plastic containers, and all in fine condition - which indicated that it was a very dry basement. However, we had a hugely wet basement in our farmhouse upstate - water poured through the walls when it rained hard - and we fixed it by digging trenches around the edges and putting in a subpump - sounded like a big deal to a lot of buyers (hence the dirt cheap price), but it really wasn't.

Posted by: gkw at June 10, 2009 2:09 PM in response to Urgent Buyer Advice Needed

the long and the short of it is this is an incredibly generic apt in an ugly building and it's absolutely absurd that the owners are asking for more than they paid at the very very peak of the market.

Posted by: gkw at June 9, 2009 3:29 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 100 Jay Street, #16H

yuck yuck yuck yuck. disgusting architecture, the most hellishly cookie cutter lay out with over sized bedrooms and undersized railroad living room. I just can't stand this type of apt, and can't believe brownstoner that you are encouraging the "when will it end" inflated prices of these horrible condos.

Posted by: gkw at June 9, 2009 1:05 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 100 Jay Street, #16H

One of the main reasons people make money in life is so they can help their children. I'm sure these kids will spend the majority of their lives working "responsible jobs" - why begrudge them a few years of pursuing their dreams? sour grapes...

Posted by: gkw at June 8, 2009 12:03 PM in response to Dose of Reality for Trust Fund Kids

I agree that cobble hill really at this point shouldn't really be priced lower than bkln heights - sightly less convenient and consistently beautiful but MUCH more fun. and still easy walk to all subways. still price is really annoying.

Posted by: gkw at June 4, 2009 3:34 PM in response to House of the Day: 143 Amity Street

honestly just obnoxious. when will people just price things realistically already so we can hit bottom and start moving up again. SO annoying.

Posted by: gkw at June 4, 2009 1:45 PM in response to House of the Day: 143 Amity Street

I'm glad they made such an effort to be balanced on this issue. Could they really only find a person with ZERO credibility because of his 100% vested interest to point out some of the many problems with superfunding a site. SO LAME!

Posted by: gkw at May 26, 2009 12:01 PM in response to Gowanus Superfund Debate: Both Sides Now

Yes - you need to get out of your lease immediately - you absolutely have grounds. Once you have found a place to go, then tell the police. Completely unacceptable living situation unless you are paying about $300/month for your apt.

Posted by: gkw at May 13, 2009 10:59 AM in response to What To Do About That Pesky Drug Dealer?

where's the listing?

Posted by: gkw at May 12, 2009 11:23 AM in response to Price Cut at 355 Degraw Street

I don't see any sign of the book shelves they said they wanted to build and fill with "classics that we're going to buy at the Strand. Because, you know, it's so nice to have lots of books about" even if you don't read them...

Don't think you can tell much from these photos, but I DO like the big glass windows/doors in the back walls.

Posted by: gkw at April 29, 2009 11:41 AM in response to Real Housewives: Simon and Alex's Renovation Revealed!