guest4's Profile
Author's Posts
May 20, 2008
Life insurance is generally part of your taxable estate
The proceeds of a life insurance policy are included in your taxable estate unless (see #3):
http://www.newyorklife.com/cda/0,3254,11403,00.html
April 3, 2008
Doors available from demolition site
I saw a pair of interior doors with original glass knobs being readied for the dumpster on my block, and I told the guys to leave them behind for me. Truth is, I don't actually need them! Just can't bear the thought of the glass knobs and the solid wood doors going into landfill. Anyone interested?
March 11, 2008
Structured wiring panel installation
We have every room wired, but the wiring is messy - I'm looking for someone to install a Channel Vision or similar structured wiring panel with phone bridges, etc. Thanks.
February 20, 2008
Subway tile - mix of ceramic and Carrera
I'm doing some retiling of a guest bathroom. The tile around the tub is white subway ceramic tile which is newish. The rest of the bathroom has 4 feet high beadboard panelling, which is circa 80s. I'm thinking of replacing just the beadboard with honed Carrera subway tiles. The tub is off in its own alcove, so would it be weird to have this mix? Would appreciate input from Mrs. Limestone.
February 19, 2008
Good source for marble subway tiles
What are good sources for Calacutta or Carrera marble subway-sized tiles? Would need the matching chair rails and baseboard moulding as well.
February 18, 2008
Paging Mrs. Limestone - need your input
Mrs Limestone - I have loved all your color choices.
Questions:
1) My daughter's room is painted BM Lily Lavender - what color drapes would go well?
2) If I have carrera marble tiles installed on bathroom floors, what color grout goes well with that?
3) What are your paint colors again by room?
January 27, 2008
Roomba for sale!
Roomba, used two or three times (model from end of 2005). $100 or best offer.
email - mghigginsreg at yahoo dot com
December 13, 2007
Admirals Row
I think it's very sad that the Row will be destroyed. I am willing to put my money where my mouth is. If the BNY would turn over one house to me for a nominal sum (say a dollar), I would gladly pony up my money to have it restored, put it back on the market, and split the profits (if any) with BNY. I could only put up the money to fix one, though.
November 21, 2007
Grey water use
I wanted to have a grey water system when we renovated, but it wasn't feasible. So this is what I do to reuse water. Since it takes a while for the hot water to run in our shower, I have a bucket to catch the cold water and any runoff while showering. I then reuse the water in toilet tank or garden or to rinse things off outside.
November 6, 2007
Handyman available
We used a handyman to complete the work on our brownstone, and can't be more pleased with the results. His daily rate is reasonable and he is skilled in a number of areas (plumbing, tiling, simple wiring, drywall, etc.) If interested, please email me at m g h i g g i n s r e g at yahoo
Author's Comments
As a matter of fact, I do embroider and knit.
Posted by: guest4 at October 3, 2007 11:54 PM in response to Why I own a brownstone and don't do any of the work myself
Original poster: I was tested as well, and my lead level was only 0.1 - and I thought I was more exposed than she was (many, more more visits to job site while under construction). And my child has been weaned for quite some time, and has at least one bowl of cereal every day (as well as her multivitamins). So it's a matter of great concern that her lead level is 60 times mine.
Posted by: guest4 at October 20, 2007 7:32 PM in response to Help! Slightly elevated lead levels in 3yo daughter
Original poster: Thanks for all the comments, I only found out that her lead level was 6 yesterday when I called the ped's office. I will definitely call cleaning services next wee k - I don't think it's toys, as she doesn't play with anything that was on the the list. We drink unfiltered tap water, and that's going to change as of today. She's very independent, and actually gets her own water from the tap, so that will be one change. We will be more vigilant about hand-washing before every meal.
Posted by: guest4 at October 21, 2007 3:08 PM in response to Help! Slightly elevated lead levels in 3yo daughter
Thanks, putnamdenizen - that is exactly how I feel. Coulda, woulda, shoulda - why didn't I get a couple of crews in to do cleaning every month. Well, it's not too late and it's not as if my daughter seems okay. So all we can do is clean and mitigate the problem now.
Posted by: guest4 at October 21, 2007 9:12 PM in response to Help! Slightly elevated lead levels in 3yo daughter
I second Dip N Strip - the owner, Lou is nice, and gives a straightforward estimate as to time taken for the job. Not cheap. He did shutters for 10 windows for me, as well as a couple of mantels, and a door.
Posted by: guest4 at October 25, 2007 12:39 PM in response to stripping - nasty or nice?
The handyman I've been using is excellent at laying concrete board and tile. I would put concrete board (wonder board) everywhere. I used him to amend some tiling issues with my bathroom, and he did a fantastic job. Daily rate $200. If you're interested, respond to this post.
Posted by: guest4 at October 25, 2007 7:06 PM in response to Tiler recommendation?
Remember when the euro was introduced and it immediately started sinking like a rock for no apparent reason. If you bought Euros then, you would have felt foolish. I think it reached rock bottom in 2002 and people kept saying it was oversold. Yet people kept selling the euro for a little while longer. Fast forward 5 years, and it's more than double what the bottom. What people are saying now is that the USD still has some way to fall - maybe 10% but that it's oversold and there's no inherent reason that the US economy is worse than the European economy, blablabla. Also, if you look at the property market in the UK, it's similarly overheated if not even more crazy than NYC. We have a property in London that has appreciated almost 80% in 3 years and that's not counting the currency gains. No fundamental reason that the prices should be so high or that the banks should lend some poor sod that much to buy a house - sound familiar? So what am I saying? Unless you have some personal reason to want a hedge against the US currency falling further (e.g. you are European and will go home at some point), don't bother trying to second-guess. On the other hand, it never hurts to diversify. Buy some foreign stock-market index based funds, sit back and hold. The only people who make money off you when you constantly trade are the brokers.
Posted by: guest4 at October 26, 2007 7:52 PM in response to Fed up with flawed logic that says foreigners will bail nyc RE out
I was a somewhat precocious child and started reading the business section in the early 80s. Oil at $30+/barrel and gold around $300+/ounce. For decades, the inflation-adjusted price of oil and gold sank and again, people kept saying it was inexplicable (esp. oil) given the finite amount we have. Anyway, people have short memories and now some are saying that oil will keep going up because of finite supply (same argument as 3 decades ago) and some are saying that oil will come off a bit as the cooling of the American economy puts the brakes on China/India's expansion and also those 2 economies have some fundamental structural problems (corruption, poor gov) that will at some point derail growth a bit. Personally, I am of the latter opinion while still keeping some of my energy-based mutual funds (which I bought in the mid 90s). Just diversify as much as you can and don't buy into some new faddish thing UNLESS you have personal knowledge that it will pan out.
Posted by: guest4 at October 26, 2007 8:00 PM in response to Fed up with flawed logic that says foreigners will bail nyc RE out
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
Not over the course of my lifetime and the multiplier effect of anyone who reads this and does the same.
Posted by: guest4 at November 21, 2007 7:33 PM in response to Grey water use
You mentioned that you "renovated". What kind of boiler and water heating system did you convert to?
Posted by: Master Plvmber at November 21, 2007 8:14 PM in response to Grey water use
OP, if everyone shared your responsible and caring nature this planet wouldn't be on the brink of disaster...
Your post served to remind me to be more
aware of how I can conserve water... it's a precious commodity, and expensive too.
Posted by: bren at November 21, 2007 8:23 PM in response to Grey water use
Master Plvmber: Not the most environmentally friendly kind, I'm afraid. I wanted to do on-demand, but didn't have time to research it fully. Went for ye olde standard gas boiler. I mean to research on-demand when time & money permit. Ideally, I would have done on-demand & grey water systems throughout.
Posted by: guest4 at November 21, 2007 9:33 PM in response to Grey water use
Bren: Thanks. I try my best - realizing that if my family lived in a one-room apt, we would not be such hypocrites. I have switched all our lightbulbs to fluorescents and keep the temp to 68. I would be okay with 63, but the rest of the family is not.
Posted by: guest4 at November 21, 2007 9:35 PM in response to Grey water use
Do you know it takes 600 gallons of fresh water to make 1/3 pound of beef? In the future water will be more valuable than oil.
The problem with NYC is that our fire hydrants are hooked up to our fresh water supply so every time some numb skull opens the hydrant for an hour while he washes his car (which happened on my block all summer long) thousands of gallons go about 10 feet down the road into the city sewer. It kind of made me see the futility in turning off the tap water when I brushed my teeth.
Posted by: guest at November 21, 2007 10:05 PM in response to Grey water use
I had great luck this summer using a rain barrel to water the plants on my roof deck. I got one with a screen on the top and so far have just caught rain water directly but I'm going to modify it next summer to catch water from the higher roof. Given the approaching freeze period I've had to winterize the barrel but I'll be back at it in the spring.
I started the rain barrel not out of being much of an environmental do-gooder but because there's no hose bib on the roof. But the plants seem to like the rain water so much better than the tap water I was hauling up in multiple gallon jugs...
Good to hear that others are thinking of ways to conserve water. I think it's hard to do the gray water in a small building given the space requirements for a storage tank but I commend you in your efforts.
Posted by: guest at November 21, 2007 10:13 PM in response to Grey water use
Well, I'm not sure if Mr. Grey (not Gray?) water makes sense, but at least he didn't cite "global warming" as a reason for doing what he wants to do. So he's smarter/less dumb than a good chunk of the population...
Posted by: BrooklynCouch at November 22, 2007 8:05 AM in response to Grey water use
Should you really be eating anything out of a grey-watered garden? Is that safe?
Posted by: guest at November 23, 2007 12:31 AM in response to Grey water use
I respect the desire to reduce footprint. However, I think there are better uses of the effort expended.
Posted by: slick at November 23, 2007 2:39 AM in response to Grey water use
We did this - floor to ceiling. Love it, but it's not for everyone. Post your email, and I will send you pictures.
Posted by: guest4 at September 10, 2007 11:01 PM in response to Glass Door in rear wall