Mike Z:
Thanks for checking Craigs List. I saw the Astoria covers and may go check them out. The price is good. We need the covers in the short-term to protect our toddler from burning herself. So the way they look isn't so important. Please call me to discuss. Thanks! Liz (lizpic) 718/216-8649

Posted by: lizpic at November 19, 2007 6:50 PM in response to Radiator covers

We have very few people to recommend from our buying/renovating/moving experience. However we were extremely happy with our mortgage broker, Hymie Serure at Trachtman & Bach. Hymie was not sales-y, was easily reachable, and gave the best rates. I found out about him on this forum.
Hymie Serure
(718) 623-1400 x207
(646) 775-7398
hymie@tbmortgage.com
www.tbmortgage.com

Whatever you do, do not look for mortgages or provide your contact info to lendingtree.com. I made that mistake and got on dozens of shady brokers' lists, who are still persistently calling.

Posted by: lizpic at November 24, 2007 9:49 AM in response to Mortgage broker needed

$75 OBO

Posted by: lizpic at February 4, 2008 7:17 PM in response to Red Oak Flooring For Sale

The wood has been taken.

Posted by: lizpic at March 2, 2008 2:27 PM in response to Curb Alert: Free Red Oak Flooring

Rick Ladd has helped us with a few small projects around the house. We were impressed with his communication skills, attention to detail, and reasonable price (I think $35/hour) He is actually an artist by training, but has moonlighted as a handyman for many years to support his true calling as an artist. He's got good taste in music, too. His contact info:
Rick Ladd
718-506-7621
bottlecap@mindspring.com

Posted by: lizpic at March 25, 2008 10:15 PM in response to Need a Handy Man

I recommend Hymie Serure at Trachtman and Bach to everyone. He is responsive, honest, and got us the best rate. He was a pleasure to work with. There are so many people involved in a home purchase -- RE agents, inspectors, lawyers, contractors, etc -- and I found that very few of the "professionals" we engaged to help us were easy to work with. Hymie was a pleasant exception. 917/626-2062

Posted by: lizpic at April 15, 2008 1:25 PM in response to mortgage broker ?

I'm glad that there is so much interest. I've received some recs and proposals for teachers, and a handful of interested "pupils" to share the experience and cost. Those of you who expressed interest -- plz email me your contact info, liz.picarazzi(at)gmail.com

Posted by: lizpic at April 28, 2008 11:10 PM in response to House Tutor for New Homeowners

I have 4 covers that I used when my daughter was a toddler. Willing to sell them.

Posted by: lizpic at July 17, 2008 9:31 AM in response to NEED REDIATOR COVERS

We have used Lance Tarhan with Avistar Mortgage. He's diligent, prompt in replying to us, and has always done a great job. He also has great reco's for other real estate professionals: 718-238-7222.

Posted by: guest at November 24, 2007 7:46 PM in response to Mortgage broker needed

To all the people who responded to the inquiry:
You should take a course in finance.

You are obviously not
well versed on the subject of money.

To the OP.............There are many different ways to solve a problem.

Why go with the most expensive?
There are high commisions on all sides internally.

.Please think twice before you decide.

Posted by: Ysabelle at November 24, 2007 11:29 PM in response to Mortgage broker needed

This is what happens and it is legal....the Mortgage broker gives the real estate broker 6% commission from the total of the loan.

In other words the real estate broker gets 6% from the seller and 6% from the mortgage broker. 12% for practically doing nothing.

In addition, to the same broker renting the property for you, they get 15% of the years rent from the tenant.

If some of these R.E. brokers cannot make a living they must be really stupid!

Both professions are snarky.

remember this.......You might be able to negotiate a lower sale price from the owner directly if you do not use a r.e. broker.

Another possibility is, if you are a first time buyer, there might be legit programs that can help you with all of this for much less.

Posted by: Ysabelle at November 25, 2007 10:41 AM in response to Mortgage broker needed

He's amazingly good and can get a mortgage processed in record time! Highly recommend him.

Jonathan W. Meadors
Loan Officer
(212) 692-8396 Office
(917) 687-9074 Mobile
(646) 843-2712 Fax

Preferred Empire Mortgage
205 East 42nd Street
6th Floor
New York, NY 10017

Posted by: guest at November 25, 2007 7:54 PM in response to Mortgage broker needed

ysabelle, once again, you've shown that you have no idea what you're talking about. as a real estate broker who has been in the business for seven years, and who now, after years of hard work, sells about $12-15MM in property each year, I can tell you that I have NEVER been offered a nickel from a mortgage broker to steer clients to him/her, nor would I accept it. agents DO NOT receive a percentage of the mortgage financed when referring a mortgage broker to a buyer. it's JUST NOT TRUE. I am curious where you get your information from. I work my ASS OFF for my clients to provide them excellent customer service and can assure you that I would only recommend a mortgage broker (or a contractor, or plumber or painter or architect) who I was convinced would adhere to the same work ethic as do I - good customer service and nothing less than excellent results. look deep into your insecurities and explore why you have such hostility and suspicion regarding real estate professionals? (ditto anyone else who harbors the same hostility.) did you try selling real estate and find yourself a failure at it? did you get receive a post-graduate degree (as have many of us brokers at the big firms, by the way) and consider yourself underpaid and resentful? could there be a tinge of sexism sub-surface which convinces you that only Wall Street women should earn six figures? (many of us came from Wall Street jobs to sell, so surely that's not the case). is it the potentially high-paying service-oriented nature of the profession you find distasteful or "snarky" ("snarky"??)? or are you really that misinformed? are there sleazy agents? oh hell yea, waaay too many, as there are sleazy mailmen, teachers, physicians, artists, doctors, writers -- well you get my point. the majority of us have integrity and are hard-working individuals trying to pay our bills and feed our children in a difficult, unpredictable, over-saturated field and we do our best at it. if you prefer to sell your apt FSBO and then go to your local bank for a mortgage for your next home, God bless ya. go for it. but don't fabricate stories or critcize the people trained to make or save you money on the transaction, instead.

Posted by: guest at November 26, 2007 1:29 AM in response to Mortgage broker needed

To 1:29 AM

The commission the mortgage broker gives the real estate broker
or company is legal.

You do not need a college degree to become a real estate broker.

I bought several pieces of property in ny from private sellers where the transactions all went smoothly in a timely manner.

Yes, I am happy with all my purchases and the sellers were happy not to be tied up with a middleman (woman?)

It is called freedom of choice.

Real estate brokers are a good resource for people not familiar with the area.

There are several creative ways to do business as long as all parties agree.

That is the purpose of a contract.
It is all spelled out in writing with all parties involved.

I am glad I did not go to a university.

Life taught me how to think and accept differences in people.

Everybody has a right to make a living as long it is legal.

PS
All my property is paid for in full.
I am not in debt.

Are You?

Posted by: Ysabelle at November 26, 2007 8:01 PM in response to Mortgage broker needed

I'm confused...

are you responding to my comments? (I'm "1:29"). you seem to be debating or countering arguments that were never made -- at least not by me.

do you need a college degree to sell real estate at some firms? no. am I in debt? hell yea! the bank essentially owns the home I live in. I pay them about five grand a month to live in it. and I do my best to earn enough to pay them what I agreed to pay them. it's called free market. do I need to lower myself to sleazy side deals so I can afford to pay them? nope. nor would I.

Posted by: guest at November 27, 2007 1:38 AM in response to Mortgage broker needed

FYI any money that is paid by a mortgage broker to a realtor for a referral is ILLEGAL.

Posted by: guest at November 27, 2007 9:39 AM in response to Mortgage broker needed

to 9:39 AM

The purpose of a written contract is to eliminate all misunderstanding between the parties involved.

You are mixing up the terminology of contract and sleazy.

Contracts avoid sleazy.
It is just the opposite.

I am sorry you are on the hook for five thousand dollars a month for the property you purchased. It is a small fortune to pay every month
for a residence.

Let's hope you can keep up the payments.

It sounds like you have a great deal of stress.

You are not thinking logically or realistically.

PS
I hope rhe person that wrote the original post gets a good answer that he (she) can actually use.

Posted by: Ysabelle at November 27, 2007 11:36 AM in response to Mortgage broker needed

I knew it would happen sooner or later... Something to wake me from my "blogging slumber" (a desire to comment/offer insight on relevant topics). It's been a while as it had truly become an exercise in painful, and sadly, worthless futility. But then there are the completely CLUELESS, utterly MISINFORMED, stunningly UNEDUCATED posters who raise my ire to a level which simply can no longer be contained. And the winner is...: YSABELLE!
I have recently suffered through some of your absolutely incoherent posts over the last couple of days, all the while waiting for somebody else to completely blow you out of the water and expose you for the FRAUD that you are. Some have come close to doing so, despite your pathetic attempts to "reconcile" or "rationalize" the drivel you spout. Make no mistake dear- IT IS ABSOLUTELY, 100% ILLEGAL for a mortgage broker to pay points to a RE broker in "exchange" for a "referral". It's called a KICK-BACK, and if you had any clue as to precisely what that means, you would do well to keep your BLINDLY IGNORANT comments to yourself. What is a KICK-BACK you ask Ysabelle? Glad you asked! Read the following culled from an article in the Real Deal not too long ago addressing this very issue:

"Kickbacks from mortgage brokers are the payments that real estate brokers demand before they refer their buyers to the mortgage broker for a mortgage, after or even before the client has decided to buy the property. Those requests are ILLEGAL, but they are rising because of the slackening demand in mortgages across the region, said some in the industry."

I could go on but hopefully you've got the point (a stretch I know...).

You've either got too much time on your hands, really are that stupid, or all of the above to attempt to comment so "decisively" on a topic you clearly know absolutely NOTHING about. Save us all (those who have an clue) some time and get lost!

Posted by: saint marks soul at November 28, 2007 1:02 PM in response to Mortgage broker needed