mdmh's Profile
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Author's Posts
July 8, 2009
Need Help to Disassemble Sofa
We have a large sleep sofa that I believe needs to be taken apart in order to move it out of it's current location (barely fit in the first place), and then reassembled in a new location in the house. I've heard of companies that can do this, but wondering if anyone has a personal recommendation? Thanks.
November 23, 2008
Party Venue Recs?
Sorry this is a bit off topic, but I'm looking for recommendations for a bar/restaurant to accommodate 20 adults for a gathering on an early Friday evening. Prefer Park Slope, someplace not too crowded or noisy around 7pm and also offers food, but not necessarily sit down. A back room or downstairs area perhaps? Thanks.
March 14, 2008
Lock in mortgage rate before signing purchase contract?
As far as I know this is not possible (need contract first), and yet the potential buyers of our coop, who are planning on signing the purchase contract later next week, mentioned that they will be locking in a mortgage rate earlier in the week. I'm wondering if the buyers are not being properly informed by their mortgage broker. Any thoughts?
February 19, 2008
Projects: Where to get started?
We're closing on a house next month that has already been renovated, but we're considering undertaking a few projects before moving in (about 8 weeks after closing). We're just not sure if we need an architect, designer, or contractor, etc. We'd like to redo the smallish kitchen (replace cabinets, put sink in the island, possibly replace the tile floor with wood), plus replacing a small "shed" like extension off the back wall of the building with a bigger structure or even knocking down a wall and making the room a true extension. And/or turning a window into french doors. We'd like to get some design ideas as well as cost estimates before we decide how much work we're going to be able to do. Any advice or where to get started?
January 9, 2008
Walk away of work it out?
Advice needed, and I’ll try to make this brief as possible: My husband and I just had a very thorough (2+ hours) inspection done on a 2-family house we had hoped to purchase in Bay Ridge. The price is right and it has everything we’d been looking for including the fact that the owner had everything renovated just a few years ago (and included zoned heating, central a/c, soundproofed floor, finished basement, etc.). He did the work for himself and family to live in, although recently had to take in some elderly relatives so needed more room and now lives in the house right next door. Unfortunately yesterday the inspector gave us the sobering news that a lot of the renovation work that was done to the place was sloppy and would need fixing, including some (if not all, couldn’t see) of the pipes were not laid/secured well, electrical upgrades (possibly not enough voltage running to house) and a lot of other smaller stuff. Even the owner seemed surprised/disappointed in the results. We are so glad we did the inspection early on as it was a sobering experience! We were going to just walk away since we don’t have the money for these kind of repairs right now, but the owner really wants us to be his neighbor and is offering to get the new work done himself (at no expense to us) or even pay for us to get our own estimates from electricians and plumbers, etc. and then give us a price reduction on the house according to the costs (I’d consider this option first). Does any of this seem reasonable? I have no idea how much money or time any of this would involve or if we’re just crazy for even still considering this house. Opinions welcome!
Author's Comments
Thanks I'll give them a try. Love the name too!
Posted by: mdmh at July 8, 2009 1:56 PM in response to Need Help to Disassemble Sofa
To eman1234, I agree about the over development problem, that was a big factor in us choosing Bay Ridge, there is no issue (yet!) about not getting into your zoned school. It's nice to have options, but if anyone prefers (as we did) to be able to send your kids to the local, well run, within walking distance, elementary school that most of the other kids on the block also attend then I would highly recommend looking into this area.
Funky Monkey: I have heard good things about McKinley, the middle school here in the Ridge. All the teens on our block attend.
Posted by: mdmh at June 4, 2009 12:16 PM in response to Best Public Grade Schools in BK?
We moved from Park Slope last year and although we considered many other areas for more affordable housing, we also have a preschooler so schools were a big factor. Bay Ridge was the best choice we could find. We are zoned for PS102 and have heard nothing but good things about the school from all our neighbors. It is a big school, but they seem to handle it very well. The nice thing about Bay Ridge is that there are several elementary schools here and I haven't heard anything really negative about any of them overall.
Posted by: mdmh at June 3, 2009 8:32 PM in response to Best Public Grade Schools in BK?
Depends on your priorities, if you want to be closer to Manhattan or Prospect Park but don't need a large apt. or being close to many amenities, you can look at the areas surrounding Park Slope as folks have mentioned. However, if you are willing to consider a bit farther, then in Bay Ridge you can get a very nice sized 1 or even 2 bedroom apartment in that price range, plus you are in a walking distance to transportation, tons of restaurants, bars, stores and parks. I know it's a bit of a leap coming from the EV though, but in the past year I know several single friends that have chosen to rent here because they could get much nicer spaces.
Posted by: mdmh at May 27, 2009 10:22 AM in response to Neighborhoods for Great Deals?
We received the same letter several months ago from Chase, basically saying they were freezing our HELOC because our house was valued to low. We knew the value estimate was way off, and found out that the bank was lumping houses together within a 10 mile radius! We really needed to keep access to our HELOC this year so we bit the bullet and paid for their appraiser to come (yes the bank assigns you an appraiser). Luckily the appraisal came back high enough to unfreeze our HELOC. So if you really need it, might be worth the hassle.
Posted by: mdmh at May 22, 2009 11:41 AM in response to Chase Turns Off Our Spigot—For Now at Least
Jane of Jane Interiors did this exact kind of help for us last year when we moved into our new house. She was very helpful. Her website is http://www.janeinteriorsnyc.com.
Posted by: mdmh at May 14, 2009 11:51 AM in response to Interior Design help
I have a lot of experience with that playground, we sold our coop last year that was right next door. When we first moved in we thought that the sounds of children playing during the day would be no big deal and it wasn't really (the loudest times are between 8 and 8:30 am and during lunch/recess). It was the sounds of older kids/young adults playing basketball or just hanging out in the playground partying after dark that got hard to take, especially after we had a baby, we could never really have our windows open at night (the playground is supposed to be locked up every night but despite efforts from the community meeting with the parks dept. and local police, it was often a problem)
Posted by: mdmh at May 10, 2009 8:23 PM in response to Berkeley playground loud?
I really wish they'd open one up in Bay Ridge! I moved here from the Slope and it's really one of the only things I miss.
Posted by: mdmh at March 3, 2009 7:29 PM in response to Tea Lounge Coming to The Heights?
The follow-up:
According to ACRIS documents, this property sold for $535,000 at the end of February.
Posted by: mdmh at September 11, 2008 7:36 PM in response to House of the Day: 81 Hall Street
if you're really serious about considering Bay Ridge (and I think you could find what you're looking for here, you can rent the basement as an apt. for income), then you need to come and walk around the neighborhood and take note of all the realtor signs outside of houses. A lot of Bay Ridge real estate is done locally, not on the internet.
Posted by: mdmh at September 2, 2008 9:48 AM in response to two family in brooklyn????
I agree a lot of lower priced 2br coops don't really have a true 2nd bedroom, but we have a real 2nd bedroom and several families live in the bldg plus a great layout, all new appliances and a W/D in the apt. so as coop bldgs go, it's not bad, but no it's not a shiny new building with central A/C so that's why it's priced on the low end. But I understand that there are certain people that would prefer the brand new condos if they can afford it. And 2:58, if you go to craigslist or NYT website, and search for a Park Slope 2BR coop for $595 you'll find it - I think we're the only PS coop at that price right now (FSBO).
Posted by: mdmh at February 12, 2008 3:40 PM in response to Windsor Terrace Condos Sell in a Heartbeat
So is the trend right now that most folks who have a budget for a 2 bedroom around the $600K range much more interested in new construction/condo conversions these days? Because I'm a little surprised these WT units went so fast when my 2-br coop in prime Park Slope for under $600K has been on the market for 2 1/2 weeks and haven't had any offers, especially considering there just aren't many 2 bedrooms in this price range. Just trying to figure out if it's the economy, the new condos competiton or what.
Posted by: mdmh at February 12, 2008 2:04 PM in response to Windsor Terrace Condos Sell in a Heartbeat
OP here. If anyone is curious, we had a plumber and electrician look at the house (plumber Timothy Myers highly recommended from this site) and were told the work was not really that bad (a little sloppy yes, but not in any danger of not working for the next 50 years). So although we appreciate the inspector's point of view, we're glad we went ahead and got the specialists opinions as well.
Posted by: mdmh at January 14, 2008 1:35 PM in response to Walk away of work it out?
OP again. I do appreciate the comments both pro and con. This was not the house discussed on forum a few weeks ago. We have had several meetings with the owner (we looked at house twice, he was present for inspection, plus several phone calls). He is offering to reimburse for the costs of the electrical fixes (we'd use our own electrician) and there are other things that we agreed would be fair for either us or himself to take care of. The inspection was very through, but of course we still don't know what's behind the walls. We are going to pay for a plumber estimate ourselves. We totally understand that owning a house will require a certain amount of repairs, especially over the years, and we do hope to have a decent amount set aside to cover these costs. We just don't want to get in over our heads so if things turns out to be too costly or too extensive, we will have to walk away.
Posted by: mdmh at January 11, 2008 2:34 PM in response to Walk away of work it out?
OP here. Thanks to everyone for the advice! The owner is willing to pay for the electrical issues and a few other things, but not the plumbing issue, but we're willing to pay for a plumber to give us an estimate anyway. The plumbing concern is that the pipes seen underneath the basment drop ceiling are not well aligned/secured (sloppy work). The drop ceiling was installed as part of the ceiling to have easy access to these pipes and the owner claims that this particular plumbing work was done by a different person and that the pipes in the rest of the house are secured (I won't go into his details as to why he claims he knows this). Not sure what to believe now. And if the basement didnt have a drop ceiling we wouldn't even know about the pipes in the first place. He did live there for years with his family, but are we taking a huge chance here? Any further advice greatly appreciated!
Posted by: mdmh at January 11, 2008 10:31 AM in response to Walk away of work it out?
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
Good point, Iz. I think they call it "the cheese gap."
Posted by: mopar at June 4, 2009 1:35 PM in response to Best Public Grade Schools in BK?
our kid is far too young for me to speak with experience, but neighborhood folks have told me that PS 9 in prospect heights is very good and continuing to improve. since we already own in the area, our plan is to try it out for pre-K (if we get in) and at least the first couple years of grade school and see how it works for our kid.
people have talked about clinton hill and fort greene being underserved with respect to middle schools. i would add prospect heights in with that grouping - it is in the same district and shares very similar demographics.
keep in mind that, in addition to overcrowding, the DOE changes its rules every single year, and may in fact change zoning. this could be a big bummer for you if you buy based on zone well before your kids are in school, because the DOE could simply pull the rug out and send you somewhere else.
Posted by: i disagree at June 4, 2009 1:39 PM in response to Best Public Grade Schools in BK?
prek and k changes each year. lots of great pre-k progams out there. we are going to 84 in williamsburg and inside schools lists it as a "model" for the city. there are 4 great public all day pre-k's in williamsburg: 132, 84, 17, and 110. 31 and 34 open up to full day for K. there's a great new charter for k. 84 has a great dual language program that starts in K as well.
for 1st on up, district 14 boasts 3 top top rated schools: 132, 34 and 31. (by both inside schools and the DOE).
also for prek and k, private schools: williamsburg northside, WNNS, St. Nicholas and brand new Montessori.
the parents/kids community is exploding here.
also, the schools are not over-crowded. if interested, check out the yahoo group: brooklynbabyhui - amazing parents - no BS or judgments. very supportive.
Posted by: wine lover at June 4, 2009 1:52 PM in response to Best Public Grade Schools in BK?
both my girls are "graduates" of PS 261 in Boerum Hill. Very lovely experience, not perfect, but pretty damn good. don't forget for middle school and HS, commuting to manhattan is an option, too.
Posted by: kcf at June 4, 2009 1:55 PM in response to Best Public Grade Schools in BK?
what do they do if your zoned school is full? do they just sign your kid up for the closest one with openings? or do you sort of apply to a lot of them and send your kid to the one that you think works the best?
Posted by: joe_the_bummer at June 4, 2009 2:16 PM in response to Best Public Grade Schools in BK?
Joe, I'm not sure the DOE knows what to do with the zoned overflow. From what I've heard, it's really a debacle and a scary one at that. We jumped through big hoops to get into our zoned school (selling our old place, and now renting - but by luck wound up selling at the peak as a result) and the idea, after all that, of not getting in would have been devastating, and yet that's what's happening to many families. It's one of the huge failures of Bloomberg. Any one have any concrete updates? As for which schools are "best" there does seem to be a huge spectrum of opinion, since personal preferences are so different. When I was researching schools, I found lots of conflicting advice (lauding and tearing down the same school) - so ultimately, you have to do your own research, decide for yourself, and choose what's right for YOUR individual kid(s).
Posted by: Miss Muffett at June 4, 2009 2:28 PM in response to Best Public Grade Schools in BK?
Because of severe overcrowding in the "hot" known good schools, you can expect in-zone lotteries and re-zoning in the next few years. The safest bet would be to live in the middle of several good schools. For example, PS 29 (excellent) in Cobble Hill is immediately adjacent to PS 261 and PS 58, both very good schools. PS 29 is over capacity with in-zone kids, but PS 261 and 58 are still accepting out-of-zone kids -- there's room there.
I believe -- but don't know -- that the schools immediately adjacent to extremely overcrowded PS 321 aren't so good. Not my nabe, so I await correction!
The great news, though, is that the situation for elementary schools is fairly fluid. Today's mediocre school could be next year's hot school. With new leadership, it can really happen that fast.
As you look, of course, know your school boundaries. Real estate agents aren't necessarily up to speed.
Posted by: Brooklyn Chicken at June 4, 2009 2:58 PM in response to Best Public Grade Schools in BK?
"Despite 51, she did ok academically and managed to get into the city's best high school."
What, in your opinion, is the city's best high school? Even if one accepts the idea that there can be such a thing, given how varied kids' social and academic styles area, it seems there would be many candidates.
Posted by: Sparafucile at June 4, 2009 3:00 PM in response to Best Public Grade Schools in BK?
Brooklyn Chicken - PS 39 and 107 are right near 321 and many people like them and think they are very good (though again, some don't, but I found that was true even with the "famous" 321).
Posted by: Miss Muffett at June 4, 2009 3:03 PM in response to Best Public Grade Schools in BK?
i have been told by parents of out-of-zone kids at 261 and 58 that they are not accepting any more OOZ kids unless they're siblings (and even then, maybe not). would be happy to find out that this is wrong info.
Posted by: i disagree at June 4, 2009 3:46 PM in response to Best Public Grade Schools in BK?
I think JR appliances in Park Slope (and maybe other companies?) offers a service where they will pick up your A/C, clean it throughly and store it for the winter, then bring it back in the spring and reinstall it.
Posted by: mdmh at September 29, 2009 8:15 PM in response to tips for storing window a/c unit