"Thanks for being so judgmental!"

Oh, I'm not being judgmental. I don't care about the mice, but I do worry about the mouse screams poisoning people's souls, but only in a philosophical way.

I would have whacked them with the hammer rather than drowning them in the toilet, but that's just me.

I had some mouse issues last winter and found snap traps with peanut butter did the trick. Actually, I sprinkled some sugar on top of the peanut butter, which I think helps (although if you are using "sugar added" peanut butter this is probably not necessary).

I had a little trouble at first, but I found if I left a garbage bag with dinner leftovers under the sink and put traps around it, it was fairly effective.

A trap in the broiler was also useful -- just remember to take it out before cooking!

I kept a hammer around in case any rodents got wounded instead of killed by the traps, but I didn't end up needing it.

So, yeah, I'm no buddhist either.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 3:04 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

tybur -- i'll give some consideration to buying something too crappy to steal, but I might not want to go there...

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 2:57 PM in response to Subway Service on Weekends Is F@#%ed

"rent below market" + "insulting/annoying tenant" = "no lease renewal" or "huge rent increase" in my humble opinion.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 2:15 PM in response to Help with Demanding Tenant?

Even though I didn't vote? :)

Not sure about the Mazda 6. I was getting a little overwhelmed with researching and just zeroed in on the civic/corolla.

You can e-mail me at northsloperenter at gmail dot com if you like.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 2:12 PM in response to Subway Service on Weekends Is F@#%ed

The Vidiot -- your post is the best argument I have ever seen in favor of Buddhism.

This has to be bad for the soul:

"I live in a floor through so the kitchen is within earshot and in my semi-sleep, with the screaming mice, I dreamt I was choking puppies."

Oh, and why don't you just whack the mice with a hammer?

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 1:39 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

BTW, a BIG part of the reason I want a car is having a toddler. Kids seriously complicate travel (just for laughs, next time you call up your favorite car service, ask them if they can send over a car with a child safety seat installed -- or ask your rental car agent if he could hurry up with processing your car rental because your kid is throwing a temper tantrum).

If it weren't for the kid, I'd be happy just renting cars as needed.

tiptoe -- well, I guess I'll find out! I can always drive up to north slope and park there if things get too bad.

lincoln -- thanks for the tip, but I'd rather get something newer.

rob -- lol, aren't people paying enough attention to you?

chicken -- sounds like an absolute nightmare

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 1:20 PM in response to Subway Service on Weekends Is F@#%ed

"Is it unrealistic to expect prices to be more in the 2004-2005 levels of $450/sqf?"

I don't know.

But I'm pretty sure that's the level I buy at if prices get there.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 11:54 AM in response to Park Slope PPSF

"No need to spend 10K on a car. You can find a very reliable car for $3-4K. One that you won't worry about parking on the streets."

I want a car I can take my wife and kid in for 200+ mile trips with reasonable comfort, safety, and fuel economy.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 11:51 AM in response to Subway Service on Weekends Is F@#%ed

"If NorthSlopeRenter, you still live in the North Slope -"

No, I'm in center slope now, just haven't changed my name yet.

The parking isn't quite as bad here. I've been making a point of observing how many vacant spots I can see when walking around.

It is still pretty bad, but not as a bad as north slope. I assume because more of the buildings are 1/2/3 family instead of 3/4/5 family and because the streets are not through streets from 4th ave to flatbush.

Also, I won't be driving every day, so I'll only need to re-park 2 or 3 times a week.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 11:50 AM in response to Subway Service on Weekends Is F@#%ed

"$10,000 cost plus yearly operating expenses of $1,500, insurance $600, gas, $300 likely tickets = $12,400 / $$20 per car service ride = 620 car service trips or almost 2 per day!!!!!"

dave -- yes, I've looked into the cost/benefit. You have to remember that the $10k initial cost is amortized over several years. Ideally the car would last 4-6 years, so I would put "annual cost of car ownership" at around $4000-$4500 ($2000 amortized purchase price + $2000-$2500 annual operating costs).

I currently spend over $2000/yr on car rentals, so that offsets a big chunk of the costs.

So, the real cost/benefit question is "would I having a car be worth $200/mo to me"?

I'm pretty sure the answer is 'yes'.

I wouldn't be using the car to commute. It would be for shopping on weekends and out of town trips. It would make taking the kid on vacation or to visit grandparents a cheaper and easier process and it would make buying heavy crap and getting it home a lot easier.

Plus, subway service in Brooklyn sucks on the weekends and looks like it is just going to get worse.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 11:44 AM in response to Subway Service on Weekends Is F@#%ed

All too true.

I hope to get a car before 2010.

What do people like in the $9-12k range for compacts?

I'm thinking 2004-2006 civic or corolla.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 10:23 AM in response to Subway Service on Weekends Is F@#%ed

Congrats yanks. Wish the series had been a little better (e.g., 7 games with Phils winning...).

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 10:02 AM in response to Open Thread

Someone should have advised Whitman that due to budget cuts ferry service would end in 2009 so that he could include a line or two in his poem about that.

http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/Classic%20Poems/Whitman/crossing_brooklyn_ferry.htm

Others will enter the gates of the ferry and cross from shore to shore,
Others will watch the run of the flood-tide,
Others will see the shipping of Manhattan north and west, and the heights of Brooklyn to the south and east,
Others will see the islands large and small ;
Fifty years hence, others will see them as they cross, the sun half an hour high,
A hundred years hence, or ever so many hundred years hence, others will see them,
Will enjoy the sunset, the pouring-in of the flood-tide, the falling-back to the sea of the ebb-tide.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 4, 2009 12:26 PM in response to East River Ferry Service in Jeopardy—Again

"It might make you feel better to believe that abstaining is a form of voting, but by definition, it most definitely is not."

It's not an issue about me feeling better. I feel fine.

I won't bother trying to explain any more to this crowd though.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 4, 2009 11:50 AM in response to Election 2009: No Big Surprises in Brooklyn

"Give me a break. Abstaining from voting means NOT VOTING. "

Not voting for bloomberg prevents him from having a landslide victory and encourages him to have a more conciliatory attitude.

It is a form of voting and it is noticed.

I realize the "everyone must always vote no matter what crowd" will not understand this.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 4, 2009 11:44 AM in response to Election 2009: No Big Surprises in Brooklyn

"i'd just walk to the next one, and get on with my life."

Of course you would rob. We have all seen what a stoic you are.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 4, 2009 11:40 AM in response to East River Ferry Service in Jeopardy—Again

I'll never understand the "you have to vote or there is something wrong with you" people.

Abstaining is a form a of voting.

To tell people "just vote for someone you know will lose if you can't support one of the candidates with a chance to win" is idiotic.

Oh, and I didn't vote. Really had no time/interest to learn enough about local races to make an intelligent decision and would rather not vote like a dufus.

As for mayor, I won't vote for Bloomberg (because of his support for G.W. Bush) but sadly thought he was the best option.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 4, 2009 11:30 AM in response to Election 2009: No Big Surprises in Brooklyn

Lot of ax grinding going on here...

If the [insert your local subway stop here] station were in danger of being shut down, how many of you would keep playing your little violins...

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 4, 2009 11:21 AM in response to East River Ferry Service in Jeopardy—Again

slopenick -- there are 3 reasons:

1. It would take 2 years of lower rent to make up for the fee, and I'm only signing a 1 year lease, so there is no guarantee that I'll be there 2 years (the place might turn out not to suit me or I might find a better deal or the landlord and I might have conflicts, etc.). There is also no guarantee that the landlord won't raise the rent 10-15% after the first year anyway. So, paying the fee and then hoping to make it up in lower rent is a higher risk approach.

2. I'd rather have the money I spend on my apartment go to the landlord than the broker. Hopefully, getting a higher rent will encourage the landlord to maintain the building better and respond to repair requests in a more timely fashion. Obviously, it won't matter with some landlords, but with small landlords who don't have a lot of free cash flow for dealing with unexpected repairs, it could help.

3. The broker does nothing for me that warrants getting paid that much money. The broker works for the landlord. The landlord should build the cost of the broker into the rent and pay the broker. That way when the broker's fees get too high, the landlord can negotiate or just say 'no' and go with a different broker. A tenant doesn't have that option since they can't choose which brokers will be the ones managing the apartments they want to see, so there is no mechanism to control brokers' fees when the tenant pays.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 3, 2009 3:37 PM in response to Landlord Paying Broker?

"We actually had the broker tell renters that if they rented it no fee, the rent was $100 more per month, and that's what the renters chose."

For any apartment over $1000/mo, I'd much rather pay $100/mo rent than a fee.

Also, as a tenant, I'd rather give my landlord more money every month of the lease than write a big check to a broker at the lease signing. I'm actually getting a service from the landlord.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 3, 2009 2:24 PM in response to Landlord Paying Broker?

"If you pay, they work for you. If the tenant pays, they work for the tenant."

No.

In NYC, if the landlord pays, the realtor works for the landlord. If the tenant pays, the realtor works for the landlord.

The only difference is that when the landlord pays the person paying is both the person getting the service and the person with leverage. When the tenant pays, the realtor is primarily interested in getting them to sign a lease for the 1st apartment that they see and would rather dump them and find another tenant than negotiate or put up with any annoying requests (for example, "an apartment below the third floor").

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 3, 2009 2:19 PM in response to Landlord Paying Broker?

Is this for your home or a rental property?

If it is for you, depends on how much you want a bigger yard (more maintenance, but more stuff you can do with it).

If it is for a rental, I think quality of the yard is more important than quantity. I think people will pay 15-30% higher rent for an apt. with a yard, depending on how nice it is and how much they want it.

Generally speaking though, I'm not sure bigger is better with Brooklyn back yards unless you have a real plan for how the extra space is going to be used.

My apt. has a back yard, and to be honest, if it were 25 feet shorter, I don't think it would change my opinion of how much rent I'm willing to pay. It's more yard than I need and a smaller one would be less work to maintain.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 3, 2009 10:05 AM in response to Value of a Backyard?

I've lived in places with residential parking permits. They are a pain in the ass for:

anyone visiting anyone
anyone having anyone visiting them
anyone with a rental car
anyone who sells stuff to customers who do not want to or cannot lug said stuff home without a motor vehicle

They work best in small towns were you can pop into city hall and pick up a temporary parking permit or visitor parking permit in less than 15 minutes without going through 3 levels of bureaucracy. Even then, a friend had his car towed because some self righteous resident call the cops because he was parked outside my building without a permit.

The primary beneficiaries are people who like to stick it to people they don't know.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 2, 2009 4:23 PM in response to Closing Bell: Windshield Spam Backfires

""Please note that no matter how small the stakes, gambling is illegal."

Home poker games are not illegal unless the house takes a rake.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 2, 2009 10:30 AM in response to Open Thread

benson -- winning $66 at $0.25 stakes is pretty impressive.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 2, 2009 10:21 AM in response to Open Thread

"Not looking very good for the Phillies but that Eagles smack down was incredible!!!!!!"

I'd trade every Eagles win for the entire season to have the Ryan Howard who played against the Dodgers play against the Yankees.

It's gotten painful watching him stare at high fastballs for called strikes that he should be putting in the upper deck and then swing at breaking balls he cannot possibly hit.

Hopefully the phils have a enough pride to show up for game 5 and take the series back to the bronx.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 2, 2009 9:43 AM in response to Open Thread

So, it's a friday, i have headache, i've been at the office for 5 hours, and I've done about 15 minutes worth of work.

I've spent as much time on cars.com as I can stand for one day, and I see no point in staying here another 3 hours.

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 2:16 PM in response to Open Thread

bb gun, flashlight, thermos of coffee, and a bottle of scotch.

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 2:11 PM in response to Mice in Bed-Stuy

How much auto insurance to buy:

http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/insurance/how-much-auto-insurance-do-you-need-10731/

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 1:08 PM in response to Open Thread

Maybe I should buy something like this to avoid problems with people parking me in:

http://bk.ly/T8

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 1:05 PM in response to Open Thread

"I go to my car this morning and discover I'm blocked in by double parked cars because of Alternate Side Street cleaning."

Hmmm, maybe instead of a compact sedan I should get one of those monster trucks so I can just drive over top of people who park me in.

Also, wtf is wrong with people? If you are going to (1) double park someone in and (2) be out of ear shot, you gotta at least leave your address/phone number on the hood of your car so someone can ask you to move it.

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 12:57 PM in response to Open Thread

i'm not reading well today...

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 12:32 PM in response to Open Thread

m4l -- assume that insurance is liability only, right?

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 12:31 PM in response to Open Thread

and 2 of them are expired...

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 12:28 PM in response to Open Thread

"How much to add to your metrocard to make an even number of rides:
http://www.metrocardbonuscalculator.com/"

I have 7 partial fare metrocards in my wallet right now...

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 12:27 PM in response to Open Thread

m4l -- thanks for the cost est. That's pretty close to what I spend on car rentals per year.

So, I'd have the upfront costs of buying and the constant nuisance of parking, but ongoing costs would be no different and it would be about 10000000000 times more convenient. Tempting...

I wouldn't insist on a corolla -- just some small, reliable, fuel efficient, 4 door. Accord would be good. Haven't driven many mazda's. I've rented enough ford focuses to know I don't want one of those.

During the week, I'd mostly just drive it to new parking spaces when it is street cleaning day on my block. Mostly would use it for shopping on weekends and out-of-town family visits and stuff.

It would actually make things like visiting my parents or taking a 3 day trip to the catskills much more possible.

Also, now that I'm living in 11215 instead of 11217 I've noticed that (1) parking is not quite as nuts (although still bad), (2) it is a much longer walk lugging crap home from target, and (3) having fewer subway options is really annoying.

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 12:15 PM in response to Open Thread

Have used cars gotten a lot cheaper in the last couple years?

Last time I thought about getting one in 2007 it seemed like I'd have to spend $17k+ for a 2 or 3 year old car. Now it looks like I could get a 2008 corolla for 12k.

Damn. I was kinda joking, but maybe I should get one.

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 11:28 AM in response to Open Thread

"your bumper sticker should say "Titties and Beer""

Only #3.79:

http://bk.ly/T2

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 11:00 AM in response to Open Thread

I'll have to check with my wife about the "Titties and Beer" bumper sticker. She's not a big fan of beer.

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 10:58 AM in response to Open Thread

Phillies fuzzy dice. $9.95 on ebay:

http://bk.ly/T1

I didn't know such a think existed. Now I have to get a car.

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 10:56 AM in response to Open Thread

I didn't see the chevy ad, but I saw the direct tv ad with Chris Farley. That was pretty gross.

Oh, and I'm fed up with walking, the mta, and rental cars.

What would it run me to get something like a 2005 corolla? I mean, ignoring purchase cost -- gas (maybe 3,000 miles/year), maintenance, parking tickets, insurance, fuzzy dice, "my other car is a chevy" bumper stickers, etc.

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 10:50 AM in response to Open Thread

"WHO'S YOUR DADDY?
(clap clap/clap clap clap)

WHO'S YOUR DADDY?
(clap clap/clap clap clap)"

lol. Pedro wasn't bad last night. But Burnett was better...

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 30, 2009 10:43 AM in response to Open Thread

Snappy and 11217 -- you've overstated your case.

Even if you want to assume that over 90% of the childless people wish to remain that way, it is still a nearly even split between people who are or want to be parents and people who are not and do not want to be parents.

Comments about "family friendly" this and that do not come close to 50% of comments on this site.

Furthermore, I think the demographic of property buyers of 2 bedroom and larger condos, coops, and brownstones is strongly skewed toward married couples with children and therefore would be very relevant to real estate pricing.

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 29, 2009 2:38 PM in response to Brownstoner 2009 Survey Results

"how about the fact that anything posted on this blog that has to do with people under the age of 35 is 99.9% likely to get the "hipster douchebag" perjorative."

"hipster douchebag" lowers my opinion of people too.

Reductionist labels are innately dehumanizing, even if the person using it didn't "mean it" that way.

I was a childless new yorker for over 70% of my adult life, and a single, childless new yorker for over 45% of my adult life. I've been a parent for less than 10% of my adult life.

But, yah, I'm a "breeder". Every bit as much as some guy who knocks up a prostitute or some dead beat dirtball dad or most of the rats crawling around the subway system.

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 29, 2009 2:30 PM in response to Brownstoner 2009 Survey Results

"Sorry - thought breeder was an accurate word "

No you didn't. You thought it was a fun pejorative to use.

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 29, 2009 1:38 PM in response to Brownstoner 2009 Survey Results

"Why would it be odd to point out not needing space for kids"

Because pointing out that a property does not offer something you do not need is odd.

For example:

"I love the HOTD, especially because the layout wouldn't work for a family and I don't have any kids."

"The 2 bedroom coop on Remsen St. is really nice. Especially how the 2nd bedroom is off the living room and really small, because that wouldn't work for someone with kids, which I fortunately don't have."

"Oh, I love the layout on this place. Especially how it would so totally not work for a family but works for people like me with no kids!"

Odd...

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 29, 2009 1:29 PM in response to Brownstoner 2009 Survey Results

"also i've noticed the word breeder is thrown around very casually. i wonder if i was one would i find that term offensive?"

It doesn't offend me, but it lowers my opinion of the person using it (unless it clearly a joke).

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 29, 2009 12:59 PM in response to Brownstoner 2009 Survey Results

snappy -- there are many more floor plans that work well for childless people than for people with children. I can't tell you how many "2 bedroom" apartments I've seen which are great for a couple that want more space but worthless for a couple with a kid.

Also, a lot of us prospective buyers have kids and want a place not only for a toddler but where we can one day envision sharing the space with a 16 year old. I think that because of the real estate downturn, a lot of people have realized the "starter home" idea is very risky and couples really don't want to buy a place they need to sell in 3-4 years.

You are free to point out that you don't have kids every time someone with kids criticizes a property for not having a family friendly layout, but, it would begin to seem a little odd if you did it every time...

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 29, 2009 12:54 PM in response to Brownstoner 2009 Survey Results

"It's all northsloperenter's fault."

I've heard that before...

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 27, 2009 2:42 PM in response to Open Thread

"It's a term used by sailors. A trick was a turn of duty."

It's a term used by prostitutes. A trick was a turn of duty.

Posted by: northsloperenter at October 27, 2009 12:34 PM in response to Open Thread

"Do you own a place, Brownstones Half Off?"

I think BHO is hoping for more decline in NYC real estate, so that a nice brownstone will be more affordable for him.

I can't blame him.

He often presents his bearishness rather well, I must say, even if it is an extreme and rather unlikely view.

But -- who knows? -- he could be right.

Posted by: Pigeon at November 5, 2009 7:56 PM in response to Park Slope PPSF

Sounds like a previous tenant I had.

Some people are just needy. I'm an excellent landlord and I had a woman like that years ago. She even called me to tell me she had fainted on the subway and wanted me to know she may be having a health issue...wasn't sure if she wanted me to say to call me if she needed something. Weird.I did want to say EAT SOMETHING since she is one of those young women that hold up the trains because they go without food and then pass out.

Don't renew. Good riddance.

BTW people automatically assume the landlord is the problem yet there are tenants that are hellish....and being a good tenant is about more than just paying on time.

Posted by: argentina at November 5, 2009 10:11 PM in response to Help with Demanding Tenant?

"she may likely just stay on as a holdover and not pay rent. *You will then be forced to evict and bring her to Court, a major pain in the neck.* She will try to argue that the place was unihabitable - you didnt fix problems etc etc. So you need to document everything you have done and are doing for the tenant to demonstrate that the apartment and building is quite habitable."

Posted by: saminthehood at November 5, 2009 2:25 PM

Tater, saminthehood has a valid point of how it could go; something I've seen before. Even with all the validation, photos, and contemporaneous notes you take, she could hold you up in court for an entire year and you could lose an entire year's rent. People who know how to play the system can do this. Her lawyers can keep you held up in court for a long time with delayed appearances, etc.

As mentioned by a few posters, nicely raise the rent and she may go easily. One can do this without seeming antagonistic (read all above posts). Why sign another lease, though, as you ask for increased rent? You don't need to do that and it would be counter-productive to what you want if she accepts (her gone).

Even if you go with the suggestions that she no longer has a valid lease and legally has to go -- please see again the paragraph by saminthehood. It could go like that, a legal quagmire for a year to prove everything and whatever and you lose a lot of money, with nothing ever being proved (proven?) A long time and a lot of lawyer games.

The tenant may have a disorder similar to bipolar or something and I say that with no disrespect. This sounds difficult.

Reread -- northridger at 2:44 PM: " ... months to get them evicted with lots of pain all around." It is similar to saminthehood. Of course reread Vinca.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at November 5, 2009 10:12 PM in response to Help with Demanding Tenant?

Agree, brokers are not usually very helpful for either the landlord or the tenant.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 11:47 PM in response to Landlord Paying Broker?

I wouldn't give her a new one year lease, but go month to month, and raise the rent. This gives her time to move and keeps you from being stuck with her for another year.

Posted by: Rick at November 6, 2009 6:24 AM in response to Help with Demanding Tenant?

Here's my opinion:

1. send her a notice of rent increase....a big one.
2. offer to let her out of her lease immediately b/c she doesnt seem content.

Yes, it could be ugly but you cant live in fear. Presumably, you vetted the tenant and she has assets and a job. Further, she wont want to be on the blacklist.

Posted by: slick at November 6, 2009 6:00 PM in response to Help with Demanding Tenant?