need referral for a code consultant

You might want to check with the building super, mgmt, and/or board members about architects and contractors that the building "likes" (those who respected bldg rules and residents and worked well with bldg staff, etc.). Then when you talk to those contractors, have them arrange for you to get in touch with the people they did the work for to see if they liked the work.

Good luck!

Posted by: the_why at October 29, 2009 2:34 PM in response to First Time Reno Qs

This service was recommended on Brownstoner. I've used them and would recommended them also. http://www.cleaningbrooklyn.com/index.html

Posted by: the_why at September 15, 2009 4:13 PM in response to Cleaning Service

See comment at 1:43 on Coop halls reno costs post for names of two painters.

Posted by: the_why at September 8, 2009 1:51 PM in response to Painter Needed

Our 3-story coop had the halls painted last year. There was a huge variation in the bids. We went with the low bid who had been recommended by a shareholder. He did a fantastic job, including major repairs where there had been a leak. He also built some shelving and other stuff in the basement. His name is Eddie and he can be reached on 646-359-0032. He may not be available - he stays busy because his work is good and his prices are low!

Another guy who repaired and painted after another leak is Steve. He's an electrician but does all types of work. His price was very low for installing sheetrock, taping, and painting and he did a fantastic job, also. His number is 646-404-8140.

We're putting off the carpet because of other work we want to do but would like to know what you recommend after you've installed carpet. Please post any recommendations on Brownstoner. Thanks!

Posted by: the_why at September 8, 2009 1:43 PM in response to Co-op Hallways Reno Costs?

Just prepare a budget roughly based on past expenses and any known current expenses, and on current income, it's not that hard.

You may already have an accountant who does a compilation of your financials - that's pretty common for small buildings. If so, talk to them about doing audited financials. Maybe some brownstoners can recommend an accountant for small coops or you could contact the Council of NY coops and condos (www.cnyc.org) to see if they can make some recommendations.

Good luck!

Posted by: the_why at August 26, 2009 6:08 PM in response to Coop refinancing requirements

During the last big downturn in the market - late 1980's through early 1990's, I know several people who bought at different times with the market on the way down. NONE regretted it. They all had more choices than in an increasing market and didn't risk losing a place they wanted because of multiple offers. The market picked back up and surpassed what it had been when they bought. The only regrets were among those who didn't buy and were waiting for the bottom of the market. The only way to know that the market had bottomed out was after it started increasing and activity picked up. Then they had a hard time finding a place they wanted and if they did, there was competition from other buyers.

The only reason not to buy in a falling market is if you don't think you'll be staying long enough for the market to pick back up. (Not that anyone knows when that will be!)

There's a lot to be said for buying a home you love, regardless of the state of the market.

Posted by: the_why at August 26, 2009 5:53 PM in response to What to Have in the Contract?

You can and should always see financials before signing a contract.
Coops are safer financially because the coop has the first lien, not the bank, and many condos are owned by investors rather than owner-occupants. If an owner quits paying maintenance, the coop collects first when the unit is sold. In a condo, the bank has the first lien. There is no obligation for the bank to make up common charges in arrears. I personally know of two examples of condos whose owners put down a small down payment so it was easy for them to walk away from it when the market dropped (in the late 1980's, early 1990's downturn). The banks didn't actually foreclose because they would be liable for common charges while they owned the unit. They just waited for the market to improve to foreclose and sell and the condo associations were left with years of arrears that the other owners had to make up for.

Posted by: the_why at August 21, 2009 2:26 PM in response to Crown Heights Condo

Min Laf:

That lamium was left by the prior owner so I don't even know exactly what type it is but it looks like the one in the photo. It blooms early and has lots of blooms and they last a long time. It's starting to re-bloom now, as it has every year. There won't be as many blooms as in the spring, though. I bought a white blooming lamium and we have a yellow blooming one in the common garden. Those only bloomed for a short time in spring or early summer. The leaves on all of them are interesting and pretty even if there aren't many blooms.

I don't know why they bloom for me since as I said, I hate gardening and don't do much to maintain the plants. The ones that do the best get almost no direct sun - maybe a few minutes a day.

Good luck with yours.

Posted by: the_why at August 20, 2009 6:23 PM in response to Sprucing Up a Garden in a Rental

Ideas for inexpensive containers (be sure to punch holes in the bottoms of containers); also, consider getting plant caddies for the larger containers:

-thick styrofoam boxes such used to deliver Omaha Steaks, etc.; I had a couple of these which I painted with EXTERIOR primer and paint. They've lasted through a couple of winters and even provide insulation. Downside: they chip easily
-I also used the same paint on an old large round bucket that had a slit in the bottom; works great and has a handle for moving
-galvanized tubs and buckets; they come in lots of shapes and sizes and have handles for easy moving; they may be paintable as well but I haven't tried it

Plants that have worked for me on shady deck: Lamium - mine looks like this http://www.johnstonplants.com/perenials/lamium%20orchid%20frost%20deadnettle.JPG
& heuchera (evergreen!) - one of my favorites looks like this http://humbleacres.com/catalog/plants/heuchera_tiramisu.jpg
clematis that gets a little sun; honeysuckle in area that gets 2-4 hours of sun

Good luck (and by the way, I hate gardening but these plants don't take much effort)!

Posted by: the_why at August 20, 2009 3:28 PM in response to Sprucing Up a Garden in a Rental

Our coop wants to put new carpet in as well but we've decided to wait because of other expenses. Please post on what you find out about carpet.

We did paint the common halls/stairs (3 stories). We went with the lowest bid which was MUCH lower than the others. He did a fantastic job and also did some construction for storage in the basement. His name is Eddie and he can be reached on 646-359-0032.

Also, Steve did some sheetrock repair/replacement and painting in the hallway after a leak. He also did a great job at a low price. He is also an electrician and both Eddie and Steve do all types of general work. Steve's number is 646-404-8140.

Both are highly recommended from a Clinton Ave coop.

Posted by: the_why at August 19, 2009 5:16 PM in response to Co-op carpeting

Our 8 unit coop with a small mortgage (although larger than yours) refinanced last year with Sovereign. They were one of the few banks willing to finance such a low mortgage and had the best rate and terms. We also got a line-of-credit so we can go ahead with any big jobs that cost more than our reserve, and then assess over time to repay the l-o-c.

As some others have indicated, the cost of borrowing such a small amount is high (the total cost with Sovereign was less than with either NCB or HSBC) and you might be better off paying it off and just getting a line-of-credit.

Good luck!

Posted by: the_why at August 14, 2009 6:21 PM in response to Underlying Mortgages

I never thought I'd feel this way about an appliance but I LOVE my refrigerator. It's a Conserv that I bought used in 2001. Several competitors have come out with a similar model - just be sure it's the height you want. Here's a link to a Summit that's exactly like mine: http://www.ajmadison.com/b.php/Summit%3BBottom+Freezer%2CCounter+Depth%3BWater+Dispenser%3A+No%3BRefrigerators/N~26+4294966340+4294966346+4294966260+4294967269

Posted by: the_why at August 10, 2009 4:40 PM in response to Refrigerator Repair/Replacement?

It is very common to have an interest only underlying mortgage in a coop and almost all coop underlying mortgages are balloon. The underlying mortgage is typically the single largest expense that the coop has control over. For that reason it's best to try to reduce the principal, especially if you're refinancing at especially low rates. Many lenders allow you to set the amortization "term" so that you can amortize some without paying the amount you'd have to for full amortization over the loan term. We recently financed with a 10 year loan (typical) and a 30 year amortization. We'll pay off enough of the loan over the term that if interest rates are a lot higher when it needs to be refinanced, then the coop can refinance a lower amount and may not have too much of an increase in mortgage expense. Also, if you can get a reasonable line-of-credit, that can enable you to do large projects and assess owners over a longer time frame rather than having to assess the total amount at once. Try Sovereign Bank, we got a better deal from them than with NCB or other retail banks. Good luck!

Posted by: the_why at June 19, 2009 6:02 PM in response to Interest-Only Co-Op Refi?

Re: king of the burg comment: "...so you get a constant stream of tweets."

OMG - here's a great example of the "culture wars" - some of us can think of few things worse than getting a constant stream of tweets! Does no one have a life anymore?

Posted by: the_why at June 12, 2009 2:53 PM in response to Brownstoner on Twitter

Montrose: have you considered hosting a tour for Open House New York? They're looking for volunteers and you'd be great at it! Go here for more info: http://www.ohny.org/support/volunteer.cfm

Posted by: the_why at May 26, 2009 5:04 PM in response to Walkabout with Montrose: A Mighty Fortress: Conclusion

I've had a Conserv refrigerator since 2001 - bought it used from a neighbor so it's even older. It works great and I love, love, love it! (Who would have thought that I would ever feel this way about an appliance!) When I moved here, I gave away the 36" Jenn-Air side-by-side in the apartment and worth over $2,000 because I wanted my Conserv ($1,100+/-). I had a pantry built in the extra space and it's much more useful than a larger frige! It must be a popular size (2' x 2' x 79") because several other manufacturers have started making similar sized units (except most aren't as tall). I even noticed that GE has one (shorter, though). It will hold more than you think because shelves and food can be arranged more efficiently and conveniently than in a regular frige. You can see a photo here or google "conserv refrigerator":
http://www.equatorappliance.com/products/ConServ_Refrigerator.asp

Also, you may want to consider a magnetic induction cooktop. If I ever save up enough to have the kitchen done the way I want, I'll get a two-burner cooktop and use the single burner countertop one that I have when I need more. The countertop one (110v) works great for everything I need but doesn't have the power of an "installed" cooktop (220v).

Good luck with the renovations. Please post photos of what you end up doing and let us know what appliances you choose.

Posted by: the_why at March 16, 2009 11:56 PM in response to Kitchen Appliances Rec's?

gemini10:
I've been feeding the feral cats in the neighborhood. One is very friendly - it must have belonged to someone and got used to people - and when the weather got bad I let it inside. BIG mistake! I can't bear to force it to stay outside all the time, although it goes out to use the toilet and play.

I have serious allergies and asthma and had to get rid of my cats when I moved here in 2006 so no cat hair would be in the new place. (There are newspapers laid out everywhere that the cat sleeps now.) Am desperate to find a home for this very smart and friendly cat (but not a pest) who is easy to take care of. My neighbor thinks she saw him up the street as a kitten and that he's about 2 years old.

Please e-mail me if you can take him (or her, but I think it's a male cat who's been neutered) or want to see a photo. He's one of those black with some white "tuxedo" cats. I could keep him until you're ready. send message to me at janaroz@yahoo.com

Good luck with your move!

Posted by: the_why at March 16, 2009 3:28 PM in response to Open Thread

Thanks for the responses - would still like some more recommendations since it may be hard to find someone available. I've downloaded the code and reviewed it and don't trust myself to interpret all the different exceptions and conditions - that's why architects use code consultants - it requires a more thorough knowledge of the codes than most architects want to spend their time on - they'd rather be designing.

I've e-mailed DOS regarding bin enclosures since I couldn't find it referenced anywhere - I hope I get a response and will let the forum know if I do.

Posted by: the_why at September 26, 2008 6:25 PM in response to need referral for a code consultant

Check out www.cnyc.org - Council of NY coops and condos. You just missed a class on responsibilities of condo boards but they are worth joining for the advice and info they provide.

Posted by: the_why at September 25, 2008 6:32 PM in response to Any advice on Setting up a new condo homeowners association?

OK - I feel bad that a legitimate post asking for advice has been (yet again) hijacked, but I will say my peace and speak no more forever. I don't mind (that much) your posting a variation of "all buyers right now are suckers" on HOTD or "Last Week's Biggest Sales," but this is a forum post from a guy (girl?) who is already buying a house. Given the wording of the post, I would imagine he/she has seen many, many of your posts and somehow has still come to the decision to buy a house. So what, then, is the point of you chiming in again here?

Posted by: Rookie at August 26, 2009 8:02 PM in response to What to Have in the Contract?

Rookie---thanks for your comments. Most people here have learned to navigate around this posters droning panic mongering but I appreciate a fresh voice of dissent

"There's a lot to be said for buying a home you love, regardless of the state of the market."--nicely said "why" and altogether too thoughtful for this discussion.

In re the topic at hand--definitely get hard dates for move-out, and contingencies of all sorts. I had to get my seller to write in a promise to get a recalcitrant tenant out.

Posted by: wasder at August 26, 2009 9:03 PM in response to What to Have in the Contract?

thank you for the remarks!!

BHO- this will be my only note for you because by responding to you I fuel your behavior-
for the sake of humanity, get lai*..... ASAP

Posted by: Williams at August 26, 2009 10:12 PM in response to What to Have in the Contract?

I am an interior designer, who works with a registered architect. If you need any help in your new house, please view my web site. www.melaniemintsdesign.com.
I get great savings on furniture and materials. I have also designed several kitchen and bathroom working within a client's budget.

Posted by: MMintz at August 27, 2009 10:15 AM in response to What to Have in the Contract?

the why,

You're comparing a microbubble (NY Case-Shiller only dropped -15% though larger drops have been reported) to a massive, unprecedented, once-in-a-lifetime, economy driving bubble (NY Case-Shiller ALREADY down -20% and showing no long term signs of recovery). The latter saved them from a little bit of pain and put a lot of paper equity on their books. But they WILL regret it (or ARE regretting it - when was the last time you spoke them?) if they don't (or didn't) cash out and realize the returns.

Your statement about those who waited for the bottom and regret not buying does not make sense to me. I know people who bought in the mid 90's and had a hard time making up their mind which property they wanted. The bottom lasted five years. That is a tremendous amount of time to find a house. I personally remember back in the late 90's, while searching for an apartment, realtors all over me trying to get me to buy but I wasn't sure if I wanted to remain in NYC and had an unfavorable debt/income ratio at the time anyway (pulse wasn't enough - we're now back to those lending standars!). RE changes very slowly. You are not going to go from fear (little or no competition) to greed (fierce competition) in the course of a few months or even years. And even so, how are you not going to regret buying near the peak of the largest housing/refi/credit bubble in modern history (or effectively doing so by having refi'd back up to 100% LTV or more) only to sell at an almost certain loss (real 2009 dollars or from whatever year you bought in)?

"The only reason not to buy in a falling market is if you don't think you'll be staying long enough for the market to pick back up. (Not that anyone knows when that will be!)"

True but long enough means that you will survive another 100 years or so from now and we all know that is literally impossible and, at that age, wouldn't matter anyway. Again, this is a once-in-a-lifetime boom/bust. You will not see 2006-2009 prices again, in your lifetime, in 2009 dollars. Inflation will make things return nominally but by then a loaf of bread will be $50. Sure, these are predictions and not facts but the likelihood is very strong. You have to understand the time value of money.

"There's a lot to be said for buying a home you love, regardless of the state of the market."

Listings and shadow inventory are full of owners who once said the same thing.

***Bid half off peak comps***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at August 27, 2009 12:30 PM in response to What to Have in the Contract?

"So what, then, is the point of you chiming in again here?"

As stated above, Rookie, my fascination with why people buy in this environment and a warning if they are misinformed.

Thanks, Williams. I will get laid as soon as the rag is off. It appears that you are confident about your proposed purchase so good luck.

Oh, look at MMintz at 10:15! An "ambulance chasing" architect (no pun, just making a point). Reno prices MUST be dropping!

***Bid half off peak comps***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at August 27, 2009 12:38 PM in response to What to Have in the Contract?

Well, I've put some offers in on houses this week, but they are houses in Ditmas Park at a substantial discount from peak comps.

Not quite 1/2, but still pretty good.

Posted by: slick at August 27, 2009 1:47 PM in response to What to Have in the Contract?

I concur with Adam. Banks have all but stopped lending/refinancing to 4 unit buildings. I just sold my unit in one and the buyer was all cash, thank goodness.

My neighbor was trying to refinance but ran into some trouble with the insurance policy. Seems the co-op's building insurance was not for 100% replacement value under current valuation. (it was like 90% or something, not sure). The bank wouldn't do it.

I would ask your mortgage broker for ALL the documentation that they are asking for. Every bank seems to have different things they nitpick on. But, if this is just the beginning of being asked for a ton of paperwork or being held to unreasonable standards that you can't meet, you may want to know what you are getting into up front, rather than waste your time.

Posted by: wishinone at August 27, 2009 2:43 PM in response to Coop refinancing requirements

Thanks, Why! We probably won't be doing it for at least six months, but I'll be sure to post if I find a good carpet place.

Posted by: Kris at September 8, 2009 2:01 PM in response to Co-op Hallways Reno Costs?

if you will pay for cleaners. Also pay to bedbug sniffing dog. There are a few horror stories on this forum if you search for "bedbug"

Posted by: bobjohn at September 15, 2009 10:30 PM in response to Cleaning Service