Must be fun to have $400,000 just lying around...

Posted by: tybur6 at November 25, 2008 8:56 PM in response to where to get the best mortgage rate?

WARNING!

There are TWO types of thermostat! One that uses low voltage, you can just pop them on and put the new one back on. The other kind uses direct, full power.

The second kind is as dangerous as any electricity. Turn Off Your Power!

The second type is equally easy... just more like changing a light switch and less like changing a 9 volt battery. More killing power.

Also, the second type has very expensive thermostats. I wanted to get a new one for an old apartment, and was very annoyed. The $12 low-voltage thermostat is $40 in the high-voltage version... and fewer fancy options.... actually fewer options, period.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 25, 2008 8:49 PM in response to Replacing a thermostat - how easy/difficult?

Is it just me or is "Gristedes" a very unappetizing sounding name....

Posted by: tybur6 at November 25, 2008 8:38 PM in response to Streetlevel: Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Reopens

If spray painting defies your sense of something... you could use some therapy... but other than that... you can buy a plain metal can and have it industrial powder coated. Of course, that would costs 5 times the price of the can.... but you can get any color you want.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 24, 2008 10:43 PM in response to Brown Garbage Cans Do Not Exist!!!

Thank you redwolf! I have posted on here several times with a similar theme. The sad part about this is there is a combination of the folks you describe (get as much as they can) and folks that have purchased a property for a ridiculously unsustainable price... so they are *forced* to charge crazy rent.

So, to both groups... Those who think driving up rent prices is good for you. Sure it is, in the short term. But there's a limit and it has a greater impact in the community than you think. Not to mention a seed of resentment and entitlement you're planting in your tenants. If they're paying you $2500 for a mediocre 1-bed, why should they be understanding about anything? Cut you slack? Nope. Respect your property? Nope, they pay enough that you can respect it for both of you.

And the other group... the suckers that bought the 2-family home for $2 million. Yeah, it was crazy overpriced and charging your tenants 1/2 the mortgage or more... I don't even know what to say. Ill conceived from the get-go.

Unsustainable real estate at all levels and in all aspects.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 23, 2008 2:03 PM in response to Reasonable Rent for a Reliable Tenant

Ever heard of spray paint? Buy a metal can, sand it a little... and paint it any beautiful color you'd like. Why not hot pink. Can't find those at lowes either... but you can get hot pink paint.

Or maybe I'm missing something more complicated.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 23, 2008 10:54 AM in response to Brown Garbage Cans Do Not Exist!!!

$5,000 or more a month... jesus. Folks should get two or three smaller apartments and let their kids have their own place.

So you're looking for a family with an income of $250k? You probably should make sure they will still have a job in the near future. Jobs at that price point are the ones crashing and burning. I might make crap money and $5000 represents 4 months rent for me... at least I'll have a job in 6 months. Too bad I won't be able to afford rent soon.

Think before you make the decision to "get as much as you can." It's not a bad thing to just charge a reasonable rent. Just sayin'

Posted by: tybur6 at November 22, 2008 12:42 AM in response to How to Estimate Rental Income

Why did you get a $10 discount?

Posted by: tybur6 at November 22, 2008 12:31 AM in response to Changes on Cortelyou

40 stories? Why so short? I think they could go higher... just has to be shorter than the "Freedom Tower"

(btw, is that still going to be the name? freedom tower?)

Posted by: tybur6 at November 20, 2008 10:11 AM in response to 40 Stories on the Greenpoint Waterfront?

Hahaha... I read "80s themed doctor's office" thinking that it was just a descriptive device, a metaphor of some sort.

But it REALLY IS an 80's themed doctor's office inside! Or is it a dentist?

Posted by: tybur6 at November 19, 2008 2:20 PM in response to House of the Day: 225 Marlborough Road

Yeah! Only 6 more weeks and we won't have to hear about Flea...

Posted by: tybur6 at November 14, 2008 4:48 PM in response to Closing Bell: Six More Fleas Left This Season!

vicks vapo-rub under the nose. :-)

Posted by: tybur6 at November 10, 2008 9:45 PM in response to how to remedy bad smells

I say lower or get rid of the City Income Tax and raise property taxes!! City income tax... ridiculous.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 10, 2008 12:26 PM in response to Where Do You Stand on the Property Tax Rebate Question?

Not just if you default/die/etc. Your friend's credit profile will now show a mortgage... this may potentially have a large effect on her credit score -- of course, this all depends on the 10,000 semi-secret ways a credit score is determined (and the 10,000 other semi-secret ways a credit report is read by a creditor)

Not trying to dissuade you or your friend (cuz I'm not sure how else one would buy an "income property" without being pre-enriched), but it's just something to think about.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 9, 2008 8:40 AM in response to Using a co-borrower on a Mortgage

Couldn't it be inadequate steam traps as well?

Posted by: tybur6 at November 8, 2008 8:32 PM in response to Top floor tenant wants to control radiator heat

You need sewage/water/electricity hook-up too... or you have to get pumped, filled and charged regularly.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 7, 2008 6:02 PM in response to Houseboat on the Gowanus?

Not to mention, just the thought that a 2-bedroom apartment should cost $1.5 million makes me a little ill. That would simply be spending money for the sake of spending... with no connection to the value (real or imagined) of the product/property being purchases.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 7, 2008 5:55 PM in response to Open House Picks

Slick - you're making me rethink my New Utopia structure I laid out above. It's undeniable that the working poor contribute to the city... but these terms, "working poor" "lowest socioeconomic classes" "lower middle class" AARGH! They all sound sort of dirty, right?

Forget the Edwardian upstairs-downstairs scheme -- I don't want icky poor people living in my home. It would be better if they were shipped in from a camp on Long Island or New Jersey in appropriate shifts. Or perhaps we can designate Staten Island or a part of Queens as where the workers would live. It could even be free housing provided by the taxes of their... errr... the property owners.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 7, 2008 5:52 PM in response to Fewer Mortgages for Minority Communities

Seriously... cwbuecheler, I'm not so sure about sebb's real estate competency here.

$1.5 to 2 million gets you a whole brownstone, three floors all your own. Why would you pay $1.5 million in the same neighborhood for an apartment in a building you share with 2 or 3 other units. (Same neighborhood, apples to apples... not brownstone in Bed-Stuy and an apartment on Central Park West.)

Posted by: tybur6 at November 7, 2008 5:08 PM in response to Open House Picks

Sebb, what's wrong with the CG listing?!

What could the rent possibly be for the "two high-income rentals"?! You think you could get $5,000+ each per month? Seriously? Not to mention 2 floors still need to be renovated! (the floor the owner lives in it sound like)

The mortgage payment (with 25% down) is gonna be anywhere between $15k and $20k per month! So, what sort of craziness is this?! You're going to spend crazy amount of money... and still have two units with tenants in them?!

The best part is that $3,000,000 is crazy.... but it was originally almost $4,000,000!!!

Don't get me wrong, I think Carroll Gardens is wonderful, but we're talking about needing an income of at least $500,000 per year AND still having tenants!! (i.e., sharing your home with two other families) You would have to be in the $750k to $1 million range to convert this and make it a 1-family. And for all scenarios you need to have many hundred of thousands of dollars just kickin' around for the downpayment.

I know - this city is chock full of people with that sort of income. The streets are literally teaming with them... but that's beside the point. How does this possibly make any everlovin' sense!?!?

Posted by: tybur6 at November 7, 2008 2:14 PM in response to Open House Picks

Was the barefist fighter your grandma or grandpa? :-)

Posted by: tybur6 at November 7, 2008 1:24 PM in response to Fewer Mortgages for Minority Communities

OK... you're right dittoburg. There will still be some horribly unmaintained properties that will act as the barracks for the New Utopia workers. Didn't think of that. That works out quite well. Hopefully there is a subsidized cafeteria (a "Worker's Kitchen") in proximity to each of the rent stabilized properties.

In Edwardian times this housing was simply included in your wage and you lived downstairs. That would probably be a simpler solution. The New Utopia citizen would probably want to keep its gov't fairly lean so they don't have to give up their income to the tax man. A big gov't program trying enforce rental rules is a big unnecessary burden if the free market could just take care of it. I mean, homes don't scrub themselves!! :-)

Posted by: tybur6 at November 7, 2008 1:12 PM in response to Fewer Mortgages for Minority Communities

It'll be fun. All of the properties in NYC will be converted into 2000-3000 sq ft units. Then the 5 boroughs will have a population of 1.5 million with a median income of $700k.

Traffic will be pleasant. The subways could probably be upholstered in leatherette. Will probably have to home school their kids or have classes taught by teachers being teleconferenced in from the suburbs of Pittsburgh, but everything has sacrifices.

It'll be like Oz! (the Emerald City version, not HBO)

Posted by: tybur6 at November 7, 2008 12:58 PM in response to Fewer Mortgages for Minority Communities

So... Xander Crews... to add to my post above.

While I don't condone taking on debt that you cannot afford, isn't there something to be said about the price tags themselves?

Here's a pretty reasonable thought process... I live in a neighborhood; I'm part of this neighborhood. I am stable and earning a "decent wage" to support my family; I should be able to own a tiny piece of this neighborhood.

But the properties in this hypothetical neighborhood have just gone from $275k to $600k in 4 years. The former was affordable, the latter is far from it. BUT, the person I described above is stuck with... "Hey, I'm financially stable and the measure of success is owning my home." So he buys the $600k home in order to own a sliver of the neighborhood he calls home.

I'm not saying he should have bought it, nor should the lender have approved the loan. BUT, the thought process is not unreasonable. It is the price tag.

Who will be the owners and residents of Bed-Stuy, East New York, Brownsville and Bushwick? If the prices remain unsustainably hyperinflated, then folks making $250k or more per year will be told... sorry, you can't afford Park Slope and Fort Greene, you must live in a "fringe" neighborhood.

Funny, right? Rich folks being forced to live in the undesirable areas of brooklyn?! Luckily everyone making less than them will have been forced out to far-flung places... perhaps they can create a utopia. (Of course, it'll be a challenge to pay baristas, dress shop clerks, postal workers and teachers $150,000+ so they can live locally... but I'm sure they'll figure it out.)

I'm not suggesting a socialist plan where there are no "good neighborhood" or "bad neighborhoods." Obviously, if you make more money you can live in a nicer place. I support this. But it's painfully obvious that there are medium-term consequences to unbridled free market activities. Again, not suggesting gov't regulation here... common sense by the folks that are involved in the real estate business! (But self-interest abounds here - so they will be long retired and enriched by the time the Bronx is burning again)

Posted by: tybur6 at November 7, 2008 12:38 PM in response to Fewer Mortgages for Minority Communities

Hardened steel. That's what floors should be made of... it'll still scratch though. Maybe pyrex floors -- then you could even bake your living room.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 7, 2008 11:52 AM in response to Raised floor

You thought I was done with yesterday's conversation about the $400 rebate check... but this article is just another symptom of the bigger ills at work.

The race issue is only marginally at play when it comes to granting of loans etc., though it is obviously a huge issue when it comes to the INCOMES of minority populations...

It is the income part that is huge. Of course Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights and Fort Greene will have more mortgages approved... that is where the folks making $250,000 or more live. Ya know, those folks on here that characterize that as "not a lot of money."

Real Estate ALL OVER the city is overinflated and unsustainable... How could someone with a decent salary even think about saving for a downpayment, nevermind thinking about the mortgage payment. And by decent salart, I mean a family income of $75-100k. Forget single folks making a middle-management salary of $50-60k. And if you make less than that, as many many many people in this city do, you might as well get together 30 of your friends and start a commune in a 3-family home. Modest homes in the "less desirable" parts of Brooklyn are still in the half-a-million-dollar range.

OK - the obvious response is, "Well, obviously you can't buy. You should just rent if you make less than $250k per year."

That's fine - I agree with that statement. I think this need to own has gotten a bit out of whack. BUT... and this is a big BUT... The real estate prices in this city have made the RENT prices outrageously unsustainable. A $1.5 million 3-unit property. What is the rent per unit? Perhaps $3500 or $4000 a month. Can someone making $70k per year pay that... that answer is not even close, if you didn't catch the rhetorical style of the question.

What if it's a 12-unit building that costs the low low price of $2 million... The minimum rent per unit is still going to be around $1,500 if the owner wants to break even.

Yes, you are rich at $250,000 per year because you can actually AFFORD to own or even rent in this city. You have choices... and when you're done paying for the roof over your head you don't really have to hesitate when you make the decision to buy 2 $5 lattes a day or get a handful of baseball tickets on a whim or whithout "saving up" you can enjoy any type of theater outside of the cineplex just cuz. Maybe you don't think you're rich, but guess what... you are.

But I digress. My point is this. The real estate prices are unsustainable -- whether you are a person who has the luxury to buy or are simply a renter.

Soon - in ALL areas of this city - no one except the rich will be able to afford to live in this city. Granted, the $250k per year folks will be the "new poor." But who will run your shops, provide services, support you in your offices (including management), and so on.

Given fuel costs and the inadequate transportation system, do you really think folks are going to commute from far-flung areas for the "privilege" of working in this fair city?!! Do you not think folks will start to resent living like their suffering immigrant ancestors of 50-100 years ago?

Yesterday, under the $400 rebate post, brought up the notion of the "Dutch Disease." Look it up, it's very interesting. He's right - NYC is looking into the face of a "neo-Dutch Disease."

Posted by: tybur6 at November 7, 2008 10:46 AM in response to Fewer Mortgages for Minority Communities

So... to round out the economic argument... Why would ANY business want to set up shop in New York City? They would have to pay everyone enormous salaries to be attracted to work there.

Do you really think these residential real estate price tags are going to be sustainable? Or will the jobs and people move elsewhere.... I think taxes are the least of our worry. If $250k is "not a lot of money," then there is something FUNDAMENTALLY wrong with this city and it's going to slap us in the face hard and fast!

Posted by: tybur6 at November 6, 2008 4:10 PM in response to End of the $400 Property Tax Rebate

Of course we all know "rich" begins in your heart.

(Oh and somewhere around a quarter of a million per year)

Posted by: tybur6 at November 6, 2008 3:30 PM in response to End of the $400 Property Tax Rebate

Umm... I am SO glad you are not going to be in the Obama Cabinet Mr. Joist.

$250,000 for a couple does not equal $125,000 each. If you're so interested in cost-of-living indexing, maybe you should realize this. A couple has many SHARED expenses. Two people living together has a much lower total expense than two people living separately.

That being said... $125k CONSIDERABLY higher than the NYC average income. I don't want to hear your whining. Do you think a cost-of-living index would take into account the fact that you've decided to pay a mortgage on a multi-million $$ home in brownstone brooklyn? The tax structure should promote unsustainable real estate prices?! Are you kidding me?!

$125k is a lot of money. And $250k is MUCH more.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 6, 2008 12:20 PM in response to End of the $400 Property Tax Rebate

Umm... I am SO glad you are not going to be in the Obama Cabinet Mr. Joist.

$250,000 for a couple does not equal $125,000 each. If you're so interested in cost-of-living indexing, maybe you should realize this. A couple has many SHARED expenses. Two people living together has a much lower total expense than two people living separately.

That being said... $125k CONSIDERABLY higher than the NYC average income. I don't want to hear your whining. Do you think a cost-of-living index would take into account the fact that you've decided to pay a mortgage on a multi-million $$ home in brownstone brooklyn? The tax structure should promote unsustainable real estate prices?! Are you kidding me?!

$125k is a lot of money. And $250k is MUCH more.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 6, 2008 12:19 PM in response to End of the $400 Property Tax Rebate

Mr Joist, actually according to that calculator, $250k is in the 33% bracket, but it only works out to be about 25% since the lower portions of the income are taxed at a lower rate.

So, fed + state + city would only work out to be about 36%, not 44%.

But who cares... $250k per year is A LOT of money. Maybe a lot of you don't understand this simple point.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 6, 2008 11:55 AM in response to End of the $400 Property Tax Rebate

Seriously... those two places baffle me. What could possibly be the motivation for not renovating those properties?

I've seen commercial properties stay vacant for years in "less desirable" neighborhoods, and apparently there's a tax formula that would make this acceptable.

However, I can't think that a park slope property couldn't rake in gobs of money... plenty to more than justify the small hit an owner would take tax or otherwise.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 6, 2008 10:59 AM in response to Prime Park Slope Real Estate Still Vacant

BobfromBklyn... are you seriously going to use that argument? Do you really think that any of the "liberals" on here would want to cause harm to the 82-year old widow living on social security?!

The fact is... we are trying to PRESERVE quality of life for folks with restricted incomes. The $400 check is HUGE for the old lady on a fixed income. But what about you? Do you use the $400 check to make sure you don't run out of rice or get a new eyeglass prescription that's been overdue for 5 years? NO.

What if you gave up the $400 so the 82-year old widow could have $800?! But maybe it's not in the form of cash, but maybe in the form of free eye care or food/fuel assistance or other quality of life programs! And that is what the city government is doing... taking back the $400 checks that go mostly to homeowners enjoying relative comfort and being used to fund services like police, fire, sanitation, drinking water, schools etc etc etc.

Oh Lordy! I think I am talking about socialism... aaargh! Oh wait, no I'm not, I'm talking about social programs that have been around since the founding of our republic. We live in a republic where the good of one is the good of all... not a libertarian free-for-all.

(By the way, isn't there actually a tax program that exempts this hypothetical old lady from the bulk of property taxes anyway?)

Posted by: tybur6 at November 6, 2008 10:50 AM in response to End of the $400 Property Tax Rebate

Let's get back to the $400 "rebate"

Divide $400 by your gross income... what % are we talking about here?

I am a HUGE supporter of demanding value and accountability for the government programs and services and so is Bloomberg! It's at the core of how he runs the city government. In contrast, the whining on this board about tax rates makes me angry. You seem to whine about how much money you get to keep (however little... $400... < 0.5%) rather than demanding the city, state, federal gov't makes better use of the money they are given.

If you can increase the effectiveness/efficiency/impact of the gov't by $400, then you can keep "your" $400. If not, hush.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 6, 2008 10:22 AM in response to End of the $400 Property Tax Rebate

Thank you funstraw. I agree with everything you say!

And ironballs, you're an alarmist that should really move to alaska or montana and live off-the-grid. Then you don't have to deal with social problems, just how to keep your herd of goats happy in the winter and your micro hyrdo generator well oiled. The government can't take your money if you don't have any! Live off the land by yourself and you won't have to worry about your neighbors. 70% tax rate. You're a fool.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 6, 2008 10:15 AM in response to End of the $400 Property Tax Rebate

Divide $400 by your gross income... what % are we talking about here?

I am a HUGE supporter of demanding value and accountability for the government programs and services, but this whining about tax rates makes me angry. You seem to whine about how much money (however little) you get to keep rather than demanding the city, state, federal gov't makes better use of the money they are given.

If you can increase the effectiveness/efficiency/impact of the gov't by $400, then you can keep "your" $400. If not, hush.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 6, 2008 10:09 AM in response to Property Tax Rebate

The Bill Clinton era tax levels on the wealthy were unbearable? They were detrimental to the economy?

Posted by: tybur6 at November 6, 2008 9:45 AM in response to End of the $400 Property Tax Rebate

This is gonna be really hard for all of you here on Brownstoner.... that rebate check was the difference between being able to feed your family and having to sell your $2 million house.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 6, 2008 9:23 AM in response to End of the $400 Property Tax Rebate

Why is it always "a cheap place for an artist" ??!

How about a reasonable place for a young professional. I know everyone on here makes $150k or more per year... that's great, but that not reality.

I'm not talking about a pauper's salary. Using the 40x requirement that most landlords require, the most you can afford is $1,500 if you earn $60,000 per year. $60,000 per year is not chicken scratch!

That being said, find me a nice selection of 1-bedrooms with a den for less than $1500. The nicer parts of Bed-Stuy and Bushwick will are a challenge at that price tag... What if you make $50k... then you're looking at $1250 per month. Even harder!

Long story short, if you want to live like an adult you either have to make $100k or live in a semi-industrial area. Not sure about rent control, but something has to happen -- hopefully owners realize they are playing a role in the poor quality of life many people are forced to have in this city... or stop tolerating real estate prices in the millions and millions for a dinky property in the city.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 4, 2008 4:56 PM in response to rental prices

Umm... when did $60k become "not a large sum" for a personal loan? It's a fairly large sum for a loan secured by property (car, boat, home equity, etc.)

Posted by: tybur6 at November 4, 2008 11:37 AM in response to personal loan

Denton was just being a sarcastic douche...

It doesn't take away from the fact that a $2500 apartment requires a $100k yearly salary if you use the 40X formula folks still like to use.

If it were only "hot" neighborhoods that had crazy rental rates, then I'd understand. But it's not the case. If you make less than $50 or $60k, I'm not sure how you can live in this city... well, as an adult. Yes, I do have a bit of a sense of entitlement... I don't think it's right to be over the age of 30 and still have roommates or have a spouse as an economic necessity.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 4, 2008 11:08 AM in response to rental prices

Yeah... so how could I earn $72k "on average"? Could I just get that for a year? I'd go back to my current salary right after.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 4, 2008 10:57 AM in response to Who's Moving to Downtown Brooklyn?

There were 6 election districts in my neighborhood's school auditorium...

Posted by: tybur6 at November 4, 2008 9:44 AM in response to Long Lines, Everywhere

Today is a great day! Waiting for a while to vote is worth every moment and more....

Most polling places go from big line with everyone and break into smaller lines for each "Election District," so know your number (get it online by looking up your registration at https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us/votersearch.aspx or bring your voter card if you still have it) This will help the poll workers get you to the right line and speed everything up!

Seriously, today is a great day! The long lines couldn't make me happier.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 4, 2008 9:43 AM in response to Long Lines, Everywhere

Oh, I'd say go for $3,000 or more. We want to make sure no one with an income less than $125k is allowed to live in park slope... or at least in a space larger than a closet.

I hope you find an appropriate large firm lawyer or ad executive to rent your place.

How about renting the place for is appropriate based on your expenses and an appropriate/reasonable profit margin, rather than simply trying to get what you can get. Sorry, I'm venting. But this maximizing profit business is what's wrong with the housing market BOTH sale prices and the loosely related rental prices. (i.e., if you by a 3-family for $3 million, obviously the rental units will have absurd price tags)

Posted by: tybur6 at November 3, 2008 12:04 PM in response to rental prices

Good luck getting a home equity line period... whatever excuse the bank is using. This time its appraised value, next time it's your credit rating... banks don't like home equity lines these days. I mean, they're not even too excited about regular ol' mortgages.

Posted by: tybur6 at November 1, 2008 6:02 PM in response to Crazy Low Appraisal

Well... since you're in the market for a $2300 apt, you're obviously asking these questions based on principle and not the actual money concerned (am I reading this right?)

I would say this seems like a ridiculous situation.

Other than the under-one-year craziness, you're pretty much signing up for a year and then looking at moving again. Wouldn't you want to try to find a place where you would live for more than a year? (Not signing a longer lease... but simply having the option to stick around longer.)

There are lots of apts in that price range... and you don't have to use a broker. Brokers are worthless for both parties, still don't get why people use them. Try craigslist and so on.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 31, 2008 7:20 PM in response to Weirdest rental situation

Did you watch This Old House last night?! :-)

Posted by: tybur6 at October 31, 2008 3:23 PM in response to Flexible Moulding in the area?

Humanism and progressive ideals... :-)

Posted by: tybur6 at October 31, 2008 11:58 AM in response to Strong Words for Magic Johnson

Though honestly... even if you had access from below, it's probably easier just to open the wall and open up the floor.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 31, 2008 9:46 AM in response to Bathroom renovation questions

Do you have access to under the floor from below? That would determine a lot of work. That's where the drains pipes are.

If you can work on the pipes from below you can avoid ripping up the sub-floor and such and just drilling holes. If not, you'll have to do that. I might be wrong, but there's usually only one main drain pipe, and the various items feed into it. You'll just be changing which item is attached at what point of the pipe.

It will require changing/modifying all of the pipes... but just in the bathroom. I mean, it's feet and inches of piping, not a huge renovation. But, it is a commitment, not just an hour of work.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 31, 2008 9:45 AM in response to Bathroom renovation questions

They use very little water... the waste water of these units (and front loaders in general) are not that big of a concern.

DIBS, the $1500 unit the OP linked a picture of is a 115 volt machine.

But seriously, as long as the tenant installs it right and pays their own electricity, it really shouldn't be an issue for the landlord (OP).

BUT, I really hope the tenants know what they're getting into... lower your expectations. These machines are a different "lifestyle" than having your own regular machine. Takes getting used to if you want to even bother.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 30, 2008 12:34 PM in response to Tenant Wants to Install Own W/D

My laudromat charges $0.65/lb for wash, fold and hangers for shirts and pants (this might even be on the high end for brooklyn). All I do is hand them my clothes and they give me sparkling clean clothes back. Almost no effort.

This would be 2-1/4 TONS (2500 lbs) of washing to make up for the $1500 +tax investment here... this doesn't include the electricity, detergent and water costs.

The MAXIMUM drying capacity for this very fancy ventless machine is 8.8 lbs or 2.4 cu. ft. That's 284 full loads to reach 2-1/4 tons. And 2.4 cu ft. is really tiny, hardly a true "full" load. A regular dryer usually has a capacity of 5 or 6 cu. ft.

Like I said above... I don't use my machine because I find it frustrating at best.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 30, 2008 11:39 AM in response to Tenant Wants to Install Own W/D

Sorry... I just re-read my last comment... and I stand by it, but it does make me a very bad union member! They might take my card away. :-)

Posted by: tybur6 at October 30, 2008 10:52 AM in response to One Hanson Place Goes Non-Union

Northsloperenter... I couldn't agree with you more!!

The real issue is the Healthcare System, not union/non-union. The fact that healthcare is still such a major part of unionism is simply because there's no other choice... they have to negotiate and lobby for these benefits. It would be a HUGE benefit to all business and the society as a whole if we can (as a society) move into a more rational way of caring for out health.

The U.S. spends almost DOUBLE (per capita) of any other country... the gov't spending in the U.S. on healthcare is about the SAME as places like the German, UK and Japan... and almost FIVE TIMES as much in private sector spending. What do we have to show for it?! Millions of uninsured and millions more under-insured and thousands of doctors that are being shortchanged by the insurance companies making it difficult to provide adequate care.

Here's an article from the Economist last week...
http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12432416&CFID=27609973&CFTOKEN=99781687

But to get back on topic... Bringing up healthcare/insurance as a point of "outrage" for the unions is ridiculous, ESPECIALLY when the non-union doormen being hired are PROVIDED insurance!! Or is there some other horrible working conditions that the doormen are "suffering" because they are not paying a union a portion of their paycheck?

Posted by: tybur6 at October 30, 2008 10:44 AM in response to One Hanson Place Goes Non-Union

I honestly don't buy the energy efficiency of these things... I know they have charts and graphs and so on, but it just doesn't seem to ring true.

"Two pairs of jeans" "Some socks and underwear" "A bunch of t-shirts"

Other than the fact that you have to make doing laundry a constant every day activity (comb hair, do laundry, brush teeth, do laundry) which is crazy... how is doing a whole cycle of washing and drying for two pairs of jeans efficient? And the full cycle is about 3 hrs of mechanical activity, while I can do 10-15 lbs of clothes in an "American style machine" in a little over an hour... and no wrinkles!!! (because the dryer actually uses air)

All I'm saying is that I'm very very happy I didn't buy the unit that's in my home. And that you'd be doing your tenants a favor if you told them no.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 30, 2008 9:40 AM in response to Tenant Wants to Install Own W/D

Umm... I'm a union member and am covered by the New York City Employees insurance scheme. There are a couple of plans that cover your family at no additional cost, but these may not be the best for your family's situation. MOST of the plans require a supplement payment of anywhere between $200 and $1000 per month depending on the family plan.

I'm a bit ambivalent about unionism in general... unless there is a CLEAR issue of taking advantage of workers (like the housekeepers issues etc. being taken advantage of because of their ethnicity and social status)

If the non-union doormen are making a decent wage and have health insurance... what's wrong with that?! I don't completely agree with Questula above, but he's got a point. The insurance thing is a red herring. Being in a union does magically mean everything is handed to you on a silver platter.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 30, 2008 9:29 AM in response to One Hanson Place Goes Non-Union

Yep... these units are infuriating. I own one of these ventless numbers. They are terrible. The capacity is great for washing, but if you want to "dry," you can only fill half-way which is about 4 t-shirts and a hanky. Oh, and it take 2 hrs to dry these items - and they're not that dry and doesn't get the wrinkles out.

I don't think it's a big deal for you... as long as it's installed right.

BUT, as a friendly landlord, I would suggest you deny the request so you tenants don't waste their time and money on this.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 29, 2008 11:56 PM in response to Tenant Wants to Install Own W/D

Let's be honest everyone... other than the cornice, what EXACTLY is so amazing about the building next door that makes this new construction a "travesty" ??!!

The place next door is the same... just older. Why is that OK?

Posted by: tybur6 at October 29, 2008 3:52 PM in response to Development Watch: 272 19th Street

I think there are two parks...

Posted by: tybur6 at October 29, 2008 1:47 PM in response to Price Hikes in Greenpoint? Say What?

I agree... definitely underpriced. $500k for a 1-bedroom apartment is absolutely a great buy! 3 months ago, I'm sure the appropriate price would have been $750k or more... The brownstoner clan should be skittish now! Be strong and keep supporting these price tags!

If you can't stand behind a $500k apartment in Greenpoint now, how do you expect us to believe you when you say your brownstone is worth $3.7 million when you decide to sell next year?! (after paying only $300k a decade ago)

Posted by: tybur6 at October 29, 2008 11:09 AM in response to Price Hikes in Greenpoint? Say What?

Only 6 blocks from the useless G-train! Or a quick walk to the 7-train... the freezing cold journey over the bridge is just what everyone needs to open up those pores!!

$500k is almost cheap! And i'm sure the monthly maintenance is really reasonable.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 29, 2008 10:54 AM in response to Price Hikes in Greenpoint? Say What?

Wow... Brooklyn's Main Street sorta sucks. Two blocks of cold warehouse buildings doesn't exactly scream Main Street USA.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 27, 2008 11:59 AM in response to New York's Own Main Streets

My brother installed an exhaust fan/heat fan combo... it's so much faster than a heat lamp. Nice an toasty by the time the water is hot... sort of amazing how warm it can make the bathroom.

Wish I knew anything about it. But I would suggest looking at electric heater/exhaust fans, and you don't have to worry about changing light bulbs.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 26, 2008 9:43 PM in response to Turn on the Heat (Lamp)

Not to sound insensitive... but I am. The demolition of this old church is only half as disturbing as "I just spent the last 10 minutes crying looking at the one." You seriously have to take a breather if this event causes you to break down.

Buildings are razed all the time. Sometimes for good reason (like this instance) and other times just 'cuz. Is it because it's a church? Or just because it's an old building. The beautiful old buildings that were demolished all over the city to make room for bigger ones... especially after the advent of the elevator and steel skeletons. I guess there were folks collapsed on the sidewalk weeping when they started construction on the Flatiron Bldg and the Chrysler Bldg. That seems reasonable.

I dunno... I'm just less than sympathetic about these statements of drama and deep emotion about a building.

All buildings have the potential of being destroyed because of myriad circumstances. Why didn't the community have this building protected by the city years and years ago? What about the church on the next block... I'm assuming there is a preservationist organization with a few million in the bank ready to purchase it if something goes wrong with that congregation??

Posted by: tybur6 at October 25, 2008 6:10 PM in response to Weekender: The Green Church Bites the Dust

Also... as a person who has used agents and not... I gave my landlord a lot more "leniency" if I didn't throw away money at the start of our relationship. I was more open to my landlord being a decent person and not just sucking money out of me.

The apartments that used an agent... the image is, they are just a business that wants no more involvement in the property than a monthly check.

Also, am I the only person who thinks it's unethical to charge one party and provide the service to the other? What else could I pay for but no get to use? Should I pay the landlord's car payments too?

Posted by: tybur6 at October 24, 2008 7:24 PM in response to ADVISE NEEDED ON HOW TO GET RENTERS

Mimi... maybe not everyone thinks using an agent is necessary. And others may actually think using an agent to rent a reasonable apartment is ridiculous and basically allowing a real estate agent to steal.

How much effort does it take to rent an apartment? You still have to review the "finalist" anyway.

What if you end up turning away perfectly wonderful tenants just because they don't have an extra $2000 to hand over to a realtor for a couple hours effort.

Personally, I think the rental agent racket in NYC is disgusting... especially given the rates they charge. I always thought a month's rent was high (Boston), but that's only 8% or so. Brooklyn starts around 10% and just goes higher... does the landlord really get that level of service??!!

Say, the rent is $1500/mo. That's an $1800 fee!! I'd certainly rather pay the landlord an extra $150 a month... rater than throwing it at an agent that did NOTHING for me.

Is $1800 not worth your time? (reading some e-mail replies and spending a few evenings meeting prospective tenants!?!)

Posted by: tybur6 at October 24, 2008 7:00 PM in response to ADVISE NEEDED ON HOW TO GET RENTERS

I got my current cell phone at the mall.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 24, 2008 2:19 PM in response to Streetlevel: Cell Phones in Place of Antiques

I would totally try a store of some sort.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 22, 2008 11:55 PM in response to Need to replace Radiators

manofeit... you're nuts. the train is below grade and behind the houses on the OTHER side of the street. And cortelyou would be almost non-existent from this house... it's the 4th house in. (not that cortelyou is even that noisy)

Posted by: tybur6 at October 17, 2008 2:37 PM in response to A Couple of House Sales

Why is it easier to be in northslope than in Ditmas Park without a car? It's denser in northslope... but "stuff" is just as far away.

If you live on, say, Union between 7th and 8th. You're pretty far from anything. If you could park near you apt, a car would come in handy there too. (In Ditmas Park, you can actually park directly in front of your house 90% of the time... OK, I made that percentage up... but it's close.)

Posted by: tybur6 at October 17, 2008 2:31 PM in response to Race, Class and Gentrification in Ditmas Park

I'm from out of town... but been here for quite a while...

I find the Trader Joe's frenzy quite funny. I've lived in two other cities (Boston and Seattle) where there are a bunch of Trader Joe's in each so I'm not that excited. Though, I'm happy they've moved in.

Also - I think the Trader Joe's excitement (as I've said before on this blog when they first opened) is related to the general frenzy that occurs when ANY supermarket bigger/cleaner than a bodega opens up.

I don't think it's the loveliest market in Kings County -- like others have said above, that would require a selection that is that of a proper supermarket (i.e., one-stop-shopping... not TJ's type stuff that I wouldn't want to eat every day for every meal).

Posted by: tybur6 at October 17, 2008 2:23 PM in response to Commercial Klutch: October Edition

East New York.... that's sarcasm right? (I hope.)

Posted by: tybur6 at October 17, 2008 2:12 PM in response to Brooklyn's Own Tiny House Movement

I'd suggest $1050 including utilities... then let me know when I can move in.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 16, 2008 3:26 PM in response to Competitive Rent

OH MY GOD! This place is packed with retards.... this place looks a million times better than the ramshackle of a place it replaces.

And would you rather the USUAL yellow brick, bensonhurst/bay ridge beauty?

Whoever did this actually took some effort to create something that looks nice... not just the cheapest things available.

AAARGH!!!!

Posted by: tybur6 at October 16, 2008 3:17 PM in response to The Charming Paint Peeler Reincarnated

Ratner wouldn't continue to have city support/approval to build an arena if a tenant isn't a sure thing.... right?

Posted by: tybur6 at October 15, 2008 11:57 AM in response to Nets' Move to BK Not a Slam Dunk

I don't know... I really really really don't have much sympathy. She owned the place 10 months before trying putting it on the market?!

Someone spends $1.3 million with that sort of commitment?!!

I know I know... there's a sob story in this. Or some unknown that should convince me it was the "only" thing she could do. But screw her. You buy to stay. If you are going to live somewhere for 10 freakin' months. Rent. Simple as that.

As far as her "losing money." She really probably broke even if you figure the rent she would have paid. All in all, I find these tales of wo underwhelming.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 14, 2008 1:06 PM in response to Mary Stuart Masterson Unloads State Street Abode

I agree with you babs. My point is that this place is just a manhattan-style building disconnected from reality below. No on can tell me that you have a sense of neighborhood living inside a bazillion-unit high-rise... wherever it is. I don't think your 500ft walk to the f-train get's you connected.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 13, 2008 4:11 PM in response to Condo of the Day: J Condo Penthouse

Take a look at a couple other apts still available in the building... nothing exactly inspiring. $475k for a studio that looks like a freshly renovated dorm.

Well, at least you get the gym and access to the 32nd floor roof deck... $350/mo + the $430k mortgage (10% down)... sign me up!

Posted by: tybur6 at October 13, 2008 3:04 PM in response to Condo of the Day: J Condo Penthouse

So.... who's buying a $3 million luxury penthouse a mile in the sky and actually giving a crap about the "neighborhood feel." This place is a manhattan extension type place. Quick cab rides to everywhere. It's only 1 stop across the river on the F-train so your east village friends will still speak to you.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 13, 2008 2:55 PM in response to Condo of the Day: J Condo Penthouse

The model on the first page of the "gallery" seems to have a back problem. Maybe it's just a malnutrition thing, but it appears she can't stand up straight. The dress is making her hunch over... good thing the wall is there to help her stand up! :-)

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 2:39 PM in response to Streetlevel: Wedding Dresses Coming to Jay Street

Yes Sam, while I disagree with your strong stance on the Fort Greene "topper," I fully EXPECT historic properties to be treated with respect.

Actually, in general... historic or otherwise... I hate cheapness in architecture. Making a loft out of a brownstone is crazy. I don't mind "non-contextual" design if it has a purpose. e.g., modernist architecture inserted in a historic block etc. What I can't stand is the crap cinder block and yellow brick veneer vomited all over Brooklyn. Bad design is one thing and forgiveable... But that quick buck developer/builder crap is just cheap building that has nothing to do with design and/or architecture. (And to clarify, inexpensive and cheap are not synonyms. A renovation can be done inexpensively - relatively speaking in this crazy city - but come out great as long as it's done with purpose and not just a "get it done" sensibility.)

Now, if someone bought the Bond Street place and the inside ended up being "plain." Well, that's OK - as long as it doesn't preclude future "restoration" to an interior more in keeping with it shell. A proper build out of this interior could be a $1 million or more... and take a very long time. So one may want to actually move in somewhat quickly and/or doesn't have any extra million bucks lying around.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 2:33 PM in response to Open House Picks: Price Cut Edition

It's actually is a lady's boutique. They have a couple of other Bird shops in Bklyn - and I'm told the stuff they sell is quite nice... I've stood waiting outside of one for quite a long time with my friend's dog. But I don't think either of the others sell birds. Maybe they should!

This new space is supposed to be quite large - they could have a bird area. Or a place where men with dogs can sit.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 2:16 PM in response to Bird Blog: Week 19

"someone is going to be wandering around that empty retail spot wondering where the entrance to your place is."

So, 11217, you and your friends are not that swift, eh?

The entrance is on the side street wouldn't do? The emphasis on "between 5th and 6th" just ridiculously emphasizes 13th street -- as if you have to drive all the way around the block and come down from 6th avenue. That's an extra couple of bucks for a cab, when they could have just dropped you off at the corner... and if you're not brain dead realized the door is on the side of the big grey box. Or would you go inside the shop on the ground floor wandering around saying, "This doesn't look like an apartment!"

OK - I'm dwelling unnecessarily. (Trust me, if it was simply not on the freaking corner, I would understand...)

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 2:01 PM in response to Checking In on 5One5 Condos

The problem with Albemarle Terrace (like Kenmore Terrace a block over) is that its a pretty little english style mews, but surrounded by big, horrible apartment blocks on the main streets.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 1:52 PM in response to Open House Picks: Price Cut Edition

Jurist... the less you have to mortgage, the easier it is to get a loan!

Everyone can have great credit and a great job, but the key is that the bank has to see the VALUE of the home having some relation to the loan you are asking for. Banks are gonna look at this a lot closer now.

When everything was going up up up... why not give a $1.2 million mortgage for a property that was worth only $600k a few years ago?! That ain't happening anymore.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 1:43 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

Sam - it was a joke. I actually thought it funny that they didn't show the inside to highlight the clean slate, ready to go condition.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 1:36 PM in response to Open House Picks: Price Cut Edition

It's ridiculous... the entrance is 12 ft in from the corner, so it's "between" 5th and 6th avenue. I don't care if it happens all over, it's stupid and should be stopped!

Imagine giving someone directions... "Oh, my place is 515 5th Avenue, between 5th and 6th Avenue."

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 1:29 PM in response to Checking In on 5One5 Condos

No - it's a cutsie lady's shop.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 1:25 PM in response to Bird Blog: Week 19

If I had the money, I'd buy the Bond Street place and just finish it as 3 big rooms. That would be fun. And very manhattan loft.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 1:25 PM in response to Open House Picks: Price Cut Edition

So, the address is 515 Fifth Avenue. That's pretty clear - and reinforced by the name of the building "5 One 5 Condominiums."

Why then does the website say, "Located on 13th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues in Brooklyn's Park Slope..."

It's on the CORNER. I honestly don't get it. It's simply baffling to me that someone wrote that sentence on the website. The fancy photos show the building on the corner. The address is clearly on the corner. The address has nothing to do with 13th street... and, it's on the corner.

What is the marketing benefit here? It's north of 15th street, so the "Park Slop" nomenclature is fine... What does presenting a 5th Avenue corner lot as a mid-block, side street do? Other than just provide more evidence that real estate agents don't know how to simply tell the truth... even if the truth is fine.

I really want to know the honest motivation of Corcoran here!

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 1:11 PM in response to Checking In on 5One5 Condos

You're all very silly...

The 3-story brownstone to the right was "out of context" and "too tall" and all of those things when it was built. But there's no mention of that because time has past. In 10 years, when there is a nice patina on the roofing - you probably would think it was a very interesting addition built around the turn of the century (19th --> 20th).

Yes this is a mansion... as is the house next door. Or are multi-million dollar homes not mansions anymore? (I guess they might be "modest homes" on this blog.) But I digress... it may be a mansion, but I don't see anything "McMansion" about it. It's hardly a suburban 4500 sq ft monstrosity. They actually took quite a bit of effort to retain or create anew (inside and out) much of the charm associated with brooklyn brownstones. Sam, your comments about "design integrity" are especially silly.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 12:36 PM in response to Green on Brownstoner: Salvage on State Street

I have a feeling the NYSE floor traders aren't spending a whole lot of time with smoke breaks on the sidewalk in their funny jackets these days... must be the longest 6-1/2 hrs every day.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 12:10 PM in response to Banks Putting the Squeeze on Jumbo Loan Borrowers

Seriously... we're coming up on 6 months to renovate an store? Painful. A small apartment building can be built (green or otherwise) in that time.

I know there's a lot involved - but jaysus. I'd want to shoot myself if this was my store. I hope it makes it. Though, given all of the effort and regular chronicling... even if success weren't to materialize, seems like the owner(s) will be emotionally forced to string it along much longer than they would in a typical situation. It would be much harder to say, "Well, we gave it a good try" and move on.

Sorry - that sounds cynical, mostly because it is. Can't help it these days.

Honestly - I do hope this is a great success for your business which I know is already quite successful.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 12:06 PM in response to Bird Blog: Week 19

I affected... oh wait. No I'm not.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 10, 2008 10:04 AM in response to Banks Putting the Squeeze on Jumbo Loan Borrowers

Oh man. The hipsters will be the most prepared for the post-apocalyptic world ahead of us... what with all their practice with Big Buck Hunter and their willingness to wear old clothes.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 9, 2008 10:28 PM in response to Dow Closes Down 679 Points

Lots of comments saying, "the prices aren't falling very much" and then more comments saying, "the inventory is painfully low."

No one seems to see the connection.

In a high-priced market such as "premium brooklyn," shouldn't the restricted volume cause prices to go up? All that is happening is that the prices aren't softening that much... hardly a strong position. Just imagine how low prices would be if the inventory was increase, say 20%.

A few fun things are going to (re-)emerge in this tightening marketplace... there will be fewer real estate agents (Horray!) and the professional ones, that is to say the non-desperate ones, won't waste their time with sellers who aren't serious... and the overinflated Corcoran-style price tags will become closer to reality -- asking = selling

Oh - and you will actually have to have a decent product to sell in this new buyers' market. If the quality doesn't match the price tag, forget it.

Imagine!

Posted by: tybur6 at October 9, 2008 4:02 PM in response to Average Prices Up in BK, Inventory Down

"Iknow" - that's what I said at the top... just sayin.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 9, 2008 1:54 PM in response to Average Prices Up in BK, Inventory Down

I'm going to offer $210k and see what happens.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 9, 2008 1:14 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 50 Sterling Place

Gold leaf isn't the expensive bit... it's the technique. Clarification though -- are you applying these numbers to glass? You made it sound like you wanted gold lettering "like" the glass transom letters... are you actually applying the letters to the wood door? or glass panel?

That would make a big difference - and would make the "fake" methods a little less believable.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 9, 2008 11:21 AM in response to Gold Address Lettering

In other words... If supply is restricted, ceteris paribus, then the price will rise.

There is no such thing as Ceteris Paribus in the NYC housing market... the best things we have is breaking up the market into tiny microcosms of "comps" in a given tiny 4-block radius... actually 4-blocks might be too large.

The only thing equal in NYC housing is that ALL prices are unsustainably high and will come down. The high-luxury places, of course, less so. The prices for luxury goods and services are very "elastic." It's all basic microeconomics.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 9, 2008 11:10 AM in response to Average Prices Up in BK, Inventory Down

It's the usual problem with "averages." The supply is reduced, but it doesn't point out which segment of the supply. The high-end luxury units are probably at about the same level (the sellers are making a huge profit on those at any price-point), but the "lower priced" units may have been pulled from the market.

The absolute number of "# of units" vs. the relative number of "average price" may belie the truth of the ye olde supply and demand.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 9, 2008 11:02 AM in response to Average Prices Up in BK, Inventory Down

This seems to explain rent-to-own pretty clearly (I didn't quite understand the concept)

http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/real-estate/rent-to-own-homes.htm

Posted by: tybur6 at October 9, 2008 10:56 AM in response to Rent-to-Own on the Rise

I would just love to see someone get a ticket for running a red light or driving 50 mph down a side street... after that's under control, we can worry about honking.

The littering is painful to watch. Buy new item in bodega, throw rapper on ground. Young, old, elderly... doesn't matter. Ridiculous. When I drop something by accident on the sidewalk and it blows away, I'm filled with anxiety. What clicked in my head that missed everyone else?

Posted by: tybur6 at October 7, 2008 4:04 PM in response to No Honking Signs / Fines?

bohuma is right... bouncing a check is illegal AND traceable. Just stick with hiring a hit man to rough him up and sugar in his gas tank.

Apologies for the check suggestion - I broke the basic rule: Keep it Simple Stupid! Untraceable violence and vandalism is the way to go. Much more straightforward.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 2, 2008 4:00 PM in response to Real estate lawyer (cont)

If you're willing to spend a little more money, you can have him jumped and beaten. I'm not saying you should do that...

You could also pay him really really slowly. What are the terms of you contract with him? Give him a check, let it bounce. Send him a new check but for only $500. Force him to take up his time and the time of his staff chasing after his money. The worst thing that can happen is small claims court and some court fees... but he wouldn't do that... so you could just pay $100 or so whenever he pushes it. :-)

Alrighty... you could probably sue him too depending on how badly he performed. If he causes you to lose rent or other significant things, then you probably have a case. But you need to prove that you took reasonable effort to mitigate the damages -- i.e., accept a partial month renter, etc.

If you decide to hire someone to kick his ass have them put sugar in his gas tank too.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 1, 2008 8:54 PM in response to Real estate lawyer (cont)

Oh, one other thing... this building seems to have taken FOREVER to finish.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 1, 2008 4:30 PM in response to Prices Seesaw at On Prospect Park

This building is silly... that's all I have to say. Did Jay-Z actually get a place here? Or was that all just vicious rumors?

Posted by: tybur6 at October 1, 2008 4:10 PM in response to Prices Seesaw at On Prospect Park

I think it's a lovely place... maybe someone wants to buy it for me? You can live there too - it's a duplex after all.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 1, 2008 4:02 PM in response to House of the Day: 352 Argyle Road

Absolutely... renters are now all thinking, "Hey you fools, you've gotten your comeuppance! Suck on it!" Or something like that.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 1, 2008 9:30 AM in response to Has the Bubble Finally Burst?

Soo... a $2 million brownstone is an affordable fallback property now? YIKES! No wonder why we're in financial la la land.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 30, 2008 3:59 PM in response to Quote of the Day

Prodigal Son,
I give the world another few years... maybe 2025. (So much for the "Flatbush 2030" campaign) And it won't end per se. It'll just be like that Will Smith movie with deer and antelope running about midtown.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 30, 2008 10:00 AM in response to A Letter From The Inside

Lechacal - that's funny about WaMu. Take a look at Bear Stearn's website (http://www.bearstearns.com/) Not even a bit of irony there! "STRENGTH"

I know they fired everyone... but couldn't JP Morgan have spent $50 on a web guy to change the banner?

Posted by: tybur6 at September 30, 2008 9:57 AM in response to A Letter From The Inside

itsagas...
the writer's ominous glimpse into the future should scare you. We, collectively, only have about a year left. Then around March of 2010 all hell will break loose. And then by autumn we'll all be surviving on nothing more than the carcasses of the weak.

Can free trade save us from cannibalism and subsistence noshing? Doubtful.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 30, 2008 9:54 AM in response to A Letter From The Inside

Very interesting... this little "snapshot" suggests that banks may be looking at *rental* property as more stable than *for-sale* property.

My schadenfreude neurons keep on firing....

Posted by: tybur6 at September 30, 2008 9:35 AM in response to A Letter From The Inside

London was already positioning itself to be the new finance center of the world.... this can just help it along. Oh, and wouldn't it be fun if all of that Wall Street commercial real estate was re-zoned?! We could all get little lofts in the Bear Stearns and Merryl Lynch buildings.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 29, 2008 3:18 PM in response to Quote of the Day

This place is gonna sell like hotcakes! Really delicious and expensive hotcakes (maple syrup extra)

Posted by: tybur6 at September 29, 2008 2:32 PM in response to Condos of the Day: 525 Clinton Avenue

This is "amusing" to me in a very dark schadenfreude sort of way. Why doesn't the inventory seem to dry up? These can't all be people that are having personal emergencies and *must* sell... or is that what's keeping the sales portfolios flush?

Can't people just stay put? Obviously the make-lots-o-cash-by-flipping ship sailed a little while ago... are these properties so terrible that the owners can't just live there?

If these are "business" properties -- i.e., bought in order to sell -- this is the source of my amusement. Though I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for folks playing the $700/sq ft game anyway.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 29, 2008 2:29 PM in response to Brooklyn Bargains? Condo Price Cuts

I think they should install a motor cross course on this site. Wouldn't that be fun?

Posted by: tybur6 at September 29, 2008 1:51 PM in response to Curtains for Whole Foods?

Montrose Morris -- You said, "I don't see what's not to like here, unless the bottom line of cost efficiency is all that matters."

The fact is (and I'm agreeing with your here, but clarifying)... recycling and reusing can actually HELP the bottom line. All of these materials can be SOLD. You PAY to have materials put in a landfill.

Of course, it depends on the project. But as with everything, the bigger the project the more cost-effective recycling and reusing activities can be.

And guess what... When you rent dumpsters and PAY for the demolition materials to be carted away, the refuse company uses manual laborers to sort through your trash to find treasure. Do you think they are stupid enough to simply toss the valuable materials into the ground?!

If the builder did this up front... much more material could be salvaged and sold. Throwing materials into a dumpster causes damage so the refuse company may not be able to salvage and sell many items (wood, stone, etc.)

Posted by: tybur6 at September 29, 2008 10:55 AM in response to The Times on Deconstruction

Benson says, "I would prefer that people be educated so that they can be the engineers, quality control specialists and operators of hydraulic machinery, rather than junkyard workers."

Wow... and what would the QC specialists be overseeing? And the hydraulic machinery operators... what happens when the machine has completed its work? What are the engineers engineering?? Just for fun or are there workers realizing these plans? There is always manual laborers. They are part and parcel an important part of EVERY construction/demolition project. What is wrong will using this labor to do something beneficial to the earth - and I dare say - beneficial to the bottom line of the developer.

If you haven't done manual labor, you don't know how hard it is... that is your argument??!! I don't even know where to go with this line of thinking. Basically you're saying manual laborers are slaves and are treated that way... and there is no reason manual labor exists other than to pad the pockets of rich folks with uncalloused hands.

The simple fact is that we cannot tear down a 15 story building and toss it into a landfill (or create artificial mountains and islands). It's nice that you highlighted gypsum... give me a break. The issue is concrete, steel, copper, wood, stone, etc etc. These are VALUABLE materials that can be recycled (metals) and reused (stone, wood, etc). These are commodities that are bought and sold. And, guess what, they ARE bought an sold. Not because someone told them to, but because folks make a PROFIT doing so.

Why should these resources be tossed into a hole in the ground (which still requires lots of labor) instead of collected, sorted and recycled??!!

Posted by: tybur6 at September 29, 2008 10:47 AM in response to The Times on Deconstruction

So, Benson...

I would posit the notion that the folks hired to *deconstruct* a building are the same folks that are hired to *build* the new structure. Is manual labor bad thing? Do you think that manual labor is magically no longer part of the construction business??!!

The fact of the matter is that "non-valuable material" is not the case! If it were truly non-valuable then there wouldn't even be near a economic incentive to deconstruct instead of demolish... BUT there is a CLEAR incentive to recycle and reuse these materials!

Posted by: tybur6 at September 29, 2008 10:25 AM in response to The Times on Deconstruction

Just get a car with higher clearance.... then it doesn't matter. Right?

Posted by: tybur6 at September 28, 2008 11:04 PM in response to Curb cut legal?

Just cuz it's pretty doesn't mean it's not just tile... the preparations are the same for any tile. You have to prepare the floor for the tiles that are surrounding the design as well....

What's the question here? How to prep for tile or trying to figure out if there's something special with this design.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,221776,00.html

Posted by: tybur6 at September 28, 2008 11:01 PM in response to Installing floor mural/tile persian rug

I'm sorry dumpstress... you have plenty to think about without me being a douche bag.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 26, 2008 3:32 PM in response to Dusk to Dawn Lighting

FoF - yes... sadly, I'm very well aware of the billions and billions being spent in Iraq.

These latest comments have removed much of my "what else am I being screwed on?" fears. To sum up, these projects are dealt with in a far more honorable way than, say, a Yankees stadium or the like...

But I shouldn't bad-mouth them, as an act of kindness for shelling out millions upon millions and losing millions upon millions in tax revenue, they are making sure a family can go to a baseball game for only slightly less than a week's salary. Man o' man.

But I digress. So, I won't be writing letters about publicly supported housing developments... Thanks.

(By the way, LBoLuck, are there rules/laws/guidelines that tend to favor organizations like PAAC etc rather than the "average developer" or is it just a matter of who wants to take it on?)

Posted by: tybur6 at September 26, 2008 3:07 PM in response to PACC Spins Out Another Affordable Housing Project

(meant to read - "well above my economics abilities")

Posted by: tybur6 at September 26, 2008 2:32 PM in response to PACC Spins Out Another Affordable Housing Project

LilBitOfLuck... thank you. That makes more sense. And makes me a little bit less anxious. However, it sort of bothers me that something that receives tax abatements, interest free bonds and so on would *ever* have the potential for major profit taking (for the owner or the original developer).

But I guess, in the long term (very long term) the tax revenue potential for the entire area is increased...

Dunno, that thinking is well above economist abilities (and probably the abilities of everyone developing these gov't programs!! that's what bothers me and makes me anxious.)

Posted by: tybur6 at September 26, 2008 2:30 PM in response to PACC Spins Out Another Affordable Housing Project

Yeah... ya see, I'm not excited about supporting a "brief mandatory residency period complete with tax abatements" if that just means the housing prices quadruple (or more) when the homeowner leaves the neighborhood with a windfall.

Help lower income folks buy in their neighborhood... for a little while. And then get priced out.

If something is gonna be market-rate in a very short period of time (and that's less than 15 years or so in my head)... then what's the point? Make it market-rate from the beginning... let the market decide where to build... and actually collect taxes.

What Chaka describes is almost sinister.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 26, 2008 2:24 PM in response to PACC Spins Out Another Affordable Housing Project

I do think it's funny how excited people are getting about Trader Joe's. I think it's great, but it is funny how excited people get when something bigger than a bodega opens up.

Does this one have the wine shop? That's the best part of the Union Sq store.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 26, 2008 2:14 PM in response to Rainy Ribbon Cutting for Trader Joe's

Yeah... I know, life isn't fair. I was just pointing out my situation as a prefacing remark -- i.e., I wasn't looking to find out what the salary scales are.

I want to know what the rule are for resale.

I want to know if this is a waste of my tax dollars because the community isn't actually being served -- and this is just a gov't subsidized vehicle for displacing lower income people.

I want to know if I should be writing letters to my city and state officials asking for accountability. Or are there rules that would allay my fears.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 26, 2008 1:49 PM in response to PACC Spins Out Another Affordable Housing Project

I've never gotten a clear idea about the RE-sale restrictions... if someone buys a place, are they similarly restricted on who they can sell to? What price they can ask for? Number of years to wait? and so on....

I'm in the magic donut-hole (not "poor" enough to get something like this and not "rich" enough to actually afford anything market-rate)

BUT - I am a voter and a tax-payer... I'm wondering about what my government is doing. Should I be supporting this sort of stuff?? Are these affordable home actually providing housing to people with lower incomes or are they simply for show? (i.e., Looks good on paper, but after 5 years no one with lower incomes lives in these places.)

I'm not attacking or judging here... I seriously just want to know what my tax dollars are doing. It's not that crazy to be a little paranoid about the state of gov't regulation (and lack of oversight) these days.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 26, 2008 12:41 PM in response to PACC Spins Out Another Affordable Housing Project

By the way... I actually think the Ikea aesthetic (including their little park with the crane and other remnants) has turned out to be quite nice and fitting for that part of the city. But maybe I just like big blue things and path to stroll on.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 26, 2008 12:32 PM in response to Not Just BJs for Red Hook, But a Whole Mall

I think that everyone who doesn't like Red Hook development must be shipbuilders and marine welders and such. There's always a lot of talk about bringing back the waterfront to what it used to be and not to lose that important economic aspect of NYC.

If this is the case, then these shipbuilders and other folks skilled in the marine industry must be pretty hungry by now. Or they just realized these activities simply moved elsewhere.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 26, 2008 12:30 PM in response to Not Just BJs for Red Hook, But a Whole Mall

Umm.... this technology has been around for decades. It's hardly untested. Even my little nightlights have light sensors. What are you using now? Do you have a lamplighter?

Almost anyone sells this sort of stuff (Lowes, Home Depot, Grainger, etc.)

Posted by: tybur6 at September 26, 2008 12:00 PM in response to Dusk to Dawn Lighting

I get annoyed waiting in line at the REGISTERS... why would I wait in line to get in?!

Posted by: tybur6 at September 26, 2008 11:56 AM in response to Rainy Ribbon Cutting for Trader Joe's

One of the bartenders is named Jimmy and sounds like a working-class Irish kid from the 30s. Farrell's is like the wardrobe to Narnia.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 26, 2008 11:54 AM in response to [Virtually] Duking It Out Over Windsor Terrace

StuyMom... That's EXACTLY the "special source" I'm talking about. If you didn't have this capital because of your windfall, would you be able to buy anything for $750,000??

Having windfall profits and lots of excess capital is not typical of "young families" and "art types" (whit the exception of the folks that are just "into the Arts")

I'm not judging your situation, StuyMom. You've basically won. What I'm reacting to is the flippant tone people take when they refer to 3/4 of a million dollars as a basically affordable. Say someone magically had a 15% downpayment ($112k), that what a 1st time home buyer (i.e., the young family) person does... makes a downpayment, no more... and probably less. A "young family" or this elusive bohemian-type can't afford a $640,000 mortgage! That's crazy.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 24, 2008 2:29 PM in response to New Bed-Stuy More Like Old Bed-Stuy?

Sebb... I don't think it's particularly high (FOR New York City), but I think it's ridiculous to make statements like "great value for a young family or someone in the arts."

I know you're trying to say, Bed-Stuy isn't the top of the heap so you need someone who is "willing" to live there... i.e., a young family "scraping by" or a artsy type that likes the "grittiness."

But seriously... the average young family or art type does not have the ability to buy a three-quarters of a million dollar home. Unless they have money from some special source... but I guess you used the phrase "into the arts," so you weren't referring to artists - just relatively well-heeled folks that like art. So I stand corrected.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 24, 2008 1:32 PM in response to New Bed-Stuy More Like Old Bed-Stuy?

Can we start typing "i disagree" in quotes or perhaps (i disagree) or {i disagree} or something.... When a post begins:

I disagree, blah blah blah...

I don't know if this is a statement or a salutation. Of course, I would not be so bold as to suggest a name change. Don't worry your little heads about that.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 24, 2008 1:12 PM in response to New Bed-Stuy More Like Old Bed-Stuy?

Thanks Sebb... "For $700k you can get a Beautiful Home."

That definitely is the price range for most young families and people in the arts. Maybe I'll get two!

Posted by: tybur6 at September 24, 2008 11:28 AM in response to New Bed-Stuy More Like Old Bed-Stuy?

Are newer buildings built with multi-zones? I mean... the pick a temperature for the whole building method is killing the earth... no? 1st and 2nd floor comfortable, 3rd to 4th has the windows open all winter.

How long would it take to recover the costs of retrofitting this "16 unit, 4 story building with steam heat" into 2 or more zones? Especially with fuel costs now... seems like it would be something to look into.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 23, 2008 2:45 PM in response to Heating Temperature Control

My last post was in response to A Guest "I feel the opposition to this article is the idea that more white people moving to the city is a bad thing."

Sorry...

Posted by: tybur6 at September 23, 2008 12:33 PM in response to The End of White Flight?

No - the problem is that white people are moving where they're *not supposed to* and inflicting ills upon non-whites by exercising their privilege. Meanwhile, non-whites that are exercising (admittedly, less historic) privilege are not questioned when they buy a 1-bedroom apartment for $1.7 million.... even though that raises housing costs for everyone, white, black, brown, orange, green, purple.

While it's not an irrational double-standard... white privilege is real and must be recognized... gentrifying is gentrifying. People are simply moving back to the city because it's nicer than it was in the 70s and 80s when lots of people ran away (majority white, but also the full rainbow).

Don't blame the housing market. While it is INSANE in this city - what color a person is doesn't affect what the *may* buy or rent. The issue is *can* - and that has nothing to do with the houses and neighborhoods. It has to do with the economy, racism in the workplace, inequity in education, and so on. The housing market will continue to be insane as long as there is someone paying ridiculous prices... it doesn't matter what color they are, they just need a fat checkbook.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 23, 2008 12:30 PM in response to The End of White Flight?

Yeah... with regard to the cats... make sure their big nasty cats. The average rat is pretty damn big. Is the average cat going to attack and try to eat something half its size? Or bigger?

What about installing a little electric fence? :-)

Posted by: tybur6 at September 23, 2008 12:09 PM in response to Rats

Yeah... I have no sympathy for the "double parking" system. Just because it's a tradition doesn't make it OK. I've been blocked in (in Prospect Heights) by this great system... with the parking "attendant" nowhere to be found. If part of the "tradition" is making sure double parking doesn't cause restriction to you non-paying neighbors, then the attendant should be there and visible for the ENTIRE period.

Also - I've gotten a street cleaning parking ticket (forgot to move) while NONE of the 20 or so double-parked cars were even glanced at by the cops. Not to mention, it made it appear like *I* was making the street close to impassable... and not simple preventing street cleaning because I wasn't parked in a *different* totally illegal way.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 23, 2008 11:54 AM in response to Ethics-free Parking?

It could be a little evil gnome blowing it out. Have you stayed in the room and seen it go out? I would go with that theory first -- replacing the pilot light assembly is expensive; trapping a little evil gnome is almost free (but they do bite).

Posted by: tybur6 at September 23, 2008 11:46 AM in response to Pilot light Q?

(oops... I think I may have fallen victim to hyperbole and sarcasm.)

Posted by: tybur6 at September 23, 2008 11:37 AM in response to The End of White Flight?

Can't we just all get along... I suggest a top-down approach. The city needs to develop and enforce a sort of grid - demarcation of the neighborhoods and areas that are "OK to Gentrify" and those that are "OK to Fill with Minorities"

That should work - there are no wealthy minorities, so that should keep the real estate nice and cheap and the dirty word "gentrify" wouldn't have to be used. And the "OK to Gentrify" neighborhoods will be 100% white and "heterogeneous" so everyone will be happy. Bed-Stuy will experience a Harlem Renaissance of its own because the whites are preventing their expression of culture and Bensonhurst will finally look like Park Slope because they've just been waiting for the green light to gentrify! Hoorah!

Posted by: tybur6 at September 23, 2008 11:35 AM in response to The End of White Flight?

Janelle... are you suggesting folks should prepare a simple recipe akin to difficulty level of ants-on-a-log all by themselves?!?

Posted by: tybur6 at September 23, 2008 11:23 AM in response to Streetlevel: A Name for Brooklyn Freemans?

I am personally just biding my time until I am forced to move again because of economic necessity.... I am white and make good money by any standard other than NYC.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 23, 2008 11:02 AM in response to The End of White Flight?

Seriously - while the jutting out in front of the neighbors is very strange indeed (and shouldn't have been allowed if there were any way to prevent that)... the COLOR is the crazy thing.

If the building had just been a darker color -- or really ANYTHING other than this light sandy crap -- it wouldn't have been quite as much of an atrocity.

Developers: If you don't want to do anything better than this pathetic excuse for architecture... could you AT LEAST get some feedback about the color? Is that too much to ask?

Posted by: tybur6 at September 22, 2008 2:09 PM in response to A Brownstone [Still] Dies in Brooklyn

Yes - I now (again) live just off of Cortelyou so I am aware of the traffic.

It's really not that busy compared to other streets - rush hour or not. But I would have to agree, the fire truck issue would make the one-way street idea difficult. I wouldn't want to restrict buses at all... that was why I suggested the bus lane w/ grass idea. If cars have to find a different way to go east or west, I don't feel so bad for them (and I own a car and drive *fairly* regularly).

Making Cortelyou one-way wouldn't really restrict access to the business district, especially if you kept most or all of the parking - just all facing the same direction. The only restriction would be to commuters passing through with no intention of stopping.

I don't find that Cortelyou needs "calming" per se. It's nothing compared to other streets. I was thinking about adding some green and making the street more people friendly. Imagine how much cooler (and I mean temperature) the hottest summer day would be... walking down the sidewalk that has a strip of 10-ft wide strip of grass or low-maintenance ground covering and various other plants and trees.

(By the way - I had an image like this in my head: http://www.ruz.net/~trans/media/pictures/mulhouse-tram-on-grass.jpg Grass and trees and trasportation combined! Oh... and we should bring back the tram! There are sooooo many benefits compared to dumpy ol' buses. But that's just an aside.)

It could be an interesting experiment... though i agree about the fire trucks and transit, but not anything else.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 22, 2008 8:57 AM in response to Closing Bell: Park(ing) Day in Flatbush

I meant - "keeping all of the PARKING, but reducing the road to 1-1/3 lanes"

Posted by: tybur6 at September 21, 2008 2:05 AM in response to Closing Bell: Park(ing) Day in Flatbush

Honestly... the volume on Cortelyou Road isn't that high. What if it was made a one-way road (keeping all of the trafic, but reducing the road to 1-1/3 lanes)

And making a "park strip" the whole length between flatbush ave and coney island ave?

That would be sorta nifty, no?

Or just making it a grassy bus lane - those designs with the concrete tracks sunken in the ground. But I assume the ridiculous rules wouldn't allow this because folks wouldn't know to get out of the way of the bus.

Just throwing out some ideas for a business area without a whole lot of through traffic (relatively speaking). Something to make the road uninhibited for the local traffic... but (perhaps) less attractive to the general trans-neighborhood traffic.

It would be nice if we, as a city, could try some of these unorthodox ideas.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 21, 2008 2:00 AM in response to Closing Bell: Park(ing) Day in Flatbush

Is the photo from one of those stores that sell various items for home decorating and movies/TV? The "color coding" is for the purpose of selling... not for content, but for looks.

Right? Or?

Posted by: tybur6 at September 19, 2008 6:32 PM in response to Fort Greene Bookstore Has Support, Needs Space

What's wrong with pretzels?

Posted by: tybur6 at September 19, 2008 2:29 PM in response to Streetlevel: New Restaurant on Union

I think the Sterling Place went for $2.7 even, Elliott Place $1.35, St Felix I believe was converted into a rent-to-own, and Madison Street experienced a pricing war and finally sold for double the asking price.

(Oh, did you want real info? Sorry.)

Posted by: tybur6 at September 19, 2008 1:40 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

I wouldn't buy any of those... they all look dumb.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 19, 2008 1:36 PM in response to Open House Picks

Hmmm... Prodigal Son, I'll have to revisit the Flea. Perhaps it's a bit more flea market and a little less BH boutique. I could certainly use some more decorations in my less-than-inspired apartment.

Posted by: tybur6 a