Converting from LNO 2 Family to 3 Family or 2 Family w/ Office - Difficulty Level? $$$? How Long?

Hi,

Thanks for all your help with my CoO question a few days back. This question is somewhat related to that.

Again, I am in the process of purchasing a property that I will both LIVE in and use as an INVESTMENT to rent out. I am financing my current home in this same manner – 3 family. Live in one family and rent out two units.

This new property that I am close to purchasing has no original Cof0. In July 2010, a Letter of No Objection stated it as a 2 family birch was issued by the DOB.

The property consists of two floors with a garden level. The whole street features all the same style houses. I’ve looked at the CofO for adjacent homes and many have been converted to 1-family homes, 3-family homes or 2-family homes with an office. As a matter of fact, the house to my left has a CofO for a 3-family and the house to my right has a CofO of a 2-family with doctor’s office.

Right now, according the the DOB, there’s a LNO for a 2-family for the property I am interested in. How hard, how long and how expensive will it be for me to convert this LNO B2 property to a legal 3-family or a legal 2-family with a doctor’s office. This is in the Bay Ridge area by the way, where doctor’s office come a dime a dozen.

A conversion makes sense to me because we will be doing major renovations. Any insight offered will be most helpful