Renters Become Their Own Landlords
The New York Times this weekend chronicled the housing woes of Mariah and Dominique Freda, two sisters who started out by playing the rental game in Park Slope. They were leasing a two-bedroom for $2,050, but the poor conditions and the inflexibility of the landlord motivated them to look into buying a place of their…
The New York Times this weekend chronicled the housing woes of Mariah and Dominique Freda, two sisters who started out by playing the rental game in Park Slope. They were leasing a two-bedroom for $2,050, but the poor conditions and the inflexibility of the landlord motivated them to look into buying a place of their own. The buying game turned out to have obstacles of its own, but the sisters eventually settled on a 1,400-square-foot, two-bedroom, three-bathroom condo in Park Slope with a spiral staircase leading to a basement recreation room. The apartment had started out with a price tag of $639,000 but had recently been reduced to $599,000 and had a deal fall through; with some help from Dad, they were able to make an all-cash offer that beat out a higher, competing bid. The common charge and taxes were slightly less than $400 a month. “I didn’t realize how annoying a landlord is until I didn’t have one anymore,” Dominique told the Times. From the article, it seems that the Freda sisters could not have purchased the condo without their father’s assistance, who provided the up-front cash and is acting as the girls’ mortgage lender—a luxury that not all renters have—but their story is also one of renters who persevere to take matters into their own hands.
Theirs to Fix and Fix Up [NY Times]
Photo by Angel Franco for The New York Times
Mr Joist, when people put themselves out there like that in the NEW YORK TIMES, it is our god given right to poke fun. yes some of it clearly comes out of jealousy for some, but these attention wh0re types who like their privileged to be mocked. plus this particular article takes place in park slope, clearly the most mockable neighborhood in America!
*rob*
Living in Brooklyn isn’t a god-given right – and it’s also not some sort of reward for getting here first or saving up for 10 or 15 years for a down payment – it’s simply the result of being able to make the highest or most attractive bid for an apartment, which this family was able to do. Having to get by without help from your family doesn’t make a person morally superior to someone who is lucky enough to receive help. Being the beneficiary of your family’s good fortune does not necessarily mean that you are infantile, spoiled, lazy, etc. Good grief.
It’s like a car crash – I don’t want to read the article yet feel compelled to do so. And now that I have, I can’t unread it…
also why not just buy each of them their own place, but cheaper? like a 1 bedroom or something for each for 300k each.
*rob*
A throw-away NYT story without much relevance BUT the tidal wave of bitterness/jealousy/hypocrisy on this thread is more telling than anything in the article.
So very Park Slope to 1) get some BStoner street cred dissing the protected Daddy’s girls; 2) attack the rich; and 3) give heaps of “parenting†advice.
Well done! All have conformed to their pre-assigned stereotypes. Next.
oh tyburg your posts make my brain wet somnetime hahah
*rob*
rob,
you are so right about that.
you couldn’t pay me to live with my sister, we get along so much better living apart!
The older one doesn’t even work… she’s a drama student at one of the most expensive schools in the country. And the other one is a teacher at the “with masters” initial salary step.
So, I think this ACTUAL situation is the following: (A) Daddy is planning on paying for BOTH of their rents until the end of time, (B) daddy doesn’t want to pay $2000/mo to a landlord, (C) daddy bought the apartment and made all of the arrangements because his daughters won’t be adults until they are married off and start popping out babies, since they can’t live independent adult lives a husband will have to be involved unless they decide to go the spinster sister route, and (D) daddy seems to have buckets of cash to support this infantilizing behavior and lifestyle… i mean even their bedrooms are decorated like little perky princess rooms.
Is it evil to be having thoughts about getting them drunk and having a dirty animal 3-way with them both… then telling their Daddy all about it?
Snowbunny
“How on earth is a twenty or thirty year old person supposed to afford a place to live without either an MBA (which won’t help you all that much these days anyway) or some help from their family?”
Not everyone who is 20 years old can live in London, Paris, or Brooklyn. If they could, those cities (or Boroughs) wouldn’t be what they are. In the 70’s when I was growing up, anyone could live in Brooklyn but few wanted to. Now that everyone wants to because it’s improved so much, not everyone can. It’s not a God-given right to live where you want to. Plus, from what I hear, rents in East New York are still pretty affordable. (Yes that’s part of Brooklyn). Must say though, I love that name Snowbunny.