Bob999's Profile

Author's Comments

Wow--that is interesting. First let me say that, as much as I love our gorjus landmarked neighborhoods, I am the last person to argue that people should be attempting to replicate 150-year-old building styles today (I want some NEW architecture, dammit!). However, this building is seriously cool looking, and if anybody wants to build more like it Brooklyn, I say go for it. I agree with Mr. B that the cornice should be straight, but that's a fine point. Kudos to the designer and builder and whoever commissioned them. That said: Are you kidding me with the $3.5 million for 1300 sf? Gonna take a very particular buyer, this one.

Posted by: Bob999 at February 19, 2007 12:11 PM in response to House of the Day: 43 Love Lane

Anon 12:16, I agree with you that building authentic-looking old buildings like this is cool. And possible. But it's reallllly expensive.

Posted by: Bob999 at February 19, 2007 1:00 PM in response to House of the Day: 43 Love Lane

Considering the shite that I see at most people's open houses, IMHO condoms, whips, assless chaps or leather teddies are not even remotely offensive by comparison.

Posted by: Bob999 at February 20, 2007 2:12 AM in response to Condom Found During Open House of NEW development.

In winter, your chickens (and llamas) get cold.

Posted by: Bob999 at February 20, 2007 9:02 AM in response to Keeping chickens in Clinton Hill

Could somebody tell me the terms of this "flip tax"? I've never heard of such a thing. Interesting. How much is the "tax," and how short a turnaround does it consider to be a "flip"? And would the board consider waiving this fee if the owner had to sell for non-speculative reasons, like a job transfer, divorce, death of spouse, catastrophic illness? Personally, I am not interested in investing my real-estate bucks in properties that place too many rules on what I can do. I don't even like condos, much less co-ops. Not to hate on this building or anything--the apartment looks nice and seems fairly priced. Cheers.

Posted by: Bob999 at February 20, 2007 4:34 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: Turner Towers Two Bedroom

Anon 2:19, are you referring to Marty Markowitz as a big, beautiful, decaying structure? I think "beautiful" is a stretch. :)

Posted by: Bob999 at February 20, 2007 4:42 PM in response to New Development: The Oddly-Named Lefferts South

What's the deal with those two wedge-shaped forms poking out of the front, there? Decoration? I actually like the apperaance of some of these Scarano buildings (in pictures, I should hasten to add--haven't actually studied any in person) and this one looks kinda nice to me. Kinda.

Posted by: Bob999 at February 20, 2007 4:48 PM in response to Development Watch: 136 St. Marks Place

Does any of this paint actually work? On a semi-related note, check this out: I heard today that Australia has announced plans to BAN incandescent light bulbs in a year! The entire nation of Australia! Dunno if it's true, but YIKES! I'm all for green practices, but life with those fucking flourescent bulbs everywhere would be so depressing, I wouldn't care about the planet--or anything else. Aesthetics are important. Good design is impossible without good lighting. And good lighting with flourescent bulbs is next to impossible, with a few exceptions. Run screaming into the outback!

Posted by: Bob999 at February 20, 2007 4:53 PM in response to Domino's Top Picks for Green Housing Products

Sweet mother of god, it's true: Australia is banning incandescent light bulbs, and California is talking about it, too. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17233145 That is total horseshit. How about revising the 30-year-old emissions standards on cars, reducing coal burning, offering better tax credits for insulation, before you issue a blanket ban on the only type of lighting that actually looks good? Me and the interior decorators of the world are taking to the streets!

Posted by: Bob999 at February 20, 2007 4:58 PM in response to Domino's Top Picks for Green Housing Products

Hey, Anon 7:46, people have been writing along this theme for a couple of days, so I'm going to respond: it really warms my heart to see somebody in this dumb-ass country noticing how important real journalism is. (As opposed to the Post, Fox News, etc., and as opposed to blogs.) This seems to be what you're saying when you remark, "Brownstoner needs to do actual research rather than just allow anonymous posts." Aside from the fact that Mr. B often does do excellent research, the thing is, Brownstoner IS a blog, albeit my favorite one. Blogs typically have one staffer, usually unpaid. And they let everybody speak (or rant). That's a blog. While Mr. B has journalistic background at a magazine, if memory serves, and has excellent taste in headlines and pix and mixing up stories, he has never held himself out to be publishing a newspaper-level enterprise. Which he couldn't possibly do without at least a few reporters, and preferably about 20, easy, given the vastness of this borough. Brooklyn, you'll recall, is something like the 5th largest city in the country. What, he's supposed to be the editor, the publisher, the reporter, the designer, the photographer--have you ever worked at a newspaper? It don't work like that. Brownstoner is, as they say, what it is. It relies upon the imput of its constituency. And it's a good thing.

Posted by: Bob999 at February 20, 2007 10:24 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: Turner Towers Two Bedroom

Responses to Author's Forum Comments

Bravo. Good for you. I made a note of NY Tree and Shrub. That is an excellent price. I had Urban ARborists scale my monster norway maple to take down two large limbs which cracked during the Nor'Easter. Three guys, four hours, 1000 dollars. Anyway, enjoy the sun.

Posted by: donatella at June 3, 2007 9:43 PM in response to Update: "NYC won't let me cut down my own damned tree?!"

Regardless of the legality, it looks pretty trashy to do so...

Posted by: at June 4, 2007 2:29 PM in response to is front-yard grilling/bbq OK?

If they are illegal, most of the people in my neighborhood are in deep trouble. Almost everyone at one time or another has bbq'ed in their front yards, especially at block parties.

Posted by: at June 4, 2007 2:31 PM in response to is front-yard grilling/bbq OK?

One cool thing you can do on propertyshark.com is remove properties from the comps result list if they seem like non market sales (between family members, etc). You can also now make notes right on the properties so if you go by a place and see the roof is missing, well then you can make a note on that and get it out of your list.

Posted by: J Bellw at June 7, 2007 10:31 AM in response to Help with Property Shark's comparables

EBA (as suggested by Bob Marvin, above) is good. If you are up to it, haggle a price from PC Richard and then go to EBA for a better price. If you don't hav a car they're a short walk from the last stop on the 2 train.

Posted by: at June 9, 2007 9:14 AM in response to Appliances

Bob, I agree with your colorful depiction of PC Richards parking lot.

Posted by: donatella at June 9, 2007 12:51 PM in response to Appliances

If you already know model numbers--
http://www.appliancesbuyphone.com/

Great prices, no sales tax (outside of NJ), free delivery.

I bought an AC from them, it was super easy

Posted by: Maria at June 11, 2007 10:46 AM in response to Appliances

It Happens to the best of us... sometimes the chemistry falls apart. It WAS there when you signed, but mysteriously disappears after you sign with them. If the agent acknowledges his/her shortcomings, they should RELEASE the listing to another agent in the office. BUT try to keep in mind that sometimes the SELLER creates the problem(s) also... look at the whole picture before blaming the agent simply b/c the property hasn't sold yet. The agency does NOT have to release the listing, and you should make at least ONE attempt to rectify the problems TOGETHER.

Also, it might be a benefit if the property was listed with an MLS broker... anyone can show the property with the right disclosures in place. Not all brokers are bad.

Posted by: Howard at June 29, 2007 1:56 PM in response to Not Happy with Broker

Sell it yourself. Take the price your broker was offering your home for, subtract his/her commission, write an ad for the NY Times advertising an open house, appointment only, no brokers (they'll show up anyway and try to steal your potential purchasers). You will probably get at least one offer by the end of the day. People LOVE dealing directly with each other and cutting out the broker. You know more about your home than the broker, anyway, and most sellers appreciate honest answers about pros and cons. Make sure that you already have an attorney you want to use, in case of multiple offers; it's nice to have back-up offers.

Posted by: anon at July 10, 2007 1:53 PM in response to Not Happy with Broker