My building was built in 1929 as a luxury building (OK, not the best year for that, but there it is). It's high Deco - two-story lobby with marble floor, high ceilings, lots of closet space, many of the apartments have glassed-in porches (for sleeping in the pre-AC summer). Enamel over cast iron tubs and sinks in the bathrooms, some ... um, inventive ... color tiles in the bathrooms. However, the owner hasn't put any more than absolutely necessary into the maintenance for at least 30 years. As a result, the ca. 1929 wiring blows fuses at the drop of a hat, the plumbing clogs as often, there are cracks in the walls from where the foundation is settling unevenly, the pool went out of commission and is seemingly unrepairable, the one-time party room was stripped of everything salable and used for storage, the roof terrace blocked off, there's a constant leak in the parking garage that they don't seem to be able to fix.

The developer plans to split the circuits (but not replace the wiring), put in central AC (admittedly a blessing), leave the plumbing pretty much as is, strip off the crown moldings and old high basebords to put sheetrock over the walls, strip the fixtures and tiles out of the bathrooms and put in new, do new kitchens, carpet the hallways, put in an exercise room, a bike room, pretty the place up a bit.

So ... since I really think the place is going to turn into a money pit in the next few years, I'm not buying. I mean, if I was paying $300K+ for a one-bedroom condo, I'd expect to have a lot more functionality addressed and less of the superficial stuff. And I think when people move in and start plugging in their appliances and find that the circuit breakers get tripped easily (did I mention that some of the apartments' circuits are connected to something outside the apartments?), and they can't rely on the sinks/tub draining quickly, and the sheetrock starts cracking from the foundation settling some more, there's going to be a lot of screaming. And paying.

Toddson, you totally need to make off with the good fixtures and mouldings when you finally move out. Let them keep the security deposit!

Um, well, it is vandalism, but, um... I'd never advocate that.

In just about every antique barn in the area, you find a room full of stained glass transoms, beautiful mantles in need of a good stripping, mouldings, ceiling tin, old tubs, etc ... the sad part is, this is stuff that has been pulled because someone is actually doing something to the property, whereas there are parts of the city where that stuff is just rotting in situ.

happy day to both our anniversary couples.

and I am glad we bought when we didi - despite the slowdown in houseing sales - prices are continueing to sky rocket around here. I have no idea who could begin to pay for my house , even if I think the latest estimate is overblown.

This is why I'm glad I live in an unglamorous, but still convenient, part of Queens. Soooo much cheaper.

Man, hang onto that lease like grim death. I had to give up my 2 bed room rent stab. in Astoria seven or eight years ago when the neighborhood was still like that. Now its close to impossible too.

So ... since I really think the place is going to turn into a money pit in the next few years, I'm not buying. I mean, if I was paying $300K+ for a one-bedroom condo, I'd expect to have a lot more functionality addressed and less of the superficial stuff. And I think when people move in and start plugging in their appliances and find that the circuit breakers get tripped easily (did I mention that some of the apartments' circuits are connected to something outside the apartments?), and they can't rely on the sinks/tub draining quickly, and the sheetrock starts cracking from the foundation settling some more, there's going to be a lot of screaming. And paying.

Sounds a bit like mine except they're going to continue to rent. Its going to be just a new level of slum-lording when they're done... they'll always be able to rent the place to someone after people give up in a year and move because things break stupidly.

The "What kind of scientist is Batman" problem

Also, [link]

When I bought my house, I was mentally kicking myself because if I'd just bought a couple years earlier before the market zoomed so much I could have paid half what I did. But then the market continued to rise in price, and now people tell me I'm so smart to be have able to buy when I did. Weird how that works.

have you gotten to the season finale yet? there's some serious pretty there.

Oh my, yes. Shirtless pretty, IIRC.

(I saw it when it first aired)

I went back to sleep for three hours, and now feel well enough to go to work.

yay?

Yeah, I have this:

Neophiliacs are people who love everything new or novel. While most people have some element of this trait in their personality, there are some folks who have an almost unstoppable draw to every whizzy new electronic gizmo. Or maybe they just have to have the latest combination of strappy sandals and hip-hugging jeans.

These neophiliacs are, in effect, every marketer’s dream.

And now a team of researchers have provided these consumers with just about the greatest excuse ever for justifying their expensive compulsion to buy the newest and coolest. They can't help themselves.

It turns out some people may, in fact, be more genetically predisposed than others to wanting the newest toys, gadgets and fashions.

In scientific mumbo jumbo, it seems that genetic differences mean that people produce different variations of a mitochondrial enzyme called monoamine oxidase A. That’s according to research from the Yamagata University School of Medicine in Japan, which was recently published in the scientific journal Psychiatric Genetics and mentioned in the New Scientist magazine.

The researchers found that one form of this enzyme was “significantly associated with higher scores of novelty seeking.” In other words, people who produce that form of the enzyme are more likely to have novelty-seeking traits in their personality than others.

I will vouch for having seen S, live and in person. Although, have I seen him since he and amych got married? Maybe not. Maybe they mated and she killed and devoured him...

In yesterday's food convo news, I am now determined to go here [link] at soonest possibility. If any NCistas are interested, we could make a parea out of it (mezes are so much funner in groups).

"I love ya baby, but ya gotta understand - it's the monoamine oxidase A in me!"