kaulat

Mike in LBC writes: El Bee, Is there anywhere on this blog site, where you throw out a couple steps to follow, for noob real estate dummies like me, to see if a property is a good deal? What steps do you take, when you want to see if a property is a good deal? And this is just a suggestion, but I would really like to see you find a property that you think IS a good deal, and maybe tell us why, and how to find them. My permabear permafrost has thawed considerably this year, and I'm not afraid to tell my readers when I think something is approaching a decent buy. The reason I don't feature more "good deals" on this blog is because, frankly, the few that exist don't last long on the market. And for good reason. In fact, sometimes I'll have a finished post in the can only to discover the property sold before I could publish it. And with all of the government intervention (whatever you think about all the taxpayer cash being dropped from B-2 bombers, you have to ad...

Halloween came and went, and we had no one come to our house yet again. Every year Bob buys candy and waits patiently for the hordes of youngsters he remembers from his childhood in the city and then at his house on the east side. We went to our friends' home after a fruitless half hour. They were dressed for the occasion - he as a clown (it's hard to talk to someone with a giant smile painted on his face!) and she as a very pregnant bunny rabbit. Their house and the neighborhood were lit for fun times, kids roamed freely on the quiet street, every once in a while Ben let off a puff of smoke from the smoke machine in his side yard to add to the ambiance. The moon was full. I thanked them for letting Bob have a Halloween with children and gave them half our candy. We ate most of the rest watching the Series, then I asked him to hide the remaining few bars. Meanwhile, back in the Skaneateles real estate market, 10 homes were expiring. There are currently 130 active listing...

Today's featured seller is yet another 2007 buyer who, after finding herself underwater just two years after purchasing, is scrambling to abandon ship before her terribly timed investment blows up in her face like an IED . Will she find the comfort of a buyer's life raft in time, or is she just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic? 370 WISCONSIN Ave #304, 90814 Price: $348,000 Beds: 2 Baths: 1 Sq. Ft.: 957 $/Sq. Ft.: $364 Year Built: 1967 MLS #: P709366 On Redfin : 2 days HOA : $187 Down Payment: $69,600 ($12,180 FHA) Income Requirement: $99,000 Monthly Nut: $2,000 ($2,400 FHA) Description: Remodeled 2- BD Belmont Heights condo. Secluded Top, Back, Corner unit is in the Best Location in the building! Enjoy great views from the living room picture window. Spacious, open floor plan includes oversize bedrooms with large closets (with closet organizers), Bamboo flooring and dual pane vinyl windows (with nice blinds). Beautiful Kitchen has Silestone counters and ceramic tile...

The list price was "$229,900" and changed to "$219,900" But wait, when you originally listed this dump for $230,000, the listing description claimed, "This property is priced for a quick sale." But that was 74 days ago. Perhaps "quick" wasn't the best word choice. So are you saying now it's REALLY priced for a quick sale? Or are you just going to pepper buyers with your incessant bullshit until the next measly 4% price cut? Then I imagine it will REALLY , REALLY be priced for a quick sale, right? But who am I to question whether $220,000 is a fair, accurate price? After all, you're the "experts" who three years ago valued this rat's nest at $380,000 --clearly you know what you're doing. ********************************************* The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on the planet. It's said that about 5.5 million years ago, due to geological shifts and other factors, the "sea" becam...

3833 East 2ND St #301, 90803 Price: $594,500 Beds: 2 Baths: 1.75 Sq. Ft.: 1,489 $/Sq. Ft.: $399 Year Built: 1986 MLS#: P704353 On Redfin: 37 days HOA: $291 Down Payment: $119,000 Income Requirement: $170,000 Monthly Nut: $3,500 Description: This Plaza Mira Mar penthouse is stunning. This top floor corner unit with ocean and city view condo is just steps to the Ocean, Pier and the wonderful Shops and Dining in Belmont Shore. Marble floors through out with newer carpet in both bedrooms. Newer kitchen with cherry wood cabinets, granite counter tops with built-ins, including a lazy Susan. Gas fireplace in the living room with a marble manttle and hearth. Custom see through shades in living and dining rooms, plus custom drapes. New double paned windows and doors. Forced air heat and central air conditioning. Both bathrooms are highly upgraded, master bath has a seperate shower and a jacuzzi tub. Recessed lighting and skylights. Inside laundry, washer and dryer are included. There is a large...

We went out yesterday to see a horse Bob had considered buying. I drove out separately, taking Route 20 to Cazenovia. It was one of those days when, if I had been going to Albany, I would have taken Route 20 and then of course regretted my decision when the trip's length increased. But the sky was blue, the hills were fluid, the countryside a Lang calendar photo. I passed "Seabury" and thought of our old theater professor Seabury Quinn, Jr., at Ohio University, and his cat also named "Seabury." How lovely those autumns had been in Appalachia years ago. And how lovely Central New York is now. While Bob and his friends from the stables where he rides observed the horse, my friend Deb and I caught up on our lives. She was feeling the same exuberance I was, and had just driven out to Bouckville because the day was so inviting. "It's one of those days," she exclaimed, "when you know why you live here and wouldn't live anywhere else!...

I started writing this post before the price was dropped $40,000, so while my assessment of the pricing has changed, my overall analysis has not. 743 EUCLID Ave #3, 90804 Price: $299,000 Beds: 2 Baths: 2 Sq. Ft.: 1,156 $/Sq. Ft.: $259 Year Built: 1981 MLS#: P702387 On Redfin: 48 days HOA: $189 Down Payment: $59,800 Income Requirement: $85,000 Monthly Nut: $1,800 Description: Beautiful unit in quiet tranquil complex. Features bamboo floors, granite counters, fresh paint, recessed lighting, upgraded kitchen and baths, large master bedroom with walk in closet, dinning area that opens to kitchen, separate bar area with wine cooler and lots of windows for the ocean breezes. "Dinning"? And dude, "ocean breezes"? You're more than a mile from the water--you sure about that? I have to give credit where credit is due and say that overall this apartment is pretty nice inside. I'm particularly fond of the dark-colored floors, the recessed lighting (although it appears t...