Buying New Construction in NYC

There things that we love with our new apartment: large windows, new appliances, new bathrooms and a new kitchen, new neighbors and not having to deal with an entrenched condo board.

There are things that we would rather not have had to deal with: paying the Seller’s legal fees, paying for all the seemingly unfairly high costs of the  transfer such as the NY State and NY City real estate taxes and real estate transfer taxes, and the high title insurance costs.  It does seem unfair that the buyer covers these costs, but we’ve already paid them and there isn’t much that we can do.  Does the buyer always pay the Seller’s legal bills for condo transfers?

Buying New Construction in NYC

There things that we love with our new apartment: large windows, new appliances, new bathrooms and a new kitchen, new neighbors and not having to deal with an entrenched condo board.

There are things that we would rather not have had to deal with: paying the Seller’s legal fees, paying for all the seemingly unfairly high costs of the  transfer such as the NY State and NY City real estate taxes and real estate transfer taxes, and the high title insurance costs.  It does seem unfair that the buyer covers these costs, but we’ve already paid them and there isn’t much that we can do.  Does the buyer always pay the Seller’s legal bills for condo transfers?

Reducing Clutter – bookswaps, craigslist, and freecycle

I never thought that think I have too many books but I do.  I’ve started posted skimming through the unread books and posting them on online bookswaps.  My two main sites are paperbackswap.com and bookmooch.com.  

I’ve noticed that I tend to request more books from paperbackswap.com  but my books are more often requested from bookmooch.com.  Paperbackswap gives you points for each referral that you bring to the group. You get two credits per new recruit.  It does not offer additional points for each book that you list.  In contrast, bookmooch offers 1/10th of a point for each book that you list but does not offer any referral points.

Bookmooch seems to be stricter about its wishlist and inventory. You must send books that are posted in your inventory and you must request the books on your wishlist that become available.   Paperbackswap isn’t as strict about these items, but it is stricter about sending the books within a short period and a fuller description of requestor restrictions and the way that the books are packed, listed and sent.

I love using both groups – it makes it possible to recycle books that I’d like to read once and don’t have space to keep in the apartment.  I can also request books and have them sent to friends and family members in the US.   Bookmooch has the added advantage of having a global reach – it allows you to request books from people outside the US and you can opt to send the books outside the US for a greater number of points.  Check both sites out!

Craigslist is a good way to sell used items within your neighborhood.    Be careful about scheduling appointments and giving out personal details – some people have used fake postings to lure victims out with cash and then robbed or mugged them.  

If you don’t have time or the patience to sell the items, you can choose to give away things through the different Yahoo freecycle groups.   It’s a great site and I’ve benefited from some generous posters/freecyclers.  We’ve gotten a new paper shredder, blender, a baby car seat, and numerous books (law, fiction, mysteries, etc.)

Now that we’ve moved to Brooklyn, we noticed that people leave items on their stoop for neighbors to take.   Just while having coffee on 9th Street and 6th Avenue, a man brought down a microwave and toaster and put them on his stoop.  Less than five minutes later, a woman put the toaster on top of her stroller and took it home!  They bypass the hassle of posting and scheduling pickups on freecycle and still share with the neighbors.  

Reducing Clutter – bookswaps, craigslist, and freecycle

I never thought that think I have too many books but I do.  I’ve started posted skimming through the unread books and posting them on online bookswaps.  My two main sites are paperbackswap.com and bookmooch.com.  

I’ve noticed that I tend to request more books from paperbackswap.com  but my books are more often requested from bookmooch.com.  Paperbackswap gives you points for each referral that you bring to the group. You get two credits per new recruit.  It does not offer additional points for each book that you list.  In contrast, bookmooch offers 1/10th of a point for each book that you list but does not offer any referral points.

Bookmooch seems to be stricter about its wishlist and inventory. You must send books that are posted in your inventory and you must request the books on your wishlist that become available.   Paperbackswap isn’t as strict about these items, but it is stricter about sending the books within a short period and a fuller description of requestor restrictions and the way that the books are packed, listed and sent.

I love using both groups – it makes it possible to recycle books that I’d like to read once and don’t have space to keep in the apartment.  I can also request books and have them sent to friends and family members in the US.   Bookmooch has the added advantage of having a global reach – it allows you to request books from people outside the US and you can opt to send the books outside the US for a greater number of points.  Check both sites out!

Craigslist is a good way to sell used items within your neighborhood.    Be careful about scheduling appointments and giving out personal details – some people have used fake postings to lure victims out with cash and then robbed or mugged them.  

If you don’t have time or the patience to sell the items, you can choose to give away things through the different Yahoo freecycle groups.   It’s a great site and I’ve benefited from some generous posters/freecyclers.  We’ve gotten a new paper shredder, blender, a baby car seat, and numerous books (law, fiction, mysteries, etc.)

Now that we’ve moved to Brooklyn, we noticed that people leave items on their stoop for neighbors to take.   Just while having coffee on 9th Street and 6th Avenue, a man brought down a microwave and toaster and put them on his stoop.  Less than five minutes later, a woman put the toaster on top of her stroller and took it home!  They bypass the hassle of posting and scheduling pickups on freecycle and still share with the neighbors.  

The Mighty Queens of Freeville – October’s First Look Book Club at Barnes & Noble

I am so excited! I just got my free advance reading copy of “The Mighty Queens of Freeville” by Amy Dickinson through the Barnes & Noble First Look Book Club.  

I discovered the First Look Book Club last year when I was exploring the Barnes & Noble website.  Every few months or so, they host these First Look Book Clubs.   The membership is not set but they do make advance announcements to previous members alerting us to sign up at noon on a particular day. Then you email your desire to join and your address which you must do quickly because they run out of slots fast.  If you’re among the lucky ones, you get a confirmatory email and your book arrives in a few days!

I’d joined the discussions for “The House at Riverton” by Kate Morton and “The Sister” by Poppy Adams.  I loved Riverton, it reminded me of Rebecca and of Atonement – a Gothic sort of suspense centered around an old aristocratic family and an ancient home in England.  I wouldn’t have found or read the book ordinarily, but it was a wonderful escape. 

I’m very excited about this new book – it’s more along the lines of something that I would have found myself.   I’ve never read Amy Dickinson’s column “Ask Amy” or heard her on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” but the first chapter is reminiscent of Fannie Flagg.  

Here’s the blurb on the back of the book:

“Five years ago, after an exhaustive nationwide search, the Chicago Tribune announced Amy Dickinson as the next Ann Landers. They wanted a contemporary voice and they found it.  Bracingly witty and candid, Amy is not your mother’s advice columnist.  Readers love her for her brutal honesty, her small-town values, and the fact that her motto is “I make mistakes so you don’t have to.”  Her advice column, “Ask Amy,” appears daily in more than 150 newspapers nationwide, read by more than 22 million people.

In The Mighty Queens of Freeville, Amy Dickinson takes those mistakes and spins them into a remarkable story. This is the tale of Amy and her daughter and the women in her family who helped raise them.”

More to come!

The Mighty Queens of Freeville – October’s First Look Book Club at Barnes & Noble

I am so excited! I just got my free advance reading copy of “The Mighty Queens of Freeville” by Amy Dickinson through the Barnes & Noble First Look Book Club.  

I discovered the First Look Book Club last year when I was exploring the Barnes & Noble website.  Every few months or so, they host these First Look Book Clubs.   The membership is not set but they do make advance announcements to previous members alerting us to sign up at noon on a particular day. Then you email your desire to join and your address which you must do quickly because they run out of slots fast.  If you’re among the lucky ones, you get a confirmatory email and your book arrives in a few days!

I’d joined the discussions for “The House at Riverton” by Kate Morton and “The Sister” by Poppy Adams.  I loved Riverton, it reminded me of Rebecca and of Atonement – a Gothic sort of suspense centered around an old aristocratic family and an ancient home in England.  I wouldn’t have found or read the book ordinarily, but it was a wonderful escape. 

I’m very excited about this new book – it’s more along the lines of something that I would have found myself.   I’ve never read Amy Dickinson’s column “Ask Amy” or heard her on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” but the first chapter is reminiscent of Fannie Flagg.  

Here’s the blurb on the back of the book:

“Five years ago, after an exhaustive nationwide search, the Chicago Tribune announced Amy Dickinson as the next Ann Landers. They wanted a contemporary voice and they found it.  Bracingly witty and candid, Amy is not your mother’s advice columnist.  Readers love her for her brutal honesty, her small-town values, and the fact that her motto is “I make mistakes so you don’t have to.”  Her advice column, “Ask Amy,” appears daily in more than 150 newspapers nationwide, read by more than 22 million people.

In The Mighty Queens of Freeville, Amy Dickinson takes those mistakes and spins them into a remarkable story. This is the tale of Amy and her daughter and the women in her family who helped raise them.”

More to come!

Scoping out the new neighborhood – South Slope

We just moved from the Upper East Side.   While I wait for the “punchlist supervisor” to drop by to discuss the remaining items that need to be done in our apartment, here are the things that I’d like to find in our new neighborhood and small tasks to do:

1. Change address with the local library.
2. Find a good Asian food store with miso, vegetables, chinese and japanese spices.
3. Find a good gym.
4. Explore Prospect Park or the Brooklyn Botanical Garden – one of the reasons that we moved to this neighborhood.
5. Find a good bakery for the occasional treats.
6. Find a nearby hardware store, drugstore, grocery store, laundry, and coffee shop.
7. Arrange to have ConEd change my address.
8. Arrange for cable, internet and possibly phone service.  See if I get cable or wireless internet for free!
9. Have extra keys made.
10. Change address with all banks, 401(k), employer, DMV, and IRS.
11. Make a working to do list.

Scoping out the new neighborhood – South Slope

We just moved from the Upper East Side.   While I wait for the “punchlist supervisor” to drop by to discuss the remaining items that need to be done in our apartment, here are the things that I’d like to find in our new neighborhood and small tasks to do:

1. Change address with the local library.
2. Find a good Asian food store with miso, vegetables, chinese and japanese spices.
3. Find a good gym.
4. Explore Prospect Park or the Brooklyn Botanical Garden – one of the reasons that we moved to this neighborhood.
5. Find a good bakery for the occasional treats.
6. Find a nearby hardware store, drugstore, grocery store, laundry, and coffee shop.
7. Arrange to have ConEd change my address.
8. Arrange for cable, internet and possibly phone service.  See if I get cable or wireless internet for free!
9. Have extra keys made.
10. Change address with all banks, 401(k), employer, DMV, and IRS.
11. Make a working to do list.

Moving Checklist

Quick list before moving:

1. Contact the Post Office.  If you know your move date, set up your mail forwarding about 10 days or 2 weeks before your move.  Also put mail on hold to cover the gap from your mail forwarding request to the time it begins.   Once the mail forwarding starts, the mail hold will be lifted.  The easiest way is to do all of this is online (www.usps.com).
2. Change the addresses on record with your banks, 401(k) funds, employer, credit cards, mutual fund companies, and insurance companies.
3. Sell unwanted items on craigslist.
4. Donate unwanted items to Goodwill. Don’t forget the receipt to claim the tax donation.
5. Or give away items through freecycle.com
6. Return library books. Donate unwanted books to your local library.
7. Put your paperbackswap.com and bookmooch.com accounts on vacation hold and change your address on record.
8. Shred confidential financial documents.

Moving Day:

1. Notify utilities of your change of address either to terminate service or transfer service. Be sure to give them your new address so they can send checks to cover the balance owed to you.
2. Have cash for movers.
3. Carry your valuables, important papers, checks, etc. 
4. Take pictures of your apartment as you’re moving out to be able to prove that you left the apartment in good condition and claim your security deposit.  

Soon after moving: 

1. Return the cable box and modem, etc. to your old provider to claim your deposit.
2. Change your email signature to reflect your new address and phone number.
3. Notify contacts of your new address and phone number.
4. Inform the DMV of your new address.  You can do this in person, over the phone (NYC residents call (212) 645-5550 or (718) 966-6155 from 8 am to 4 pm) or by mail using the form MV-232 (www.nysdmv.com).
5. If you’re in the US on a visa, file the required documentation to immigration authorities notifying them of your new address within 10 days of the move.  
6. If you’re a NY State attorney, you have to notify the Attorney Registration Unit of Office of Court Administration, either by email (attyreg@courts.state.ny.us) or by fax (212) 428-2804 or by mail to OCA – Attorney Registration, P.O. Box 2806, Church Street Station, New York, NY 10008.  Their phone number is (212) 428-2800, you should confirm that the address change took effect about 6 weeks after giving notice.
7. Follow up with your landlord for your security deposit. Use regular mail or certified mail to be able to prove that you made a legal demand.
8. Give away old boxes through freecycle.com
9. Inform the library of your new address.

Moving Checklist

Quick list before moving:

1. Contact the Post Office.  If you know your move date, set up your mail forwarding about 10 days or 2 weeks before your move.  Also put mail on hold to cover the gap from your mail forwarding request to the time it begins.   Once the mail forwarding starts, the mail hold will be lifted.  The easiest way is to do all of this is online (www.usps.com).
2. Change the addresses on record with your banks, 401(k) funds, employer, credit cards, mutual fund companies, and insurance companies.
3. Sell unwanted items on craigslist.
4. Donate unwanted items to Goodwill. Don’t forget the receipt to claim the tax donation.
5. Or give away items through freecycle.com
6. Return library books. Donate unwanted books to your local library.
7. Put your paperbackswap.com and bookmooch.com accounts on vacation hold and change your address on record.
8. Shred confidential financial documents.

Moving Day:

1. Notify utilities of your change of address either to terminate service or transfer service. Be sure to give them your new address so they can send checks to cover the balance owed to you.
2. Have cash for movers.
3. Carry your valuables, important papers, checks, etc. 
4. Take pictures of your apartment as you’re moving out to be able to prove that you left the apartment in good condition and claim your security deposit.  

Soon after moving: 

1. Return the cable box and modem, etc. to your old provider to claim your deposit.
2. Change your email signature to reflect your new address and phone number.
3. Notify contacts of your new address and phone number.
4. Inform the DMV of your new address.  You can do this in person, over the phone (NYC residents call (212) 645-5550 or (718) 966-6155 from 8 am to 4 pm) or by mail using the form MV-232 (www.nysdmv.com).
5. If you’re in the US on a visa, file the required documentation to immigration authorities notifying them of your new address within 10 days of the move.  
6. If you’re a NY State attorney, you have to notify the Attorney Registration Unit of Office of Court Administration, either by email (attyreg@courts.state.ny.us) or by fax (212) 428-2804 or by mail to OCA – Attorney Registration, P.O. Box 2806, Church Street Station, New York, NY 10008.  Their phone number is (212) 428-2800, you should confirm that the address change took effect about 6 weeks after giving notice.
7. Follow up with your landlord for your security deposit. Use regular mail or certified mail to be able to prove that you made a legal demand.
8. Give away old boxes through freecycle.com
9. Inform the library of your new address.