(no subject)

[mamadeb]

So. We looked at a co-op tonight. It's huge - bigger than this apartment. It's also well in our price range *and* we'd be paying less a month. It's prewar and needs some renovation, but that's apparently included in the price (at least basics - kitchen, painting, floors.) It's a corner apartment, which means lots of windows.

It's owned by people in our synagogue who are making aliyah (moving to Israel.)

It's a tad further from our synagogue, but nothing out of line. It's also further from shopping than I'd like, but it's an elevator building, so I could use a shopping cart and do a week's worth of shopping at a time. I'd miss the ease, though, of getting fresh food on my way home from work. It's further from the bus stop I need.

It doesn't have a garage, so a car would still be a problem. The owners claim street parking isn't a problem.

It's beautiful. They'd do the kitchen to my specs, within reason. (All I want are the new appliances they promised, possibly a washer and dryer, and two separate sinks.)

It's on the fifth floor. 6 days a week, that's not a problem. We don't use elevators on Shabbat, and while the stairs are shallow, it's still a climb. Also, we've gotten used to having a sukkah during Sukkot and we wouldn't be able to do that anymore.

But all our stuff would fit, even our humungous dining room table, and there's plenty of wall space for book shelves and such. Jonathan doesn't fit through the bathroom door straight on, but that's just silly.

They have two kids, so fitting a child in would be no problem. I wouldn't leave the house on Shabbat with a baby (not carrying a baby down from the fifth floor), but that's normal and fine. We'd invite more people to make the climb instead.

The master bedroom is huge.

The broker was giving us a hard sell. I hate hard sells. But we can afford this place. And it's nice. I don't know. I'm deeply ambivalent.

Comments

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Could you do a Sukkah on the roof?

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

We asked. Menachem said no. We could do it in a courtyard, but that's five floors down and so not very useful for yom tov.

[rosehiptea.livejournal.com]

It almost all sounds great, especially the part about the kitchen and the bedroom.

However, with the possible issues of a child: If you could otherwise leave the house (if there's an eruv permitting carrying) then not leaving because you can't carry down five flights might get annoying. (If there's no eruv it really isn't going to matter much IMO).

My main concern is that I'm betting your husband is careful to eat every meal in a Sukkah? My soon-to-be-ex is and we spent years with no sukkah of our own. When we visited his parents for the whole holiday it was great, when we didn't it was a massive pain. People would say "You can always use our sukkah," but it never worked out. They'd invite on holidays and we'd walk all over at night, and then when our daughter was older she just wouldn't go. If I had it to do over again I'd have looked much, much harder for places with sukkah availability.

My overgrown two cents.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

I don't see you wanting to carry soup down five flights of stairs on yontif, no. But still, sounds like a beautiful home.

[ohevet-likro.livejournal.com]

Does it have a balcony? Maybe you could put a small sukka on that.

It sounds really nice, and while the 5th floor is a pain on Shabbos, it's doable, you just go it slowly. I lived on the 7th floor for 2 years and it was ok. With a baby and paraphenalia (I can't spell, I know that's wrong) it's harder, unless you can leave the stroller downstairs over Shabbos, but once the kid can go down the stairs on their own volition, it may be slow, but you do get down.

How far away from shul is it? Is is nice weather distance or all weather distance? And how close is it to your friends? Because if it is too far to your friends to come over or you to go over there on Shabbos, that's something to consider.

And the kitchen sounds nice. I would love a washer/dryer and 2 sinks.

[rusty76.livejournal.com]

It sounds lovely. I hope it works out for you!

[gingicat]

It sounds lovely, but very difficult to be observant in. I'd say that unless it has a balcony on which you can do a sukkah, hold out for something perfect.

[sdelmonte]

If you can afford it, it makes total sense to buy. Though the floor is a bit of an issue. We've lived on the fifth floor till now, and I doubt we will miss it that much. But at the same time, I liked the exercise as I try not to use the elevator.

Hope it works out.

[gittygiggles.livejournal.com]

Jonathan doesn't fit through the bathroom door straight on, but that's just silly.
what do you mean? is it a narrow door?

and what's a co-op?

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

You could get a pop up sukkah: http://www.popupsukkah.com/

[leahmiriam.livejournal.com]

The only thing I do not like about coop's is that you own shares not the actual property outright. It makes financing difficult sometimes, but not in NY where there are many coop's.

That said, it being within your price range, still able to walk to your shul and shopping and better suiting your needs, it sounds like something you should really consider.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

See, that's not a problem. My husband has to drag me to synagogue on Shabbat as it is - and there's been many a Shabbos that I only leave the house at all because I have a shiur to attend/give.

He's not so makpid, except for motzei and, of course, the first night. We're in a second floor now, so to go downstairs because he wants an ice cream pop - not going to happen. Maybe if we had one right outside our kitchen door, but I doubt it.

But it's been so nice eating in our own sukkah on the first night.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

No balconies on this building. :(

The shul is not really further away - the owner is our current shul president - and, well. The thing about Flatbush? Is that it's flat. And still right in the middle of friends.

Neither the sinks nor the dryer exists right now. They'd have to be put in. Mr. HardSell said they would for the price of the co-op.

Jonathan pulled a muscle testing the stairs.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

We're beginning to think like that. It's beautiful, but I don't know.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Very narrow door. He had to turn sideways. He fit in the shower, though (it's a shower cubicle with a separate bathtub.)

A cooperative building - you own shares in the building, not your apartment outright. The building is run by a board, and you must have board approval for everything.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

We are, but something feels not right about it.

[magid.livejournal.com]

If there's no urgent reason to move (like, the place is being sold in a couple of months), I'd think it would be better to wait for something that better suits your needs. It's a lot easier to get replace sinks or other appliances than it is to change floors or add a balcony. Assuming that it's not such a tight market that nothing's becoming available, that is.

[gittygiggles.livejournal.com]

so you dont own your apt...you own part of the building? that's very confusing!!!

were you able to fit in the door strait on? taht's pretty wild. it sounds neat! so you'd own the apt sort of?

[leahmiriam.livejournal.com]

Listen to your brain and your heart, if something doesn't mesh or feel in line there's a reason. Especially with Real Estate.

[gryphons-lair.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with the people who are saying "Wait" if you're not 100% sure.

I've bought two houses. In both cases, I didn't find the one that felt like it was meant to be mine until I'd looked at lots of others and gotten a bit discouraged. But find them I did.

And so will you. Don't give up. Your house/condo/coop is out there, somewhere, waiting for you. Keep looking.

[ohevet-likro.livejournal.com]

It's good that the shul is still nearby and that the sinks/washer-dryer would be put in, but the stairs sound like a problem, as does the lack of balcony. Does Mr. Hardsell know of any other apts/condos etc. on a lower floor or with a balcony in the area?

And refuah sheleimah to Jonathan.