uptowngirl
uptowngirl

Real Estate obsession

People seem to be obsessed with real estate in this city,here's a new service called Rechirp.com(http://www.rechirp.com/). The site was set up by native New Yorkers who were fed up of the process of searching for an apartment in the city and just didn't have time to meet with endless brokers either.
Here's how the site works according to the explanation on the site-
"You simply search for your next apartment and view the corresponding listings. If you see one you like, you submit a Chirp (kind of like a bid) and we send that price to the listing agent. If they think your Chirp is reasonable, they will contact you to setup a viewing of the property."

It seems to be creating a buzz of sorts...
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
Hah, thank you for feeding my ongoing real estate sweet tooth. I will watch the site and tell you the results of my chirping...
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
Real estate has always been a big demand in this city, despite the real estate bubble and the lost of value of property. As long as NYC is known as one of the best cities in America, they will always attract investors and real estate developers.
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
Keep us posted, @uraniumfish. It's an interesting idea, to be sure - sort of like ebay for property! I'd consider it...
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
@ uptowngirl I've been clicking around on that website and it's really a good find. I'm curious about the real estate market in the next few months. It should be interesting to see how it will change by the summer.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@ uptowngirl What makes me very suspicious all of a sudden is that you have to BUY chirps. And then how can you be sure, from the little that is posted about these apartments, whether they even exist? Suddenly I'm wondering if this isn't all a little dodgy. I'd be opposed on principle to paying money up front to look at listings. I'd rather just go to a couple of agents, then.
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
A real estate website making money off apartment searching! Only in New York.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish that's crazy! actually when I did see 'the sign your first chirp is free' I did find it strange I You might as well look at listings on Street Easy then..but then as NeverSleeps said only in NYC. However I think sooner or later the promoters will realize their model is flawed and offer say 5 free chirps .. Maybe they only want to attract serious buyers/renters who wouldn't mind shelling out for chirps.. Its relatively new so let's keep an eye on it to see how it pans out.
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@uptowngirl That's actually a good point - then they won't have another Craig's List on their hands, which is full of people who phish emails for a living. Brilliant, actually. And how much does a chirp cost? Can't be more than a broker.
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
@NeverSleeps There used to be a ton of paid listings sites, back in the high days of the real estate market. I never used one myself, and I actually never talked to anyone who had successfully used one. Their draw was supposed to be that they have "exclusive" listings of properties not listed anywhere else. I don't know how true that was. It just seemed like an easy way to make money off of desperate people - who were willing to pay $100 for a listing service, but not the fees for a broker.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@NeverSleeps I'm not convinced fees are going to make things any better. It doesn't really guarantee the sites are going to be shlock-free. And then you're out your fee, which is a bigger loss than only wasting your time. I wouldn't pay a site.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
Hmmm... I guess we would have to talk to someone who uses these listings sites in order to find out how legit or useful they actually are. But from what everyone is saying, I think I am going to stick to my broker idea.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
I was actually considering putting in a bid for a property in Bayside, Queens, but when I went back to check, I found the bid ended and was sold. I guess you have to act fast.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
If I was really desperate to find a home or apartment, I would not pay a fee to do it. I have friends who can help me. I get leads every so often but ignore them because many of them are in the Bronx, Harlem, or bad neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@NeverSleeps according to the sites FAQs if you want to submit a chirp they charge you $5 but you can also buy Chirp packages 3 Chirps for $10 or 10 chirps for $20.
http://www.rechirp.com/faq
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
The more I learn about this site the less appealing it is. But I have to say I am quite happy with my current residence and probably won't be needing such thing anytime soon anyway.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@NeverSleeps Lucky you...
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
Ha.... does that mean you are in the market for a more pleasing apartment? I guess satisfaction is hard to find in NYC real estate.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
I am still trying to figure out if the benefits of living alone in a studio out weight the benefits of having roommates in New York. Is this really the one place people can live with roommates until they are however old and it is okay? What do you guys think?
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK: I lived with a roommate and without one. I do live with a roommate now. I believe there are pros and cons to each. If you have a good roommate, you can share the expenses and save money. But if your roommate is bad, forget it.

On the other hand, if you lived in a studio by yourself, you would have more freedom and privacy. The only problem is that you would have to pay all the bills yourself.

The questions you need to consider are: Do you have the money to continue paying for a studio apartment, knowing the rent increases each year? And do you enjoy having your privacy so much you would rather take the risk, knowing you will have to put out more money?

Some things to think about.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@BroadwayBk I have a major problem sharing my private space with someone I don't love, i.e. living with roommates. Except for some isolated college experiences, I've pretty much lived alone. I think I'm by far the exception, though, in this city. I tend to think of roommate living as related to the Peter Pan complex that has been mentioned in another thread...
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@NeverSleeps Yeah, it's true that I'm looking to upgrade, which is probably a neverending quest in this city.
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
I've had pretty bad luck with roommates. The girl I lived with in Vienna was nice, but beyond a neat freak, whereas in Rome I lived with five of the loudest, rowdiest boys I'd ever met - who would drink/stay up until 5 am every night, keep me awake, smoke pot in the living room, etc...
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@everybody.. I can't really do away with my roommate can I?though sharing personal space in NYC is challenging to say the least..if you have a fight/argument you can't just lock yourself away in a remote part of the house..even if you are in another room ..you are almost on top of each other in a NYC apartment.. unless you are lucky enough to live in a grand pre-war on Park Avenue some of which have are known to have more than 10 rooms.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Uptowngirl: Why not put up a divider. They are cheap and are sold at some department stores. There is a Japanese store downtown that sells dividers. Have you seen those things in hospitals where the curtains hangs onto. Well this is something like that except it is wood and opens with a door handle. The entire thing slides back and forth. I use one to separate my girlfriend from myself and it works quite well.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@hhusted I have two bedrooms and can always run away to the next room but sometimes the next room is not at such a great distance in an NYC appt as in say a house...:)
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
I have to admit that I always think twice about dating a guy that is 30-ish and living with roommates. Especially if he sleeps on a mattress on the floor instead of a proper bed, which I have seen more than once.

I think I would definitely prefer living alone...most of the time. But being alone at my computer all day, as I often am, can be a bit depressing so it's good to have friends around. I've been pretty lucky with roommates...uh, most of the time, anyway. And splitting the bills is always a good thing.

@uptowngirl I have some friends who live with their significant others in tiny apartments, and after a brief stint trying the same thing, I don't think I could ever do it again. So, if I ever move in with a significant other there is going to have to be somewhere in that tiny apartment I can go to be alone, or it's not happening.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
Anyway, I am obviously still torn on this issue.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK: I fully understand where you stand. I was on both sides of the fence in my life and I'll be honest with you. I prefer to be alone, even if it means paying all the bills myself. At least I do not have to hear complaints from a roommate, nor do I have to listen to TV when the roommate decides to blast it while I'm working.

Even when you get depressed from working on your computer, just pick up the phone and call someone. That usually helps me break out of the doldrums, if I have them.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
Ha... that's good advice. I have to say that I like the presence of an actual person in my house, as long as I get along with that person of course. I am a rather solitary person but sometimes I need someone around to give me that extra motivation for some socializing.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK have you ever had long stints living alone, though? I'm definitely a solitary person by nature, but don't feel lonely living alone, nor especially isolated from others. Believe me, I can get really chatty when it comes time to meet up with people for socializing. Just that I need my alone time, and when I'm trying to have it, the presence of others feels like a burden.
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
Indeed - I feel awful not socializing with my roommates whenever I live in a group, but when I'm home I just want to be by myself. I'm living with two of my best friends at the moment and yet I never want to hang out with them within the confines of the house
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
I was told recently by a psychologist that when two or more people live together under one roof, they are constantly merging. As such, they get tired of each other after a while. This is why when I was living alone, and wanted to be with my girlfriend, I simply came around since I lived close enough.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@everyone I am actually living alone for the moment as the husband is out in Asia.. and I am loving it ..over the years I have realized I actually enjoy my own company. My parents really can't understand this change of behavior as I was raised in a joint family situation which is extremely common in countries like India where real estate previously was the domain of only a privileged lot. So people used to live together to economize on costs all this is of course changing now as the nuclear family is becoming prevalent even in India. When my parents visited me for a holiday in NYC , they were amazed at the quiet atmosphere in my home where the phone doesn't ring incessantly. Homes in India are quite noisy as people are constantly dropping in or calling to make plans etc Here in NYC the situation is quite different as you know as everyone is quite busy with their own lives and plans to meet/socialize are usually made weeks in advance and rarely at the spur of the moment .. they just couldn't understand how I didnt miss the chaos of my life in my erstwhile home city.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@uptowngirl What a great feeling to be able to enjoy you own company :)
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish Believe me I am relishing every minute of it ...I can hog the TV to my heart's content and watch endless house hunting programs on HGTV!
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@uptowngirl That doesn't sound like some place that I would miss, for sure. All of that hustle and bustle reminds me of holidays spent with extended family, which are nice, but it's also a relief when they're over.

@everyone I have roommates but can definitely relate to wanting to be alone when I'm home. But it works out, as they seem to feel the same way, and I hardly ever see anyone anyway.
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
Haha! Excellent, @uptowngirl! Is your husband planning to join you anytime soon, or have you got HGTV to yourself for weeks to come?
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@ajadedidealist only until the last day of this month.. so another 3 weeks of lonesome bliss...


@neversleeps in fact I have got so used the tranquility of my nyc home that I get irritable and snappy when I am back in the hustle bustle during vacations in my parents home.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
Wow, @uptowngirl, that is a crazy experience to have growing up! I guess it's not uncommon in other parts of the world, but I can't really imagine it! And it's no wonder your parents are in awe - or utter confusion - of your current living situation, ha ha. And, only one television in the 1,000 square foot apartment? For shame!
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK & uptowngirl Hahaha, good point. You haven't even got the real American way down unless you have a TV in EVERY ROOM. Preferably, all of them should be on all the time, too.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@DBlack and @BroadwayBK that's my doing ... I really dont want the idiot box in my bedroom.. it will never be turned off!!!!
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@uptowngirl If I lived on my own or with my better half, I would feel the same way! But living with roommates, it's nice to have the idiot box all to yourself and in your own space.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@uptowngirl That's understandable. And I actually lived with a guy who never turned the TV in our room off. And that was the beginning of the end. Hmmm...why haven't I gotten acupuncture yet?
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK I am smiling while reading your last post...off with the evil boys I say...
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@everyone I may not know the American way yet of having a TV in every room but this MTA worker sure did , she even had a flat screen in her bathroom!!!
http://blackpoliticalthought.blogspot.com/2009/01/nyc-transit-supervisor-jacqueline.html
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Uptowngirl: My girlfriend watches HGTV. She is a haunted house fanatic. She watches those on HGTV and Syfy channel.

I can't imagine anyone having a TV in the bathroom. Radio maybe, but not TV.
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@uptowngirl Ha! That chick fits in nicely with the picture of MTA officials that we have going...
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
Wow! That's insane - but where does the money come from? Especially given that MTA workers aren't known to be enormously well paid?
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Ajadedidealist: You would be surprised if you knew. Or maybe not.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@ajadedidealist she was submitting inflated bills to the MTA and pocketing the difference for herself.. here's how she did it -
http://www.metro.us/us/article/2010/03/10/06/1045-82/index.xml
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Uptowngirl: Wow, no wonder MTA is having financial troubles. I wonder why they don't have tighter security systems in place.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
How could that woman not have foreseen getting caught? I mean, way to get REALLY greedy.

But I guess with hardly any "measures in place to detect fraud at the MTA," it's easy for them to practically go bankrupt and deprive children of their means to get to school.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK: This is the one reason that MTA is failing. They are a very mismanaged company. Hey, if you have access to a computer and bank account, you can steal anything. From reading the article, it appears she took the payments she received from the bills that were paid, and put so much in the MTA bank account, but put the rest in her pocket. She also had someone pay her bills for her. What a lifestyle. But just like BroadwayBK said, didn't they think (the girl and guy) that they would eventually get caught. Perhaps, they knew about how MTA is disorganized and has no security so they figured they would be able to get away with it. Surprise.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@hhusted You're right, anyone can steal. But getting greedy will get you caught just about every time.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK Obviously she knew how lax the tracking systems were in the MTA so she could hoodwink them to this extent.
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
@Everybody There's nothing worse than when corruption and stupidity meet in one place! What's to be done about this awful MTA? Seriously.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@uptowngirl Right, and she probably would have never been caught if she hadn't gone overboard.
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