I got over my previous upset ness but still not quite at 100% PMA. Appt with my therapist tomorrow so that should help.
Okay job - here is my housing issue. I rent a very expensive 2 bedroom apt - it's basically the top 2 floors of a 3 story house in a expensive and awesome neighborhood.
This is where I want to raise my kids.
My landlord (she is prob asbergers) is gifting the house to her alma mata UC Berkeley in July 2016. There is some significance to her turning 71 then.
She is going to gift to them because she does not want to pay capital gains on the sale.
She thinks that because Berkeley will not actually want the house just the money from the sale of the house that she will can assure me that I will be able to buy the house immediately from Berkeley at the price it's appraised for. She is a pretty hard core negotiator so I am confident she will tell Berkeley she won't give them the house unless they sell it to me for the appraisal value.
It's the appraised value that my landlord uses for her tax deduction on the gift.
Here is the problem. The house is in state of disrepair and literally fallen and leaking down around me.
My landlord who lives in dc comes by every few months with duct tape and wood glue to fix stuff. Needless to say within a month the problem reappears.
Currently the over light in my bedroom does not turn on, I have significant leakage in the kitchen sink and the upstairs bathroom, also two gaps the floor boards in the living room.
I don't necessarily mind spending my own money to make these repairs so that I can live In a decent environment. I just don't want to raise the value of the house by making any repairs. I want to get it for as cheep as possible in 2 years.
Does this make sense?
Last edited by BklynMom; 09/11/1401:03 AM.
---- M 39 H 35 D5,D4 M 4 T 9 ILYBNILWY 5/18/11 Left 7/11/11 Divorced 12/1/13
Glad you are feeling better. Park Slope, right? I have a couple of friends that live there and I understand why you want to stay. Very family friendly....and expensive.
I understand the sitch and don't really have any suggestions. It sounds *fair* although there are some unknowns. What if the owner dies before 2016? I know that is a very expensive, haute market but I don't think you should have to fix everything yourself. Leaks can become a big deal at some point.
If you are sure you want to stay in that apartment, then perhaps something could be put in writing. Don't have a clue as to how that would work. Just an idea.
Last edited by Georgiabelle; 09/11/1401:19 AM.
3 kids BD 12/15/13 (IDKIILY. ) Rope dropped Cirque du Soleil style D final 9-9-14 "Some people are born on 3rd base and go through life thinking they hit a triple." Barry Switzer
I am in park slope. I love it. So many kids and activities. The park nearby. My kids school is 2 blocks away.
But this house. Omg it's more of shack then Archie bunker lived in. It's bad. I would say half my friends in the neighborhood live in comparable bad apartments so we all kind of laugh about our not so glamorous life in our over prices shacks.
Yeah getting her to put it in writing would be a good idea. I may put that in my next email to her.
I just don't know how much longer I can take living with these pots under my sinks. It's just gets messy. The pot in the bathroom fills up within 2 days.
What I usually do is a pay someone to fix these things and then she "repays" me but at her own rate versus what I actually paid. Right now though I am feeling like I don't want to put a dime into this place cause it could raise the appraisal price. I wAnt the appraiser to see this place for the dump it is
---- M 39 H 35 D5,D4 M 4 T 9 ILYBNILWY 5/18/11 Left 7/11/11 Divorced 12/1/13
There is no guarantee that this woman is going to be around in 2016 or her mental facilities will still be good. If the house continues to go down hill, when it comes to purchase the home, you may not be able to get a loan for it because of all the issues. How old is the house? What is the condition of the rest of the house that you aren't renting? What's to say that there isn't lead paint under the current layers of paint, iron pipes, the plumbing may need to be brought up to code, electrical wiring will probably need to be brought up to code, and is there a possibility of asbestos in the home, what's the condition of the outside of the home? These are all considerations that you will need to take into account if this is something you truly want and all of them are big ticket money items. Are you going to be willing to take all of this on?
I would draft up a letter w/what needs to be repaired and send it to her certified mail/return receipt. I would state that the repairs need to be done and if she can't oversee them, then you would be more than willing to have someone come in and pay for them, with the understanding that the amount would be deducted from that month's rent. No one should have to live like that. It's not healthy for you or your children. As for the light not working, it could be a cause for concern, i.e., frayed wiring, switch issue, mouse nibble on the wires or water has been dripping and shorted it out...but no matter what, it's something that needs to be fixed.
Have the gaps in the floor boards been there forever or just happened?
Sorry to ramble on, but you have some issues that duct tape and wood glue aren't going to fix. She needs to cough up some money and have these things repaired asap.
Sit quietly, the answers will reveal themselves when you least expect them to. The past is gone, the present is a gift and you need to focus on today, allow the future to reveal itself when it is ready.
Job is correct. No bank is going to give out a loan for a place that isn't up to code. The bank will send out inspectors and they go over those places with a fine tooth comb and the bank won't approve financing unless the place is brought up to code. At least that is how it works in my state. And once you find an issue, often another issue is discovered. And even if you have an estimate of how much it will cost to make repairs, it is never enough. Repairs often go over budget or more issues are discovered.
We are just concerned for you and your girls' safety.
(((BK)))
WH
AT BD: WH 41, J 43; Bomb 2/5/2012 Two kids, one dog D Final 6/18/14 J marries OW 1/24/15 "No matter where you go, there you are"
And another thought...maybe the landlord is making this "promise" to you as a way of making sure you don't leave and she gets rent from you for another two years or as a way of making sure you don't complain about the state of disrepair or maybe even getting you to make these repairs. If she is as shrewd as you said she is maybe she is trying to take advantage of your situation. I don't know, but once bitten, twice shy.
Just be careful.
AT BD: WH 41, J 43; Bomb 2/5/2012 Two kids, one dog D Final 6/18/14 J marries OW 1/24/15 "No matter where you go, there you are"
WH, I was thinking the same thing about the promise, hoping against hope, that she will remain there and not complain too much about the problems.
Sit quietly, the answers will reveal themselves when you least expect them to. The past is gone, the present is a gift and you need to focus on today, allow the future to reveal itself when it is ready.
Brook, you could have an attorney look at the lease and make suggestions on revising it so the Major Repairs are handled before you purchase. Sounds like your landlady is "cake eating" :-)
"You know, it's times like these when I realize what a superhero I am." Tony Stark/Iron Man
“Focus on what you can do, then do it with all your heart.” Lois Wilson
