So I just got the word on my rent increase if I want to resign my lease and they want $300/month more. This is so ridiculous! Checking with the DHCR to make sure it's all legal, but I think it is. Renting in this city sucks so much!

$300/month more?
You building is not rent controlled?
That doesn't sound right.
Look over your lease and see what the conditions are for such a huge increase. Ask you neighbors if they too had to pay a huge increase in renewing their lease. Perhaps you should also call 311 to find out the regulations.
By the way, did you have anything major done in your building or in your apartment? A landlord can tack on the costs of renovations to the building or your apartment to your lease (at least that's what MY lease states).
Good luck!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sheena, Queen Of The Jungle,

I am not rent stabilized unfortionately (once apartments reach above $2000 they get exempted from regulations), so they don't have to follow any regulations.

Barbara Corcoran must die!

Can you believe this? I found it on my friends blog here http://www.whitless.com/ . This is a quote from her own blog....

"The best property leads I've ever chased have come from gay waiters or would-be actors serving my meal at a fancy restaurant. I've made a habit of asking, "So, where do you live?" and have learned the names of neighborhoods and small enclaves where the space you get is big and the rent is still cheap. Much to my surprise, I've uncovered dozens of wanna-be neighborhoods yet to be discovered in and around New York City, something most city folk find hard to believe. I've found that actors, gays, and other open-minded types are comfortable being outsiders and consistently gravitate to neighborhoods that are both urban and open to the outsider. What they bring to their new locale is enthusiasm, a great sense of community, innate style and all their friends. They always seem to seek out areas where big space is available and the rents are cheap. They are for many investors the modern day version of wagon train pioneers. Big space, low rent, high demand and neighborhood commitment all add up to the birthing of a new up & coming area. And, as every investor knows, this is exactly the kind of investment that can make you a killing."

My post on Barbara's Blog:

"What a repulsive person Barbara is. I'll be moving to Boston. There's no hope for New York. "

Let's see how long it stays there.

Link!

That picture up above of her is kinda different from her blog page, she is all wrinkly in the blog page. She sort of looks like Rocky Marciano. lol

Hatches/ It's already been removed. Bah!

I told you to save up for a down payment. Didn't listen, didya? Spent all your money on pretty boys instead, didn't cha?

See where it got you? Why, by the time you're my age you won't have a pot to piss in. Don't come cryin to me, nosiree bob.

Mean 'Ol Darla Damond

You know why you hate Barbara? Everything she says is TRUE! Show me a gay neighborhood where the property values are depressed. Chelsea is soooo inexpensive. She's an effin genius and rich and it just kills you, doesn't it? Hell, I owe my place to a gay bartender. Get with the program and stop complaining. Hatches, come over here now, I'm gonna force feed you martinis until you straighten up and fly right!

Mean, Greedy

Why is it that these people have no shame when it comes to their greed and avarice. And they seem so pround of their behavior. Ugh.

AHHH Gordon Gekko all over again.
The trouble with the whole concept of 'saving for a down payment' is that it's just NOT possible for MOST people and that is certainly not because they spend it on anything else. Most people are having to live paycheck to paycheck. As someone who has ALWAYS worked - decent muggle gigs I may add - there is still NO way in which I could afford to buy anything in Manhattan since I don't have another partners $ nor do I have family help of any sort or family or friends who can act as a financial safety net. Why must I then be 'punished' or have to live in a ghettoized area of where I can afford. Is choice just for the rich or the greedy.
We all have to be careful when we talk about rents and people finances not to be sweeping but realistic.
I loathe greed and consumerism at this high tilt but if its any compensation, i have truly ALWAYS found the people I have known who have 'much stuff' to also be the folk who have little souls and few REAL friends/relationships. Aye therein lies the rub.

*

AN/ Republicans hon. Republicans.

Most can't afford to buy their own home? Gee, I thought most was a number > 50%. Must be that leftist math again. Of course Manhattan is more expensive than other locations. That's because it's desirable. No one has a "right" to be able to buy in Manhattan. Only the ability, or not.

"Home Ownership: a Bright Spot
The one area of most consistent good news is home ownership. In 2005, nearly 69% of
households owned their own homes, a significant increase over the 64% ownership rates of a
decade ago. Since 1999, the most dramatic increases came for Hispanics, whose home ownership
grew to 49.5% or by 4 percentage points in 2005. White home ownership rates increased 2.2
percentage points since 1999 and were 72.7% in 2005. Over the same time period, rates increased
by 1.9 percentage points to 48.2% for blacks. Hispanic home ownership surpassed that of blacks for the first time."

http://www.epinet.org/newsroom/releases/2006/08/SWApr-wealth-200608-final.pdf

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Darla Diamond,

Bobby considers anyone who is smart, hard-working, successful, and knows how to invest to be "greedy", especially if they don't try to present themselves as a bleeding heart liberal. It makes him feel better. What the hell ever happened to your fame and fortune, Miss Miller? Bitter, then?

quote:

Most people are having to live paycheck to paycheck.

Much like the NY Times columnist who couldn't believe George McGovern lost the election because everyone she knew voted for him.

People in the United States and throughout the world on whole have more money and assets than ever before in history. There has never been a better time economically, ever.

By the way, if you have any economic sense at all, you buy outside of Manhattan to start and then use the appreciation of your property to leverage your way in. Yes, you are competing with the rest of the world that desires to live here. Sometimes, you lose. I never promised you a rose garden and anyone who does has an ulterior motive.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Darla Diamond,

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bobby:
Darla, don't assume that you can speak for my fame or fortune. My fame and fortune are quite intact. As for fame, I doubt if you will ever even begin to achive the level of exposure that I have unless you consider your reputation as a drunk annoying republican drag queen to be fame. Personally I don't care what you or your ilk think of me or the rest of the world. I know the difference between people who are wise enough to invest their funds in order to make a profit and security and some one like Haliburton who make that profit at the expense of others. Even if it means war and the killing of thousands of people. War mongers care only for the lining of their own pockets. And as for your rethoric that it is the best of economic times, that is only further proof that you have no clue as to what the rest of the world beyound your self centered, limited perspective is actually like. But I have no fear for the future, history has proven over and over again that hateful and elitist people never win in the end. we'll see in 2008 when Dubya gets sent packing and someone with a brain attempts to undo all of his stupidity and error. It may be too late now that the idiot has ruined our countries reputation, changed our American constitution to suit his whims with his idiocy and bankrupted us with his manufactured made up war. The end might just well be nearer than we may think and I don't mean the war.

May I suggest a doc I worked on in 2005. Could open some eyes. "Waging a Living" by Roger Weisberg.


http://www.pppdocs.com/walsynopsis.html

Thanks for that dose of sobriety Mr. Roth.

All right wing blather about rosey economic times is lies.

Even if the majority of people in this country did own their homes you never hear the promoters of such a mass delusion talk about the chronic underlying economic problems caused by unequal distribution of property. There are still over fifteen million children in this country who do not know if they will get any food to eat today. A widely reported study published only two months ago showed there is an all time hiigh number of homelss families living in New York City, more now than since figures were first started to track the homelss back in the 1970's. -I'm, we're, supposed to listen to idiot rhetorical thumping about winners and losers in an economic/real estate competition called the market? That could only come from someone who is more dead inside themself now than their body will be when it lets go of this earth. Its time such people pay attention to recovering their own humanity and stop pretending THEIR claim to Bobby's fame is their own overestimated capacity to piss anyone off here.

As for the proponent of all things right wing here, no one is impressed with their imitation of a snotty twelve year old, but herself.