What can you buy in New York for $168,000

Blogger samsebeskazal writes: “Some of my friends decided to buy an apartment. They don't have much money, and after a long search, they chose a two-room apartment in a cooperative house in Queens. The area is not bad, near the metro, a large shopping center and many shops. Manhattan is 40 minutes by subway and 20 by car. Nice house built in 1950. Of the minuses, the eternal problem with parking on the street. We can say that for this area this is quite a humane price (Queens is traditionally quite an expensive area). They called me to look at and assess its condition and help estimate the amount of upcoming repairs. ”

(Total 36 photos)

Source: Journal/samsebeskazal

1. The apartment is located in a cooperative house, which imposes quite a few restrictions on its owners. In fact, you are not buying an apartment, but a share in a cooperative equal to the cost of this very apartment. Those. it seems like yours, but it's not yours at all. You cannot fully dispose of it as your own property. You are required to have apartment insurance, whether you want it or not. All actions are performed only with the written permission of the board of the house. You can even buy it only if the board approves you. No redevelopment, no decoration or clutter on balconies, no mosquito nets on windows other than those approved by the board. You can not live with more people than expected. 80% of the floors of the apartment must be covered with carpet or parquet with a soundproof underlay. You can not curtain the windows with sheets or blankets. Do not install washing machines and dryers in apartments. You can not turn on the music loudly, make noise, smoke on the stairs, litter, and so on. Even a pet can be brought into the apartment only with the written permission of the board. Any violation or non-compliance with the rules will result in a fine. It is clear that all these prohibitions and restrictions are aimed solely at the benefit of residents. You are guaranteed not to have noisy neighbors, no freaks stomping on the floor with their heels, no one drilling the wall with a drill at 7 am on Sunday or playing the piano behind the wall. The main thing is to be ready to follow all these rules yourself.

2. Entrance to the entrance.

There are limitations that can be called quite significant shortcomings. For example, an apartment can only be rented out two years after purchase. Moreover, it can be handed over only to those people who will pass the approval of the board, and not everyone can do this. For example, I won't. I have not had a stable source of income for the last two years. You can also sell only to those who are approved by the board, and this will greatly reduce the circle of potential buyers. Not everyone is ready to live in such conditions.

3.

The cooperative is run by a council of tenants who work there on a voluntary basis. To consider new candidates, a special committee is assembled, also consisting of residents of the house. Those who want to buy an apartment first get bank approval, then collect the necessary documents confirming their stable income and social status (for example, characteristics and recommendations from other people), submit them to the board, pay a fee for data verification and processing of documents ($530), and then pass interview. The bank can approve the purchase, but the board can refuse. In prestigious houses, not everyone will be able to buy an apartment. Somewhere you need to have recommendations from tenants or rent an apartment for many years, so that later you can buy it.

Even such a seemingly simple thing as moving, and that is overlaid with a bunch of rules. Moving can only be carried out from 9.00 to 17.00 from Monday to Friday, after obtaining written permission. You can bring in bulky items only through the service entrance, and this is not always convenient. A deposit of $1,000 must be paid before moving. If you wear things at unauthorized times or damage something during the move, the deposit will not be returned to you. The company doing the renovation in your apartment must also be approved by the board, have insurance and work permits. All work is again only with written permission.

In general, this is not at all what we imagine under the ownership of private property. But one must understand that the habit of order is developed in people solely with the help of a whip and threats. Some ads like "do not litter" and the Western mentality are not enough here. For every cultured and educated American, there is one freak and three emigrants who don't give a damn about all these restrictions. This is later, and they begin to clean up after the dogs and stop littering on the streets, but while the integration process is in full swing, there is nothing better than the good old rules and punishments for their non-fulfillment. Unless of course you want to live in a decent place.

4. Well, now let's see the apartment. This is a hall. To the right are the mailboxes.

5. Corridor.

6. The apartment is small. This is the living room.

7. At the window there is a small trap that forms a virtual kitchen. Now you will understand why.

8. This is the kitchen. I'm filming from the living room. There is very little space, but there is a window.

9. All kitchen furniture is hi from the 50s. It has not been changed since the construction of the house. Kitchen cabinets are made of iron.

10. View through the window.

11. The view is worth it. The apartment is very quiet. Residents whose windows overlook the street, I do not envy.

12. View from the window.

13. Front door.

14. There are also artifacts from the past. The door chain is made from a bicycle chain and on the left is an authentic intercom.

15. Remove the hearing device from the hook and listen to a pleasant crackle. Thing!

16. Door peephole.

17. View from the front door. Bathroom ahead. To the right is the bedroom.

18. Bedroom.

19. View from the window.

20. Bathroom.

21. Cast iron sink the same age as the house. Cranes look the same.

22. This is a mysterious laundry basket device.

23. Top cover.

24. Another hello from the past.

25. Folding dryer.

26. This is how the heating battery looks like if you remove the casing from it.

27. Almost all electrical wiring is external.

28. There is a garbage chute in the corridor.

29. If you go down below.

30. Then you will end up in the basement, which is also a bomb shelter.

31. There are unrealistically high ceilings.

32. Laundry for tenants.

33. General garbage is thrown into the garbage chute, and everything that needs to be sorted is brought here.

34. Elevator.

35. Elevator buttons. Interestingly, there are houses in which the first floor is the second, and below is the lobby. Then in the elevator, the button for the first floor will be L, and if you press 1, you will arrive at the second. Everything is usual here.

36. Plate with the sign of a bomb shelter.

Now about how much it costs. You already know the price - $ 168,000. Of course, no one buys it for cash. There will be some down payment, and the remaining money will be taken on credit for 30 years. Monthly payments will consist of rent (maintenance) and payments on the loan. The monthly rent for this apartment is $500, and everything is already included in it, except for air conditioners. For each, you will have to pay separately $ 300 per year. Electricity, water, gas and heating are included in the price. Loan repayments depend on the specific case, loan term, etc. I don't know all the details, presumably they will be about 400-500 dollars a month. Those. an apartment will cost $ 950-1050 per month. Plus, compulsory insurance. I don't know her size. In any case, it will be cheaper than removing it. Renting such an apartment costs $1,350 per month.