building at 70 Berry Street--williamsburg

moxieland. our little mutt, dexter would be up for joining your walks. what's your email address, so we can chat more?

so what are the differences between a punch list and an inspection?
and which one should be first?

karitek,
i sent u an email with my phone # and email address. in case you didn't get it
moxieland@hotmail.com is the email.

jmg,
a punch list is a summary of the items in your place that need to be redone or improved.
for example scratches on your wood floors, electrical outlet that doesn't work ect. an
inspection is done by a professional and is essentially their punch list. as to which
should be done first that can be a difficult decision and personal preference. would you
rather have the pro have you compile a comprehensive to do list, or confirm the items have
been fixed effectively? i personally am choosing the former. hope that helps.

I would clarify moxie's reply a little bit to say that an inspection is going to check for "below the surface" issues: structural, plumbing, wiring: confirming that things are to code and alerting you to possible long-term issues (e.g., a floor-to-ceiling crack in the wall could indicate a foundation issue).

A walk-through punch list is going to be more "surface" related: a verification that everything your contract states you are purchasing is in fact present and functioning as inspected: that you have a stove, fridge, dishwasher and they all function. It also verifies that the space is in the appropriate condition (clean, no scratches, loose handles, missing switchplates, etc).

Since we are a new condo, the walk-though will probably cover a lot more than it normally might if purchasing old construction. But, still...it's always good to have a pro's opinion, especially if a new buyer and you don't know what to look for.

Our walk-through and inspection happen to be on the same day (one in the AM and one in the PM). There is going to be overlap so I don't expect it matters much which comes first.

can folks please check the google group discussion thread? i added a question there but did not see how to send it to everyone. thanks

just got it in my email

attorney emailed me the preliminary certificate of eligibility for the tax abatement. that's good news

Thanks moxie and Lofty. I was able to sign into the google group. I'm going to start a discussion about the group buys because I haven't heard any more movement on that front.

from the Edge thread

I was told by Bank of America that their lobby needed to be completed before they would go in and do an appraisal. I was also told by the bank that their lobby needs to be completed before they can get a TCO. Without a completed lobby they cannot allow people to move in or reside in it, for obvious reasons you must pass through the lobby daily to get in and out of the building. It would be a liability if they're still doing construction

don't believe our lobby is even close to being finished

Stopped by the building on Saturday and spoke with Kevin. He told me my apartment would be ready for the scheduled walk-thru on May 18th. Our unit is probably the furthest from completion as it has been turned into an office and storage space. He told me they would be emptying it out on Monday. As it the building is on my bike commute home I will see if that turns out to be true.

On another not I have heard back from Lowe's i.e. washer/dryer situation but had to follow up with other questions. Will post on google group asap.

Are all units in contract?

all units are in contract. building sold out fairly quickly.

so i originally passed on buying in this building & the one next door b/c i had heard some secondhand negatives regarding this developer's construction quality. then i spent some time kicking myself after seeing that they both sold out so quickly. then i walked by the building the other day and noticed a sound that can only be described as the most broken air conditioning unit in history. just an fyi to those who care. its either nothing or i feel vindicated.

That one out of dozens of air conditioners broke doesn't mean anything.

not one of dozens. sounded like the building cooling tower was going to explode. now that i think about it, i guess that means its mason and not this building. still could be nothing but it sounded pretty bad. if i could notice it from the entrance, cant imagine what its like inside and higher

1 unit at 69 berry back on the market???

ruh roh

Really! I wonder if it has to do with the fact that the bldg still doesn't have a CO. The poor folks had been waiting since Jan. And, the sponsor had even sent out closing notices and actually scheduled them for April -- which of course was putting the cart before the horse.

have move-ins occurred?

about 12 move-ins so far. we moved in july 2nd

how do you like the bldg-- it looks great from the outside

definitely like it quite a bit. still not finished and it will be a much better living experience without the dust. the neighborhood is fantastic. great vibe, food and drink.

yep, i passed by and saw some appliances in the lobby so i figured its still a work in progress, congrats, i hope all the enthusiastic purchasers are happy with the end-product
i like the block-- it's far enough removed from rowdy hipsters

All those commenters who have moved in -- surprises good or bad?; new found wisdom?;....how are things

Moving into new construction is not like moving into a home that's ready to receive you. Of the 30 or so things on the list that were promised before we moved in, I'd say about 0 were done before we moved in. 25 have been done now, 2 weeks after moving in. No hot water in the shower today. But we got kitchen shelves. It's a process.