Santorini

hello all...so my husband & i just visited the building tonite for the first time & we were surprised by how good the layouts were & the high ceilings were nice as well. some small details bothered me but no new obstruction is perfect. i was wondering for those of u who r in contract if u were able to get the sponsor to contribute to closing costs... also they just raised the prices quite a bit but im hoping i can still get a unit for the lower price. i mean has the husing market turned around so much in that area that it justifies the large increases? almost everywhere else in brooklyn/queens have lowered their prices. also does anyone know when they plan to complete the common areas???/thats gonna really affect the cc's if the sponsor doesn't complete it b4 all units r sold. any advice would b appreciated.

thinking of making an offer....

The developer raised the prices? Hilarious. Tell them to keep it, LOL.

Personally, the only price I would pay is 50% off asking. I saw these units and surrounding area. Sometimes there're buildings and areas which demand a premium (location, quality), but this is not one of them.

If you want to live in that blue collar neighborhood, you can buy a house for the price they're asking for an apartment. A house would be a much better deal, in terms of square footage, privacy, and less maintenance + tax costs.

yeah ur probe right but i don't have the time to gut a house & they all need 100% restoration. they raised prices more than 6%. im gonna offer about 9% under & then its a deal. its 3 stops to lex&59 & i need to b at 58th & madison so its great. i didn't hate the units they were large & the views from the unit i want r insane. from world trade to gw bridge. so if i can grab that w a parking space then id do it in a heartbeat. but thanks for ur advice. its not my desired area but im tired of renting for the same price as owning. i prefer brooklyn but i need sq footage.

The developer must be insane if they are increasing prices now. The building has been sitting there for a while now and I heard not too many units have been sold. I guess they really don't want people to buy it.

It's also probably just a strategy to stop the people who are under contract from renegotiating. Doesn't seem too smart though.

i put in an offer and they are hardly even budging on the asking price. it's quite surprising, especially with their low occupancy percentage right now.

the seller is being very unreasonable. i've given an offer and they're hardly budging on the asking price which they've raised. you think they would accept especially because they need to get 50% occupancy and i'd give a 20% down payment. ah well, what can you do?

Does anyone have recommendations on what other condos I should look at in the Astoria/LIC area? I am not sure about a house because that's too much work. The seller for the Santorini building seems to think their units are worth more they actual are, when the market suggests otherwise since barely any units are sold after all this time.

I bet you they won't even get to 50% in 6 months time.

Any suggestions on other condos would be great, thanks!

officer, check out Edge 31 over near Broadway. It's a smaller boutique condo building with 10 total units, and only 3 left. 670 sq ft plus 2 balconies and a 75 sq ft storage space for each unit down in the basement. Washer/dryer in each unit, very large walk-in closets, shared rooftop, and parking spaces available as well.

First closing posted on SE. 5% off...

Congratulations to 4H. WELCOME HOME!

Hello All,
I would like to dispel some of the misconceptions stated above. Let me share some facts: there are 20+ homes in contract. 6 of those homes have recently closed. This is important to know because the majority of these homes had to get a financing to make the purchase possible. For financing, appraisals must be done. And for these closings occur the appraisals had to come in at least at the contract price. FYI, most of the appraisals actually come in above the contract price. What this says is that the homes are appropriately priced and the negotiated price is at fair market value.

Next, there have been FIVE ACCEPTED offers in the past 3 weeks besides the already contracted homes, this fact makes it evident that the sellers are willing to negotiate and are reasonable.
And fact: the prices that were increased were done after the pre-construction phase which was quite awhile ago.

Now, please understand, I know every offer that comes through the door, if there was any counter offer that stayed near asking, the reason was either 1 of 2 possibilities:
1)the offer was a low ball one

2)the offer included concessions which were considered in the response.

asking for 20% off the purchase price, a parking spot and also want to negotiate closing costs, now, that is unreasonable.

for the newer folks, here is part of one of my previous posts:

Also, for the prices the the homes are at, if you go around and comapare. there is a lot of bang for the buck here at Santorini. and I repeat now that buyers know they can take advantage of these lowered interest rates immediately, and the folks that were on the sidelines are now in the game. So, I look forward to helping more people home.

At the end of the day, you, as a buyer, must do what's best for you and makes you happy. If making The Santorini your new home does that then please feel free to contact me at hjv@mns.com or 917-586-1096.

if it does not then I wish all the best in your home search.

Helphome: Most if not all of the Amenities will be completed by New Year. PLease feel free to contact me to get the facts and to help you get the home you want.

OFficer: which market would you be speaking of? if the homes were not worth what they were negotiated for, they would not have received financing. And if you like, I will take you up on your bet... The Santorini will be 50% sold and beyond in 6 months time.

Bigehead: Was your offer asking for concessions? or was it more than 10% net off asking? Call me, I will work with you if you really want make Santorini your home.

Drujan: How do you figure that a house would be less maintenance, less taxes? Hot water is included, you don't have to worry about, a roof, boiler, lawn, shoveling snow and such. And the building has a approved 15yr tax abatement. avg taxes for a house $3000($250/mo), most expensive abated taxes at Santorini are $96.42(1157.04/yr).

Can you see the flaws in your comments?

hello Harold. thank u for ur comments. i am hoping that my offer is strong enough to accepted. i really do love the units...the size is spacious & the ceilings r high. i only wish i had come to c the building 6 months ago b4 most of the units id b able to afford were sold. now there r 2 units that have my interest. 1 is slightly more than i expected to spend & the other is right there in my budget. of course were gonna try for the more coveted one & hopefully things will go our way. worst case than we try for the other. im going to give u a call to set up a meeting to review the units 1 more time & to get a feel from u about how we should go about coming in strong enough& still not over paying. while the intreats rates r indeed low they will not stay that way forever. inevitably they will have to increase & that means home prices decreasing. so i must think of the future even if it is 10-20 years from now.

Helphome: Please be careful. Harold is representing the selling side and will not be looking out for your interest. Either do some research and be prepared to negotiate or (which I never advocate) get a buy side agent.

@Harold -

The market means the general public - who haven't shown enough interest to buy units in the building for 2(?) years now apparently. To receive financing, the bank uses the appraisal value to determine if a loan should be given. If the appraisal value is good and people are able to get loans, then there's no excuse for the units to not sell unless demand is low and/or price is high. What the units are worth is determined by demand, not some formula/historical data they use to calculate the appraisal value. When was the last time you heard someone say "What's the appraisal value of this house? Oh, it's $X, let's pay that!"

Drujan is right that owning a house has less maintenance and just about anyone knows that owning a house has less (or no) maintenance fees compared to a condo/townhouse. Assuming it's $300 maintenance for a month for a condo, that's $3600 a year, which should be more than enough to cover the actual maintenance cost of a house.

With a condo, the fees need to cover shared amenities, which includes things such as cleaning, electricity, gas, security, gym, garbage disposal etc .

Tax is more on a house now, but what about when the tax abatement runs out? A house also appreciates and holds its value better.

Can you see the flaws in your comments? I am not saying a house is for everybody since it's all preference. Just want to get the acts straight here so people aren't misled.

thank u angray!!!!yes i realize that harold(while he sounds down to earth enough ) is only looking out for the sponser & his sales teams bottom line. i do have a buy side broker & i plan to use her to negotiate. ive been looking for a good sized 2/2 under 650k for quite some time. i never considered going over to lic or astoria but in greenpoint there is just zero inventory & williamsburg well its just tat any decent buildings ive seen i cant afford(wont afford) & 99.9% of the construction is beyond shoddy. while i dont particularly love the finishes at the santorini i do love the big box type shape & well the train is across the street. i will have to do some work on the bathrooms & the kitchen but all in all the bones seem good. i am in no hurry to move out of my rental , so i wont just settle or overspend no matter how much i may like something. once i move i hope to spend at least 7-10 years so its got to b right. thanks again for looking out angray.

Helphome. do you like your buy side broker? I am also interest in buying an apt the same building.. thanks for your help!

@Harold, my agent called you and i did give an offer that was less than 10% off net including amenities, and you still said that i need to come up. so again, i stand by my statement before where you and/or the seller is being unreasonable. but again, good luck filling the units.

Bear...I love my buy side broker. she actually forfeited her commission so that my friends could the condo they loved & couldn't afford w out her help. it was the most selfless act i have ever witnessed. she ended up getting half because my friends were able to get more cash for closing. but still...i mean con how many agents/brokers out there would even consider an offer like that. i would love to pass on her name to u but im afraid that u may b interested in the same units as I am & that would cause a conflict. if we could chat off SE than perhaps we could work out something that benefit us both. I will b at the open house on sunday & i could leave a sealed envelope w the temp. doorman/woman. if u have a chance to head over there u could pick it up. ill include my email & my agents name.

bighead...THAT IS VERY DISHEARTENING THAT U WERE SHOT DOWN FOR AN OFFER LESS THAN 10% OF ASKING. I BELIEVE THAT ANY OFFER FROM5-7 % OFF ASKING IS MORE THAN FAIR. THE TROUBLE IS THAT SPONSER IS FINALLY SELLING SOME UNITS AFTER A LONG STAGNATION. NOT ONLY R THEY SELLING UNITS BUT RIGHT NOW THEY HAPPEN T O THE ONLY DECENT BUILDING IN THE ASTORIA/LIC AREA. HAVE U CHECKED OUT THE LIVELLE? ITS A BIT FURTHER INTO ASTORIA ON 21ST STREET. THE UNITS R VERY WELL DESIGNED W HIGH END FINISHES. THERE WILL NOT B A DOORMAN BUT THERE IS A GARAGE & A GIANT ROOFDECK. I LOVED SOME OF THE UNITS BUT OF COURSE I HATED 21ST STREET. IT FELT LIKE THE GHETTO. IT WAS ALSO ABOUT 7 BLOCKS TO SUBWAY. ANYWAY GOOD LUCK W UR SEARCH...

has anyone been to the east river towers?

thanks helphome. yeah it is disheartening, but i think it was probably the best for me. i'm looking at 2+ family homes now which is probably a better investment anyway. i didn't want to be on 21st so i dismissed all of those buildings. astor still has a few units available. i wasn't a big fan of any of the units on or around crescent either. i've been looking for a long time! haha....thanks again and good luck with finding a place.

Helphome..thanks! I am just at my very early stage on buying an apt in the city. I am now living in NJ but work at brooklyn and I am thinking moving closer to work. I saw the east river towers few months ago, their units are not bad but I was in the rush when I saw them, so I am not 100% sure. You may want to check it out yourself. I like the location because it is very quite but I think it is very far from public transportation. If you don't mind to give your agents information to me so I can use her in the future I will be very appreciate , my email is tivo88@yahoo.com. thanks again ! Good luck!

ill def send over her name through ur email....i loved the towers finishes but w the cc'S that high it just kills it. i mean id rather spend another 80k on my actual onto than to pay 900$ for a doorman/ im not sure what else...good luck to u & btw my agent is a brooklyn specialist. she knows all the secrets!!!ciao

My wife and I visited the Santorini and we both agreed that the construction wasn't up to par. The doors in the apartment looked like pieces of wood simply attached by hinges just like another poster had noted. For me, the area wasn't desirable. I understand that Astoria is developed and diversely ethnic but I just saw too many unsavory characters on the street and this was at 5pm in the afternoon. We decided to pass on this property.

just a thought - if you came on a weekday, you are not likely to see any "savory" characters anytime except morning and evening...

Fyi, no issues so far with my unit. We are still waiting for working intercoms to be installed, though. Taking waaaaay too long.

How many have moved in so far?

Hello All,

Again, I have to clear some misinformation and misconceptions. and very one sided comments. I will do that in my next few posts.

@All: Yes, I am representing the seller. no questions about that but do note I am not on Salary, so my job is to create a meeting of the minds, and if that does not occur, I don't get paid. So, I do all that I can to make a deal happen. Please ask the 20 buyers who either closed(7) or currently in contract. Also, you can ask the 7 buyers who recently got their offers accepted the past 2 1/2 weeks or so.

@Helphome, please refrain from commenting until Bigehead gives you all the information. his offer was above the 5-7% mark and the sellers' counter which was only $10K above his offer and was within that 5-7%(actually slightly above that), so be disheartened Helphome and the counter was fair based on your parameters you see as such.

Isn't that right Bigehead? Your net offer was very close to 10% and the sponsors met very close to your offer. you and sponsors are only $10K apart. your Representative and I agreed that was a fair # and if you are financing with today's rates, that is, worst case, $50/month in a 30yr fixed. which breaks down to $1.66/day to have the home you want with the gorgeous views it has. Also, please give the whole story so my fellow bloggers can comment on factual information.

So, Bigehead still think the sellers are unreasonable based on the facts shared?

@Helphome, I apologize, I meant to say do not be disheartened. If Santorini is still an option for you, please feel free to bring a fair offer forward.

@officer
Let's talk rationally: Fair market value as defined by Merriam-Webster's dictionary: a price at which buyers and sellers with a reasonable knowledge of pertinent facts and not acting under any compulsion are willing to do business.

Now, that we have a working definition, all the offers accepted by the sellers were at FAIR MARKET VALUE. and appraisals just corroborate(also from MW dictionary:to support with evidence or authority : make more certain) that. Because if the value cannot be proven to the banks, then no matter what the sellers or buyers want, the deal cannot close. So fair market value and appraisals are important.

and for fun, let's talk about house ownership, I own the house I live in and I can tell you maintaining it is only cheaper when you can cut your own lawn, shovel your own snow, rake your own leaves, be there to pick your own packages, fix your own roof or boiler and such. Also, it is only more convenient if you have time to do all the above.

Please understand buying a home is one of the most important decisions you can make. It can not be taken lightly, thus why all the FACTS must be considered when making such a purchase. If a condominium makes sense for you and that condo is Santorini, my team and I are here to help you as best as possible whether you come direct to us or you have a buy-side representative.

Again, if you need assistance or just need some more factual information to help you in your search, please feel free to contact me @ 917-586-1096 or hjv@mns.com

I look forward to helping anyone who would like my help, Home!

HaroldV, you asked before if my offer was more than 10%, and the short answer is yes it is. I'm not sure how you do your calculations, but my offer was 8.2% below NET. That's not very close to 10% as you say. Just because rates are low, doesn't mean the seller should use that as an excuse to ask for a higher bid. So,YES, i still think the seller is being unreasonable. Finally, this is all pointless as I'm no longer interested anyway. Good luck to anyone who decides to buy there. And good luck to you MNS getting the units filled.

Another offer accpeted, Congrats 1H. We look forward to seeing you home!

Thank you Bigehead. To be clear, your first offer was above ten percent and second was just below. And the sellers gave a fair counter that was less then 1% from your offer. I am sorry the numbers didn't work for you but it is selfish and unfair to say the sellers are unreasonable because they didn't agree with you. also, the sellers are not asking for higher prices because rates, they are simply asking for what is considered fair market value(see definition in earlier post). Again, there are 8 accepted offers in the past few weeks so obviously they are willing to work with buyers to come to a fair market price.

Thank you for all the well wishes, as you see, the homes are filling up. I wish all the best in your home search, if you change your mind, and then home you wanted is still available, have your cousin contact me.

And correction all: 1L just got the accepted offer not 1H. So anyone interested in a 3 bedroom(1573sf), feel free to contact me.

Another offer accepted!!! Congrats 1A... We look forward to seeing you home...

harold. please refrain from telling me to refrain my comments. im not working for ur sponsor & i am not impressed at all w the fact that u would even engage in banter w someone who has every right to speak his mind on this forum. as far as i can tell u r outnumbered here. if u r so convinced that this building is so amazing then why bother responding at all to negative comments. btw...i really pray that the accepted offer of 1A was at least 10% off. i mean the view out those windows is scary.

sorry 1a.

one more thing...r they joking w those sinks???? i mean cmon...r u selling all these units to midgets??? i couldn't get past the the sloping floors & the overall lack of concern for doing a decent job w the small details. looks to me like i would've had to gut the bathrooms & redo the kitchen in order to make it livable. it would be one thing if the prices reflected the craftsmanship but they don't. my second visit there was like beer goggles off. i mustve been seriously high the first time around.

bighead...u should be thanking harold that they wouldn't accept ur offer. they saved u from having to actually live there.

@Harold - funny that you mentioned compulsion in the definition of Fair Market Value. How do you know that people who bought aren't buying compulsively?

What's fair is subjective. But one solid fact is that the units have taken a lot of time to sell and there's still a lot of unsold units at this point. Why do you think that is? You would think the units would be all sold by now if they are priced "fairly"

This is a really strange discussion, and it seems to be sinking to some very personal level. Myself, I am very happy with floor finishes, kitchen, and the bathrooms. Most of the recent complaints seem to have more to do with personal preferences than actual unit issues. Don't like it - don't buy, but why put it down in front of other potential buyers?

HelpHome: While this is an open forum, What I asked was for you to get all the facts before making comments so as not to perpetuate the spreading of erroneous information. And, if you have truly read my comments, I actually have not responded to any negative comments, what I have done is correct misinformation and provide facts.

And I must add that the discussion was been between you and I. what you stated to the purchaser of 1A is disrespectful and was uncalled for. The purchaser was befuddled and called their broker to ask why were they being brought into the conversation?

Again, buyers should make the decision that best suits them but that decision should be based all the facts and their interpretation of those facts as well their own personal wants and desires.

Helphome, I appreciate you sharing and wish you all the best in your search for a new home. God Bless...

HaroldV >>> The purchaser was befuddled and called their broker to ask why were they being brought into the conversation?

The purchaser was brought into the conversation because you brought them into the conversation...you cannot have it both ways.

You are the one making their purchase an issue for discussion on a public forum and I am not sure if that is the most professional way to handle your business with your clients, but if yourself and your clients are okay with that then they have to be prepared to accept both positive and negative responses, that your posts will bring.

Matsui: The information I shared was the same info you would find on my company's website, and the price sheets at the open house etc; thus public knowledge, would you agree? I just stated an offer was accepted and brought to light that a contract was out on a particular home, a common practice in the real estate world.

I did not comment on the buyer's tastes, the home, and/or the buyer's negotiations, etc;

It was for information purposes as to what was no longer available for purchase at Santorini, not a commentary.

Matsui: Thank you for your vantage point though, much appreciated.

Yes it may certainly be public knowledge but you are presenting it here for specific reason (and there is nothing wrong with you using public knowledge to your advantage). From the purchasers perspective I am not sure I would want my transaction announed on an internet forum, but I agree it is your perogative to do so.

But all I was saying is that the answer to your client as to why he/she was being brought into the conversation is simple - because you brought it into the conversation.

I doubt though that people look to an internet forum as the authoritative source of information on what is and is not available for purchase in any building, so I am not sure that is what is driving your annnouncing these transactions.

I'm not in the market for a home as I cannot afford one right now but I have seen Santorini a few times and some of these comments are just ridiculous. There is no need to get personal here. If a buyer likes the place, they will work their best to buy it and if not they will look somewhere else.

I won't speak for anyone here but each time an apartment get annouced as sold, it just seems like a desperate attempt to let others know that people actually want the place. And for people who think the agent is only doing all this to make money, that cannot be possible. With lines like misinformation and PROVIDE THE FACTS, if he wanted to make money, he would just go be a liar... oooppsie, I meant lawyer. So come on people, if you can afford it, go some a place at Santorini, if I had any money, I know I would.

I don't believe in God, but God Bless and Good Luck to you all in finding a home... cute smiley face =)

Matsui, I understand what you are trying to convey but notice the purchaser's information is not posted. only the fact that the offer was accepted is what's posted. It;s not stated if it is a single person , a couple, male or female, etc; No one would know who the purchaser was unless they made themselves known. People use this site for information during their home search and as informative as this site is, unfortunately, it only shows what is available, in contract and/or sold not any home that has a contract out. As a purchaser, it actually works to their advantage to have it known that their prospective home is off the market to other buyers.

And to address your curiosity of what is driving these announcements is I decided to post them because misinformation was being spread. It was stated that the sellers were unreasonable and not budging on asking prices, not working with buyers to make deals happen etc; I wanted the buying public to know that is far from the truth and offers were being worked through and accepted(8 offers accepted in the past 3 weeks for example).

Sharing one's opinion on the homes, whether positive or negative, is fine and absolutely is the poster's prerogative to do so but to post nonfactual information for whatever reason in unfair and excessive.

Matsui, Thank you for your post.

harold....i am LMOA...seriously ...God bless???? ok thanks, i guess. anyway i really find it bizarre that u r engaging in these sort of tit for tat comments. while i may b slightly harsh in my judgments...I have the right to b. i find it repulsive however that u r representing the seller & r exploiting the sales & private details of business dealings. u r the face of Santorini & that in itself should refrain u from these antics. Matsui, I like ur style.

As for non factual????

1. the floors r sloped in many of the units. some worse than others.
2. The sinks in the bathrooms are well below the national average.
3. the sponsor is willing to negotiate but only about 5% off asking. fact. I was told this from ur associate.
4. u r the only sellers agent I hear on this forum.

Wow...is it almost a month already? Speaking for myself:
-I'm practically on top of the train (yes...I'm not going to jump on the MTA sucks bandwagon)
-I have a supermarket next door open until midnight. And one just a few blocks away open 24 hours.
-I'm in walking distance of great restaurants and bars,
-I'm 10 minutes from LGA which cut down dramatically on my "commute."
-I have nice neighbors in the building.
etc. etc.

Yep...have a punchlist of items to be closed. But sinks and dings are literally "rounding errors" in the grand scheme of my life.

So for me--I'm happy with my purchase. Happy with my decisions. We each have our own equation for value. I've owned before and I've sold. I put down many offers recently before signing here. I went through negotiations. If you really want to buy, make an offer and negotiate in private (Public negotiations just lead to "grand standing" and "chest pounding"). If it works out, it works out. If it doesn't, it doesn't. But can you please not criticize my sink. Size doesn't matter. :)

What a strange turn the thread took.

Let me echo many of the things NYrkB said above. We have been living here for about 6 weeks now and are happy. Of course, there are a few things that we will change, that we wouldn't have done if we were building the building, but all of them are cosmetic and the main things (size of unit and location) are ones that we like and can't change. We can replace the closet doors.

And the neighbors that we've met are nice!

I am about to close on a unit. A question for those who moved in: how do you feel about the AC/heat units? I tested them and they seem to be a little loud. Is that the case or is there just something wrong with the unit I tested?

It could be hard to sleep when the AC or heat is running if it's that loud.

The ones in our apartment seem to run loud/quiet as the mood takes them. Loud is relative though - they are not loud enough to annoy anyone in our family.

Ours aren't exactly loud or quiet, but something in between. Level of annoyance is almost 0, though. You can set them to a continuous-fan mode, which some may like - that will avoid sudden start-up noises.

While on the topic, has anyone found a reliable manual for the heat/AC units (Suburban Dynaline 3)? I get locked out quite a lot.

Redbullet,
I think I have a friend what supplies these units. I will see if he can get me a manual and I will post it up.

For those that have moved in, has it been an issue regarding punchlist?
Are workers allowed to gain entry into the apt to conduct their work during the day? Or do they require your permission prior to entry? I know the supervisor has a set of keys for all the apartments and although it is normal for condominiums, I am still a bit worried.

Brigitte and Redbullet64, thanks for the feedback on the AC.

The manual for the AC/Heat unit can be found here: http://www.suburbanmanufacturing.com/lit/DL3_Brochure_2-05.pdf

Other documents are here: http://www.suburbanmanufacturing.com/lit/dl3.php

@ helphome. I am a first time home-buyer looking for a good buyer's agent.

Do you mind emailing me your broker's information?

my email is: newbie3002@yahoo.com

Thanks in advance!!!!

Guys, is there any website where the final sales price are listed for all units that have already been sold? I'm a first time buyer and I'm not sure if this is public information.

Thank you!

@Bigehead, is it possible for you to email me your contact info -- I would love to have a quick chat with you about this building. Thanks in advance!

sure what's your email address?

hftguy: You can pay for insider on SE, Zillow or use ACRIS
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/jump/acris.shtml

For those who live in the building, approximately how much do you contribute to utilities((heat/electricity)/month. If I remember correctly, the common charges do not include heat/electricity or any utilities.

The building has definitely sparked my interest and I liked what I saw during my first walk through.

Also are the units built for a washer/dryer?

thanks in advance!

I don;t know if my earlier comment was posted, but I have to register my extreme displeasure and annoyance that so many of the punch list items are not satisfactorily completed. The management is haphazard and n one seems to take responsibility for contracted work. Timelines are non-existent -
Are others having the same experience?
Ideas for recourse?

Newbie, Your correct, heat and electric is separately metered. Hot water is included though. so far utility bills have not been too bad. good thing heat is gas powered.

They have not put W/D in the homes but like mine, you could have it added at some point.

Hope that helps.

Thanks Pickyasheck

@Knovick, are the items on your punchlist major? They have done some of the items on my punchlist but not all. Some of the items weren't satisfactorily completed as you have stated, so I have to follow up to get them to come back.

Also, I discovered a couple other things that need to be fixed after moving in. Hopefully they will get to it soon.

Could any of the current owners please share the names of the attorneys you used to purchase Santorini condo? And, also share the good/bad/ugly experiences with the attorneys. Much appreciated.

Are the units still selling like hotcakes?

Angry, seems like it... I've seen and heard alot of people in the hallways these past couple weekends. I ask one of the reps, and they said that 6 contracts went out the past couple of weeks and 2 have already come back signed

Guys, how safe is this neighborhood? Like after 9pm...

I've walked around in the evening quite a bit. I feel safe walking absolutely anywhere in the area, even though I always prefer to walk into Astoria (north/east) than west, towards the river. I have never seen a single incident anywhere, nor any police with flashing lights. Gives a pretty good indication that the area is safe.

redbullet - That is understandable, heading west & northwest you run into the housing projects and factories.

I'm a woman in my late 30s and am more than happy to walk around in the neighborhood after 9pm. I also go running (albeit when it's light) all around, and it's fine.

The neighborhood is definitely safe. Even the housing projects nearby aren't that bad. Also, there seems to be always people on 36th Ave late at night. There are people getting off the subway and some taxi drivers stop at the convenient stores to take breaks. Nothing to be concerned about in terms of safety.

On a different note, has anyone tried to connect a programmable thermostat with the window AC/heating units?

Hi redbullet64, I am looking into getting them installed. It should be easy to do, hardest part is running the wires.

My windows are drafty (which they should hopefully fix soon) and because the unit is by the window right next to the cold air, it keeps turning on and off every few minutes. It drives me nuts when I am sleeping. Moving the thermostat further away from the windows should help.

It would also be nice to have the heat automatically turned up right before getting out of bed.

10016, do you know if all thermostats are compatible (for example the basic Honeywell ones), or just some?

Pretty sure everything you see at Home Depot are compatible. They can cost anywhere from $20-$80 but they mostly function the same way.

I have the manual for the unit which explains how to hook up a thermostat. It's two switches and connecting a couple wires to the spots they already have in place. Leave your email here if you need me to send that to you.

redbullet64@gmail.com. Thanks much.

Any tenants that live in the building have any comments? I recently went to an open house and I fell in love with the space and layouts. Granted there are a few things I would have liked improved but overall I was satisfied. My concern is this building has had problems closing sales, I'm wondering why. Although the pricing of the units are a bit competitive I still feel they are expensive for a building stuggling to close. Any thoughts or suggestions??

ItzTico: I'm sure I know what you mean "struggling to close?" I check with brokers all the time and it seems that the building is nearly 50% sold if not already, and the open houses have been busy based on the people I see in the hallways on the weekend. Hope that helps and look forward to having you join us.

My husband and I were looking at this property, but I see some complaints about the craftsmanship. Love to know the opinions of the current state of the building versus a few months ago. What about the community areas that they advertise on the website: fitness room, terrace, etc? Are they fully functionable and complete?

We're looking in the area and are considering looking at some of the older, pre-war buildings that have a few apartments for sale with upgrades, etc. Even the Paul Revere building next door to Santorini. We'd rather design a place to our own taste/quality than over pay and settle for sub-par work.

I think the craftsmanship is hit or miss. It's probably the same way with other buildings. Also, you can request for the seller to fix any issues that you spot.

The proximity to the subway and the cost per sq. foot price are really attractive.

The community areas are not completed at all. The laundry rooms aren't ready either, there's only 1 set of washer/dry on the 1st floor.

Hi,

I am about to make an offer for this condo. But i'd like to talk to someone that already lives there before I do. Would any of you email me at fang56@hotmail.com?
Thank you

Is anyone is interested in having a tenants' mtg? We've been living there for months and it would be really nice to get some of these common issues resolved. For example, why do we only have 1 working washing machine and 2 dryers in the whole bldg? Why is the washing machine on the 4th floor sitting there disabled? Is anyone else having trouble getting their punch list completed? Who are we supposed to contact? I'm having no luck getting anything done by contacting Harold.

Is anyone interested in having a tenants' meeting?

I've been on Zevi's and Tommy's case about the laundry machine for weeks. According to Zevi, they are negotiating with a new company to deliver the machines, and they should be in by end of this week. If they aren't, I think it's a good idea to have a meeting and invite them.

Tshakar and Redbullet64,

I am about to make an offer for one of the units. I was hoping to chat either or both of you to get your opinion of the building. Please email me at tobytobytoby2012@gmail.com at your earliest convenience.

Any other tenants concerned about the sewage smell in the laundry room? Also, today the glass in my balcony shattered while I was at work... no clear reason why... anyone else have that happen so far?

My electric and gas bills were INSANELY high, even with running the heat and appliances minimally. Have others experienced that?

Today, thanks to Harold, we got one more punch list item taken care of. Just to clarify - from what I understand, Harold isn't really in the position of responsibility for overseeing the completion of the apartments. However, the sales team has more or less taken it on, as the person who should be in charge is nowhere to be found. It makes for a very difficult situation for everybody. Feel free to correct me, if I'm wrong, but there's been a terrible lack of communication from the Sponsor/Owner team. They seem to be horribly disorganized.

Also, maybe it's time to have that meeting. I don't see the 2 washers & dryers on each floor that we were supposed to get by the end of the week.

Yeah, we would be down for a meeting. Has the laundry room had the smell recently? I haven't smelled it for a while.

I've noticed the smell in the laundry rm sometimes, too. It's really bad. I think it comes from the drain that the washer water runs thru.

FourthFloor - Yeah, I was surprised at the gas & elec bill, but in my last apt we had radiator heat. It must the heating that makes it so high. I'm sorry to hear about your balcony glass. I hope they fix it quickly.

I def agree that a meeting would help - the laundry rooms do smell and there arent machines on every floor. I agree that Harold is not supposed to be responsible and that the sales team has taken on more since nobody else has. ... it seems like we should all meet and discuss these issues. If there is a planned meeting please post the time.

redbullet64, since you've been in touch w/ Tommy & Zevi, do you think you could arrange a mtg w/ them? It would be nice if we could get one in before Passover/Easter.

I'm gonna try. The latest promise (as of Friday) was machines in the building by Monday, installed by Wednesday.

Promises, promises... Thanks for taking this on, redbullet64. Let me know if I can assist in any way.

Has anyone heard when the maintenance company will start? I was told that it was a requirement once they've closed on 50% of the units. I believe we reached that pt. Hopefully, they will be easier to deal w/.

Hi, I am moving towards closing on a unit at Santorini. I'd appreciate if one or more unit owners would be willing to talk about a few of the issues noted above. Send me an email at yosef [DOT] ibrahimi [AT] gmail [DOT] com Thanks.