All Forum Posts by: Jared W Smith

Hello @Raul Tirado

I am currently working on a 2 units over 1 commercial mixed use property development converting it to a 6 over 1 in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Also in City approvals for a new development 6 unit in South Yonkers. From your post you are seeking to essentially knock down the house and build brand new. I may be able to assist in the initial zoning analysis and steer you in the right direction with my NYC connections to get the site developed. Feel free to reach out. Thanks 

-Jared W. Smith, RA - Principal Architect at Architect Owl PLLC (Licensed in NY & CT)

Hello @Victor Garcia

My Engineer and I have completed these in the past. If you are still in search, please reach out. Thanks  

-Jared W. Smith, RA - Principal Architect at Architect Owl PLLC (Licensed in NY & CT)

Hello @Mary june Martillo

I've been contacted by dozens of investors looking to do conversions in NYC but very few actually pan out. It's a highly technical process cumbersome by NYC Dept. of Buildings, therefore it hard to explain what to do in a few short sentences. Generally speaking, per the NYC Zoning regulations, a R4B is limited to a maximum of 2-family homes. You may be dead in the water. See the below screenshot.

If the zoning allows a 3-family, you would need to meet all the rules and regulations in the Building Code as well as the Zoning Ordinances. The main areas usually causing problems being means of egress, fire separation for each unit, ceiling heights within each unit, sprinklers throughout all units, accessible unit and required parking. 

-Jared W. Smith, RA - Principal Architect at Architect Owl PLLC (Licensed in NY & CT)
 

Hello @Annie Balagot, fellow Westchester County resident here. Have been living in county for most of my life. I have an idea of the location. I would strongly look at the rental market. Houses with that value in the rivertowns and surrounding areas may not command so much for rent plus finding those financial able and willing to rent it could be hassle-some. 

Please reach out if you end up need assistance with any renovations, permitting and/or construction expertise. All the best

-Jared W. Smith, RA - Principal Architect at Architect Owl PLLC (Licensed in NY & CT)

Agree with @Stuart Udis. If the drawings were code compliant, then it's on the Contractor to follow them explicitly OR contact the Architect if changes are necessary for the constructibility. Also sounds like your Architect is hands-off. Was this person responsible for doing the permit filing or was that the responsiblity of the Contractor? Also, was the Architect retained for construction phase services? Sounds like they weren't or they would have caught the non-compliant work and stopped the Contractor and alerted you. Like @William Hutch alluded to, if the drawings are Code Compliant, why bother getting new drawings from a new Architect? Get a new Contractor to follow the drawings you already have and retain the Architect to do site visits to observe the progress of the work. This would be your easiest route.  

-Jared W. Smith, RA - Principal Architect at Architect Owl PLLC (Licensed in NY & CT)
 

Unless you know someone at one of those depts., that will get you no where. Calling NYC Building Dept. to ask specific questions about what you can and cannot do is useless. Owners nights are your best bet but often they don't stand by what they say either. Trust me. Been dealing with NYC DOB since 05'. Read the above comments. You either look at the Zoning Ordinance yourself and try to figure it out or you call in a professional. No City in CT is NYC. Not even comparable. 

A lot of investors are penny wise, pound foolish. Hiring an Architect to look at your problem and paying for 2-3hrs or spend 20+ hrs trying to figure it out and still may not know with certainty if what they came up with is viable, feasible or accurate.    

-Jared W. Smith, RA - Principal Architect at Architect Owl PLLC (Licensed in NY & CT)

Just a note- closets is a matter of the real estate industry and that people prefer a closet in a bedroom. Speaking strictly architecturally, a bedroom is based solely on the room's/space's usage. In the Building Codes, that I know of in the Tri-State area, there's no mention of a closet required for a bedroom to be a considered a bedroom. I believe this is the case across most of US.

-Jared W. Smith, RA - Principal Architect at Architect Owl PLLC (Licensed in NY & CT)

There's reaching out to an Interior Designer but they may be limited since they may be unfamiliar with moving of walls especially if load bearing. Depends on their skills and capacity. Otherwise what you are asking is done by most residential architects. It's very commonplace. Why not reach out to a local architect whom does residential work to assist? Search "(property location city/town) residential architects". See what comes up and call a few. I would say, a smaller few person firm (or single person) would be a better and more economical fit for something small like this. 

-Jared W. Smith, RA - Principal Architect at Architect Owl PLLC (Licensed in NY & CT)

For a project of this nature, you're also going to need and Architect & Engineer on board for filing, permitting and required inspection... along with a slew of other things to be aware of. In NYC, yes it can be very lucrative but it could also bury you for the information you don't know that you don't know. 

203k Construction loans are a whole different animal. I have not had a good track history with these loan for new investors/buyers. Most of the liaisons that the lender provides for "guidance" are not local and don't know the ins and out of construction in NYC. This is huge when it comes down to the review of the Contractor's costs and if what they say something will cost is accurate. I had a 203k loan project where the GC estimated about $4k for concrete foundation underpinning. Yes, underpinning under an attached row house in NYC. real cost was almost $100k when factoring the specialized foundation work, third party Special Inspection Agency inspections and NYC DOB fees. GC was inexperienced and owners didn't want to do the foundation work despite it be needed. I walked away from job.  

-Jared W. Smith, RA - Principal Architect at Architect Owl PLLC (Licensed in NY & CT)

 You wouldn't believe. I had to sell the one I had due to the MANY issues. Not worth it in my opinion.