Buying a Home in Manhattan -Vol.5-

When we got a mortgage, we wanted to move as soon as possible 

because we had plans to go back to Japan for our winter holiday.

We made another mad dash to arrange the closing and move the same day. 

We packed about hundred boxes in only five days!

On moving day, as we finished carrying everything out of our old unit, 

we rushed to a lawyer’s office for the closing.

When I entered the meeting room, I was surprised to see so many people.

Ten people were sitting around the large table. 

There were the sellers,  an elderly Indian couple, and both lawyers, 

real estate agents, a mortgage banker and our family.

Wow…to get a unit, there’re so many people involved..

It’s almost a miracle all the people can attend this meeting 

on such short notice.

Before the meeting, I wondered why our real estate agent said 

it would take at least two hours, only for signatures. 

But as we were asked to sign  more than thirty documents, 

two hours passed by fast.

I could really feel the “Contract Society of America.”

At last, the seller,  a surgeon, smiled and said to me;

“ That house is a really good place. 

 We have many family memories after living there more than forty years. 

 You can make your family history there. 

 Enjoy your new life! “

She passed me a key.

That moment I finally, and for the first time, realized, 

“Yes, we got our own home!”

I entered our new home with the key. 

We went to work, carrying everything in.

Then a man, who looked like Jim Carrey with very white teeth, 

came in saying “ Hello!”  in great spirits.

He was the super in this building.

I remember when the agent introduced this building to us, 

I found in a description “live-in super.”

“Do they have a supermarket on the 1st floor?” I asked,excitedly.

“No, no. A superintendent lives in this building,” he said with a bitter smile.

The super seemed to be reliable and caring, 

giving instructions to the movers like 

“Do not spread the boxes along the corridor,” or asking us,

 “Do you need any help?”

So we asked him what we should do to fix up the living room floor and walls.

“We can do it while you’re in Japan. 

 I know some contractors.

 Payment? Don’t worry! I can pay in advance.

 And if you don’t pay me back, as I know where you live, 

 I will knock on the door every day. Hahahaha!!!” 

　

He seemed so casual. 

And then he called the contractors immediately to measure the room 

and ask what color we wanted, and he was gone in a flash.

Wow. A super in New York City helps in so many ways..

Supers I knew in Tokyo were very different.

They usually seemed to be retired elderly men and 

cleaned up a garbage area or entrance hall, but they were all much calmer.

But here, the super stepped into our apartment and looked more active.

Besides the super, we found there were four or five doormen, 

two handymen in this building, which has about 100 households.

Actually, we’re paying $1,800 a month for maintenance. 

At first I really could not believe this amount.

One thousand eight hundred dollars??!!

In Tokyo, we could pay our monthly mortgage with that and 

still have change left over.

In this apartment, the maintenance fee may be high for labor costs for the staff, 

but it is not all for personnel expenses.

In a co-op, about half is the building maintenance fee, 

including salaries and for upkeep of the common space. 

The other half is real estate tax paid by the building.

Maintenance fees vary, depending on the area, 

but around this neighborhood, Midtown East, for a 2-bedroom apartment 

with a doorman, many buildings charge more than $3,000.

As the maintenance fee is a big part of our family budget, 

we had a headache during our housing search.

We just wanted to live safely.

Safety and cleanliness don’t come cheap in New York, in this country…

Anyway, before we came back from Japan,

I wondered if Jim Carrey would come through for us and 

our living room would really be fixed up nicely.

I didn’t quite believe it, but he actually did it!

To see the beautifully polished floor and freshly painted walls,

I thought the maintenance fee was worth every penny.

In this old apartment, built a hundred years ago, 

there are some small problems to repair here and there, 

but we can always ask the super.

Especially for foreigners like us, all the staff members are reassuring.

Doormen remembered our family and were kind enough to ask,

 “How was the holiday in Japan?”

 “Did you have a good sleep last night?”

It made me happy to feel someone’s warm support in an unfamiliar place. 

When I was thinking I should bring a small gifts for the staff, 

I found something in front of my door: a card with “Happy holidays!” 

and all the staff members’ names on it.

I know what this is!

This card means they want holiday tips before Christmas!

I understand at once because the real estate agent told us 

before we moved into the apartment,

“ You should give some holiday tips to the staff. 

 It will help you to make a good relationship with them.”

Then I also remembered that one of my friends living in New York  

a few years said the building staff members would suddenly 

become very kind in this season.

Well, now I understand.

If it’s because of the season, we don’t care.

We really appreciate their help and want to thank all of them, 

so we prepared a holiday tip for everyone.

In Japan, we have a custom of giving money to children 

as gifts at the New Year, and when I was in Singapore, 

they also had a very similar custom to give some money, 

called “Honpao,” in a small red envelope to children.

But between adults, we usually send a gift; often something to drink 

or eat  to relatives or business partners either at the end of the year 

or at the New Year.

In New York City, to keep a good relationship, 

we give a tip to someone – not children, but adults - who helps us. 

It’s not a product, but cash!

It seems a reasonable and uniquely New York way of Christmas giving.