Property Tales
I'm all about being legal. I'm absolutely intent on doing things the right way, because you can get in a lot less trouble that way.
35, singer/songwriter
SO FAR, Karen Jacobsen's New York real estate story has two chapters.
Since arriving in town in 2000, Karen's lived in two apartments on 49th Street. The first was near Second Avenue. The second's a short bus ride across town, near Eighth Avenue. But, as Karen sees it, they're worlds apart. In making the move from one to the other, she feels like she's conquered the world.
But here's the tale from the beginning:
"I grew up on the other side of the world, in Australia. At age 31, I had a very comfortable life, was making great money. I owned a large apartment with great views, doorman, all the bells and whistles, and a car parked in my own garage space. But I was drawn to New York-which is understandable. I'm a musician, New York is the locus for creative people. I needed to be here," says Jacobsen.
To bankroll the move, Jacobsen sublet her apartment and took a loan against the property.
She arrived in New York on July 4-her "personal Independence Day"-with two suitcases and a dream.
"I slept on the couch at my friends' Chelsea apartment. We'd serendipitously met halfway up the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1992, and kept in touch. It was great staying with them, but after a month, I longed for my own space," she says. "I had 30 phone numbers for friends of friends, and called all-asking for help finding a place. At a party, I met a guy who had a room for rent. There was one drawback: You had to walk through his bedroom to get to yours. But the $500 monthly rent was affordable, so I took it. It was closet-like really, about eight by 10 feet, with a window that, thankfully, showed a sliver of sky."
The place was a dumpy no-doorman walk-up. But that wasn't the worst of it. Her roommate, it happened, had a drug problem. After family intervention, he went to rehab, leaving Jacobsen to look after the apartment.
"Because of the lease situation, I agreed to continue to pay him the rent, which he would pay to the landlord. Turns out, he never sent the money in. So, I had to leave the apartment. On September 9, 2001, I left for Sydney, intending to regroup for a week or so."
Then 9/11 happened, and Jacobsen wound up staying in Sydney for six weeks.
When she returned to New York, Jacobsen was armed with a work permit and an apartment lead.
"As I was going to the airport, a New York friend called to say she knew of a sublet that sounded good. Hoping for the best, I told her to take it for me, sight unseen," says Jacobsen. "It turned out perfectly. It's where I still live."
The apartment is a railroad flat that's been converted from one bedroom to two. It has a kitchen and full bathroom. It's in an eight-story building with an elevator and doorman, and laundry facilities in the basement.
"I took the place as a legal sublet, and shared it with a woman roommate for three years. When the original tenant's lease was up last November, I signed the new lease, and my roommate moved. It's official: I'm here," she says.
Jacobsen's rent is $1700 monthly. She recently sold her Sydney apartment for about 30 percent more than she paid for it, and has been able to pay off her debts. She's also established her own publishing company, Kurly Queen, which is based in her apartment and will release her CD next February.
"It was hard to leave Australia, move here and establish myself. I'm proud I've been able to do it. I'm here to stay," she says. "Several weeks ago, I sang the National Anthem at a NY Jets game-in front of 80,000 people. That was a goalpost for me. My next may just be to own my own apartment in New York. Actually, I'm hoping to accomplish that within a year."
Chapter three!