u/Sea-Agent-3670

We closed on a co-op (yay!) and we’re having it painted via our contractor. The painters have been exceptional - incredibly detailed and going above and beyond to make sure our 120-year old walls look pristine. They are even fixing things here and there and have made helpful suggestions.

I would like to tip them but not sure what the norm is? I was thinking $100 per person - there are two painters and it’s a 7-day job. Is that sufficient?

This might sound like a unique to NYC problem - I’ve had a drivers license for 15+ years but don’t actually know how to drive. I’m taking driving refresher classes now but wondering if I need to be hypnotized or something to finally get over it. Does anyone have experience with hypnotherapists in NYC?

My friend’s aunt sits on the board of her co-op and has lived in the building for 12-years. It’s a land lease that expires in 2064 and she loves the building and says they have strong financials (a few retail tenants to boot).

My partner and I are in our mid-30s and only started to make good money 5-years ago. We’ve managed to save/invest $1.3 million in that time (annual comp is $800K between salary and bonus) and we have no interest in purchasing a home in the suburbs and are okay with renting for the foreseeable future.

A unit on the market in this building has caught our eye - it’s much larger than our rental and we like the location and building. We can afford to pay for the unit in cash and the HOA is currently under $5K/month - less than our rent.

I know all the reasons NOT to be involved with a land lease, but is it really that bad? The unit is $400K and realistically, if we can continue to grow our wealth like we are now over the next 15-20 years, we won’t really care about any kind of return on our co-op investment.

I’m also expecting to make partner at my firm in the next 3-5 years which should mean another sizable bump in our dual household income.

What else should I consider before continuing the conversation? I’m relatively risk adverse so looking for reasons to walk away and continue to rent but the size and potential to renovate as we would like our home has me curious

We’re a daycare family and have been happy with the school to date. The children seem to be busy and happy, the school is clean and the teachers are warm and caring.

We live near a private school that offers a 2s program that seems a little more evolved than what daycare offers, but the school hours are shorter and it’s about $1,200/month more than what we are spending now. There also seem to be a lot of days off throughout the year and my partner and I both have busy jobs that also require frequent travel.

How critical is this kind of early education? Does my child really need stem and theater classes at age 2? I think I’m looking for a reality check.

We plan to pursue NYC public school and ultimately I want my child to be kind, curious and independent - I don’t really care about brand name schools but can’t help my curiosity. Anyone in the same boat?