Issue 4, November 2006: The Right Questions to Ask
Ten Questions to Help You to Make an Important Decision We’ve been asking the wrong questions. When it comes to the residential real estate market everyone wants to know whether prices will continue to go up, or will they drop? That’s not the real question. The real question for prospective buyers and sellers should be […]
Issue 5, December 2006: Just the Facts
Some interesting things are happening in the residential real estate market and in the industry. Many brokers who started in the past several years can’t adjust to this market and are leaving the industry. This is a valuable shake-out. Secondly, we are seeing more people trying to negotiate down the commission. Brokers are a lot […]
Issue 6, February 2007: The Fog Has Cleared; The Opportunities Are There
The fog created over the past year by a combination of national news reports about a decline in the housing market, an increase in supply in Manhattan and fear that the “real estate bubble” might burst is clearing away and what we clearly see now is a stable residential market evenly balanced between buyer and […]
Issue 7, March 2007: It’s a Bull Market in the Financial District
I remember the Financial District a decade or so ago when it was a “ghost town” after work and on weekends with a few straggling tourists and some lost suburbanites. The people who worked there only knew their way to their subway stop or to their limo. No New Yorker would ever think of living […]
Issue 8, May 2007: Do You Know What AIR Is?
In Newport, R.I., it’s illegal to smoke a pipe after sunset. In Florida, it’s an offense to shower naked. In Wyoming, women can’t stand within five feet of a bar while drinking. In Oklahoma, dogs must have signed permission from a mayor for three or more to congregate on a lawn. It’s easy to laugh […]
Issue 9, June 2007: It’s Hot and It’s Good Value
For many years it was a grungy wasteland between Greenwich Village and midtown with the attractive English name of Chelsea filled with small factories, tenements and warehouses. No longer my friends. This area has had a remarkable resurgence starting about a decade ago when art galleries ventured into the western part of the neighborhood followed […]
Issue 10, August 2007: Turmoil in the Mortgage Market, What to Do
I imagine you probably noticed that there has been significant volatility in the financial markets over the past several weeks. This was initially caused by a substantial revaluation of risk of sub-prime mortgages but began to spill over into many other debt markets resulting in a severe credit contraction. So how does this “crunch” affect […]
Issue 11, October 2007: Perception Is Not Reality
Is New York City different from the rest of the U.S? You bet it is. For months we’ve been reading about the decline of the housing market nationwide and for just as long I’ve been saying that the Manhattan market is running counter to that. It still is and I believe it will continue to […]
Issue 12, December 2007: The West Village, A Thriving Housing Market
Maintaining Its Character Once identified as “Bohemian” or “Beat,” the West Village has matured into one of the most stable and exciting housing neighborhoods in the city with prices and demand surging forward as new developments and conversions are sprouting up. This development is bringing an eclectic architectural excitement to the quiet tree-lined streets of […]
Issue 13, February 2008: How to Make Money in Real Estate
For many years, owners of residential properties had one thing in mind – having as nice a home as possible. Granted, over time the value of the property went up – whether a co-op, condo or house – but the true value was as a home. The times are changing and I am frequently asked, […]