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Buying & Selling
Making the Sale
The co-op and condo market in New York City has been booming for some time now, so when properties go on sale, it's not very difficult to find a buyer. It doesn't really matter if it's a sprawling penthouse in a hot neighborhood or a small studio on an out-of-the-way street - if it's got four walls and running water (and sometimes even that is negotiable) your unit will sell. Read More
Choosing A Broker
After 20 years in an English Tudor in Westchester's Pelham, Bobbi and Warner Burke decided it was time to "wake up in the heart of Manhattan. We wanted chaos, color and vibrancy where we lived," says Bobbi. Without any leads for brokers, Bobbi-who had been reading the real estate section of the newspaper for a year in anticipation of a move-went into the city and visited The Corcoran Group's Upper East Side location. "I just hit the agency cold," Burke recalls. She was hooked up with Inge LaSousa, a Corcoran broker who happened to be available at that moment. "We started to look at properties that day," says Burke. Read More
Cover Story: Selling One Home to Buy Another
You've planned carefully so that you'll be ready to close on the apartment you're selling just as you take possession of the apartment you're buying. Even though the new place isn't yours yet, you've already begun renovating and decorating it in your mind's eye. Then you get the bad news that a higher bidder has snatched "your" home out from under you. Unfortunately, it's too late to decide not to sell the co-op you live in. There's no turning back and the likelihood of finding another great apartment seems unlikely. Even worse, you begin to worry that you and your belongings will wind up out on the street or camped out in a relative's guest room. What are your options and are there any steps that buyers who are also sellers can take to avoid this and other nightmarish scenarios? Read More
Essential Qualities
Whether you're buying or selling a condo or co-op, the goal is to engage a real estate broker who will get you the best price or the best apartment in the shortest period of time. Unless you already work in the real estate industry, you likely will not have an ongoing relationship with an individual broker. When engaging a broker—either as a buyer or a seller—there are 10 essential qualities to look for when seeking a superior broker. Read More
I Want My RE-TV
Several years ago, the only television shows on buying and selling real estate were late-night or Sunday morning agonizing, yet tantalizing, infomercials touting get-rich-quick products. These shows taught viewers that by simply buying the product, purchasing property at no- or low-cost, they could reap the financial rewards of homeownership. Read More
Selling Smart in New York City
Sellers have one overriding goal that is clear to everyone: to achieve the highest possible price for their property. However there is risk and it is this risk that must be minimized to maximize the probability of return. Read More
Diversify and Conquer
In the last four or five years, the tri-state real estate industry has borne witness to seismic shifts in the balance of power among real estate brokerage firms. Companies that are giants in their own right have merged with others, creating titanic real estate empires stretching across every borough, reaching into the Hamptons at the easternmost tip of Long Island, and even stretching down the East Coast into Florida within the tonier enclaves of Palm Beach and Miami. Read More
Can We Talk?
They say there's no such thing as a bad question - and when it comes to buying or selling a condo or co-op, asking the right questions of your broker, both before you choose one and afterwards, can help make the process run a whole lot smoother. Read More
Let the Good Times Roll
Whatever goes up is supposed to come down, but when it comes to the New York City real estate market, the laws of gravity may not necessarily apply. Experts say the industry that enjoyed good times in 2004 will continue to be healthy throughout 2005. Read More
Tips for Moving on the Cheap
Moving on a budget? No sweat. Here are some money-saving tips Read More
