Did I Forget To Mention?


Over the past almost-decade, I’ve done business Downtown and Uptown. The mix has been there, and although I moved Uptown almost six years ago, I’ve continued to keep my main office downtown. However, an opportunity presented itself to move from Brown Harris Stevens’ lovely Gold Coast offices on Fifth Avenue and 8th Street to our
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Design and Retail in Manhattan- ICFF and Luxury Watch Show


For those of you craving a few tidbits of design info, here’s the latest: 1) You just missed the first public Luxury Watch show here in New York City. Apparently, it was quite something. 2) Don’t miss tomorrow’s public access to the ICFF, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, at the Javitz Center! I’ll have more
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The Pendulum Swings towards Larger Apartments and Trophies


To make writing, or speaking interesting, every book/teacher/article encourages you to tell stories. Stories bring your information points to life. And yet there’s the tricky bit about keeping my client information confidential, and how to tell fun stories without giving anything away. As I tend to work best with deadlines looming, I keep this entry
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A few additional thoughts on mortgage rates


My mortgage broker friends write in with their updates. “Now is the time to refi!” “Now is the time to take out a mortgage!” High volume sales pitch- not really, but this is how I hear this sometimes. In reality, Frank Cronin writes me: “Low rates are consistently still in the market…[it] will continue for
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The Dreaded Mortgage Contingency


I’d like to touch on mortgage contingencies in this month’s blog about mortgages. I’ll address rates in the “market” section, so never fear. Since 2008, we’ve seen buyers, especially first time buyers or studio/1BR buyers asking for mortgage contingencies. This is not happening with every purchase, but I am not surprised to see appraisals coming
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When Apartments Are Overpriced


Former Senator Moynihan wrote, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. They are not entitled to their own facts.” I love that quote. Certainly, brokers are entitled to think their properties are worth what they are listing at- but pricing often strains credulity. I’m working with a great guy in finance who is depending on
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Let the Peanuts Fly! 1st Quarter Reports, Unemployment, NYC Commentariat Speaks


A little market check-in for you. It’s a lot to allow the information to wash over you, especially the dynamic RE market. For those of you who use Twitter, you understand (I’m @practicalhome , for now)- for those of you who have avoided the information overload…I’m not sure that’s the best move. While I have
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Snapshot from our Chief Economist (keep in mind this lags by 1 month)


March 2011 Prepared by Gregory Heym Chief Economist, Brown Harris Stevens NYC Unemployment Rate Holds At 8.9% • New York City’s unemployment rate was unchanged in February, at 8.9%. • For the first time since June of 2010, the NYC and national rates were the same. The city’s rate had been lower than the national
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Friday's Blue Plate Special


“There are strange things afoot at the Circle K.” That’s the Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure Quote for the day, and a fun way to begin this blog post. Things are far from strange, though- on the contrary, things are great! It’s quite the excellent adventure here, too. On this Spring Friday, I’m thrilled to
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Let's see how well social media works: Summer Intern Needed


Hello regular readers. I am looking for a summer intern for my team at Brown Harris Stevens. Please forward this to great college students who haven’t locked down their summer. Here’s the official call- Job Title: Intern – Marketing and Communications Description: A Top-Tier Team at Brown Harris Stevens, New York City’s oldest residential Real
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Recent Blog Posts

What’s Worth More? Staging or Off-Market Marketing? Our Deal of the Month @ 130 West 30th Street
What is Congestion Pricing Going To Do to Manhattan’s Real Estate Market?
(VIDEO) A Return to Real Estate Health in 2025
The End of Rental Broker Commissions As You Know It. The Beginning of Even-Higher Rents.
The Sometimes Secret to Dealmaking? Waiting. (Our Deal of the Month @ 52 Riverside Drive)
(VIDEO) Don’t Take My Word For It. The NYC Housing Market is Better Than You’ve Heard.
How Much does Overcustomization Cost? (Our Deal of the Month)
A New Way To Save Real $$ on your Prewar Apartment Renovation—by Using Smart Home Systems (and Calling the Electrician)
(VIDEO) The Win-Win Window is Closing
What Happens when Your Agent Becomes an Advisor? Our Deal of the Month: 24 East 82nd

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