After leveling off slightly last month, the Manhattan apartment rental market continues to weaken following this summer's peak. An analysis of current rental rates found that all average apartment rents throughout the city decreased in October, resuming a correction in the market that started unseasonably in August. First, here's a brief summary of most / least affordable neighborhoods found on Page 4 of the Manhattan Rental Market Report. All rents represented are averages per neighborhood (NOT median!)In the non-doorman category, Tribeca is the most expensive neighborhood for all apartment sizes. In the same category, the Lower East Side has the cheapest studios ($1,752). Shockingly, the Upper West Side currently has the best deals on 1-beds ($2,230), and Midtown West has the most aff... 10/23/2007

HALLOWEEN in MANHATTAN                                                                         THE NEW MEL BROOKS BROADWAY MUSICAL YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN:   Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein is the hot ticket on Broadway this fall. The production stars Roger Bart (Dr. Frederick Frankenstein), Megan Mullally (Elizabeth), Sutton Foster (Inga), Shuler Hensley (The Monster), Fred Applegate (Kemp) and Christopher Fitzgerald (Igor). If you can get a ticket, what a great way to celebrate Halloween! The new Broadway musical Young Frankenstein is at The Hilton Theatre on 42nd Street.  If you're lucky enough to get tickets here you will enjoy it. I saw it last week in previews -  It is Fabulous! Based on the hit 1974 film the show's score includes "The Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and the ... 10/20/2007

On Earth Day, Mayor Bloomberg outlined PlaNYC, a series of 127 proposals aimed at helping New York meet the challenges of adding nearly one million people to the City's population between now and 2030, while at the same time reducing the City's greenhouse gas emissions by 30%. Lower Manhattan has already gone green. The Solaire, located at the north end of Battery Park City built in 2003 is the nation's first "green" residential highrise. Green features include: Advanced central air-filtration system; In-building air quality monitoring system; Carbon monoxide monitoring in parking garage; Central water-filtration system for entire building; Energy conserving designed to be 35% more energy-efficient than code requires, resulting in a 67% lower electricity demand during peak hours; 33% mo... 10/15/2007

According to a recent article, Day and Night on NYTimes.com, the relationship between homeowner and Manhattan real estate is comprised of many compromises.  Most real estate does not satifsy every homeowner's requirement, but it's true that most homeowner's do not consider some important factors while deciding whether or not to purchase real estate.  Homeowner's have become savvy in viewing real estate in day and night light.  But, the catch is, rarely have these same prospective buyers thought to view the same property's neighborhood in day and night light.  This article argues that many lively neighborhoods can take a turn for the worst once dusk falls.  Read the entire article Day and Night on NYTimes.com 10/15/2007

Manhattan sales prices continued upward. There was and still is a shortage of inventory for Manhattan sales and rentals. Buyers are purchasing apartments and quickly ...apartments in Manhattan don't stay on the market for long. There are many qualified buyers who are either paying cash or who fully qualify for  mortgages with a great deal of post-closing assets.  Manhattan real estate is at the top of its game! View Halstead Property LLC's 3rd Quarter 2007 Market Report Here!   10/05/2007

It might be Fall in Manhattan but neither temperatures or home prices are falling here. It's 85% today and the third quarter of 2007 was HOT! too. So far Fall traditionally a slow period is HOT! as well. We are still seeing crowded Open Houses, bidding wars, low inventory and lots of activity. Major NYC brokerage firms reported third quarter 2007 sales reports this week. On average buyers paid the highest prices ever for real estate in Manhattan during, July, August and September of 2007. The average price for a Manhattan apartment in 3Q-07 was $1,370,000 an icrease of 6.3% from 3Q-06 Apartment inventory declined by almost 1/3. 5,204 3Q-07 from 7,623 in 3Q-06 Prices rose in every type of apartment in most Manhattan neighborhoods Upper East Side apartments with 4 bedrooms + - average pri... 10/05/2007

I need buildings in nyc have cash buyers//   please no brokers  only deals direct w/ owner  email if u own building and looking to sell. 10/03/2007

One thing I never wanted to do was lead a boring life.  I've had my share of "Groundhog" days with each day a repeat of the last and I was miserable.  It took much courage (or total stupidity, I haven't decided yet) that while raising two children and owning a home ALONE whether to finally quit my reliable, guaranteed income producing job with benefits to pursue a dream.  My last day of work I took off my watch as I was no longer be dictated by time.  Sink or swim, I was on my own.That is exactly why I don't make many plans.  If I'm going to a show in the City, for example, I could be completely immersed in something else and don't want to leave but there's another place I have to be.  There's much to be said for "playing it by ear."  After our New York City trip to The San Gennaro Feas... 09/28/2007

I am all for taking some time out for just plain FUN.  I make it a point every year to go to the Annual San Gennaro Feast, Manhattan's biggest, most famous and longest running "festival."  This year was the 80th Festival and that's one LONG time.  If you've watched The Godfather, you've probably seen parts of it on TV.  Being there, however, is a little different!I always go with my daughter and the weather called for a bright, sunny day.  One of those picture perfect days for strolling around the city.  A little background:  The San Gennaro Feast is held in the Little Italy section of Manhattan and covers many blocks.  At the end, you end up in Chinatown.  San Gennaro is the Patron St. of Naples and annually over one million people attend.  The Statue of San Gennaro is paraded down the... 09/25/2007

9-11 has come and gone for the sixth time, but the REAL ESTATE where the Twin Towers stood is still a hole in the ground.  Progress is being made for the Freedom Tower and surrounding complex. What will be built?  Not merely a memorial, although history will require it.  Not only a tribute, such as we have in Oklahoma City, although broken hearts need a place to grieve and remember.  In addition to these things, the Freedom Tower will be a vibrant, useful center of human interaction and commerce standing tall once more behind the Statue of Liberty.      With the 2008 presidential election already underway, this should be something that brings us together as a nation.  Are you a Democrat?  A Republican?  It just doesn't matter.  Neither Liberty nor Success belong to a political party.   ... 09/14/2007

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum located at Ground Zero began a national tour that started in Columbia, South Carolina The exhibit will be at Finlay Park 930 Laurel Street today from 12noon-6pm To involve as many people as possible, the Memorial & Museum have created a traveling exhibition that tells the story of September 11 from the point of view of victims' families, first responders, survivors, and everyday people who came together on that terrible day and in the agonizing days that followed. The traveling exhibition offers Americans the opportunity to come together again to pay tribute to those who were killed on September 11 as well as to support the heroic first responders whose selfless acts saved thousands. Individuals and communities across the country will have a ... 09/10/2007

September 11th, 2001.  A day that truly changed all of us, forever.  With the unspeakable acts that happened that day and the loss of life, I hope everyone is grateful for every single thing in their lives.  Yes, even the "problems."  How sad that our children are growing up during a time when there is war, terror alerts, threats.  When most of us were children we didn't hear about any of this.  We grew up in a carefree way but things have been forever changed.In this beautiful City that I love so much, I too watched as the bravest were running INTO buildings as the panicked people were running out.  It is almost incomprehensible how brave those men were.  And New York came together as never before.  In the days and months after 9/11, things that usually occur just weren't happening any... 09/10/2007

It has been a very busy year and summer. The busiest August I can remember. Manhattan has been very fortunate this year compared to the rest of the country. Our market continues to be very strong. While most of the country has been down 20% we've been up 20% Can it continue? I'm cautiously optimistic. Is Manhattan really an island?The fall out from the sub prime mortgage meltdown during the last several weeks is now affecting the  mortgage, credit and financial services industries. The stock market has been volatile the feds added liquidity to the markets and lowered the prime rate. What move will the Feds make on September 18th? It remains to be seen what affect this will have on the real estate market in Manhattan. We still have low inventory. Most of the inventory is in new construct... 09/05/2007

Finding the right home in Manhattan can take time and a lot of work. At times it can be overwhelming ...after all it's the most important decision you will make.A licensed and professional Real Estate Agent can help navigate the process from beginning to end  --- and even after your closing --- applying their expertise to your search to get you the results you deserve.Using the right Agent can make all the difference between finding the home you have always wanted and frustration. Find an agent who can open the right doors for you. Find an agent who listens.Look for an Agent, not a propertySince you'll be spending much of your time with this person, read agent biographies, request recommendations, even call to interview them. Communication is 80% of the process, so make sure you and you... 09/02/2007

Summer is almost over as evidenced yesterday by the crowds of NYU students in Greenwich Village. With a little help from their parents they moved into dorms and apartments in Greenwich Village.  Yesterday was NYU "Move -in Day."  A similar scenario takes place in Morningside Heights as Columbia University students begin moving in to their dorms and luxury apartments that Columbia owns. Both NYU and Columbia have been building real estate empires in their respective Manhattan neighborhoods. Both private non profit institutions have real estate holdings worth more than half a billion dollars. Columbia ownes more than 7,000 apartments and it's real estate is worth approximately $635 million. This number excludes the value of wharehoused property it has not yet converted to educational use.... 08/27/2007

The NYTimes.com recently featured an interesting article: Dead Co-op Issue Gets a Second Life, which discusses the issue of holders of unsold shares.  According to the state court decision in 2005, holders of unsold shares had been designated and identified, however those who enjoy holder status are bound to be limited and in some cases denied that status if the ruling is overturned.  The issue is extremely important because holders of unsold shares enjoy certain priviledges, such as, not paying flip tax or sublet fees, or selling or subleting without board approval. Read the entirle article: Dead Co-op Issue Gets a Second Life on NYTimes.com 08/26/2007

Home staging is preparing a home prior to putting it on the market for sale. Why stage your home? Staging a home can ensure a quick sale.You may love the way your home looks, but potential buyers may not. When selling your home, staging it professionally can make your home more appealing and more attractive. It depersonalizes your home, reduces its flaws and very often, raises the value of your home. Very often it can bring a higher purchase price.With shows like HGTV's ‘Designed To Sell', "Bought and Sold",  "Get It Sold", "Buy Me" and TLC's "Flip This House" home owners looking to sell  their home, can learn valuable staging information that could be the difference of one's home being sold quickly, or sitting on the market for a long time.As a professional real estate agent, I have se... 08/23/2007

According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year, fixed mortgage rate has reached its lowest point since May and as of August 16th, averaged 6.52 percent.Additionally, rates on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to an average of 6.18 percent from its previous 6.30 percent. Five-year adjustable-rate mortgage rates fell to 6.34 percent, from 6.35 percent, and rates on one-year adjustable-rate mortgages dipped to 5.60 percent, compared with 5.67 percent. All of this good news comes as a result of the Federal Reserve's decision to cut its lending rate to banks. Interest rates on conforming long-term fixed rate mortgages and one-year adjustable-rate mortgages were down by about one-tenth of a percent.It is important to note that these mortgage rates do not include add-on fees known as points. This news ... 08/23/2007

By now we are sure you are well aware of the recent changes in the real estate financing industry, as well as the allegedly bleak outlook that has been portrayed in the media. We'd like to take this opportunity to shed some light on the current market and to address any concerns. The future is simply not nearly as grim as depicted in the press. How did we get here? Most mortgages are bundled together by lenders into securities and subsequently sold to investors. Over the past couple of years, housing grew at an unprecedented level. So too did the demand for seemingly low-risk, high-yield mortgage-backed securities. As the markets heated up and investors became comfortable with the volume of these securities, investors continued to buy–even while credit standards became more relaxed. Add... 08/21/2007

Leona Helmsley, The New York hotel and real estate "Queen" died of heart failure today at age 87. Leonna was a succesful residential real estate broker before her marriage to Harry Helmsley the NY real estate magnate.  Leona helped her husband run a $5 billion empire that included managing the Empire State Building. Helmsley became known as the "queen of mean" when a former housekeeper testified that she heard Helmsley say: "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes," during testimony at a trial where they were being charged with tax-evasion. In 1980's Leona became president of Helmsley Hotels, a subsidiary which including the Park Lane, St. Moritz and Palace in New York and the Harley Hotels. While I've never had any dealings with Leona in real estate, I did in a previous li... 08/20/2007