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My Big Fat Board Interview: They didn't understand why a farmer was getting an apartment in NYC

by Carla as told to Elizabeth Kuster | 9/15/11 - 8:02 AM

When my husband and I got married seven years ago, I was renting a place on West 72nd Street. We decided that we wanted to buy an apartment because we realized...
NYC Renovation Chronicles: 5 tips for figuring the cost of a fixer-upper

by Yoel Borgenicht, General Contractor | 9/14/11 - 1:50 PM

The Situation
You are looking to buy one of several apartments and want to get an idea of what the construction costs will be to renovate. Accurate...
Doormen not what they used to be; is it ethical to "virtually" stage your apartment, and more

by Teri Karush Rogers | 9/12/11 - 7:22 AM
- When the cleaning lady does her laundry at your place...

NYC Real(i)ty Speak: Room with a view....sort of

by Veronica X. | 9/09/11 - 1:12 PM

It stands to reason that if you are paying the same amount for a NYC 2-bedroom as you would for a mansion in middle America, what you see when you look out is as...
Inside Story: Our new construction fairytale

by Anonymous as told to Elizabeth Kuster | 9/09/11 - 8:01 AM

(Ed.'s note: We don't usually hear from people who are thrilled with their new construction experience, so when we heard this one, we had to post it.)...
Second Avenue subway pain, as measured in soundproofed windows

by Teri Karush Rogers | 9/06/11 - 12:48 PM

Construction noise is one of the banes of urban living, but we've never had the chance to see suffering visually represented on a map. Until this morning, when...

Ask an Expert: My lot-line windows are about to vanish. Do I have to tell buyers?

by Teri Karush Rogers | 8/31/11 - 7:52 AM

Q. My apartment is on the market, and I recently learned that the building next door is planning to add three more stories and that my apartment will...
Best of Brick: 9 apartment hunting questions that separate the New Yorkers from the rookies

by Teri Karush Rogers | 8/30/11 - 10:31 AM

Some lessons are typically learned through experience (the unpleasant kind), and that is especially true of New York City real estate: When you're looking for an apartment...
"Splitters" can save you thousands on a new condo

by Teri Karush Rogers | 8/30/11 - 7:20 AM

When it comes to negotiating with a developer, the basic rule of thumb is to avoid asking for outright price reductions (which, because they're publicly recorded,...

StreetEasy's "Shop for a Broker" tool helps sellers fend off high-ballers

by Teri Karush Rogers | 8/29/11 - 2:14 PM

When looking to hire a real estate broker, sellers almost inevitably encounter The High-Baller--a broker who recommends a listing price that is either "ambitious" or flat-out...
2-bed, w/d, ren EIK in BEST flood zone. HURRY!!! Won't last!!

by Teri Karush Rogers | 8/29/11 - 8:16 AM

Poor Battery Park City. As if ...
Living next to Zabar's stinks

by Dawn as told to Kelly Kreth | 8/25/11 - 10:56 AM

My husband and I live on 81st between Broadway and West End, which is a great neighborhood, and we have a fantastic apartment.
It's a two...
Best of Brick: The perfect apartment for your cat

by Margot Slade | 8/24/11 - 2:26 PM

When it comes to expressing boredom, cats are known to make full use of claws (on your furniture) and other forms of self-expression like peeing in the middle of your bed...
Ask an Expert: Buying a co-op when you're self-employed

by Teri Karush Rogers | 8/24/11 - 8:49 AM

Q. I've been an independent marketing consultant for five years and I want to buy an apartment. Income-wise, I had one bad year three years ago but other...
Best of Brick: My humiliating Fifth Avenue turndown, and what happened next

by Debra as told to Kelly Kreth | 8/23/11 - 1:45 PM

The first time I tried to buy a co-op, I was turned down. It was back in 1993, when I was a single mother of a two-year old living on the Upper East Side. I was going...
11 reasons why that apartment is too good to be true

by Alana Mayman and Teri Rogers | 8/23/11 - 8:01 AM

Rather than cause for celebration, a below-market price for an apartment in NYC is actually a red flag. Exactly why the price is low can depend on whether you...
Best of Brick: How to interview a closing lawyer

by Margot Slade | 8/22/11 - 2:10 PM

There are good closing attorneys, mediocre ones, and ones you will wish you never met. How to tell the difference before hiring one? Here's a great list of interview...
Best of Brick: 10 signs of a user-friendly co-op board

by Teri Rogers and A. Ready | 8/18/11 - 10:46 AM

If you're on the prowl for a co-op board that embraces a dictionary versus despotic interpretation of the word "cooperative," you can find a multitude of clues from the...
Best of Brick: 16 things I have learned since moving to Manhattan

by Alana Mayman and Teri Rogers | 8/17/11 - 2:05 PM

In reality, Manhattan isn't Sex and the City, Law and Order, Selling New York, the combined works of Woody Allen or...
How to afford a NYC apartment

by Teri Karush Rogers | 8/15/11 - 7:56 AM

Sure, you could get a better paying job or take in a roommate in order to afford your pricey NYC digs. Or you could adopt some of the clever and not-so-painful-really austerity...

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