Margot Slade

Mortality--especially someone else's--is probably the last thing you would imagine contemplating in a contract on the way to a close. But a thread on StreetEasy.com suggests that a "death clause"--nullifying the sale and returning the deposit if a buyer dies--is a real consideration more often than most sellers think. The question is, should it be a deal breaker?

There are some excellent reasons for snapping pictures at an open house: Your partner isn't with you, your memory stinks or you want to show pictures to your contractor or designer.  But is it invading someone's privacy to whip out your camera in someone else's home, whether co-op, condo, or occupied rental, without asking permission first? 

Probably the only buyers who look forward to a co-op board interview are those who regret signing a contract in the first place.  Sabotage the interview (e.g., ask about running for the board and mention how you’d like to “shake things up"), get rejected--and get your deposit back. Or not. If the seller can prove you threw the interview, you can kiss your tens of/hundreds of thousands goodbye. 

The value of what is touted as a "lofted sleeping area" (as against a plain old loft bed) is in the language of the seller and the eye of the buyer, according to a thread on StreetEasy.com. Lofted apartments are hard to sell if priced as a one-bedroom and the sleeping area is under 6' high, one commenter says. On the other hand, they are considered a "great bonus" if the apartment is priced as an expensive studio.