first-time buyer

Residential street in Manhattan
Negotiating + Financing
Buying for the first time in NYC? Be sure to prep your finances first
By Evelyn Battaglia |January 14, 2026 - 11:30AM
Astoria Queens apartments
Negotiating + Financing
The home loan that lets first-time buyers put as little as 3 percent down

… little as 3 percent  For buyers at or below a certain income level the State of New York Mortgage Agency SONYMA … Mortgage  SONYMA loans allow a 3 percent down payment for singlefamily houses and condos and a 5 percent down payment for …

By Evelyn Battaglia |April 22, 2025 - 10:30AM
Tenants of 438 and 440 West 45th Street gathered on the stoop of the apartment building at 438.
Non-Traditional Buyers
Hell’s Kitchen tenants rally for a chance to buy their distressed buildings
By Celia Young |April 1, 2025 - 12:30PM
co-op board package brick underground
Co-ops
10 steps for creating a stellar co-op or condo board application
By Evelyn Battaglia |February 12, 2025 - 12:30PM
Towers of the East River Co-ops (1956) in the Lower East Side, NYC. In the foreground is the East River and East River Park under renovation. These were the tallest reinforced concrete apartment structures in the United States at the time of their construction.
Co-ops
How first-time buyers can apply for up to $100,000 in down payment assistance
By Celia Young |February 3, 2025 - 3:00PM
NYC building facades
Negotiations + Closings
The buyer's and seller's guide to NYC closing costs
By Evelyn Battaglia |January 6, 2025 - 10:00AM
NYC apartment buildings
Negotiating + Financing
What are the differences between jumbo and conforming loans?
By Brick Underground |December 4, 2024 - 2:30PM
A view of the pool at The Beacon at Garvies Point in Glen Cove, NY
New Construction + Condos
Condos in the burbs? For some buyers, the suburban dream is not a house
By Jennifer White Karp |September 23, 2024 - 2:30PM